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Guy Crouchback I could've written the exact same thing if I had that good a memory!! Brilliant!!

Have seen no comment on Keegans performance yet. I was amazed by it. He done everything at less than half pace. Similar to the Derry game. I trust him though to peak and raise his game from late July on.

No mention either of the conditions .... a very tight pitch that plays even tighter than its size, always bloody windy it seems (moreso given the elevation) and wet - exactly the opposite type of conditions required to play open expansive fast football. Once that thunder shower happened befoer the start i was expecting it to be a flip of the coin type of game. A type of game i'd love to have seen the Dubs having to face away from the sexy open spaces of Croke Park.

Anyway, next days forward line for me.....
McLoughlin Aidan Feeney
Dillon Freeman Sweeney

I just think that Sweeney brings a consistenct pace and energy that we badly need. A more skillful version of David Nestor.


Agree with that synopsis Blast, we really lacked urgency in possession yesterday - particularly in the first half - a lot of nonchalant passing and dropping the ball short to the goalie.. Lethargic stuff..
Keegan in particular, who provided a lot of zip last year from the half back line, seemed to be way too relaxed!.. hopefully getting out of Hyde in the manner they did, will provide the much needed shock of cold water to the faces.. or sumfin
The backdrop and conditions were like something out of a snazzy Etihad marketing campaign yesterday, but still, no place you'd rather be, sitting in the middle of it, the air charged with negative ions, the heavens threatening to open,
your heart in your mouth, and you come away with a one point win.

There will always be a nagging doubt that the old mental frailties will resurface again at some stage. I hope that this isn't the case.

Knowing a fair few of the lads and what they are about, I have zero worries with regards that.

+1.

8 Pages already, and I'm rolling on the floor laughing... This is funny fare.. Lar, I think you're rising to the bait! It's entertaining though!

Fresh and Sunny.. Tomorrow's promised sunny sunny sunny... 

Seriously annoyed this evening about a lot of things. RTE coverage is such mediocre fare, and its commentary and analysis is at best an insult to anyone's intelligence. Few instances- Andy Moran gets poleaxed after releasing the ball early in the second half, Marty Morrisey explains that it was a completely accidental clash, "the momentum carrying him through" - i.e right into Andy's face with his elbow. Colm O Rourke at half time says "in all fairness any back worth his salt will always try to get his man, if he's in the net" (something to that effect) and Joe Brolly pipes up "especially if its Conor Mortimer". I could go on, and on. It's incredible.
I thought the ref was not able to handle this game. This will no doubt be described as sour grapes on my behalf, same old story Mayo whinging. But I'll give 3 instances that really stood out for me, there were countless like them. Firstly Conor Gourleys mistimed lunge at Conor Mortimer after he scored the goal. RTE replayed this at half time, before the commercial break, in slow motion, and it showed exactly how bad it was, or could have been if it connected. Shortly after this Mortimer again was surrounded by around 3 Tyrone defenders, 2 decide to "fall" on him with their knees, and Mortimer gets penalised. Half way through the second half, Trevor gets surrounded by two Tyrone defenders- who pretty much pinned him to the ground while he was in possession. No free. He seemed very keen to make his mark in terms of off-the-ground, but again, television coverage will show the ball hopping for Trevor Mortimer, who won his ball fairly. Again another attack stopped. I'm completely losing interest in GAA because of these inconsistencies, and I can fully see where Paul Galvin was coming from. I really don't blame him one bit for doing what he did!!
While this has got my back up, I will fully admit that we probably shouldn't have won anyway, or if we had, I would not be in any way optimistic about further progress in the championship. We're not good enough. To me it looked like the desire wasn't there among the players, bar Trevor Mortimer- who always tries, Jimmy, Keith Higgins, players looked sluggish and unmotivated. Does anyone else agree? Or should I ship myself off to the pub and forget about it.

Fairy refers to being a female with magical powers, and smelly rhymes w my name indirectly sorta..  

"1) Mac should be on the panel, not starting mind as I think he is well past his peak."

Have to take exception to this Kevmy... If that's applicable to Mac, then it applies to Heaney, Nallen etc. The man is innately fit, and is more than capable of holding his own for the 70 minutes. 'Past his peak' assumes that he isn't as fit/strong/accurate/able to win ball as he used to be, and I think that's not even up for debate.

Here's a woman's p.o.v......    PAUL GALVIN..... sweet.

What's so ridiculous about doing yoga as part of training... Wasn't Roy Keane an advocate of it?! Yoga increases the body's ability to transport oxygen to the muscles, yes, making you more supple, less prone to injury, fitter, improving your breathing etc etc etc. Give John Maughan a break I say..

In '97 we did not play well after the Galway game

Barney, short memory. I would put the Offaly performance in the semi final as the most complete performance under Maughan.

Feck Blast, don't agree with that at all.. Did we not have something like 17 wides that day, poor game of football, conditions atrocious.. Was the mayo v Kerry semi final the year before not a better option..?
And utterly agree with Magpie Seanie's sentiments, I don't get the stand by the man who has made some pretty out-there decisions with team selections this year... Why the criticism last year, but none this year.. It's like my father puts it.. If you've a name for getting up early, you can stay in bed all day....

I thought myself that James Kilcullen WAS confident under the high ball... Think he should feel hard done by to be honest.

I second that Stephenite, don't think anyone in Connacht would begrudge it.. Best of luck!

You trying to say something about Mayo women Ballyhaise man?   

If it was Pearse last year, why would it be Castlebar this year? Attendance?.... hmmmm...

Nephinbeg, I agreed with some of your points, but then you slid down the mountain..