Mayo 3-11 Sligo 0-7 Champions Dethroned

[Barney]

According to the Connacht GAA site its down for a 3.30 throw-in.

[Barney]

Anybody go to the trial game at the weekend?

What was the line-up for the Probables?

[IolarCoisCuain]

There's a big feature on Ciarán McDonald in today's Indo, but it looks like the hoors haven't bothered their arses putting it up on the site.  Anybody fancy buying a copy and typing it out?

[Tubberman]

The article in the indo has nothing new in it at all. Colm Keys rehashing old news. There isn't even a new quote in it from what I can see. He's just going over the fallout from McD's exclusion from the panel. It's been debated to death on this forum and Keys has nothing new to add.
Not a word from the Mayo camp, will be very interesting to see what team is named, amazing that nobody here has a clue what to expect - in previous years we'd know about 12 of the starting 15 at least

[IolarCoisCuain]

Found it: http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaa-championships/gaelic-football/the-fairytale-with-no-happy-ending-1410902.html

Tubberman is correct in saying it's mainly a re-hash of old news, but there is more detail about how things developed to their current depressing level, going back to the game against Derry last year.

[Mano]

Time to get some Sligo debate (other than SLIGONIAN telling us how confident he is) on this thread.

Preparation has been relatively low-key since London with exception of the Ross challenge last week which seemed to be strangely widely broadcast. I would expect a few changes from the London game. Team for London were quite small, fast, mobile and lacking in physicality which did the business against London who probably didn't have the greatest of preparation. That team will not beat Mayo and hopefully will not be selected.

I would put Johnny Davey back at wing back where he is most effective attacking facing the opposition goal. His defensive qualities have been called into question but i would retain him at wing back as an attacking outlet. Need a few bigger physical forwards to compliment the speedsters Kelly and Gaughan and to win 50:50 ball and take a few scores as we are relying very heavily on Brehony. McPartland, Davey and Sweeney will have to come into consideraton in the forward line.

My team would be
Greene, Donovan, McGuire, Harrison, Davey, Egan, McGovern, Quinn, O'Hara, Gaughan, Brehony, Curran, McPartland, McNamara, Kelly

[Lar Naparka]

Found it: http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaa-championships/gaelic-football/the-fairytale-with-no-happy-ending-1410902.html

Tubberman is correct in saying it's mainly a re-hash of old news, but there is more detail about how things developed to their current depressing level, going back to the game against Derry last year.

To all of us Mayo heads here the piece contains nothing new; we’ve been over it all before. But we’ve been debating in the context of Mac’s omission from the panel and the rights and wrongs of how this came to pass.
Colm Keys may have given us little new by way of facts but he does go on to spell out the implications for O’Mahony and how his season will be judged. In doing this, he has made the best possible case for John O’Mahony and the factors that led him to deciding to move on without McDonald.
But he also states the reasons why Mac should be on the side and the fact that the issue will overshadow Mayo’s involvement in the championships. I also thought the quotes from Kevin McStay put the pros and cons as aptly as they can be presented, especially McStay’s view that O’Mahony goofed by not telling Mac face to face, out of the glare of publicity, that he was going to drop him.
Watching Padraig Joyce in action yesterday, I couldn’t help feeling that Mayo could badly do with a father figure in attack; someone to harness the efforts of our promising young fellas who are still in a state of transition. I’m quite sure I’m not alone in thinking that.
Now, it’s time to concentrate on the task ahead and wipe that smirk off Sligonian’s face.
It’s a great pity that Mayo fans won’t be concentrating on what we will do on the field but on what might have been done if only……

[SLIGONIAN]

Mano Id say if you got the chance youd shoot me in the back. Never short of a dig or 2 towards me. Is there something wrong with me being confident and having belief in our team, does that somehow offend you, would you prefer me to be negative? Most of my posts are football related too so your basically lying insinuating that all I do is say how confident i am. I can see your trying to diminsh my value to this board. Was my report on the ros challenge not good enough for you.

Larnaparka, i can tell you I have no smirk on my face yet. I just have belief in my county, simple as that.

Do you know something having seen naughton in the third midfielder role i wouldnt be suprised if the Jordan drops mcnamara(who just isnt playing well at all) and goes with naughton. It would be seen as a shock but not to those at the game last week.

Id be suprised if Jordan backtracked now on his new gameplan of playing j davey in the forwards. Why would he continue with that in recent challenges if he was going to revert back the old way for the mayo game. Mcpartland looked sharp in the recent friendly and would add strength to the forwards. Naughton is flying and should be slotted in somewhere so id drop mchugh. To me j davey is better running onto the ball at pace and at hf he do that whilst not exposing his weakness at defending.


My team to start would be

Greene donovan mcguire harrison mcgovern egan naughton ohara quinn curran brehony j davey gaughan mcpartland kelly


The team i think Jordan will start

Greene donovan mcguire harrison mcgovern egan mchugh ohara quinn curran brehony gaughan j davey mcnamara/naughton kelly

[kevmy]

Christ lads it's shocking when the Sligo boys are more confident than us!!

Now that Mort appears to be starting I'm pretty confident that we'll beat Sligo. If, and I think most people agree we should if we are doing anything right, we get past Sligo I think we'll have a decent crack at Galway in the final in Castlebar. Wasn't impressed by them at the weekend. They are struggling around midfield and in backs. Apart from Joyce no one stirred in the forwards until half way through the 2nd half when Meehan and Bane got going.

I'm hoping for a good all round performance at the weekend whatever team is named. But I'll be looking especially at midfield, half forward and full back. If these lines perform well and show improvement I'd be very happy.

[Mano]

Mano Id say if you got the chance youd shoot me in the back. Never short of a dig or 2 towards me. Is there something wrong with me being confident and having belief in our team, does that somehow offend you, would you prefer me to be negative? Most of my posts are football related too so your basically lying insinuating that all I do is say how confident i am. I can see your trying to diminsh my value to this board. Was my report on the ros challenge not good enough for you.

You bring it on yourself with your stupid comments. Having said that i would have no problem with you been confident i would just prefer you would keep it to yourself rather than winding up the Mayo lads. Mayo are never a modest bunch when it comes to playing Sligo and they don't seem to be arrogant or cocky about this one with the exception of Mannix.

If we go with Kelly, Davey and Gaughan in the forward line we will be wiped out. None of these 3 are over 5 foot 7 and none of them are natural score getters. We would have the same scenario as against Cork last year. The midfield and half back line been forced to kick back into small lads in forward line and ball coming back out just as quick. They went with this tactic in London game as they knew we would have space to pick out accurate passes to the speedy forwards-we won't have that space on Sunday particulary if Mayo leave their corner back in fullback line rather than follow McNamara/Naughton or whoever is taking the roaming role.

[magpie seanie]

Mano - I understand your concerns about the small quick lads up front. If I had to put a bet on it now though I'd say that's what Sligo will go with. I don't think that necessarily means we will be beaten though for a couple of reasons, one being that Mayo's backs are probably not as good as Corks. Sligonian possibly has a point about Jonnie Davey being a bit vulnerable defensively but no more so than the lad who played there the last time.

Jordan knows the Mayo lads well and will hopefully have some sort of plan to upscuttle them. Maybe he thinks pace is the key and to be honest, our options are fairly limited. Team selection will be interesting but will have few changes.

[SLIGONIAN]

Mano Id say if you got the chance youd shoot me in the back. Never short of a dig or 2 towards me. Is there something wrong with me being confident and having belief in our team, does that somehow offend you, would you prefer me to be negative? Most of my posts are football related too so your basically lying insinuating that all I do is say how confident i am. I can see your trying to diminsh my value to this board. Was my report on the ros challenge not good enough for you.

You bring it on yourself with your stupid comments. Having said that i would have no problem with you been confident i would just prefer you would keep it to yourself rather than winding up the Mayo lads. Mayo are never a modest bunch when it comes to playing Sligo and they don't seem to be arrogant or cocky about this one with the exception of Mannix.

If we go with Kelly, Davey and Gaughan in the forward line we will be wiped out. None of these 3 are over 5 foot 7 and none of them are natural score getters. We would have the same scenario as against Cork last year. The midfield and half back line been forced to kick back into small lads in forward line and ball coming back out just as quick. They went with this tactic in London game as they knew we would have space to pick out accurate passes to the speedy forwards-we won't have that space on Sunday particulary if Mayo leave their corner back in fullback line rather than follow McNamara/Naughton or whoever is taking the roaming role.

What stupid comments ? another dig ouch...

Big deal if I wind up the mayo lads, its called banter and it goes both ways and is harmless. Do you tell O Hara to keep his comments to himself aswell?

[SLIGONIAN]

Mano - I understand your concerns about the small quick lads up front. If I had to put a bet on it now though I'd say that's what Sligo will go with. I don't think that necessarily means we will be beaten though for a couple of reasons, one being that Mayo's backs are probably not as good as Corks. Sligonian possibly has a point about Jonnie Davey being a bit vulnerable defensively but no more so than the lad who played there the last time.

Jordan knows the Mayo lads well and will hopefully have some sort of plan to upscuttle them. Maybe he thinks pace is the key and to be honest, our options are fairly limited. Team selection will be interesting but will have few changes.

PACE opens up space and makes space so therefore mano point on small forwards, with no space doesnt hold water with me. J davey is stronger than mano thinks aswell these lads are well able to hold up the ball. Mayo are not the most physical team defensively either. If we reverted back to old ways we would have kelly as our main ball winner in the forwards again( = no variety) but now we have gaughan, jdavey and kelly and that is a very creative proposition IMO who will open up MAYO along the flanks and feed either to one another or brehony, ohara coming in from deep.

[OirthearMhaigheo]

Christ lads it's shocking when the Sligo boys are more confident than us!!

Maybe we have finally learned that arrogance before a game can only lead to one big fall kevmy! It's no harm we're being cautious, even if we are over doing it a little, it's better than being overly confident like we have in the past only for the smiles to be wiped off our faces! I have to say Sligonian you are a rare breed for a Sligo man, good luck to you being confident, at the end of the day we should all have some degree of confidence in our teams, but I can see why your fellow county men are sitting a little uneasily with some of your comments. Still, you might be able to tell us all  'I told you so' come Sunday evening.

What's the word on Conor from your neck of the woods Kevmy, you think he'll be ok to tog?

[Mano]

Do you tell O Hara to keep his comments to himself aswell?

When i was a teammate of his i certainly did. He is too mouthy both on and off the field and it does him no favours with referees, teammates and opponents.

PACE opens up space and makes space so therefore mano point on small forwards, with no space doesnt hold water with me. J davey is stronger than mano thinks aswell these lads are well able to hold up the ball. Mayo are not the most physical team defensively either. If we reverted back to old ways we would have kelly as our main ball winner in the forwards again( = no variety) but now we have gaughan, jdavey and kelly and that is a very creative proposition IMO who will open up MAYO along the flanks and feed either to one another or brehony, ohara coming in from deep.

Pace will count for nothing if those lads don't get the ball. If our midfield are losing the battle at midfield and half back line are under pressure and can't build from back a kick pass is required into space if our fullforward line are outnumbered 3 to 2 (as Mayo will leave their extra man in full back line i'd imagine) by Mayo backs pace will be irrelevant. If the inside forwards get the ball they will be outnumbered and won't have the strength to take on their opponents. Thats my opiniion and i hope Jordan goes with a bigger full forward who can score (S Davey, McPartland) because lets remember of our 17 points against London only 6 were from play. Pace means nothing if you can't put the ball over the bar.