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I see a good point made on the mayo blog comments

" 4/6 of the Tyrone backs scored from play. 3 in the 1st half alone. How did this happen? It stemmed from the total failure of the opposite Kerry players to track back. The 3 scores were very soft and uncontested. There is no way at all that the Mayo FF line or whomever is marking them will allow this to occur or repeat itself."

So I take it I shouldn't bother watching the final cause O'Shea has lost it for us again but this time he has given us a week's notice?
Also why can't the Knockmore lads let the rest of us in the county know earlier since their celebrity power couple always seem to know we are doomed before everyone else going by Brolly's articles in the paper??
Why can't O'Shea, now that he is Captain let Keegan, O'Donoghue and Conroy et all, explain to the lads that it might be easier on themselves and fans a like to bow out gracefully in a semi final and let us enjoy a final with two proper teams of down to earth, volunteer hero, fíor Gael laden with warriors battle it out on the hallowed ground and then we can enjoy the videos of them sweeping the dressing rooms and Irish dancing to Damien Dempsey after showing us all how real football is played??
I dunno at this stage I have lived through Liam McHale losing us All Ireland finals just to keep himself in hair gel to look good for his NBA moves on the court, Ciaran 'Barbie' McDonald more interested in tattoos than kicking points and now O'Shea burgeoning career as an extra on Baywatch losing us another decider!!
The biggest crime of all was the removal of two fíor Gael football men like Holmes and Connelly, who not only brought the highest degree of professionalism along with tactical acumen but they also held their silence after their tragic betrayal when they quite easily could have run to a journalist with an axe to grind against Mayo after any of the final loses and cashed in with a tell all type interview!! Mayo god help us indeed!!!
Congrats to Tyrone in advance on All Ireland title number 4 I just wish the next title comes against a more worthy opponent!!!

don't forget how people putting flags outside of their houses has cost us all Irelands in the past.

I thought it was people enjoying the build up and showing any signs of optimism!

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/jim-mcguinness-mayo-won-t-offer-up-the-same-gifts-as-kerry-1.4663136?fbclid=IwAR3K3VArO6XAyHjNX_c97JJBQmO6u85Cdk8Tu89LfW9xBxioz0ErV-rCkVk&mode=amp

Would you honestly say DOC was that good against Dublin?

He played decent. Put in a good shift doing the dirty jobs well.

But that does not an unbreakable midfield partnership make.

DOC on McGeary has genuine merit. We all know McGeary is going to turn up everywhere. But if his shadow, and fellow absolutely everywhere outlet, is a footballer as capable as DOC, this might well be counter productive energy on Tyrone's behalf

I think that DOC does a lot of the work that goes unnoticed and I appreciated more when I watched the match back

Rewatching Tyrone Kerry, I do worry about Mayo faffing around in front of Tyrones defences and running down blind alleys/into tackles and gifting turnovers

The Aidan OS question is interesting. *If* he does start it has to be a kind of centre forward ish role, drifting into a third midfield role when need to give DOC and Ruane a bit of height and steel and sometimes drifting into full forward when it's on

This has been a common theme on this thread.

Can anyone explain to me why AOS wouldn't play midfield against Tyrone? Given that Tyrone (based on the last few games) do not have the same pace and athleticism in midfield as they do elsewhere, would it not be the best place for him to line out? And beyond this, if played there, that he would be the best fielder in the midfield are a by a distance... surely surely it's the obvious call to slap no.8 on his back and play him between the 65s?

I'd still prefer to see him with legs around him in midfield. It's also the question of mayo lacking a target man in the forwards. But it's been proven now that if AOS is going to be just twiddling his thumbs with no support it's pointless, and he did himself no favour with his performance against Dublin. Yet if he is moved in at the right time, like the second half against Galway, it could work very well

So many ifs

Mullins (if fit) to take on Donnelly?

The Aidan OS question is interesting. *If* he does start it has to be a kind of centre forward ish role, drifting into a third midfield role when need to give DOC and Ruane a bit of height and steel and sometimes drifting into full forward when it's on

I'm cautiously confident, however McQuillan over Gough has dampened my enthusiasm a little.

I think Mayo will start poorly again. But through a combination of indiscipline, poor shooting, and just not going all out from Tyrone, will be well in it at half time. In the second half Mayo switch into 6th gear and I think over the course of the half they have too much for Tyrone to live with. Pull away in the end to win by ~5 points.

I think if Tyrone give away the amount of soft frees they did against Kerry it could be crucial, but I would've relied on Gough to give them more consistently.

I expect Mullin to start and McLaughlin at least to be named on the 26.

The keeper match up will be crucial. Maybe this is my bias, because I've always been a massive supporter and defender of Robbie Hennelly. But, while they both have a mistake in them, I think Morgan is far more erratic, and I think Mayo could make a hay on his lockouts in crucial times of the match

I think Tyrone need a five point lead at half time, and I don't think they will (or I pray they don't)

I'm cautiously confident, however McQuillan over Gough has dampened my enthusiasm a little.

I think Mayo will start poorly again. But through a combination of indiscipline, poor shooting, and just not going all out from Tyrone, will be well in it at half time. In the second half Mayo switch into 6th gear and I think over the course of the half they have too much for Tyrone to live with. Pull away in the end to win by ~5 points.

I think if Tyrone give away the amount of soft frees they did against Kerry it could be crucial, but I would've relied on Gough to give them more consistently.

I expect Mullin to start and McLaughlin at least to be named on the 26.

[because we're not using the terraces]

"This year, Mayo and Tyrone are getting 11,450. The difference is in the quality of the tickets - they're getting much more stand tickets this time because we're not using the terraces."

He's hardly saying the hill is closed?? I feel like I'm about to go into Kevin Keegan mode. How in the name of f*** are they justifying closing the hill, opening it for Dublin (non reduced capacity on the hill) and then closing it again for a game with a bigger capacity

The hill is definitely open, but very limited allocations.

According to who? He just said there that they're not being used, and there was absolutely no limited allocation in the semi final

Who's 'he'? The Hill is open, but clubs got less Hill tickets than other finals.

GAA President https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-40371800.html

So half the allocation to the two counties actually f**cking playing, where does the other half go

The 30 other Counties?

Surely a very low priority in a half capacity stadium

So half the allocation to the two counties actually f**cking playing, where does the other half go

[because we're not using the terraces]

"This year, Mayo and Tyrone are getting 11,450. The difference is in the quality of the tickets - they're getting much more stand tickets this time because we're not using the terraces."

He's hardly saying the hill is closed?? I feel like I'm about to go into Kevin Keegan mode. How in the name of f*** are they justifying closing the hill, opening it for Dublin (non reduced capacity on the hill) and then closing it again for a game with a bigger capacity

The hill is definitely open, but very limited allocations.

According to who? He just said there that they're not being used, and there was absolutely no limited allocation in the semi final