Dublin v Mayo 4th March

[rosnarun]

Mayo are all over the place in the early part of the year...literally, 10+ of squad based in Dublin only come home at weekend for training. They have 1 small group session with any u21s in college in Dublin during the week. Donie Buckley has been in America for last number of weeks.
Despite all this..Saturday night was a horrendous display.

Its a point that's rarely mentioned and its an advantage to the Dubs this time of year.

The age profile of this Mayo team is possibly the oldest in the country so wouldn't make any sense flogging them this time of year.

Rochord is going with same names that played in the John O'Mahony era. The players below played when Mayo lost to Longford in 2010. Mayo should have cut out all the deadwood and used the league to unearth a full back, mobile centre fielder and 2 forwards and possible sub goalie. Playing let alone starting Andy Moran this time of year is just daftness from Mayo management.

D Clarke
C Barrett
G Cafferkey
K Higgins
D Vaughan
K McLoughlin
A O'Shea
A Moran
S O'Shea
B Moran
A Dillon
T Parsons
A Freeman left panel

All the deadwood that lost the All-Ireland final replay by a point!? We have a bit more respect for those players than you have obviously.
And several new players (mainly forwards) have been introduced, some more successfully than others, some getting more game time than others.

which of these players are dead wood. the deadwood have not made it this far IMHO.
like a lot of armchair fans your confusing the losing an all-Ireland by a point after a replay to being a shower of useless bastards

[Gael85]

Deadwood was the wrong word. I have a lot of respect for them players but there is a lot of mileage on the clock and new blood is needed to get Mayo over the line.David Clarke on panel 01 since, Dillon 03, A.Moran 04, B.Moran and Higgins 05. Dublin peaked early last year and Mayo were not ruthless to take advantage in both games. There was lad a Tommy Conroy playing with minors in 2013(i know had a few injuries/personal issues) but a serious forward who first instinct was to go for goal. Mayo need forwards like him

[highorlow]

5 of the starting 15 Mayo players from last years AIF are over 30.

4 are outfield players.

Cluxton is 35.

6 of last years Dublin outfield players that started last years AIF will be over 30 this year.

I await your next argument!

[Syferus]

In fairness one team has the likes of Conor McHugh and Cormac Costello on the bench, whereas the other has Conor O'Shea and David Drake..

[Lar Naparka]

What surprises me greatly is that the Mayo team can run Dublin, Kerry and whoever so close year after year and still keep coming back for more.
No amount of coaching or psychological waffling can instil  determination and motivation into anyone; those have to come from within.
But if I had the opportunity to sort out those responsible for never quite making it, I'd give the entire backroom staff a running kick up the rock&roll.
The number of basics that the team get wrong year upon year and still are thereabouts at the final shakeup frustrates me very much.

I dunno what Peter Burke is doing to earn his corn but I'd say sweet FA by the look of it. For as long as I can remember, there have been criticism of Clarkie's kick outs yet nothing has been done about it.
Cluxton can give a master class in the art of kicking out and, crucially, finding the intended target time after time.
What struck me then was the obvious  understanding between the outfield Dublin's players and Clucko. Mayo's big men make little or no effort to contest possession which made Cluxton's task very much easier. The point I'm labouring is that problems with Clarke's restarts can't be put down to him alone.

Seamie and his mates could do with getting the lead outa their arses and show a bit of gumption too instead of standing about watching the ball sail on by. Surely they have to have an understanding with the keeper which can only be achieved in training with loads of practice. You can't make it up as you go along and yet Mayo are no nearer to getting an understanding between the keeper and the players hoping to pick up his passes. It seems only Cillian can kick with both feet. Seamie can't kick accurately with either while his bro is entirely dependent on his left, which makes it much easier to block him.
Same brother since he got on the team is inclined to put his head own and bull his way through three or four opponents time after time. Invariably, he loses possession.
Can that not be bet outa him? Surely it's a coaching issue.
Kevin is another ciotóg who could turn from being good into being great if only he didn't have to rely on his left foot all the time.
I'll never forget the game in LImerick against Kerry.
Donaghy was the target man at the edge of the square with Jamesy waiting for the breaking ball and putting it to good use, the little fecker.
Aidan, our answer to Star, is most times left on his own with two or three waiting to contest possession with him and no one in sight to do a Jamesy for us.
Donaghy had outfielders who could find him time afer time ith perfectly judged pases. (I'm thinking of David Moran in particular here but there were others.)

I can't remember the game now but I recall Seamie landing the ball nearer the corner flag than the edge of the square. (Wasn't it a semi last year?)
HIs hand passing the same day was pure bloody cat and he had to be subbed before the end.
I am not picking on him in particular, there are others like him too, but I do feel that a bit of time on the training ground would turn him into one heck of a fine player.

[Gael85]

5 of the starting 15 Mayo players from last years AIF are over 30.

4 are outfield players.

Cluxton is 35.

6 of last years Dublin outfield players that started last years AIF will be over 30 this year.

I await your next argument!

Most of Dublin older players wouldn't have as much mileage on the clock. Cluxton started out in 01, Brogan and Connolly 07, Philly, Flynn and Andrews 08. Cluxton, Philly, Flynn and Connolly are only players 30+ guaranteed to start for Dublin this year, Brogan, O'Gara, MDMA and Kevin Mc will be more than likely starting on bench. Daly and Bastic are squad players. We are relying on players 2011/12 minors teams coming along with a couple players 2014 minor team  to backbone the team in the coming years.

[rosnarun]

inclined to put his head own and bull his way through three or four opponents time after time. Invariably, he loses possession.
in fairness Aidan has lost that from his game for 2 or 3 years now.
For mayos game plan to work they need to play full pelt and when they don't they are inclined to fall apart.
this is what explains their success in the more important games in the summer
Bad as things look now they looked a lot worse this time last year . yet they came within a bad call from the ref in the drawn game from winning the All Ireland.

[blast05]

Aidan is at his most effective when he wins the ball 40-50m from goal at pace, i.e.: moving on to the ball, not standing 50:50 competing for it) and ideally not having to do a 180 degree turn to face goal, i.e.: winning it by running across the pitch so that he only has to make a 90 degree turn.
Yes, i am thinking of his role in Leeroys goal in the replay. He is a force of nature when powering towards the opponents goal at pace and then ideally with a charging half back or forward on his shoulder.

[rosnarun]

Aidan is at his most effective when he wins the ball 40-50m from goal at pace, i.e.: moving on to the ball, not standing 50:50 competing for it) and ideally not having to do a 180 degree turn to face goal, i.e.: winning it by running across the pitch so that he only has to make a 90 degree turn.
Yes, i am thinking of his role in Leeroys goal in the replay. He is a force of nature when powering towards the opponents goal at pace and then ideally with a charging half back or forward on his shoulder.

agreed which is why he should never be played full forward.
hes probably the best midfielder in the country and is only played away from there because management think may are well covered there  with Seamie . barry moran ,vaughan gibbons etc.
i would leave him in midfield with gibbons and push seamie forward

[Jinxy]

Aidan is at his most effective when he wins the ball 40-50m from goal at pace, i.e.: moving on to the ball, not standing 50:50 competing for it) and ideally not having to do a 180 degree turn to face goal, i.e.: winning it by running across the pitch so that he only has to make a 90 degree turn.
Yes, i am thinking of his role in Leeroys goal in the replay. He is a force of nature when powering towards the opponents goal at pace and then ideally with a charging half back or forward on his shoulder.

agreed which is why he should never be played full forward.
hes probably the best midfielder in the country and is only played away from there because management think may are well covered there  with Seamie . barry moran ,vaughan gibbons etc.
i would leave him in midfield with gibbons and push seamie forward

Dunno about that.

[Captain Obvious]

Aidan O Shea doesn't have the mobility or workrate for a modern day midfielder.

[heffo]

Aidan is at his most effective when he wins the ball 40-50m from goal at pace, i.e.: moving on to the ball, not standing 50:50 competing for it) and ideally not having to do a 180 degree turn to face goal, i.e.: winning it by running across the pitch so that he only has to make a 90 degree turn.
Yes, i am thinking of his role in Leeroys goal in the replay. He is a force of nature when powering towards the opponents goal at pace and then ideally with a charging half back or forward on his shoulder.

hes probably the best midfielder in the country and is only played away from there because management think may are well covered there  with Seamie

Are you for real?

I'd love to see him played in midfield v Dublin  - we'd have great fun.

Fenton is the best midfielder in the country - strong, mobile and can kick with both feet.

[An Fhairche Abu]

Aidan is at his most effective when he wins the ball 40-50m from goal at pace, i.e.: moving on to the ball, not standing 50:50 competing for it) and ideally not having to do a 180 degree turn to face goal, i.e.: winning it by running across the pitch so that he only has to make a 90 degree turn.
Yes, i am thinking of his role in Leeroys goal in the replay. He is a force of nature when powering towards the opponents goal at pace and then ideally with a charging half back or forward on his shoulder.

hes probably the best midfielder in the country and is only played away from there because management think may are well covered there  with Seamie

Are you for real?

I'd love to see him played in midfield v Dublin  - we'd have great fun.

Fenton is the best midfielder in the country - strong, mobile and can kick with both feet.

I would absolutely agree that Fenton is the best midfielder at the moment, I thought he was fantastic yet again in the match last Saturday.

[PW Nally]

Aidan is at his most effective when he wins the ball 40-50m from goal at pace, i.e.: moving on to the ball, not standing 50:50 competing for it) and ideally not having to do a 180 degree turn to face goal, i.e.: winning it by running across the pitch so that he only has to make a 90 degree turn.
Yes, i am thinking of his role in Leeroys goal in the replay. He is a force of nature when powering towards the opponents goal at pace and then ideally with a charging half back or forward on his shoulder.

hes probably the best midfielder in the country and is only played away from there because management think may are well covered there  with Seamie

Are you for real?

I'd love to see him played in midfield v Dublin  - we'd have great fun.

Fenton is the best midfielder in the country - strong, mobile and can kick with both feet.

Undeniable 
Adding more physicality to his game as well.

[Syferus]

The value of midfielders in the modern era is vastly overrated. There's a reason people struggle to name one top class one playing the game right now. And please keep away from the MDMA and Fenton stuff. The later is a good young player. That's it.