Mayo 3-11 Sligo 0-7 Champions Dethroned

[highorlow]

However in saying this maybe JOM will add some tactic that we havn't implemented before? Tactics could be the only step forward we need and this could be a team chosen specifically for this game? After all its a given that we are a county with 8/10 natural players one exceptional one and the rest are workhorses. Its getting the best out of the workhorses and using the natural players correctly thats key.

Is JOM going to try and crowd the midfield? He will probably play Gardiner as an extra defensive man behind the midfield and Harte as a 3rd midfielder giving space to the 3 up front, there it is I've convinced myself, a 10 point win and a good run out with the full bench getting utilized.

My only concern is the lack of pace in our HB line.

[RedandGreenSniper]

Quote from REDANDGREEN SNIPER  'I don't think Tommy Jordan is up to this standard of management '

Eh. why so Sniper?

I've met the man a few times and he never really convinced me as some sort of managerial genuis. I think a lot of the reason for the success of Crossmolina is due to a very smart group of lads at their disposal. James and Tom Nallen, Stephen Rochford, Liam Moffatt etc would be very influential players. Jordan is a good man for delegation - that is a strength - he saw fit to bring Jarlath Cunningham on board who contributed immensely. Jordan, in my opinion, merely 'facilitated' Cross' success. He had great players with ambition and pointed them in the right direction. He contributed, don't get me wrong, but its not as if he dragged Cross from nowhere to All-Ireland club champions single handidly. With Sligo it seems he was left very much on a solo mission and that would be where he would be found out imo.
But, as I said in my first post, anyone would have had a hard job with Sligo this year after last year's highs

[magpie seanie]

Was in Rome for a few days so at least I was spared the pain of watching the debacle in person though the text messages meant the mobile phone nearly followed the few coins I tried to bribe the Roman Gods with into the Trevi Fountain!

Firstly - congrats to Mayo and best of luck for the coming battles. I think ye could have an interesting year though maybe short of the stuff required for the big one. O'Mahoney seems focussed on the task this year as I felt last week and with good players to come back then there is reason for some optimism. Still not his biggest fan but he undeniably got it right last weekend. The game mightn't have seen a great performance from Mayo but it will bring them on a little.

I'll get time to post on the Sligo thread later but I'll just try to explain how some of us got it wrong. Deep down in my gut I felt we were going to struggle to get the scores to win but reckoned we'd keep it close and if we got the breaks we could do it. I placed way too much store in Sligo's excellent defensive qualities last year. The workrate and ability to tackle well and dispossess Roscommon and Galway were the trademarks of last summers Connacht title. It seems that hunger was the lifeblood of that type of play and regardless what anyone says, Sligo's hunger couldn't be as big as last year. I suppose I hoped that kind of choking of the oppostion could be repeated but sadly it wasn't even close to happening. That's the problem with wanting something to happen - sometimes it can cloud the judgement.

I hear Kevin McStay ripped us apart on the Sunday Game. Unusually for him I have to admit he was right though most Mayo men don't feel the need to put the boot into Sligo at every turn. That U-21 hammering we gave his team must still hurt.

[SLIGONIAN]

Was in Rome for a few days so at least I was spared the pain of watching the debacle in person though the text messages meant the mobile phone nearly followed the few coins I tried to bribe the Roman Gods with into the Trevi Fountain!

Firstly - congrats to Mayo and best of luck for the coming battles. I think ye could have an interesting year though maybe short of the stuff required for the big one. O'Mahoney seems focussed on the task this year as I felt last week and with good players to come back then there is reason for some optimism. Still not his biggest fan but he undeniably got it right last weekend. The game mightn't have seen a great performance from Mayo but it will bring them on a little.

I'll get time to post on the Sligo thread later but I'll just try to explain how some of us got it wrong. Deep down in my gut I felt we were going to struggle to get the scores to win but reckoned we'd keep it close and if we got the breaks we could do it. I placed way too much store in Sligo's excellent defensive qualities last year. The workrate and ability to tackle well and dispossess Roscommon and Galway were the trademarks of last summers Connacht title. It seems that hunger was the lifeblood of that type of play and regardless what anyone says, Sligo's hunger couldn't be as big as last year. I suppose I hoped that kind of choking of the oppostion could be repeated but sadly it wasn't even close to happening. That's the problem with wanting something to happen - sometimes it can cloud the judgement.

I hear Kevin McStay ripped us apart on the Sunday Game. Unusually for him I have to admit he was right though most Mayo men don't feel the need to put the boot into Sligo at every turn. That U-21 hammering we gave his team must still hurt.

I dont like to look back but that u21 win over Mayo was one of the best performances ive ever seen by sligo, great memory. 3-14 to 1-5 if memory serves me right. The whole 2nd half was like a magical experience. There was no tension just shear joy for 30mins. Dont mention the next game.

[BallyhaiseMan]

Dont bite my head off if you think im way out here
would i be wrong in saying Sligo suffer from the same problem that neighbours Leitrim,Cavan and Monaghan to a degree suffer from, a lack of Big Men who can play football to the level of Inter County Standard,

The Lack of height at midfield for sligo against Mayo just reminds me of watching Cavan.

[SLIGONIAN]

Dont bite my head off if you think im way out here
would i be wrong in saying Sligo suffer from the same problem that neighbours Leitrim,Cavan and Monaghan to a degree suffer from, a lack of Big Men who can play football to the level of Inter County Standard,

The Lack of height at midfield for sligo against Mayo just reminds me of watching Cavan.

You have a point, time to watch sligo allstars basketball team and get a few of them to take up GAA me thinks. Worked for mcgarrity and donaghy.

[moysider]

McGarrity always played club and colleges football. Was nt involved at county underage  but it was nt that he was nt good enough. I m sure Donaghy always played as well.