Mayo v Monaghan/Tyrone/Down or Kildare Qualifer Round 3 Thread

[Barney]

Very bad news indeed - I agree with ICC - the Summer is coming to a rapid end.

[rosnarun]

I would have thought after his contribution the last day BJP would be next in line for a CHF midfield type slot. woth kilcoyne a close second.
though gill plays a very similar type game  to harte.
A missed oppurtunity for Barry moran too. he seemed to have a cast on last wee that would leave him without a chance.

[kevmy]

TBH I wouldn't put Gill anywhere near the team. He seemed slow in the league and will only seem slower on the dry ground. It is bad news especially with Trevor out as well. A lot of options, none of them outstanding, bar one which seems very unlikely.

On the plus side good to see Howley back.

Still a lot of outright negativity here. Wouldn't write us off just yet.   

[moysider]

There was a lot of negativity among the ordinary clubman at the weekend too. Worse. A few have a ' could nt give a shit' attitude as well which is not nice to see among the grassroots.

Ok what happened to Ronan and Trevor could not be legislated for but due to the colllapse of others v Galway, every line of the team will get an overhaul. Howley is a plus coming back but we could have done with a full hand the next day. Unless the management go with same fellas again that were rescued v Galway there will be at least 5 changes to the starting line-up. Thats an incredible 1/3 of the team and there may be positional changes too so in effect we re going to see a new team at the end of the summer.
Now of course all of this might come together nicely and we romp home in the qualifier, but you can see why people would be pessimistic.

Assuming those injured not available I hope they go for a forward line of

                                                                           Campbell, Harte, and Billy Joe.

                                                                            Conor, Dillon and Andy

Billy Joe to play as an extra midfielder/defender and Dillon to play on the wing with the 2 inside.

A straight replacement for McGarrity to keep Harte at 11. We can do without any more flaky forwards being chanced. Lets leave Harte at 11 while he s effective there. Can always switch him later if needs be. - O Shea or Conroy to replace Ronan[ Conroy probably able to cover the ground better]

Backs                  Higgins  Nallen   Higgins
            Gardiner/Cuniffe Heaney O Malley

[RedandGreenSniper]

If Howley is back and able to start then don't be surprised to see Gardiner being put in the half-forward line. Also the fact that Aidan Higgins is finally being given his chance might free Keith to the half-back line.
I wouldn't be surprised to see a team like this
Clarke
J Nallen D Heaney A Higgins
K Higgins T Howley T Cunniffe
T Parsons K Conroy/S O'Shea
P Gardiner P Harte B Padden
C Mortimer A Dillon A Moran

That's presuming on T Mort and McGarrity to be out injured, Howley to be fit.
I know people may question Heaney at full-back as being too loose but I don't think its a case that he couldn't mark P Joyce tight, more a case that he chose not too. When Mayo needed to come back into the game he decided to bomb forward as much as possible (and to considerable effect too).
So much depends on the opposition though as to who plays where

[Barney]

I think Heaney didn't have the legs for Joyce. He has been showing these signs over the past two years. If we are playing a team that will play it direct I would stick with Conroy at full-back. Watching the video of the Galway game I don't think he was as bad as Boyle, or Cunniffe (who has escaped criticism but his man scored 3 points and he contributed handsomely to the two Galway goals).

JOM was on with Des Cahill last night. He said that McGarrity had picked up an injury and that the medical people would be working hard to have him right.

Out of interest what are the views on the manager's job security?

[IolarCoisCuain]

There is no question about the manager's job security Barney. Who else would take over? The county wanted Johnno, now we have him. We all have to see this thing through now.

[the Deel Rover]

There is no question about the manager's job security Barney. Who else would take over? The county wanted Johnno, now we have him. We all have to see this thing through now.

don't think ros wanted him ICC 

[IolarCoisCuain]

don't think ros wanted him ICC 

You've a point there Deel Rover. But bejapers it's hard to know whom that man wants. Ros is wild and untamed, like the heather bogs and moorland of our own dear sweet County Mayo herself. 

[Barney]

I agree that change is not what is needed but certainly there needs to be a clearer direction next year.

[the Deel Rover]

don't think ros wanted him ICC 

You've a point there Deel Rover. But bejapers it's hard to know whom that man wants. Ros is wild and untamed, like the heather bogs and moorland of our own dear sweet County Mayo herself. 

couldn't have put it better myself Icc

[Lar Naparka]

I agree that change is not what is needed but certainly there needs to be a clearer direction next year.

I think, going by current events, that this is not likely to be the case.
I'm being charitable when I say Jonno reminds me of as pilgrim on the Reek on a foggy day; a climber who doesn't have the benefit of a shtout shtick either.
I sincerely wish this wasn't the case and would love to be able to say that this particular skipper was in full control of his particular ship and knew with reasonable certainty where he was heading to.  Poor Jonno!
If he was an actual nautical captain his ship would most likely be named Titanic 2.

Have you all noticed how remarkably similar the game in Castlebar was to the fiasco in Salthill, fourteen months earlier? With remarkable ease Galway got off to a dream start on both days and thereafter it was a case of playing catch up all the way.  Both days saw Jonno's elaborate match ups being disassembled with ease right from the start and both days saw us finishing the game with a greater contingent of old stalwarts than was on the field in the beginning.
You don't drop your primary playmaker unless you have another, at least as good if not better, in mind.
'Nuff said about that; some truths are blindingly self-obvious.
In spite of all the above I don't see any point in getting rid of him. It takes too long to appoint another and in any event there would be no guarantee that his replacement would fare any better.
Ye know what they say about grabbing a tiger by the tail?
Well; we better hold on tightly for a while longer.

[kevmy]

I'd go along the lines of most of the teams here. Given the choice I'd leave Harte at 11. If McG has to be replaced I'd put O'Shea there.

As for the backs I'd go with

Higgins     Nallen    Higgins
Cunniffe   Howley  Gardiner

Upfront I'd go with

Andy  Harte   Padden
Mort   Dillon   Kilcoyne

I reckon BJP pretty much played himself into the team in Trevors absence the last day. Kilcoyne has come on as sub twice and got 2 goals. We're always giving out about lack of goals in a Mayo team maybe if we let him loose in corner forward we'll get some more. I cannot be convinced that Gardiner can play wing forward.

I was at that game in Salthill and the one the last day and I'll say this much. The Galway team is much better. I came out of Salthill without much hope for the future. I couldn't pick out one young player bar Keith Higgins who I thought might make the grade, I reckoned our midfield was shot and that we had no forward bar Conor capable of scoring. Coming from Castlebar the last day I knew we had a midfield (driven by a young star), I also saw prospects in young Cunniffe (even if he may take a while) and remembered Howleys exploits during the league. I witnessed the return to form of an All Star up front and maybe Kilcoyne finally showing his underage pedigree at senior.
Don't get me wrong I saw all the problems everyone else here saw as well. But ask me to pick out positives and I could. I was struggling to do that last year. Sure we might have a fair few changes the next day but most of them would be injury related (Trevor and McGarrity out and Howley in) After those only a couple other changes are necessary.

[moysider]

Talk of changing O Mahoney is frightening. I was never one of his greatest admirers but I think we have to hope and pray he can make progress yet this year. Another change of manager would bottom out any confidence that might remain with this squad.

Shortly after Johnno left the last time we ended up in Division 3. Only need to look at Meath and Offaly performances the last day to see how dramatically and quickly the wheels can come off when a slide sets in.

[IolarCoisCuain]

Moysider is on the money here. No county has a right to a football tradition. It's not so long ago that Mayo couldn't even get out of Connacht for twelve years - these things are delicate, and not to be taken for granted.

I find Cavan the most chilling example of all. Worthy rivals to Kerry for the first half of the twentieth century, more or less nowhere since. I've spoken to different Cavan people about it, and they all say politics, politics. Well, every county has its politics, so there has to be more to it than that. It's frightening to see all that disappear.

Chastening times to try men's souls.