All Ireland senior football final 2012 Donegal v Mayo

[ONeill]

Can some fcuker from Mayo, just one, have a go and attempt to formulate a small tactical analysis as to how they can approach this and win it?

Who do you think will be your key men? Where are the Donegal weaknesses? What can you do that Kerry and Cork couldn't?

Even someone who isn't from Mayo but gives them a chance. And none of this cute hoorism of giving it a lash. McGuinness shites lashes.

We have no key men . Donegal have no weaknesses . We have a chance of winning an All Ireland Cork , Kerry and Tyrone don't . We have larry reilly in the stand telling james what to do.

Mmmmm Larry Reilly you say....

[From the Bunker]

Can some fcuker from Mayo, just one, have a go and attempt to formulate a small tactical analysis as to how they can approach this and win it?

Who do you think will be your key men? Where are the Donegal weaknesses? What can you do that Kerry and Cork couldn't?

Even someone who isn't from Mayo but gives them a chance. And none of this cute hoorism of giving it a lash. McGuinness shites lashes.

We have no key men . Donegal have no weaknesses . We have a chance of winning an All Ireland Cork , Kerry and Tyrone don't . We have larry reilly in the stand telling james what to do.

Mmmmm Larry Reilly you say....

Yeah, you know the one who is as happy as..............and has the life of................ 

[Farrandeelin]

Yes ONeill. We conceded 2-9 to Down. 1-0 of that in injury time. Wise the f**k up FFS.

73rd minute is the same as the 21st minute. It still counts. That's why I don't accept the Donegal defence that their late looseness is because games are won by then. It shows a lack of concentration.

Is it really though? A lot can happen between 21 and 73 mins whereas not a lot can happen between 73 mins and 74 mins.

[moysider]

I'd take Mayo's half forward line over Donegal's but Donegal have a clear advantage in the full forward line.I also thought Tyrone did quite well against Donegal and would entirely agree that they were kept at arms length. The lack of apparent organisation in the second half against dublin was largely due to all the injuries and even if it wasn't there is ample evidence Mayo are well organised and are working to a plan. This Mayo team are different but I do agree when you say Mayo's forwards will panic under Donegal's pressure. This will be the winning and losing of it for me. I think Donegal will force Mayo to use the ball poorly on occasions and I just don't see the quality of forward in Mayo to kick those 1 out of 100 type scores to keep Donegal down. If someone has that type of day though then Mayo could certainly win.

Maybe, but I m not so sure. McFadden wont have happiest memories of playing us. He s always looked pedestrian in play if marked by Higgins or Caff. Murphy is a different animal and too big for Caff. But he hasn t been the player he was before the last injury in spring. He might be on Sunday though. I d consider Keane on Murphy. MacBrearty is quality but young doesn t always be in the game. Caff or Keane could do alright on him.

Mayo have played Donegal twice this year and we ll have learned a lot from that - certainly did between Ballyshannon and Swinford.

Another thing is while Donegal appear to be the best organised team ever, that strength may be their achilles heel. They always play the same - Mayo on the other hand play a constantly evolving game. They ve reinvented themselves several times this year as it is! Next Sunday will not be the same as Dub. semi.

Even in the win v Dublin we took flak for the fade out.

Hmmmmmm. Put it this way. Donegal should have beaten Dubs last year but didnt. Lacey injury was crucial.

Look at the logistical nightmare of injuries we ve had. Let s compare the scenario to a similar crisis in Donegal and see if they could have survived a similar experience.

Losing Andy before would be like going in without Murphy.

Boyle virus and not starting would be like  losing Thompson and weakening the bench.

Keegan injured after 12 minutes. Take out the other Donegal wing back and introduce the impact player you ll need in the last quarter - in Mayo s case Richie Feeney ( who was deliberately kept in reserve and Chris Barrett started for Boyle)

Losing McLoughlin would be like McHugh missing same. McLoughlin better footballer obviously but McHugh a very important link player for Donegal.

Then Richie Feeney has to go off . Go figure.

We were a bit like Old Mother Hubbard at that stage and it was a great result for us in those circumstances.

Yet likes of O Neill dismisses it as lack of organisation

[ToWinJustOnce_Mayo4Sam]

Can any of the Mayoites then explain how you can win this?

Donegal are fitter, mentally and physically tougher and have better footballers all over the field. If you deny any of those advantages for Donegal then ye are smoking something optimistic down there. I know there'll be 'disrespect' posted in response but it's not. Just my opinion which may be totally inaccurate in 8 days. I'll hold my hands up. I just have never witnessed a side as well drilled as a unit as this Donegal side. The Tyrone 05 side was much more talented individually but I think they'd have floundered on the McGuinness rock. They reduce sides to a mumbling mess by the 50 minute mark. There is a lot of hyperbole around them too and McGuinness will be loving it but they're a fine team.

There is a small, small chance that everything Mayo hit from 35 out will go over the bar. Possible. Miraculous but maybe. Perhaps Mayo will keep their heads when 3-4 don't go over and remain calm. Then perhaps Mayo will maintain the 150mph approach for 75 mins, because Donegal will. Mayo will need to keep getting up and hit them again. And then do it again, all of them. They cannot hide for 25 minutes as they did v Dublin. Possibly McFadden will kick over no placed balls, Murphy will be tied up again, the Donegal raiding game will be met head on, again for 75 minutes. Maybe Donegal's defensive machine will inexplicably fall to pieces on the big day. Perhaps big O'Shea will lord it on the biggest stage- play like he did as a minor and waltz around the Hills. Donegal chasing a game after a miraculous start by the Westerners? We don't really know how they'll react to a 4-5 point deficit in an AIF. Last year Tyrone led them 0-6 to 0-1 and Donegal were spinning. The referee's whistle saved them. McGuinness reminded them of their duties and they went out and strangled Tyrone, albeit with slight fortune and skulduggery.

Houl on, Mayo can do this. Up Mayo.

So O'Neill can we have a more better explanation as to how Donegal will "win" this game ..... And none of the previous bluster and lasy comment ....
How about some football analysis and not hyperbole regarding the "Donegal System", and so on.   ?

[ONeill]

No I can't give you a more better explanation.

Mayo don't have a McHugh. Mayo don't have a Murphy. Mayo don't have a Lacey. Mayo don't have a McGlynn. Mayo don't have a two-year battle hardened journey behind them.

Donegal don't fold like Mayo did v Dublin. Donegal don't concede 2 goals to Down. Donegal don't panic.

[moysider]

The worst thing is I'd love to see Mayo win the feckin thing most years but I'll hopefully be in the ground screaming me bollox off for Donegal.

Yip, fair play to ye. Certainly look after ye re provincial cousins and no problem with that. But lots of ye boys can t see any merit beyond.

No, not at all. I think Donegal will win but it'll be feckin tight.

Mayo have every chance.

Of course you do but you ll be roaring for them as well. Most of our neighbours will want us to fail like we usually do.

And Ulster folk - if Ratlin Island have a team ye would expect them to beat Mayo.

There is no circumstance where an Ulster county would not beat Mayo in Ulster opinion. To quote Brolly many s the time 'Trone will blue dem away'

[ross4life]

Our 5th final in 23 years, what the boys in Cliffoney and Kiltoom would give for that?

Hmm i don't know, we lost the U21 AI final this year that defeat is still raw & while i'm sure the build up is great i can't imagine the pain of losing all those senior finals.

Speak for yourself, win lose or draw we'll be back again. Sure we just see this as something that happens every 5 years or so! 

If you win you probably won't be back in another final for 38 years 

[moysider]

Our 5th final in 23 years, what the boys in Cliffoney and Kiltoom would give for that?

Hmm i don't know, we lost the U21 AI final this year that defeat is still raw & while i'm sure the build up is great i can't imagine the pain of losing all those senior finals.

Speak for yourself, win lose or draw we'll be back again. Sure we just see this as something that happens every 5 years or so! 

If you win you probably won't be back in another final for 38 years 

You know both of the above are wrong

[Syferus]

No I can't give you a more better explanation.

Mayo don't have a McHugh. Mayo don't have a Murphy. Mayo don't have a Lacey. Mayo don't have a McGlynn. Mayo don't have a two-year battle hardened journey behind them.

Donegal don't fold like Mayo did v Dublin. Donegal don't concede 2 goals to Down. Donegal don't panic.

Eh? It's very hard to make the case that Donegal have had a more battle-scarred route to this point than Mayo. For Mayo players this has been an almost constant that's been handed down from team to team since the late '80's. League finalists, two-time All-Ireland semi-finalists and the team to end the reigns of both of the last two All-Ireland champions.

There's this narrative out there about Ulster teams and being slighted and 'hated' but no province has suffered more from marginalisation than Connacht. The hurt is stronger out west than it ever could be in the north, it's been a constant in general life since Cromwell and To Hell or to Connacht. Relatively speaking ye're johnny-come-lately's to the hurt game.

I think alot of ye guys are severely over-rating how good the rest of Ulster is (us in one of our very much down years beat Armagh far more handily than the score-line suggested, and that should tell its own story) and putting far too little weight in Mayo's pedigree. Most of the Mayo players have been challenging for All-Irelands at every grade coming up - you can't say the same about Donegal's players. There's nothing novel about Mayo and All-Ireland finals.

If you want to go on 'battle-hardened' or 'proven quality' there's only one team in that race and it ain't Donegal.

[Sam2011]

No I can't give you a more better explanation.

Mayo don't have a McHugh. Mayo don't have a Murphy. Mayo don't have a Lacey. Mayo don't have a McGlynn. Mayo don't have a two-year battle hardened journey behind them.

Donegal don't fold like Mayo did v Dublin. Donegal don't concede 2 goals to Down. Donegal don't panic.

Donegal don't have McLoughlin. Donegal don't have have O'Connor. Donegal don't have Keegan. Donegal don't have Higgins. Donegal didn't come out from Ruslip by a point just over a year ago and then end up beating the All- Ireland champions a few months later.

Mayo didn't concede a late goal to Cork last year or Kerry this year in the league semi.
O'Neil please provide evidence of Mayo panicing this year?

[ONeill]

Panicking? Read 5 minutes left v Dublin. Only for that save from Brogan it would have been the biggest meltdown in GAA history. Ever.

Battle hardened? Come on. Mayo have yet to beat anyone worthwhile. Dublin were a shambles of an outfit but still nearly strung together a wretched performance to beat a Mayo on its knees.

[moysider]

No I can't give you a more better explanation.

Mayo don't have a McHugh. Mayo don't have a Murphy. Mayo don't have a Lacey. Mayo don't have a McGlynn. Mayo don't have a two-year battle hardened journey behind them.

Donegal don't fold like Mayo did v Dublin. Donegal don't concede 2 goals to Down. Donegal don't panic.

Christ - worse than I thought.

Knew it! Opinion is being informed by the Sunday game Mr Brolly' s mantra ' Donegal don t do panic' is being bandied about I see.

Class.

[ONeill]

I've never heard Brolly say that. Have you?

Maybe Sidebottom did.

[screenexile]

No I can't give you a more better explanation.

Mayo don't have a McHugh. Mayo don't have a Murphy. Mayo don't have a Lacey. Mayo don't have a McGlynn. Mayo don't have a two-year battle hardened journey behind them.

Donegal don't fold like Mayo did v Dublin. Donegal don't concede 2 goals to Down. Donegal don't panic.

Eh? It's very hard to make the case that Donegal have had a more battle-scarred route to this point than Mayo. For Mayo players this has been an almost constant that's been handed down from team to team since the late '80's. League finalists, two-time All-Ireland semi-finalists and the team to end the reigns of both of the last two All-Ireland champions.

I think alot of ye guys are severely over-rating how good the rest of Ulster is (us in one of our very much down years we beat Armagh far more handily than the score-line suggested, and that should tell its own story) and putting far too little weight in Mayo's pedigree. Most of the Mayo players have been challenging for All-Irelands at every grade coming up - you can't say the same about Donegal's players. There's nothing novel about Mayo and All-Ireland finals.

If you want to go on 'battle-hardened' or 'proven quality' there's only one team in that race and it ain't Donegal.

Okay first of all nobody has mentioned anything about Donegal's Ulster campaign. Ulster is shit and probably on a par with Connacht, which is also shit. Donegal beat Tyrone rather comfortably while Mayo stumbled past Sligo (Tyrone are a much better team than Sligo) . Donegal have since beaten Kerry and Cork while Mayo beat Down (again, Ulster football is currently shit) and admittedly played their best football in years against Dublin for 50 mins. You cannot seriously say that the singular decent opposition that Mayo have played this year compares as 'battle hardened' against Donegal's record??!!

In terms of All Ireland pedigree you may recall Donegal getting narrowly beaten in an All Ireland U21 final a couple of years ago so these lads have a bit of experience behind them.

Before the Dublin game I thought Mayo were beat unless they played out of their skins and the Dubs didn't have the stomach for the fight having already won the All Ireland. That's what happened. Donegal will undoubtedly have the hunger and the way they have played consistently throughout this Championship you can only look at one winner here. Mayo have a chance, a small one but I see Donegal winning this by at least 5 points.