Mayo V galway 20th May

sootie

Hi,

Anyone any ideas how I will get to see the game as Im away on me holliers. Im not sure if it will be big enough to be shown in Irish bars but I probably will have access to the net....

s_carnage

What country are you gng to??

wow sierra

s_carnage wrote:

What country are you gng to??

Thats the important question - any of the common tourist spots in Europe (Greece, Ibiza, Canaries etc )will be showing it. It is definitely on RTE - maybe you could check with Setanta. Was able to watch RTE coverage of the world cup on a big screen in Prague last summer. Have always been able to watch championship GAA on hols in Europe. Be careful that its not deferred coverage - I remember getting texted the result while watching the first half of a game in Greece:mad: I'd check when you get to your destination - it might just mean getting a train/bus to a nearby city or resort. Local radio commentary will definitely be available on the Net anywhere you have access as a last resort.

blackbelt

"Thats the important question - any of the common tourist spots in Europe (Greece, Ibiza, Canaries etc )will be showing it."

Yes thats true.Just look out for an irish bar.Check the internet or with your travel agent.I remember I got to see the Dublin-Tyrone (first game) and Laois-Armagh in 2005 in the Temple Bar in Corfu.

However saying this,sometimes places don't have coverage.I went down to the south of Italy where there is hardly any Irish and I missed the Dublin-Westmeath match..so I got rat-arsed with my girlfriend instead.....still happy days bambina

kevmy

In Corfu a couple a years back and got the Mayo-Kerry and Galway-Cork quarters over there in an Irish bar. We also got loads of Italians coming up to us wondering what game it was.

NollaigMD

Does anyone know anywhere in Holland that will be showing the game? The closest towns to me are Arnhem and Utrecht.

kevmy

So instead of starting a new thread how about we stick with this one for the match on Sunday.

Listening to the Sunday Game last night I have to agree this game has come to early in the season for both teams. Each would have prefered a game against Sligo or Leitrim at this stage.
But it's on and I ain't that confident. We haven't beaten Galway in Pearse since it was redone and these games are always a toss-up ie form goes out the window. We have the players to win but if injuries don't clear up we're in trouble. If DB, T Mort, K O Malley and L O Malley all play we've a very good chance but unlikely that all will be at 100%. Galway's injuries will also help us. Too early at this stage but if Mayo team is named with above included I'll go for us otherwise I'm not sure.

Any Rumours on Mac's fitness?

Kojak

Like Kevmy said, this game will be a toss-up. It could go either way. Galway have been very unpredicitble this year, loosing their first 2 games and then going on a run of 5 straight wins (very similar to last year).

Galway had nearly their starting 15 out against Mayo in the league semi-final a few weeks ago, but I dont believe that either side were playing to their full ability "a phony war" is one way of describing it.

Local derbies are rarely one sided and I dont think it will be any different on Sunday. Given the fact that John O'Mahoney will have insider knowledge of most of the Galway players, I would pick Mayo to win by maybe a point or 2.

I believe Galway will be going full tilt to win Connacht, as they are no-where near challenging for the All-Ireland. This should make it very interesting. I just hope that it has more intensity that the league semi-final, which I am sure it will

kevmy

I'm sure intensity will be a lot higher and both will be going all out. The back door is not attractive a 7 week lay off then a possible of 5 games in 5 weeks added to the fact that Mayo never really performed well in the qualifier system.

thirdmantackle

sure who cares about this game.

the big one is Leitrim vs London!

Mayo to win it btw

dodgyme

thirdmantackle wrote:

sure who cares about this game.

the big one is Leitrim vs London!

Mayo to win it btw

looks like MacDonald might even get the bench. Although I wouldnt think he would play, it would surely be a boast to the proceedings. Not being an expert now.

whassupp2

I think Galway will win. In my opinion they are the dark horses of the championship

kevmy

whassupp2 wrote:

I think Galway will win. In my opinion they are the dark horses of the championship

I think your right even if they don't win on Sunday. They've a good back-line and a potentially great set of forwards (Joyce, Meehan, Savage, Fallon, Bane, Armstrong). If they get them all fit and in form and get half a decent performance from midfield then they could go far. Quarters/Semis

blackbelt

I think Galway are a bit like Dublin,a very strong team that just lacks the mental edge coming into the most crucial parts of matches.Both have similarities in terms of strong positions and weak ones.The half back line being more obvious.

Both teams will dominate tight games in quarters or semis for 40 mins or so and then fold once they get too complacent.I'd pick Mayo to win by 2-3 points.They look a very strong prospect again this year and its more encouraging that they lost the league final instead of winning it ie peaking too early.I'd back Mayo to get to the final again this year.

aidan24326

blackbelt wrote:

I think Galway are a bit like Dublin,a very strong team that just lacks the mental edge coming into the most crucial parts of matches.Both have similarities in terms of strong positions and weak ones.The half back line being more obvious.

Your first point is fine but I'm not sure what you mean about the halfback lines. Galway's half back line is pretty good, better than Dublin's. Our weak spot is the half forward line.

blackbelt

Galways half back line and midfield in my opinion is a bit weak,maybe moreso the midfield.This is where Dublin would be a bit stronger than Galway but Galway have the best forwards to choose from in the country.

Both counties have been knocking on the door the last few years.I think there is a psychological issue to be solved.Galway have the problem of letting games slip from their grasp in the late periods of matches ie Cork in 05 and Dublins problem with being too complacent when they are up by 5-6 points ie Tyrone 05,Mayo 06,Tyrone league round 1 07.

Maybe this issue has to be addressed along with the basics and the training.

kevmy

Interesting team selection from a Mayo point of view. Billie Joe moved to full-back and Jimmy Nallen at centre-back. No place for DB or Mac. Ger Brady gets another chance to prove himself at wing-forward, personally I would've preferred one of the young lads (Kilcoyne or Campbell).
I suppose since Nallen is up against GrandJa it's alright but a faster player will catch him out later in Championship. Haven't seen much of BJP at full-back thrown in against Padraig Joyce. Good to see TMort back and we can expect to DB tearing from the sidelines at some stage. Mac will only be used if we're in trouble

Lucas10101

Have to agree with Blackbet here....100% spot on.

Kojak

Forde names his Galway team for Sunday's match.

Galway (SF v Mayo): P Doherty; C Fitzgerald, F Hanley, D Burke; D Meehan, N Coyne, M Comer; N Coleman, J Bergin; D Savage, J Fallon, N Joyce; M Meehan, P Joyce, C Bane.


NO real surprises here, although some of the players would want to wake up a bit. Bergin would be a prime example of a lad who had great potential a few years ago, but now is a very average team player. The only real weakness (from the players Forde could have picked) is the absence of Diarmuid Blake at centre-back. I am unsure if Coyne will be able to fill that position adequatly. He has been playing some good football at wing-back, but the centre is an entirely different position.

whassupp2

Ciaran McDonald will undergo a late fitness test on Sunday morning before it is decided whether or not he will play some part in Sunday's eagerly-awaited Connacht tussle between Galway and Mayo.

Should he be deemed fit enough, McDonald will start on the bench.

Trevor Mortimer returns from injury starts at centre forward, meaning there is no place for Aidan Kilcoyne, while Kenneth O'Malley tarts in goal at the expense of David Clarke.

aidan24326

Lucas10101 wrote:

Have to agree with Blackbelt here....100% spot on.

Not quite. Galway at full strength would be picking a halfback line of Declan Meehan, Diarmuid Blake (has been excellent) and Niall Coyne (very good all through the league). This line is not a problem at all. Half forward line is the problem area, along with midfield.

I actually think Dublin's half back line is weak. Coman Goggins is very very average, Colin Moran is not up to centre back (Cullen will probably be there the next day?) and Paul Casey is decent but nothing special.

It's a myth that Galway have this great forward line, great on paper maybe but not really doing it in reality.

On the contrary our defence has been good. Best defensive record in this year's league out of the 16 divison 1 teams (and second best behind Cork last year).

whassupp2

whassupp2 wrote:

I think Galway will win. In my opinion they are the dark horses of the championship

I told you so:D

nacho libre

Martin Carney will have a busy few weeks.

Kojak

Great win for Galway today. I have to say that it was unexpected. I didn't think Mayo would fail as badly as they did.

Many of their "bigger names" didn't perform (for example Alan Dillon) and some of their marking, especially for Bane's second goal was very poor. I'm not saying that galway were brilliant in defence either - look at the chances that Mortimer and Brady had for goals - it was just luck that Galway didn't concede a goal, IMO.

I thought that young Burke, Nicky Joyce and to a lesser extent Bane played well for Galway, while some players like Mike Meehan and Bergin were not very helpful.

Conor Mortimer was virtually anonomous (sp?) in this match, and I thought the quick free he took to David Brady near the end of the match summed up Mayo very well. For whatever reason, they didn't seem to be as motivated for this game as Galway were. This could be a bigger problem for them later on in the championship, than just loosing to galway in the middle of may. If they can get the motivation back then they could be a serious threat later on in the year (they always seem to have one big game in them each year - Dublin last year, Tyrone 2004 etc.)

However, Mayo have a poor enough record in the qualifiers over the last few years. It will be interesting to see how they recover from this.

Well done to galway on a good performance. If they don't get carried away with themselves they will probably win the Connacht title.

kevmy

Yeah Mayo were poor yesterday but I wouldn't blame it on the forwards our problems were from midfield back. 4 reasons why we lost:
1) Ford won the battle of the tactics, especially with the Mayo backline, he managed to get Gardiner in the corner, KHiggins at centre back and BJP at wing back. All of this meant Mayo were on the back foot defensively all day long.
2) Midfield. Neither Jimmy Nallen (who tried but just doesn't have the pace) or Pat Harte played well. We need a fit DB and a fit McGarrity to do well.
3) Galway fouled a lot out the field, especially in the first half. Nothing serious just a few tugs and shoves but it stopped Mayo from getting our running game going from half back.
4) We didn't track back. It's being happening all through the league and it happened again. When the ball was lost around midfield our midfielders and half forwards didn't track back to cover (see Bane's second goal)

Having said all that there is some (slight) positives to take from yesterday. I think we found our full forward in Ger Brady he showed well in the first half and won some good ball. He's able to fight for the high balls which gives us another option.
Two goal chances at the start of the second half which if scored would have brought us right back into it. It shows our forwards have the ability if they get a good supply of ball.

For the qualifiers: keep Heaney out the field while he played well enough in fullback he's worth more at midfield.
Drop Devenney his lack of defensive ability shown up again today (either Howley or AHiggins in his place).
Start DB. Play Kilcullen and BJP at full back and centre back.
Play Ger Brady at full forward and give him some high ball to fight for.
Drop K O Neill to the bench he's not up for centre forward at this stage of his career a place on the bench alongside Mac as supersubs would better suit (Kilcoyne or Campbell in his place)
Above all a bit more hunger and sharpness cos we were second to alot of ball yesterday

kravist

kevmy wrote:

BJP at full back

PLEASE!!!!!!
Was O'Mahony trying to secure the Fine Gael vote in the Belmullet area?


Taking Gardiner off was simply incorrect, an attacking wing back in the second half would have been a huge asset with the wind.

BJP is a good club footballer.....nothing more IMO.

TOO DEPRESSED TO COMMENT FURTHER!!

kevmy

kravist wrote:

PLEASE!!!!!!
Was O'Mahony trying to secure the Fine Gael vote in the Belmullet area?


Taking Gardiner off was simply incorrect, an attacking wing back in the second half would have been a huge asset with the wind.

BJP is a good club footballer.....nothing more IMO.

TOO DEPRESSED TO COMMENT FURTHER!!

You misunderstand. That reads Kilcullen at full back and BJP at centre back - until we get McGarrity back then it should be Kilcullen at FB, Heaney at CB and Brady and McGarrity midfield.
Gardiner was following his man into the corner and was getting destroyed in there. He should have been switched to wing back at least if not taken off. I'm a fan of his but he's not having the best of seasons

Shuffles

Hardly an unexpected victory, Galway have not been beaten in salthill since the ground facelift. i backed them confidently yesterday. free of injuries for the first time in years. all ireland quarter final ahead and on their day will be hard beaten.

There is more value in Galway yet.

kravist

Wasn't trying to contradict.
Actually i generally agree with your analysis.
I was making the point that IMO BJP is not an inter county player. You can pick him wherever you want..nothing will change that fact.
Yes he was ok against Kerry last September..but lets face it....that in itself was irrelevant. It's easy look good when you either hammering or getting hammered by the opposition.

When will Conor Mort start scoring goals?
When will we as a team develop cuteness?.....(Harte's sending off!)
When will we hit first...apart from reacting to being hit?

Had come out of my depression but am only sending myself back into one!

"Gardiner was following his man into the corner and was getting destroyed in there. He should have been switched to wing back at least if not taken off. I'm a fan of his but he's not having the best of seasons"

Why was there so much space in those corners?

Kojak

Shuffles wrote:

all ireland quarter final ahead and on their day will be hard beaten.

Well they only won one quarter final yet since they were introduced and we all know what happened that year

Still, they dont have a good record in these quarter finals. The biggest fear from a Galway perspective is letting this win over Mayo go to their heads. They will have a difficult game against Leitrim in Carrick (i'm assuming that Leitrim will beat London easily) and then they will have to play either Sligo or the Rossies.

Its not as clear-cut as some people are making it out to be...

nacho libre

Isn't McGarrity out for the championship? I hate to say it but the players have to be more physical- it was like men against boys there at times yesterday. They need to get that strength trainer who was involved with Kerry over the last few years. He transformed a graceful, yet timid, Kerry team into one capable of beating Armagh at their own game.
Also, I just don't understand how the hunger isn't there after so many years of being pipped at the post. Still, as one poster already said out of yesterday's doom and gloom there is one positive; Ger Brady has potential as a full-forward.

kevmy

nacho libre wrote:

Isn't McGarrity out for the championship?

Well there is rumours he may be back. I think they have done an operation and that he's recovering well (I hope he is regardless of football it's a horrible thing to happen to anyone). He may be back later on in the summer (if we get that far:rolleyes: )

blackbelt

He may be back later on in the summer (if we get that far ) (Kevmy)


Ah come on Kevmy,we all know that will happen.Its a formality.Expect to see Mayo reach the semi finals at least,through the qualifiers.Mayo are good at bouncing back and its more encouraging to see Mayo lose actually.Its no good to peak in mid May,June or late August for that matter.I'm thinking that they may have gotten their Croker choker day out very early in Pearse Park and that they'll get it out of their system.

We all had Kerry down and out when they lost to Cork in Munster but what happened...Kerry were there in September and won it.Mayo may have gone out a bit earlier but the qualifiers will do them good with more matches to play.However,the only disadvantage is the qualifier first round does not start til July,so Mayo will need to concentrate on positions and fitness.Train on Sundays and watch the Sunday Game carefully.Its time for them to get this disappointment out of their system early on and progress.

Utopia Parkway

Kojak wrote:

Well they only won one quarter final yet since they were introduced and we all know what happened that year

Still, they dont have a good record in these quarter finals. The biggest fear from a Galway perspective is letting this win over Mayo go to their heads. They will have a difficult game against Leitrim in Carrick (i'm assuming that Leitrim will beat London easily) and then they will have to play either Sligo or the Rossies.

Its not as clear-cut as some people are making it out to be...

Leitrim away is never an easy fixture for anyone but if Galway can play anywhere near the level they did against Mayo they should win there.

They would then have a Connacht final at home in Pearse Stadium against either Sligo (who haven't beaten Galway since Noah was a young lad) or Roscommon (who very rarely win on Galway soil). If the final was in Castlebar or Hyde Park they might have a chance but I don't see them winning in Salthill.

Blackjack

blackbelt wrote:

He may be back later on in the summer (if we get that far ) (Kevmy)


Ah come on Kevmy,we all know that will happen.Its a formality.Expect to see Mayo reach the semi finals at least,through the qualifiers.Mayo are good at bouncing back and its more encouraging to see Mayo lose actually.Its no good to peak in mid May,June or late August for that matter.I'm thinking that they may have gotten their Croker choker day out very early in Pearse Park and that they'll get it out of their system.

We all had Kerry down and out when they lost to Cork in Munster but what happened...Kerry were there in September and won it.Mayo may have gone out a bit earlier but the qualifiers will do them good with more matches to play.However,the only disadvantage is the qualifier first round does not start til July,so Mayo will need to concentrate on positions and fitness.Train on Sundays and watch the Sunday Game carefully.Its time for them to get this disappointment out of their system early on and progress.

Have to agree, I think if Mayo can do good in the first game in the qualifiers then they could build from there. I think a good build up throughout the backdoor and hopefully not too many injuries picked up I can certainly see a semi Final berth this year.

aidan24326

Blackjack wrote:

Have to agree, I think if Mayo can do good in the first game in the qualifiers then they could build from there. I think a good build up throughout the backdoor and hopefully not too many injuries picked up I can certainly see a semi Final berth this year.

Yes but avoiding a nasty draw like the losers of Armagh/Donegal will be crucial. Get a handy first round game against a team like Clare or Carlow and build it from there. I wouldn't write Mayo off yet but they were very poor on Sunday.

The danger now for Galway is assuming that Connaught is in the bag because Mayo are gone. Leitrim and Roscommmon (probably) have still to be beaten and I wouldn't take either for granted.

But if Galway play to a similair level as we did on Sunday we should win those two games and will be hard enough to beat from there on. No use getting carried away with this win though, on the day we beat a Mayo team who were totally off colour. But so far so good. Our defence is looking top class, and if Michael Meehan can find some form then you never know. It's definitely looking better than it did a few months ago!

For Mayo supporters I wouldn't worry too much about this defeat. Galway and Mayo seem to beat each other in turn. The long break will get McDonald, Brady and maybe McGarrity fit. Mayo can hide in the long grass for a while.

gucci

Shuffles wrote:

Hardly an unexpected victory, Galway have not been beaten in salthill since the ground facelift. i backed them confidently yesterday.

Did Westmeath not beat Galway last year over there in the qualifiers?? As far as i know Mayo wont be getting Clare anyways in the qualifiers, all they have to play in is Tommy Murphy Cup because of theyre league performance this year and losing to Waterford.

kevmy

blackbelt wrote:

He may be back later on in the summer (if we get that far ) (Kevmy)


Ah come on Kevmy,we all know that will happen.Its a formality.Expect to see Mayo reach the semi finals at least,through the qualifiers.Mayo are good at bouncing back and its more encouraging to see Mayo lose actually.Its no good to peak in mid May,June or late August for that matter.I'm thinking that they may have gotten their Croker choker day out very early in Pearse Park and that they'll get it out of their system.

We all had Kerry down and out when they lost to Cork in Munster but what happened...Kerry were there in September and won it.Mayo may have gone out a bit earlier but the qualifiers will do them good with more matches to play.However,the only disadvantage is the qualifier first round does not start til July,so Mayo will need to concentrate on positions and fitness.Train on Sundays and watch the Sunday Game carefully.Its time for them to get this disappointment out of their system early on and progress.

Well we don't really have a great record in the qualifiers. The last time we went through the backdoor gave us our best result, which was a 3 point loss to Kerry in the quarters. The last two time we went through the front door we got to the final. In previous qualifiers we have lost to Westmeath and Fermanagh in the round preceeding the quarters. Both were bad performances against middling teams. IMO Mayo are a confidence team, we thrive on victory and the wave of optimism in the county. This loss is like two defeats because it was to Galway. We were aiming for Sam this year, can't see us getting it after that the last day.

We would need a couple of seriously crappy teams, then a couple of middling ones in the qualifiers to get back on the road at all. With most of the crappy teams hitting for the Tommy Cup it's highly unlikely that'll happen. This is true of all All-Ireland backdoor winners. Galway had Wicklow their first day out in 2001 before getting progressively stronger teams along the way. Same with Kerry last year. If we hit someone like Armagh first out we're sunk for another year.

jmayo

nacho libre wrote:

...I hate to say it but the players have to be more physical- it was like men against boys there at times yesterday. They need to get that strength trainer who was involved with Kerry over the last few years. He transformed a graceful, yet timid, Kerry team into one capable of beating Armagh at their own game.

kravist wrote:

...
When will we as a team develop cuteness?.....(Harte's sending off!)
When will we hit first...apart from reacting to being hit?

We got pushed around the pitch all though the match.
Sad to say I can't ever see this team win an All-Ireland because they do have a soft center and other teams know it.

We have problems at full back and we have problems at midfield even if McGarrity is back. David Brady is one of the few players who can take it but how injury prone is he?
The qualifiers are much different this year, they are no easy first rounds.

All down through the years we have got bullied off the pitch.
And this dates way back. Remember Meath.

Why hire a fitness coach that works with athletes, sure he has a big name but it is someone that works with rugby players that is needed.
Remember Mike Frank Russell was a puny thing a few yers ago, look at the way he developed.
The players need to bulk up and also start dishing it out for a change.
Every team has a few that can really get stuck in, who has Mayo got?

I know some people will say they want to see nice good clean football.
I know the argument about who wants to see a team that are pulling and dragging all round them, that are dirty and cynical?
Well if we want to win an All-Ireland then that is what is needed.
Look how Kerry changed over last few years. Remember Billy Morgans comments about them.
Look at Tyrone and Armagh. They did whatever had to be done to win.
Maybe it's time we starting doing the same.

blackbelt

"If we hit someone like Armagh first out we're sunk for another year".(Kevmy)

Well thats a very defeatist attitude Doogle.

After Dublin,I'm a Mayo supporter due to my family being from there.That may make me seem biased but the reality is that Mayo are better than Armagh.Armagh are an ageing side with some of their best players missing this year.To my recollection,McConville is out for the season?

I just think Mayo have more strength in the team than Armagh.Yes it is sad that they can rely heavily on McDonald to pull them out.He was at his best in 2004 and again gave a one off star of the year performance against Dublin in 2006,I think his best days are behind him but Mayo have other players to such as Andy Moran,David Heaney,Gardiner,McGarritty (when he returns) and Conor Mortimor.

I think the media got to Mayo on this one.Mayo will win when they are dubbed underdogs and once they're favourites,they'll blow it.I think Mayo will get to the semis even if they run into Armagh along the way but unfortunately I can't have much hope for them in the event they draw Donegal.I can't see Donegal losing on Sunday but if they do,the other qualifier teams are in trouble.

This psychological issue Mayo have with Croke Park is nothing new.They lose to Kerry by a mile in September,train hard and bounce back in the league only to lose the league final to Donegal in Croker and in a short amount of time have to go to Galway with that on their minds.

They had not enough time to recover but the 6 week lay off in the Championship will give O Mahony the necessary time to address the problems on the pitch and in the mind of the players.

Blackjack

I would not be to worried. Mayo have beaten all but Donegal this year (of the teams we would normally be worried about) and there's still a bit left in this team. The 7 weeks to recover from injury and re-group will do the world of good, and provided we get a reasonable run in via the qualifiers, I still think a semi final place is available for us.

kevmy

Wouldn't regard myself as pessimistic but I'll put it this way I'd much prefer Mayo to meet a couple of soft teams in the first few round of the qualifiers. Some players are off form (Gardiner and Dillon) and some are lacking match practice and fitness (DB, Mac, TMort). All of these are important players and playing Armagh or someone like that would not be good for them.
I'll agree that Armagh aren't the team they were and on full strength I'd say we'd take them but we ain't on full strength.

gaelic cowboy

In my opinion Mayo would be better off losing the next game they have had a couple of years of heartbreak now time to give it a rest for year or two. Come back in 2009 or 2010 with some passion and hunger. The age of many of our players is a concern and this silly idea were gonna win Sam cos John o is back is stupid. He will not win Sam with the present team and he wont last more than 3yrs. Does anyone really think Mayo could win Sam all that is differant from last year is team is older the legs are slower. I am sick telling people we need to lose a few players and find new one. Since no new player spring to mind that means a complete root and branch bloodletting. If this was done we might I say might pull it off. I was in Salthill and to my mind we just gave up cos it was just too much effort no doubt they were already thinking of the beaches of spain by the time it was 2-5 for galway. I think its no harm at all losing last sunday all that would ahve happened is that mayo would have gone to quater final and lost or worse than that won it. Suddenly all these idiots would find themselves mayo fans again we would have lost semi and the country would declare "oh the hype got to them".

blackbelt

Gaelic Cowboy,I find your lack of belief very disheartening.Yes Mayo lost on Sunday and yes they lost by a few points but remember this,1 point loss is as good as 10 points and I do believe Mayo have the ability to progress much further in the championship.

Galway had all the luck on their side as well as the great performance they put in.Mayo didn't turn up simply but I wouldn't expect that to happen to Mayo again rest assured.

Whats this about Mayo giving it a rest for a year or two?..That would be the real heartbreaker,not trying at all.Theres no shame in trying and getting your ass kicked but there is shame in not trying at all.

For all you know,Mayo could run through the qualifiers knocking out teams like Kildare,Armagh etc and then defeat a team like Galway or Dublin in the quarter final.Mayo probably won't win Sam this year but you would be very quick to eat your own words if they did and you'd have to hang your head in shame for not believing.

gaelic cowboy

Actually Blackbelt I believe it the only way to save Mayo football I want us to win of course but thats my heart talking not the head. On the give it a rest for two years its only because new players would have to be found an it could take a while or it might not. If we continue with the present guys things could get very bad when they retire Mayo could be on for a lost decade .

kevmy

gaelic cowboy wrote:

Actually Blackbelt I believe it the only way to save Mayo football I want us to win of course but thats my heart talking not the head. On the give it a rest for two years its only because new players would have to be found an it could take a while or it might not. If we continue with the present guys things could get very bad when they retire Mayo could be on for a lost decade .

In fairness I think the U-21 are coming through Kilcoyne, Campbell, Higgins, L O' Malley and K O'Malley are all in and about the team. CMort, TMort, Dillion, Moran, Gardiner and McGarrity are hardly on there last legs. The only guys you can make a case for leaving are Jimmy Nallen, Mac, DB and ONeill.

nacho libre

gaelic cowboy wrote:

In my opinion Mayo would be better off losing the next game they have had a couple of years of heartbreak now time to give it a rest for year or two. Come back in 2009 or 2010 with some passion and hunger. The age of many of our players is a concern and this silly idea were gonna win Sam cos John o is back is stupid. He will not win Sam with the present team and he wont last more than 3yrs. Does anyone really think Mayo could win Sam all that is differant from last year is team is older the legs are slower. I am sick telling people we need to lose a few players and find new one. Since no new player spring to mind that means a complete root and branch bloodletting. If this was done we might I say might pull it off. I was in Salthill and to my mind we just gave up cos it was just too much effort no doubt they were already thinking of the beaches of spain by the time it was 2-5 for galway. I think its no harm at all losing last sunday all that would ahve happened is that mayo would have gone to quater final and lost or worse than that won it. Suddenly all these idiots would find themselves mayo fans again we would have lost semi and the country would declare "oh the hype got to them".

Well, if he- O'Mahony- is saying it's a long term project then logically there has to be clear out. Starting with Nallen. It should not have come to this. He should have called time after last year. Very sad state of affairs for such a great servant of Mayo football that he has to be pushed.

kevmy

nacho libre wrote:

Well, if he- O'Mahony- is saying it's a long term project then logically there has to be clear out. Starting with Nallen. It should not have come to this. He should have called time after last year. Very sad state of affairs for such a great servant of Mayo football that he has to be pushed.

Well he can't be starting I'll agree and it is sad, probably my favourite Mayo player that I've seen (only 21 though so maybe not alot of competition) and a really sound guy too boot.
He's probably worth having on the panel for this year but he can't be playing centre back or midfield against these young lads. He's lost his pace.
As regards a long term job, I'd say Johnno was looking for Sam next year, as maybe this year is a little to soon.