Mayo GAA Discussion Thread

InchicoreDude

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

This 'Mayo have not had a test' talk is almost as tiresome as last years 'Mayo will struggle against Dublin without influential captain Any Moran' talk.

Go back to May and you will find plenty of people predicting that Mayo would have a stern test v Galway in Salthill, three RTE pundits, O' Hara, Spillane and O' Rourke actually picked Galway.
But Mayo hammered them out the gate and suddenly it was no longer a test.
In fact it was a test that Mayo passed with flying colours.

In fairness those pundits have no clue about Galway football. If you read back through the Galway thread, most posters on there were expecting a good beating against Mayo and hoping for a performance. We got the beating, didnt get the performance. But these are pundits are people who will say every year "Galway have nice forwards but poor backs" even in the years when our backs are way better than our forwards!

But somebody did make a decent point recently that the lack of a test usually didnt bother the likes of Kerry in years when they walked through Munster. And that it shouldnt bother Mayo.

Fr Tod Umptious

InchicoreDude wrote: »

In fairness those pundits have no clue about Galway football. If you read back through the Galway thread, most posters on there were expecting a good beating against Mayo and hoping for a performance. We got the beating, didnt get the performance. But these are pundits are people who will say every year "Galway have nice forwards but poor backs" even in the years when our backs are way better than our forwards!

But somebody did make a decent point recently that the lack of a test usually didnt bother the likes of Kerry in years when they walked through Munster. And that it shouldnt bother Mayo.

Even though I agree that it will not bother Mayo I am not going to be lead down the road of comparing Mayo with Kerry teams of the past

InchicoreDude

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Even though I agree that it will not bother Mayo I am not going to be lead down the road of comparing Mayo with Kerry teams of the past

I wasnt trying to lead you down that road! I was just repeating what one of the pundits said!

It is always better to come through a tough match rather than an easy match. Tough matches forces you to make changes that need to be made. Easy matches do not do that. For example, a corner back might not be up to scratch but that would not be highlighted in an easy match, it would be in a close competitive match. This allows management to sort out the problems they have in a team (For example, Galway only had 5 players starting in the same positions against Armagh compared to the team that lined out against Mayo). It seems that there is a lot more competition in the Mayo forward line than their back line at the moment, and that could possibly be reflective of Mayo dominating their games while their backs have not been under much pressure.

In saying that, with the way the championship has gone this year, I dont think Mayo are at a huge disadvantage to the other Provincial winners.

Seans_Username

manofwisdom wrote: »

so the six forwards will be

Dillion,O'Connor,Feeney,McLoughlin,Freeman,Moran

I really doubt Horan will start O'Connor for the quarters. I'd say he only brought him on against London to get some game time in a less-intense match. Fair play to him all the same, but rushing him back to starting in the quarters would be a huge risk imo

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Andy Moran in my opinion is better as a play maker further out the field.

I always thought he was better at 14. But with Freeman playing well there it's hard to know what to do with Moran, especially since he isn't as sharper as you said

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Also I don't think Feeney is a great option at wing forward at the level that is coming up, great worker yea, but a better wing back sub option I think.

I'm a huge fan of Feeney, I'd have him starting any day of the week, fantastic engine on him. If the forwards situation wasn't as tough as it is, I'd put him at wing back. From there he puts in the hard work and pops up with a score or two

Padkir

Seans_Username wrote: »

I really doubt Horan will start O'Connor for the quarters. I'd say he only brought him on against London to get some game time in a less-intense match. Fair play to him all the same, but rushing him back to starting in the quarters would be a huge risk imo



I always thought he was better at 14. But with Freeman playing well there it's hard to know what to do with Moran, especially since he isn't as sharper as you said



I'm a huge fan of Feeney, I'd have him starting any day of the week, fantastic engine on him. If the forwards situation wasn't as tough as it is, I'd put him at wing back. From there he puts in the hard work and pops up with a score or two

Would mostly agree with that! I think Feeney its a great player but i'd leave him wing forward.

I do think O'Connor will start the quarters though, London were always liable to put some big hits in on him so he wouldn't have been brought on if he wasn't physically up for it.

I still think Moran will start, even though he's not as sharp as he was, but still a great man to have in the full forward line. Himself and Freeman add a bit of muscle that's badly needed. Because of that, defenders are a bit more fearful of being a yard or 2 in front in case a long high ball comes in, leaving more time and space for them to get out in front.

davegrohl48

InchicoreDude wrote: »

Is Carolan injured as well?

Carolan should be fit I believe. Just making the point that I think he is worth his place given our potential lack of tackling strength upfront. We could say three of our forwards wouldn't be strong tacklers in terms of turnovers (COC, Dillon, McGloughlin).
COC was showing great aggression and strength at the end of the league and then he injured his shoulder. I just can't see him having the ability to get stuck in like he was.
I think we need four hard tackling forwards from the quarters onwards. When you combine that with the brothers O'Shea and a physical half backline (Boyle/Vaughan/Keegan) it will be very hard for teams to break forward against us.
I'v been his critic, but I think we actually missed Vaughan for the start of the match the last day. Not a silky footballer like Higgins but maybe the bigger stopper is what we need at centre back.

Syferus

COC's injury is of the variety that it's probably as healthy now as it's going to be without the surgery. Serious strapping on the injury and you'd really have to worry about one awkward fall ending his season and doing untold damage to his shoulder.

Depending on the match-up - Mayo would probably get away with leaving him on the bench against Cavan - I'd say he'd start but whether or not he would be on limited minutes is the interesting question. You wouldn't want to take off your main free-taker in a close game.

manofwisdom

InchicoreDude wrote: »

It is always better to come through a tough match rather than an easy match. Tough matches forces you to make changes that need to be made. Easy matches do not do that. For example, a corner back might not be up to scratch but that would not be highlighted in an easy match, it would be in a close competitive match. This allows management to sort out the problems they have in a team (For example, Galway only had 5 players starting in the same positions against Armagh compared to the team that lined out against Mayo). It seems that there is a lot more competition in the Mayo forward line than their back line at the moment, and that could possibly be reflective of Mayo dominating their games while their backs have not been under much pressure.

Good post. Lets take the Armagh v Galway game for example.

Armagh hammered two div 4 sides and learnt nothing weren't tested.

Galway struggled past two div 4 sides learnt plenty and were fully tested.

Galway beat Armagh because they for ready for the heat of the battle while Armagh believed they were better than they were probably got caught up in the hype.

Now before any Mayo fans says it yes you are better than Armagh a more seasoned experienced,focused side however the likes of Tyrone,Cork,Donegal will be more than capable of beating a Mayo side that hasn't played top competitive game since April.

SomethingElse

manofwisdom wrote: »

Good post. Lets take the Armagh v Galway game for example.

Armagh hammered two div 4 sides and learnt nothing weren't tested.

Galway struggled past two div 4 sides learnt plenty and were fully tested.

Galway beat Armagh because they for ready for the heat of the battle while Armagh believed they were better than they were probably got caught up in the hype.

Now before any Mayo fans says it yes you are better than Armagh a more seasoned experienced,focused side however the likes of Tyrone,Cork,Donegal will be more than capable of beating a Mayo side that hasn't played top competitive game since April.

If struggling against division 4 teams is the ideal preparation then London are the one's I'd fear this summer

threebeards

Seans_Username wrote: »

I really doubt Horan will start O'Connor for the quarters. I'd say he only brought him on against London to get some game time in a less-intense match. Fair play to him all the same, but rushing him back to starting in the quarters would be a huge risk imo

I met his Dad at the Roscommon game and was asking him how Cillian was coming on. He said that day that it would be unlikely he would be involved in Connaught but that he should be back for the knock out stages.

padd b1975

Just been reliably informed that relations between James Horan and Ritchie Feeney have been frosty to say the least for some time now.

davegrohl48

padd b1975 wrote: »

Just been reliably informed that relations between James Horan and Ritchie Feeney have been frosty to say the least for some time now.

Just like every panel and like alot of players who are on fringe of first 15. He could be about to claim a starting spot the way things are going anyways with players form/injuries.
Evan Regan could be maybe unhappier given his scoring return for his minutes played!!

InchicoreDude

padd b1975 wrote: »

Just been reliably informed that relations between James Horan and Ritchie Feeney have been frosty to say the least for some time now.

That seems strange as Feeney has flourished under Horan. Did he ever play in the forwards before Horan came along?

seligehgit

padd b1975 wrote: »

Just been reliably informed that relations between James Horan and Ritchie Feeney have been frosty to say the least for some time now.

Feel pretty sorry for Richie Feeney,I have grown to appreciate what a great engine he has and you can always rely on him to put in a solid 70 minutes.He always seems to chip in a couple of scores.
I've been quite a critic of Donal Vaughan but as others have noted I think he was missed at centre back on Sunday.

davegrohl48

seligehgit wrote: »

Feel pretty sorry for Richie Feeney,I have grown to appreciate what a great engine he has and you can always rely on him to put in a solid 70 minutes.He always seems to chip in a couple of scores.
I've been quite a critic of Donal Vaughan but as others have noted I think he was missed at centre back on Sunday.

Feeney doesn't get the flashy scores but he is very consistent. He will feature in all the remaining games either starting or off the bench. Varley must be under pressure to be featuring at this stage? Generally shoots around 1 in 3?
Vaughan is not fast off the mark but he has size and an engine. I'd prefer to see him just sitting there blocking up the middle and laying it off to other backs/McGloughlin/Dillon/AOS. He tends to lose posession every now n then on forays forward. If he is bringing it forward players better than him at giving it into our forwards are not on the ball. One thing I'm suprised is that he doesn't win more kickouts? Thinking back I can't recall Vaughan claiming many opposition kickouts over last 2 seasons. Keegan by comparison is quite good in the air.

padd b1975

InchicoreDude wrote: »

That seems strange as Feeney has flourished under Horan. Did he ever play in the forwards before Horan came along?

I agree, he barely kicked a ball of note before Horan.

My source also said that Feeney has some temperament issues and that Horan feels he may be a danger of a straight red.
To be honest I never got that impression watching him play, always seemed to me to be a fairly honest guy on the pitch.

InchicoreDude

padd b1975 wrote: »

I agree, he barely kicked a ball of note before Horan.

My source also said that Feeney has some temperament issues and that Horan feels he may be a danger of a straight red.
To be honest I never got that impression watching him play, always seemed to me to be a fairly honest guy on the pitch.

hmmm, are you sure your source is reliable? I cant remember Feeney ever getting sent off?? He is a tough tough player though, much tougher than he looks!

padd b1975

InchicoreDude wrote: »

hmmm, are you sure your source is reliable? I cant remember Feeney ever getting sent off?? He is a tough tough player though, much tougher than he looks!

Reliable enough, he would be close to one of the backroom staff.

I totally agree with you about Feeney for the record.

Barlett

Well he hasn't even been booked in the Championship, wouldn't regard him as a loose cannon. I'm pretty sure he never played with Mayo until Horan came along

SomethingElse

padd b1975 wrote: »

Reliable enough, he would be close to one of the backroom staff.

I totally agree with you about Feeney for the record.

Didn't both of the Feeneys get dropped off the panel around the same time? I heard there was an issue at that time

Avns1s

SomethingElse wrote: »

Didn't both of the Feeneys get dropped off the panel around the same time? I heard there was an issue at that time

Not indiscipline on the pitch!

yop

padd b1975 wrote: »

I agree, he barely kicked a ball of note before Horan.

My source also said that Feeney has some temperament issues and that Horan feels he may be a danger of a straight red.
To be honest I never got that impression watching him play, always seemed to me to be a fairly honest guy on the pitch.

Your source must be pulling your leg then, he is one of the cleanest players out there and I would doubt he has more than a couple of yellows for Mayo.
There is a difference between tough and dirty.
He is probably one of the quietest lads you could meet so definitely not a red danger.

Always_Running

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

This 'Mayo have not had a test' talk is almost as tiresome as last years 'Mayo will struggle against Dublin without influential captain Any Moran' talk.

.

If Mayo don't reach the All Ireland final non-tests on route be will one of the main topics for debate. If you are tiresome now you better hope your prediction of reaching that goal is right.

Fr Tod Umptious

Always_Running wrote: »

If Mayo don't reach the All Ireland final non-tests on route be will one of the main topics for debate. If you are tiresome now you better hope your prediction of reaching that goal is right.

Well it depends on the nature of the beating doesn't it ?

As I said I think the test talk is a red herring

I would be more concerned if the management and team were dismissive of the sluggish display v London as being a symptom of the game being over before it started or that London in some way dragged them down to their level.

But I do not think that is a the case, because as we have seen before Horan seems to have instilled a far different attitude to what was there previously

There is a story that in the run up to the 2006 final the Mayo management used Barry Moran a lot in training to try and get the backs used of the Donaghy 'big man in the square' threat.
Moran had a field day and at the end of it all the management though they had found a brilliant full forward, when in fact all that happened was that Moran exposed their backs as being totally inadequate to face the threat of Donaghy

threebeards

padd b1975 wrote: »

Just been reliably informed that relations between James Horan and Ritchie Feeney have been frosty to say the least for some time now.

If I recall correctly, both Richie and his brother Alan were dropped from the panel either early last season or late the season before for off the field indiscipline. Richie worked his way back onto the panel, and eventually onto the team. In my opinion he was central to the progress of the team last year and there are some that say we may have got closer if he had featured earlier in the final v Donegal. In any case, that's hearsay.

Is there an issue between himself and Horan? I don't know, but I know several people who don't get on with superiors on a personal level but put those personal differences aside to get a job done professionally. If there is personal tension between the 2, I would suggest there's a strong mutual professional respect.

MaroonAndGreen

Draw for the Senior Championship has been made:

Quarter Finals:
Castlebar Mitchels v Ballina Stephenites
Ballintubber v Knockmore
Charlestown v Garrymore
Ballaghaderreen v Breaffy

Relegation Playoff:
Aghamore v Davitts
Shrule/Glencorrib v Tourmakeady

Looks like the championship is set up well, Ballagh' v Breaffy is a very interesting game, while in the other 3 id expect wins for Charlestown, Ballintubber and Castlebar.

Meanwhile, for relegation, I think the losers of the Shrule and Tourmakeady game will go down.

Really looking forward to these games now though!

yop

Not good news if true, Clarke out for the season.

http://mayogaablog.com/?p=13174c

naughto

yop wrote: »

Not good news if true, Clarke out for the season.

http://mayogaablog.com/?p=13174c

balls on that any way clark is an unreal keeper,not gone on Hennelly.

this is some goal in fairness

seligehgit

Disaster if Clarke is out,hoping it's not true.Otherwise we'd need to get Kenneth O Malley back double quick.

mayo.mick

seligehgit wrote: »

Disaster if Clarke is out,hoping it's not true.Otherwise we'd need to get Kenneth O Malley back double quick.

Think O'Malley out as well:mad: