Mayo vs Leitrim

UnitedIrishman

Carrick-on-Shannon, 3.30pm SUN.

Not very optimistic for this one. Mickey Moran has totally changed the teams since the start of the league and now it looks the weakest it's been in a few years. We have a full back line, none of which are over 6 foot (facing Declan Maxwell). So it's high ball time again undoubtedly for anyone facing us.

Our full forward line is again, small. Conor Mortimor at full forward. That defies belief or reasoning. Our only free scoring player was dropped (Austin O'Malley). Ciaran McDonald is back in, but one wonders if he will do the job he is asked at corner forward. Jimmy Nallen is fading at 34 or so. He was found out against Dublin the league and Moran needs to realise that he's not up to the job any more.

Also there was supposedly a fight between two of the players during a training match mid week. Keith Higgins and Conor Mort involved. Resulted in a bit of a brawl. Hence why the training session was behind closed doors Thursday. So all is not rosy in the camp.

Nowhere near being optimistic for this season, in fact Leitrim have as good a chance as ever to knock us out.

Mayo (SF v Leitrim): J Healy; D Geraghty, L O’Malley, K Higgins; D Heaney, J Nallen, P Gardiner; R McGarrity, P Harte; BJ Padden, G Brady, A Dillon; K McDonald, C Mortimer, A Moran.

Leitrim (SF v Mayo): C McCrann; D Reynolds, J McKeon, M McGuinness; D McHugh, B McWeeney, S Foley; G McCloskey, C Carroll; B Prior, M Foley, C Regan; D Duignan, D Maxwell, C Duignan.

whassupp2

Mayo were lucky. Where will the final be?? I think its McHale park but i'm not sure.

UnitedIrishman

whassupp2 wrote:

Mayo were lucky. Where will the final be?? I think its McHale park but i'm not sure.

Very very lucky. With 5 minutes to go I'd have been happy with a draw. Never seen Mayo so poor, don't believe the ****e on the Sunday Game. This Mayo side is going to get a hammering against Galway in McHale Park.

Heard more stories of unrest throughout the day from the Mayo camp.

The team approached Davey Heaney to ask Morrison to step down as trainer during the week because they felt the training was far too easy and they were all fairly unfit because there are feck all club games on. Mickey Moran was none too impressed.

I'll tell you what, the team chef told me before the game that Alan Dillon would be the first man off injured today because he wasn't eating right and in turn he was becoming fatigued and picking up injuries. Low and behold at half time Dillon was gone. Its simple things but Moran and Morrison seriously have no clue about these things.

The way we've played, it's as if they want us to play Ulster football i.e getting wing forwards behind the ball and breaking up play. That might work in the Ulster Fighting Championship but in Connacht we play football. We've no pace up front, Conor Mortimor is a bluffer. An absolute bluffer. He bottled it with an important free at the end to wrap up the game but instead Leitrim got back into the game. Andy Moran isn't really a corner forward. Billy Joe is as slow as a wet week. Our full back line is getting smaller every day.

The only ones to come out of this with any credit are Pat Harte (who was MOM until he was sent off), Keith Higgins and Ciaran McDonald (who was absolute cack first half but stood up to be counted in the second half when the pressure was on, unlike the rest of the lads).

Honestly, there are no immediate remedies to Mayo's problems at all. What's worse is Moran and co. don't even recognise the problems. We've no Plan A never mind Plan B. I'd rather see a team by Maughan go out and play with belief in what they're doing than watch what I did today, whereby lads had no clue about what they are doing.

whassupp2

...but Mayo looked as good as ever in FBD and national league.

mchurl

whassupp2 wrote:

...but Mayo looked as good as ever in FBD and national league.

Sounds like there's a lot of problems in the Mayo camp so, but Galway havent looked too great either so far.

elurhs

I was wary when Moran was appointed as he's a bit of a mercenary. Maughan stepped aside because there was an overwhelming belief that O'Mahony would take the job, and when he didn't nobody else seemed to want it.

All through the league he's persisted with this so-called "nut" formation, three men in the square, and it simply hasn't worked. But I understand he tried it again yesterday (I wasn't at the game). I think Moran hasn't much of a clue of what he's doing at this point, and if what UnitedIrishman says is true, no confidence in the camp. A lot of players there are on their last legs, and I think we could see a few retirements after this campaign.

threebeards

As poor as they were yesterday, I still fancy them to go a distance this year. Home advantage in the Connaught Final (the game is in McHale Park) should be worth a few points in the same way as Leitrim playing in Carrick yesterday had that advantage.

I'd sooner them be pushed to the brink yesterday and get the shoe in the arse they need rather than a 20 point drubbing and going into the final with an element of complacency.

Galway are nothing special either and if we could manage a win on July 16th, I believe it will inspire confidence. McDonald is a big game player and if he gets the space will perform.

I agree with UnitedIrishman about Mortimer being a bluffer. He goes to ground too easily (ala Ronaldo) but credit where it's due in that if he's on his game, he's worth a few points from frees.

I'd be interested to hear Culchies views on this.

Culchie

threebeards wrote:

I'd be interested to hear Culchies views on this.

Well, where do ya start?:o

I must admit, 2 months ago I was far happier with Mayo's progression than I am now.

Having said, it's only when you least expect Mayo to do well, they surprise you and go on a run, every year they got to the All Ireland Final, they were playing muck in the early stages of the Championship.

People from outside Connaught don't realise how tough it is to win in Carrick on Shannon, Leitrim are tough to beat, and their ground is like being involved in a boxing match with ringside seats.
The fact that Mayo had them beat, but folded when they got their best player sent off is a cause for concern (as was their collapse to Dublin's double goal whammy in the league after a great start). If Harte stayed on the pitch it was looking like a 15 point win, which would have been no good to us either.

To be honest I just don't know .... my instinct is telling me that this could be the year, but the evidence thus far is pointing to a defeat against Galway.

Other than Heaney (who has always been my favourite player) this team has very few physical weaknesses, it's an excellent team on paper, full of pace, good blend of experience, some real talent on the way through ..... it's the sideline (again) that is the cause for concern.

I must dig up a post I made months ago when Morrison and Moran were appointed, it was Morrison I was concerned about then, and it is now.

Keeping the Faith though, we'll be close this year, I'm pretty convinced of it, and normally I wouldn't pin my colours to mast too publicly.


btw ... Dublin look superb, going to take a real good team to beat them this year.

Culchie

Culchie wrote:

I must dig up a post I made months ago when Morrison and Moran were appointed, it was Morrison I was concerned about then, and it is now.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=3524608&postcount=4

threebeards

Culchie wrote:

Dublin look superb, going to take a real good team to beat them this year.

Yeah, I have to say that not only did they impress me, they surprised me as well. I didn't think they had such a performance in them. Tbh I considered backing Laois at a big price when they were 4 points down early on but erred on the side of caution and thankfully still have my money in my pocket. I see Paddy Power have shortened the Dubs to 4-1 to win the big one this year. Poor value so early on imho.

In terms again of Mayo (and indeed Galway), the outcome of the Connaught Final and the performance of whoever wins will tell a lot. I agree with you in terms of having a feeling that they could go a distance this year. In one respect yesterday's result might be good in that there's little or no expectation so the pressure might be off just a little bit. I presume Martin Carney will on The Last Word this evening. It'll be interesting to hear what he has to say.

UnitedIrishman

Other than Heaney (who has always been my favourite player) this team has very few physical weaknesses, it's an excellent team on paper, full of pace, good blend of experience, some real talent on the way through ..... it's the sideline (again) that is the cause for concern.

I'll give credit where it's due, they made the right call in putting Harte in midfield and Heaney in the half back line (his natural position). But they're making poor decisions.

This 'nut' forward line is a joke. Our midfield and half forwards are looking up and seeing absolutley no options. Our half forward line is way to deep. At one stage we had Andy Moran as the only man in the Leitrim half of the pitch (when we were in possesion!). It will not work against the better teams or with McDonald in the full forward line because he complicates things.

Changes that need to be made:
-Nallen into fullback (his legs have gone I'm afraid, Tomas Quinn destroyed him in Dublin as did Masters in the league).
-Ger Brady to wing forward (because he does nothing when he doesn't have the ball, the game passes around him).
-Ciaran McDonald to center forward.
-Billy Joe to full forward (where he did damage against Ros last year).
-O'Malley also has to come back into the starting team and possibly Kevin O'Neill for Moran and Mortimor.
-Possibly Trevor Mortimor in for Dillon, but Dillon did will against Leitrim, but is far too light
-Get rid of the nut forward line.

Chances of these changes coming: Zilch.

I know people say "Fickle Mayo fans again" but in all honesty, this is the best squad of players I've seen in Mayo in a long time (Even Mr. Spillane said so and he doesn't often praise Mayo), yet they're getting wasted by Moran and Morrison who are determined to play Ulster football.

Also did anyone hear Morrison say Mayo fans were far too negative? Could be right, but we've every reason to.

kevmy

I'd agree with most of those changes.
- Nallens a great player well able to read the game and pretty tall. But his legs are gone - got run ragged by Derek Savo in league semi and hes no spring chicken - should go to full back where he'll add height as well.
- Heaney to centre back - able to go forward more but without the risk of leaving him out of play at wing back.
- Midfield i'm still worried about more than the forward line. They got beaten there again in the league semi against a mediocre Galway midfield. Didn't see Harte the last day in Letrim but by all accounts he was v good before being sent off. I would prefer somebody else than McGarrity who has a tendency to go missing during games especially after basketball games. Harte and Brady (if fit) would be my choice,
- Half forward line - Dillon, Mac and Ger Brady. Mac wasted in full forward. I'd perfer three ball players like these at half forward instead of converted midfielders (Gill and Billie Joe)
- Full forward line -two Mortimers and Austin O'Malley. Trevor had his best year in there in 2004. Conors a mystery, can seem to handle pressure some days (fermanagh 2004 in semi) and bottle other days (Galway in connacht final a few years back). But he's the best scoring forward we've got if on his day, better than Billie Joe or Andy Moran.

Nut formation should be abandonded too predictable and easy to stop.

I would prefer to see a well prepared Maughan team going out than an ill prepared, unfit team with a tactical geniuis managing them.

As for fickle Mayo fans I think a lot of people disliked the nut formation from the start and wanted it gone . I've said Nallen to full back since start of the league.

whassupp2

I'm not from Mayo, but I dont think you should criticise your teams performance when they are still in full flight. Leave that until there beaten. They might surprise ye in the Connacht final.

kevmy

They could very well win in the Connacht final I'm not doubting that especially with Galway and Mayo there is never much between them and form has often gone out the window. However I'm simply pointing out problems I've seen all during the league (I wasn't at Carrick last Sunday) which I think could be easily solved. Mayo should not be aiming for another Connacht they should be shooting for an All Ireland. You cannot say at the moment that they are on Championship form - poor finish to league and last Sunday. IMO we started this year on a level with Galway, Dublin, Laois and Armagh and below only Kerry and Tyrone so therefore we should be looking to push on freom there. Just scraping past Letriim should not be good enough we should be laying down markers like the Dubs.
I hope we improve and get better soon as history shows we don't do to well in the Qualifiers. At this rate we'll get to quarters, maybe semis and while its not bad you don't see Kerry and Armagh fans, players or management saying that the semis would be OK.

RANT OVER RANT OVER RANT OVER RANT OVER