Mayo GAA Discussion Thread

keane2097

Are you guys confident of Alan Freeman producing the goods on Sunday? He was majestic against Tyrone but has flattered to deceive in the past despite clearly having bundles of talent.

seligehgit

keane2097 wrote: »

Are you guys confident of Alan Freeman producing the goods on Sunday? He was majestic against Tyrone but has flattered to deceive in the past despite clearly having bundles of talent.

Keeping the fingers crossed,he certainly can be flakey.Presumably he'll get the option to carry on where he left off against Tyrone if COC goes off with McLaughlin taking the more difficult ones on right hand side.Hopefully it won't come to pass and COC excells on the day and carries us to victory.

Fr Tod Umptious

keane2097 wrote: »

Are you guys confident of Alan Freeman producing the goods on Sunday? He was majestic against Tyrone but has flattered to deceive in the past despite clearly having bundles of talent.

The Mayo forwards can be frustrating to watch to be honest, and in particular Freeman and Varley, and Doherty also last year, but he is injured.
One day Varley will be on top form and the next he will not, the same goes for Freeman
Neither of the two are brilliant forwards so neither is an automatic choice on the team sheet either.
I think Cillian O' Connor has really stepped up this year and that has added a bit of consistency to the forwards

So like others I am not sure if Freeman will have a good game again this time, I just hope he does

Fr Tod Umptious

murser wrote: »

Agree with the tested lark. I think we'd need to lose a game before they will conclude that we were tested. All I'm afraid is that we could win the AI and still not be tested! I think the only reason Whelan is saying Dublin are finishing stronger is because they cant kill off the game before that. Lets face it they made heavy weather out of an average Meath side and could easily have been beaten by a Kerry team carrying a lot of senior men. Interestingly the only goal Mayo have conceded in the championship was when we were at least 20 points up on Donegal and the game was long over as a contest. Dublin on the other hand have leaked 3 in thirty minutes. Despite theses interesting facts I'm as nervous as a cat!

BTW its only when I got my ticket that the nerves started to really tingle.

Don't forget Championship Matters on RTE 2 at 8.30pm tonight for some quality analysis

Wonder how long it will take for someone to tell us that Mayo have not been tested.

Also Seo Spoirt ar TG4 amarach, SBB may be on weighing in with the maroon tinted glasses.

keane2097

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

The Mayo forwards can be frustrating to watch to be honest, and in particular Freeman and Varley, and Doherty also last year, but he is injured.
One day Varley will be on top form and the next he will not, the same goes for Freeman
Neither of the two are brilliant forwards so neither is an automatic choice on the team sheet either.
I think Cillian O' Connor has really stepped up this year and that has added a bit of consistency to the forwards

So like others I am not sure if Freeman will have a good game again this time, I just hope he does

Yeah I'd go along with all that. It's just interesting because reading various articles and listening to the podcasts it seems like the pundits mostly just presume Freeman will step up to the plate again if something happens to O'Connor.

I'd be very worried about Mayo's scoring potential if it does, I think the back line are going to need to chip in very heavily again.

keane2097

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Don't forget Championship Matters on RTE 2 at 8.30pm tonight for some quality analysis

Wonder how long it will take for someone to tell us that Mayo have not been tested.

Also Seo Spoirt ar TG4 amarach, SBB may be on weighing in with the maroon tinted glasses.

I think the lads on Second Captains are the best of the mainstream analysts. McConville is great and Malachy Clerkin whenever he's on is very good, while I don't always agree with either of them they're at least comfortable enough on air that they aren't just parroting cliches and actually make decent arguments for the things they say.

Certainly don't come out with any rubbish like "Mayo haven't been tested", usually McDevitt lobs something like that at them and they pick it apart for the rubbish it is.

Just An Opinion

Mayo haven't been tested is simply rubbish imo. Since the start of the year most pundits collectively claimed an 'elite top 6' Donegal, Mayo, Dublin, Kerry, Cork & Tyrone as the only AI contenders. Dublin and Mayo between them have disposed of the other 4 in the last 2 rounds. This is a flip of a coin game, 50/50, all on the day...etc;

I know you can't get any more sitting on the fence than that, but that's how it's balanced for me. May the best team win!

Fr Tod Umptious

keane2097 wrote: »

Yeah I'd go along with all that. It's just interesting because reading various articles and listening to the podcasts it seems like the pundits mostly just presume Freeman will step up to the plate again if something happens to O'Connor.

I'd be very worried about Mayo's scoring potential if it does, I think the back line are going to need to chip in very heavily again.

The question then is will the half backs in particular have the room to roam up field and score like they have done so to this point

I don't know the answer to that mainly because I am not good a figuring out tactics and who should be picking up who and what the consequences of things may be.

I am pretty confident that the Mayo backs are the best the Dublin will have seen all season and Dublin will not create and score as much as they have done to this point.

The forwards are a different story, all will have to be in good form.

keane2097

The Dublin forwards by the same token will be vastly superior to any forward line Mayo have seen.

wirelessdude01

See the Dublin team that has been leaked has Alan Brogan named at 20.

seligehgit

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

The question then is will the half backs in particular have the room to roam up field and score like they have done so to this point

I don't know the answer to that mainly because I am not good a figuring out tactics and who should be picking up who and what the consequences of things may be.

I am pretty confident that the Mayo backs are the best the Dublin will have seen all season and Dublin will not create and score as much as they have done to this point.

The forwards are a different story, all will have to be in good form.

As always it will come down to whither the Mayo forwards can step up to the plate.

Gerry91

Am sorted now thank God all that's left is planning the journey!

Absolutely buzzing now so much more than last year. Said last year walking out of Croker Mayo'd win Sam in 13 haven't stopped believing since!

Sunday should be a great aul occasion either way see ye for a few before and hopefully after

keane2097

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

See the Dublin team that has been leaked has Alan Brogan named at 20.

There's a good chance that's fake!

Gerry91

keane2097 wrote: »

Are you guys confident of Alan Freeman producing the goods on Sunday? He was majestic against Tyrone but has flattered to deceive in the past despite clearly having bundles of talent.

He's been great all year. But Galway was his first decent performance since 2010 IMO

We were crying out for a FF in the final last year, Cillian got some roasting. Freeman has really stepped up to the plate so far, I'm confident he'll do so again that's all we can be sure

Gerry91

If it is real he'd be silly not bring in McMahon for O'Brien IMO.

McMahon isn't the most natural corner back in the country but he's game and will give Moran/O 'Connor plenty to think about. O'Brien was lost out there v Kerry, not much better v Cork.

While I think Brennan has the potential to be somewhat of a liability, changing a midfielder and a centre back is not recommended practice going into an AI final

Couldn't see Brogan getting game time anyway, K Mc M, Rock, Bastick are certainties to see gametime, while I wouldn't be surprised if one of the corner backs didn't last. Reckon we'll be seeing Cullen too

seligehgit

When's the Dublin team going to be announced?

Gerry91

seligehgit wrote: »

When's the Dublin team going to be announced?

It's always friday afaik

Gerry91

kevmy85 wrote: »

If you consider that COC played a half against London and a full match against Donegal and then the shoulder popped against Tyrone. I'm sure he got hit pretty hard at some point in those two hours of football and then he had a relatively innocuous fall and challenge when it actually went. So it could last 70 mins or 70 secs. Either way we have to be prepared in terms of who we bring on, how the game plan changes and who goes on what frees if COC has to go off.

In all fairness of course there'll be a contingency plan in place. there'll be one in place for anyone going off never mind Cillian

Tod has it in one anyway

There's no guarantee he'll even start anyway. He was always going to be named IMO. He probably will but you just don't know

Gerry91

That Dublin team yoke is indeed fake anyway, says on Twitter machine

I'd say stay away from that tripe over next few days, as your man said in Mayo News, Willie Joe will be even ruumoured to be called up

Speaking of WJ the cheer he'll get sunday will be unbelievable!

davegrohl48

At the airport flying back for mighty weekend Jese that was a nervous week of work with ticket and clearing up for end week

Fr Tod Umptious

keane2097 wrote: »

The Dublin forwards by the same token will be vastly superior to any forward line Mayo have seen.

Are the much talked about Dublin forwards better than the much talked about Mayo backs, and are the much questioned Dublin backs better than the much questioned Mayo forwards ?

Fowler87

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Thanks for that, watched the warm-up again and the thing that struck me was how little they did compared to these days.

They were just hoofing balls over the bar, and talking to each other.

In fairness we didnt need any warming up for that one:pac::D

Gerry91

So what I've gathered from reading most of the "experts" this week, Mayo have poor forwards but are the best defence Dublin have faced.Dublin have great forwards to counteract this and a super bench. they could win it in the last ten minutes. Have I missed anything?

No but seriously I'd give anything to actually read a decent in-depth preview, I'm clearly reading the wrong things

Defiler Of The Coffin

Gerry91 wrote: »

So what I've gathered from reading most of the "experts" this week, Mayo have poor forwards but are the best defence Dublin have faced.Dublin have great forwards to counteract this and a super bench. they could win it in the last ten minutes. Have I missed anything?

No but seriously I'd give anything to actually read a decent in-depth preview, I'm clearly reading the wrong things

Perhaps you're just not reading what you want to read?

All in all Dublin have a young team that haven't faced anything like Mayo this year (including the two league games). Mayo can win this game, and if they play to their full potential they will.

Gerry91

Defiler Of The Coffin wrote: »

Perhaps you're just not reading what you want to read?

All in all Dublin have a young team that haven't faced anything like Mayo this year (including the two league games). Mayo can win this game, and if they play to their full potential they will.

Not really wouldnt care if one of them said Dublin would hammer them but at least came out with some interesting analysis to back it up rather than lazy cliches

The same thing as "mayo haven't been tested" "never write off Kerry" and all this that was said before semis

Was impressed by mcconville tonight actually on champ matters.

mickmackey1

Story of the curse now spreading internationally :pac:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/mayo-god-help-them-ireland-greatest-sporting-curse-153938284.html

Defiler Of The Coffin

mickmackey1 wrote: »

Story of the curse now spreading internationally :pac:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/mayo-god-help-them-ireland-greatest-sporting-curse-153938284.html

Jesus christ, the sooner we win an AI and be rid of this sh1te the better

Saab Ed

Win lose or draw, makes no difference, Ye lot will be still crying about dirty dubs come Sunday evening.

Just so you know, we'll be open for shoulder chip repairs all day this Sunday.

SomethingElse

Saab Ed wrote: »

Win lose or draw, makes no difference, Ye lot will be still crying about dirty dubs come Sunday evening.

Just so you know, we'll be open for shoulder chip repairs all day this Sunday.

That's nothing that a bit of washing wouldn't fix.

yop

Saab Ed wrote: »

Win lose or draw, makes no difference, Ye lot will be still crying about dirty dubs come Sunday evening.

Just so you know, we'll be open for shoulder chip repairs all day this Sunday.

Always best to flush the jacks. that will clean the dubs