Mayo GAA Discussion Thread

My wife's from Donegal so I had to side with Donegal yesterday. I was really disappointed for Mayo but for the first time in as long as I can remember, they have lots of positives to take from an AI final loss and the experience will only stand to them in the next couple of years.
On the Mortimer issue, looking as an outsider, he's not bad but no player is bigger than the team: anybody willing to leave the panel because he's not starting should never be allowed to come back. It sends the wrong signal to all of the guys who but blood, sweat and tears into their training over the last while if he's brought back in. How big will his head be if he comes back with the attitude "They couldn't win without me last year: if I was there it would have been different".
I know who I'd like on my team when the going gets tough (like it did yesterday) and it's the guys who gave their all in your forward line who will eventually win Sam. Cillian O'Connor is still only a young lad and will improve on the free-taking, Andy Moran would walk onto any team in the country, I don't think you have room for any prima donnas...

cgpg5 wrote: »

Agree completely. Looking forward to next year already ha. I wouldn't worry too much about the league. It should be used to try new systems/tactics which can be used for champ. Be nice to win it but it shouldn't be too much of a priority.

Connacht is crucial. Mayo are the best team in Connacht by a distance and should win it with little difficulty. No silly slip ups hopefully. A good Connacht and you're in an AI qf against a qualifier. So really and truly Mayo should be making the semis anyway next year and who knows from there

A good league performance and a place in the league semi-finals (if they still exist) would help in getting game time against better teams.
This year it helped as the Coannught championship had Mayo starting in a SF v Leitrim on 24/06.

I think Mayo will win Coannught again this year, apart from a possible resurgence in Galway the quality is not there.

naughto wrote: »

i see there is a home coming in machale park in the evening i dont no if this is a good idea i think the players should be allowed to spend time with there famailes and friends and no praded around so people can see the.
we are all hurting but not as much as the players are at this point in time

The homecoming is really no harm, the kids will like it and I'd imagine it would be fairly low key.

cgpg5 wrote: »

Was right behind the Donegal goal in the first half and it was interesting to see Conroy's willingness to make runs and he was very lively. He's a very crucial and underrated player for Mayo imo. O'Connor wasn't showing at all, I was disappointed in him big time

Conroy has improved as the season has gone on
He was a real prospect back in '04 but faded in the interim.
I'd love to see him step it up even further for 2013, he is still only 27.
He has to improve his accuracy though.

Himself and Boyle have now lost three national finals in Croke Park in the space of 7 months, that's what it's like when you are from Mayo.

Agree with post above, take the positives out of this game.

I stated a while ago this is the best Mayo team Id seen in over 20 years and nothing has changed my mind. So many outstanding young players who will be around for a while to come and I feel they are definatley good enough to win All-Ireland. A supberb all round team. I was sick when Dublin were knocked at but Mayo were awsome for long spells of each game they played this year. One big decision which saw a 4 point turn around cost them dearly. But that aside this team are well equipped to come back even better than this year. And as a G.A.A supporter I sincerley hope they do.

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Now that the season is over I would hope that Horan and Mortimer could have some sort of coming together on Mortimer's participation in the squad.

Mortimer has to understand that there is only one boss and that is Horan, and Horan has to make it clear to Mortimer what has to be done to get on the team, and Horan has to keep his word on that.
If Mortimer does the work he deserves his place, if not then it's the bench.

I hope they have a meeting of the minds on this, Mortimer is an asset there is no doubt.

Mayo could do with Mortimer and this could be a great chance for Mortimer to claim that elusive winners medal.

Complete rubbish. Mayo do not need mortimer and the media crap around him. He is the big man for the small day and the small man for the big day. He does not give a flying dog b***** about mayo and his team mates. He only cares about himself. Mayo are a better team without him and don't need his type around. I am sure there will be new guys we can bring in to strengthen the team and not revert to his nonsense again.

The All Ireland champions title will arrive in Mayo one day and I reckon it will be very soon. What Mayo need to do now is keep building on the program that James Horan has been doing. He has done well with Mayo so far, learn from the mistakes of the final, try one or two new things with the team, find two or three more players and take a leaf out of Jim Mc Guinness's book and come back stronger.

Donegal came from nothing in 2010 and won an All Ireland in 2012. Mayo are at a more advance level now then Donegal were at in 2010 and Mayo are good enough to win All Ireland.

Keep the faith James Horan and the Mayo team. You performed very well on the field yesterday and were beaten by the better team, no shame in that. Mayo will learn alot from that and if the players keep the focus and Horan stays in charge, Sam will come back to Mayo.

Audioslaven wrote: »

Complete rubbish. Mayo do not need mortimer and the media crap around him. He is the big man for the small day and the small man for the big day. He does not give a flying dog b***** about mayo and his team mates. He only cares about himself. Mayo are a better team without him and don't need his type around. I am sure there will be new guys we can bring in to strengthen the team and not revert to his nonsense again.

Did you miss the bit where I said, 'Mortimer has to understand....', or 'if Mortimer does the work.......'

There was no way he was coming back in 2012, but next year is a whole new ball game, and eventhough Horan is his own man he is a pragmatist too, and if Mortimer is willing to get stuck in and knows what is involved then there is no reason for him to be out in the cold

Trev is the man you'd want back, thought that 'family statement' business probably burnt the bridge with Horan.

Seans_Username wrote: »

I think you need to calm down a bit. The lads who are saying that Mortimer should come back do make a valid point.
His free taking would be an asset to the team. But they are saying that he should be back on the team if he can accept that Horan is boss, not him.

Mortimer left the panel probably thinking that the team would go nowhere without him. He saw how close they came to winning and this might give him a good kick up the hole to realise that with him they could go even further.

And I don't think that bringing back Mortimer is a 'solution' as you put it. It's like you're saying they lost in the qualifiers and are begging him to come back. It's more a case of building on this year's performance. A good push for next season, if Horan can straighten him out then it would be a massive step forward. If not, then good riddance to him

Thank you, that is exactly the point I am trying to make, but some posters here just prefer to ignore it and continue their rant.

ChippingSodbury wrote: »

Classic!!

You'd be better off to get one of the existing guys to practice free-taking even harder than they are currently. It's far from impossible for a talented footballer to become a good free-taker with a bit of helping psychology, good coaching and hours and hours of practice.
The game has moved on from the days of having a passenger on the team (and a disruptive one at that) to take the frees...

Spot on. We do not need a guy like him. A passenger free taker is not enough any more. Take a look at Mcfadden. You will not change this guy because he has been around too long. Can't teach old dog new tricks etc. I am not ranting/do not need to calm down as some buckos above are saying. Mayo needs to move on from crap like this. Maughan entertained the media, then he left so mortimer took his place.

Now we have a man who keeps the team in check and has very different principles. Bringing back mortimer only disrupts the team and he offers nothing new.

The fact that Mayo supporters come on sites and say "ah get him to toe the line etc" is pathetic in that it disregards everything good that has been achieved since he left. This is a backward step imo if he comes back. It will only end in tears. I think Horan knows this and also that he does not offer anything different to the team. This is the reason why he never played him.

He only cares about himself and getting his few frees. Its a better solution to get O'Connor to take all and forget about this lad.

We need guys that can win ball in the air as this gives us more options. We must strive for forwards that can do this. This is our only hope. We have a decent backline and midfield is not bad. We need two decent big forwards and I think we will be a match for any team considering to win SAM.

Fowler87 wrote: »

I see Kerry are trying to steal Cian O'Neill. Was meant to be a great addition to coaching team so will be a great loss

i cant see him going yet we are still building he would be mad to leave or team now unless theres plenty money involved

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

I heard on Saturday (in Kerry) that he was going to be with them for 2013, the the Kerry fan that told me was none too happy with an outsider coming in to train them

What is the official line of this, has he been approached by Kerry ?

Yeah he's joining us alright. The "Kerry fan" you were talking to sounds like a dope, he'll be a fantastic addition.

its in the irishexaminer as well balls on it any way.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/mayo-blow-as-oneill-set-to-join-kingdom-next-season-208767.html

Syferus wrote: »

Trev is the man you'd want back, thought that 'family statement' business probably burnt the bridge with Horan.

I would have Trevor back before his little brother.
Hell I would send Conor over to Kenya in his place.

Nippledragon wrote: »

...
Cian O' Neil leaving for Kerry. He has done a great job so deserves our praise. If it's Barry Solan thats coming in to replace him we have no need to worry, he was part of Katie Taylor's backroom team for the olympics and has a very good cv of experience.

Is he still involved with Laois together with all the other stuff ?

cgpg5 wrote: »

Kerry 4/1?? And Dublin!!! Wtf

Agree, 11-1 is a super price. Well we're being written off by bookies anyway lets hope that transfers to other teams too

Kerry will always be short odds with a bookie beacuse people will always back them based on their history and their ability to turn things around in a relatively short period of time.

Dublin will also be shorter than they should beacuse of the numbers that will back them.

Donegal are real bad value there, I would not expect them to be a realistic contender in 2013 and their their excretions in 2012

Tom Joad wrote: »

Ah here - you've crossed the line now - calling it puke football is one thing but calling their style excretions that's OTT - and you a man of the cloth - shame on you

Damn you spell checker, exertions not excretions

It's questionable if Doinegal will have what it takes to repeat but it's far too early to make a judgement either way.

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Mayo are the best team in Connacht but they are not good enough that they can just discount the opposition in the province entirely. Mayo barely got past Sligo in the Connacht final. Roscommon had a horrendous championship but are a much better side than they showed this Summer and will have a new coach next year. And of course Galway are unlikely to remain in the doldrums permanently with a lot of young players coming through.

Well I would not totally discount the opposition but unless Galway have a Mayo\Donegal 2011 type improvement this winter and spring then I can see Mayo winning it.

Roscommon are going backwards after it looked like they would improve under Fergal O' Donnell

Sligo are hardy but would have to play Mayo in Castlebar if they meet before a final, which I doubt they will relish.

Galway may be a dark horse as I said depending on what Mulholland can do with them over the winter, and if they play Mayo it will be in Galway which is a place that Mayo have struggled.
A return to Div 1 and a good run in the All Ireland qualifiers may count as a good year for them.

But if Mayo are serious contenders for 2013, which is all we have heard from them since Sunday evening, they they should be certainly putting away the other teams in Connaught without too much fuss.

Mayo have not won 3 in a row since 1949, 1950, 1951.

We still are only regarded as 5th best team, what suits us

Kerry 11/4
Donegal 9/2
Dublin 9/2
Cork 9/2
Mayo 13/2
Tyrone 20/1
Kildare 25/1
Meath 25/1
Galway 66/1
Laois 66/1
Armagh 66/1
Derry 66/1
Down 66/1
Longford 80/1
Wexford 100/1
Monaghan 125/1
Limerick 150/1
Sligo 200/1
Westmeath200/1
Tipperary 200/1
Louth 250/1
Cavan 250/1
London 250/1
Offaly 300/1
Wicklow 500/1
Antrim 500/1
Fermanagh 500/1
Leitrim 1000/1
Clare 1000/1
Carlow 2000/1
Waterford 2000/1
New York 2000/1

padd b1975 wrote: »

What odds are "De Rossies"??:)

Just seen that, must'nt be playing next year:pac: