2013 All Ireland Final: Mayo v Dublin

[Armamike]

Good luck to Mayo. Would love to see them do it.

[Jell 0 Biafra]

Brennan to start.   Careful what you wish for Mayo supporters...

[squire_in_navy_slacks]

Brennan to start.   Careful what you wish for Mayo supporters...

And Philly Mc Mahon 

[moysider]

Brennan to start.   Careful what you wish for Mayo supporters...

Fully expected him to start anyway. I was hoping he would be dropped.

[Johnnybegood]

Brennan to start.   Careful what you wish for Mayo supporters...

Fully expected him to start anyway. I was hoping he would be dropped.

really! Why?

[All of a Sludden]

Dublin have named their team for this weekends All Ireland decider in Croke Park...

Jim Gavin makes only one change, replacing Kevin O'Brien with Philly McMahon from the side that beat Kerry in the semi final a few weeks ago. Stephen Cluxton will captain Dublin in the final as he and Dublin look to replicate the results of 2011.

Dublin: Stephen Cluxton (captain); Philly McMahon, Rory O'Carroll, Jonny Cooper; James McCarthy, Ger Brennan, Jack McCaffrey; Michael D MacAuley, Cian O'Sullivan; Paul Flynn, Ciaran Kilkenny, Diarmuid Connolly; Paul Mannion, Paddy Andrews, Bernard Brogan.

[Captain Obvious]

Brennan to start.   Careful what you wish for Mayo supporters...

Taken off at half time in the semi final and restored to the starting line up for the final, thats a rare sight.

[IolarCoisCuain]

Brennan to start.   Careful what you wish for Mayo supporters...

Fully expected him to start anyway. I was hoping he would be dropped.

really! Why?

Because Ger Brennan is good at what he does. There are some things he can't do but what he does do, he does exceptionally well.

[muppet]

Recent Mayo and Dublin games, even in the league, tend to be roller coasters. One team gets on top and scores heavily and then it reverses completely. 2006 & 2012 were both like that. Dublin's game versus Kerry suggests they won't do anything to avoid that sort of game so the question is, will we?

I expect Davy Fitz style hell for leather from Mayo from the throw in.

I think it will be our highest intensity yet, even higher than Galway or Donegal.

Dublin are obviously better than those two, but if the scores come for us with the work rate we will be really motoring. Given the above comment about roller coaster matches, even if we do get ahead, we know the Dubs can score quickly when they get their tails up. They won't quit after 25 minutes like the 2 above. How would we react to a Dublin comeback? Maybe like last year? We had two goal chances to end it last year and I think this year we would take at least one of those. We wouldn't like to be relying on Bernard to miss again.

There is then the issue of McMenamin and Rock coming in, with fresh legs, on players who have played the majority of a highly intensive game. Do we bring on fresh subs in the backs to deal with this? If so who?

Last year I was as hopeful as any Mayo supporter, but I was really concerned about the FF line. Regardless of what happened in the FB line at the start of that match, for me our FF line never got the scores that could have won it for us. Varley never got going, Cillian was bullied out of it at FF and Conroy was the best of the 3, but really only played well for a spell before half time.

This year were have Cillian in the corner, Freeman in form and Andy Moran with a bit to prove, but a chance to remembered forever. I much prefer this trio. We also have Conroy to come in. I think our forwards will be fine.

At the other end I am happier seeing Cunniffe there and Barrett has done well. If anything fails badly early on, bring back Higgins.

Flynn, Kilkenny, Connolly versus our HBs will be some battle. If the Dubs get 2 of these 3 pulling strings high up the pitch we will be in trouble. But we have the 3 to take them on. This contest will be worth the admission alone.

Midfield need to win our ball, which they should and there is Barry Moran if they don't. We will really need to figure out and disrupt Clucko's kick outs early in the game. If we do that we will win. Simple as.

Mayo by 4-6. (mainly because I don't want to be 2 points up watching McMenamin running towards our goal in injury time)

[johnpower]

Looking forward to the game (sorry no tickets for any Dubs or Mayo supporters ) this is a hard game to call. Not surprised with either team named but not sure if there will be any late changes. No offence Dubs but have to shout for Mayo given the long wait. Have been really impressed by both teams this year.

Hopefully we will have a good game .

[stephenite]

Hope none of the team read that before 3:30 on Sunday, emotional baggage at best.

Absolutely, nostalgic rubbish

[seafoid]

Hope none of the team read that before 3:30 on Sunday, emotional baggage at best.

Absolutely, nostalgic rubbish

The fans and the team have different motivations. The team wants to perform to the best of its ability and the fans want the emotional rush. If the team are flagging the fans will lift them.  It's all towards the same goal in the end. 

[Mayo4Sam]

So Brennan is dropped for Bastick, and Cian O Sullivan is going centre back.
Also Philly McMahon starting at corner back. A lot of changes.

Sounds like the Dubs are putting their best foot forward but it smacks of fear a little bit too.

Sure they expect O Suillivan to take Dillon but that takes a lot of pace from the Dublin midfield. Brennan was always the link man out of defence, crucial for short kickouts and generally set up the play for Dublin. He is a loss despite what they say in the media this week.

Is that official?? Seems like a lot of changes alright - the problem is that they could do with COS playing at both CHB and in MF. Would have preferred to see Brennan in there as I think he's a weak link.

From a very close source.

Brennan is the glue that puts it all together. Very underrated in my opinion. Just count how many possessions he gets through in a game, and how many passes forward he gets or how many times he get a short kickout. He ran the show when Mayo played Dublin in the league.

I think it will play into Mayo's hand a little in the sense that Mayo dont overly depend on Dillon any more and now the Dublin midfield will probably struggle as they are not as mobile without COS.

Surely it will upset the Dublin camp not to see a senior player like Brennan get the nod, for experience alone. It would be like Mayo dropping Moran or Vaughan for the final based on a bad semi marking the best player ever to play football - wouldnt happen. And if Philly McMahon is starting to rough up Cillian, they have already lost. Bring it on.

How's your close source getting on? 

[An Gaeilgoir]

Recent Mayo and Dublin games, even in the league, tend to be roller coasters. One team gets on top and scores heavily and then it reverses completely. 2006 & 2012 were both like that. Dublin's game versus Kerry suggests they won't do anything to avoid that sort of game so the question is, will we?

I expect Davy Fitz style hell for leather from Mayo from the throw in.

I think it will be our highest intensity yet, even higher than Galway or Donegal.

Dublin are obviously better than those two, but if the scores come for us with the work rate we will be really motoring. Given the above comment about roller coaster matches, even if we do get ahead, we know the Dubs can score quickly when they get their tails up. They won't quit after 25 minutes like the 2 above. How would we react to a Dublin comeback? Maybe like last year? We had two goal chances to end it last year and I think this year we would take at least one of those. We wouldn't like to be relying on Bernard to miss again.

There is then the issue of McMenamin and Rock coming in, with fresh legs, on players who have played the majority of a highly intensive game. Do we bring on fresh subs in the backs to deal with this? If so who?

Last year I was as hopeful as any Mayo supporter, but I was really concerned about the FF line. Regardless of what happened in the FB line at the start of that match, for me our FF line never got the scores that could have won it for us. Varley never got going, Cillian was bullied out of it at FF and Conroy was the best of the 3, but really only played well for a spell before half time.

This year were have Cillian in the corner, Freeman in form and Andy Moran with a bit to prove, but a chance to remembered forever. I much prefer this trio. We also have Conroy to come in. I think our forwards will be fine.

At the other end I am happier seeing Cunniffe there and Barrett has done well. If anything fails badly early on, bring back Higgins.

Flynn, Kilkenny, Connolly versus our HBs will be some battle. If the Dubs get 2 of these 3 pulling strings high up the pitch we will be in trouble. But we have the 3 to take them on. This contest will be worth the admission alone.

Midfield need to win our ball, which they should and there is Barry Moran if they don't. We will really need to figure out and disrupt Clucko's kick outs early in the game. If we do that we will win. Simple as.

Mayo by 4-6. (mainly because I don't want to be 2 points up watching McMenamin running towards our goal in injury time)

Good post there muppet....

This team and managment have had a belief and conviction that they will win this match...this belief has been there since the Monday after last years final and they have been proved correct so far...

As supporters if they believe, we should believe....

Mayo by 4.

[highorlow]

Good post muppet and well summed up.

I'm one that rarely reads into the league but if people remember for the 1st ten of the Semi Final this year we were dominant in possession around midfield. After that little spell and without much scores to show from it the game changed.

Dublin wised up and went the short kick out route and grabbed a goal down the flanks by Mannion. From that point we were never in the game and some heads were probably more focused on Galway.

Interestingly though for the dominant period we had no one apart from Mickey C to win ball. As muppet says Sunday's inside forward line for us is key.

2 things that happened in that league game won't happen on Sunday. Dublin won't get as much from the short kick out route and we will make use of our possession better with the Sunday line-up.

However, I fully expect the Dubs to have worked on breaking ball and expect specifically that MDMC and COS to have worked on the breaking ball and therefore I think the biggest and most important aspect is midfield on Sunday and winning the dirty ball. Seamie had a stormer against Galway and I'm expecting the same on Sunday. With the 2 Dublin lads tied up around midfield and hopefully starved of primary possession it should swing momentum in this match our way early on.

I've us by 4 at least.