Mayo GAA Discussion

Green&Red

Should also say that Dublin were excellent yesterday, I thought McCarthy should have been MOTM, he was class, Mannion and Costello both excellent as well. I'd have them as favourites

PARlance

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120798119#Comment_120798119

I'm definitely on the more pessimistic side of things. I think year 1 is the year for a new management team to really make an impact.

The lack of fight in the second half is a huge concern for me. I don't mind losing to a better team, which we did, but the manner of that performance was shocking. The sign of good management imo is that when a team is bettered, they still never give up... I think a lot of players gave up yesterday.

When Thomas O'Se is saying how refreshing it is to have such an honest and open manager as McStay and that he's brilliant for the game... Maybe it's time to be concerned.

Maybe I'll be less pessimistic in a week or so but there's not a whole pile to be taking from this year for me.

PressRun

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120798785#Comment_120798785

Have been saying the same about Matthew Ruane. He hasn't been playing well since 2021, but you're nearly not allowed say it. The amount of people shocked he was dropped for the Galway game - that was the correct decision and he should have been left off yesterday too but there are no other options. He's not good enough in midfield at this level, can't even field a ball at all. Maybe HF, but even then idk.

Forge83

Kerry person here. Mayo play a running game I assume because there isn’t enough skilled footballers in the county. Surely there are guys not on the panel who can kick a ball? Aidan o Shea created scores yesterday when the ball was kicked to him, he can’t play a running game. Ryan O Donoghue is the only real kicker on that team now that Cillian is only a bit part player. Maclaughlin for example isn’t the first cousin of a footballer, he would struggle to get on some club teams down here. He’s a phenomenal athlete but it surely has to click at some stage with a Mayo management that they have to have options of both running the ball and kicking the ball. It’s so easy for teams now to set up blanket against running teams.

Mayo have the guts of a team that can win an All Ireland. Maybe do like Kerry did bringing in Tally as a defensive coach and bring in a Kerry coach as a kicking/forwards coach. Otherwise it will be like Groundhog Day again next year.

ultrapercy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120797087#Comment_120797087

I could see it coming. Mayo as a team are a shadow of the teams pre 2020. You can't replace generational players like Keegan, Higgins, Boyle, Barrett,Harrison , Moran etc. and improve. That group from 2013 to 2020 really put it to Dublin but ultimately fell short. It's extremely unrealistic to expect this group to compete with a Dublin who are not many precentage points off their best. Ruane, Cohen, Loftus,O'Hora are not good enough for Croke Park. There are young lads that may improve to the level required but Mayos All Ireland challenges are over now for a while I think.

manofwisdom

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120797713#Comment_120797713

Blew top spot in limerick no doubt but as for All-Ireland contenders one example would be in 2017 when Mayo lost to Galway in Connacht. Needed extra time to beat both Cork and Derry (both Div 2 teams at the time) and needed replays to overcome Roscommon and Kerry.

All of that probably should have pointed to a comfortable win for a stronger Dublin than they currently are but only won by 1 point in contest that swung with a moment madness from Donal Vaughan.

MacDanger

I've been critical of McLaughlin in the past but in the first half at least, he was showing for short kickouts when not many others were.

If we don't have a ball-winning MF (and unless Tuohy/Carney/Irwin come on, I don't think we will), we need to develop options for kickouts (e.g. like a long kick over the press to AOS in the 1st half) or we're going nowehere.

Kevhog1988

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120798919#Comment_120798919

McCarthy dropped two short and had a shocking wide in the first half.

Green&Red

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120800035#Comment_120800035

It was virtually impossible to kick into the canal end, the wind was unmanageable, see RODs free in the second half. McCarthy moved some amount of ball and all in the right direction

PressRun

My thoughts overall could be summed up with: could see it coming. The championship was a bust once we lost to Cork and the Galway win papered over a lot of cracks - we were very lucky to win that game against a Galway team that were half in A&E and a lot of the issues we had in that game were waiting to be ruthlessly exploited.

We have very serious problems in midfield and have had for a couple of years. Tyrone exposed it in 2021 and little has been done to come up with some sort of strategy. It was being consistently exposed again all this year - beaten comprehensively around the middle by Roscommon and Cork even before yesterday. And then we were physically bullied badly around that area by the Dubs. I don't know what the answer is but, imo, we need a change in personnel there. We need an out and out fielder, not just someone with an engine. We're also lacking players with the smarts of a Jason Doherty or Kevin McLoughlin, who know when to wait and watch for the breaking ball. Instead we have three fellas jumping up for the same ball and none of them catching it and it eventually falling into opposition hands. No sense or cuteness.

Very naive in defence too and suffering for the lack of a proper number 6 to keep things defensively stable. We need to sort out this position once and for all and stop trying to force square pegs into round holes.

We also have too many of the same type of players - athletic types who actually lack a lot of the basic skills. Some of the handling was shocking, not to mention the shooting.

Some of the subs were strange too - O'Hora needed to be hooked sooner and there is no reason why Hession can't start games. Made no sense to take O'Shea off - he was winning ball and once he came off, the attack lost a focal point, made the whole thing even more aimless.

The heads dropped completely once the second goal went in and I'm sorry to say but it was very reminiscent of Mayo teams in the 00s, as opposed to the 2010s.

Generally speaking on the year - it was great to win the league obviously, but I'm not overly optimistic about winning an AI any time in the near future. We have a lot of issues to sort out and I'm not fully convinced some of these younger players are the answer.

Swaine

Not a Mayo man but is James Carr injured? Find it hard to believe 6 of Mayo’s forwards are all better than him, get you a goal too. Anytime I’ve watched him I’ve been impressed.

Audioslaven

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120800408#Comment_120800408

The handling was bad in the second half as they were out of gas and tired. The games added up. Agree totally that we have a problem in mid field and centre back. Guys like ruane coen eml O'Hara have a place but maybe it's time they become panel players rather than definite starters as some people make you believe. If we can't find players that offer more we better get used to results like yesterday.... Mcstay has a job on his hands.

Audioslaven

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120800485#Comment_120800485

Consistency is the issue. He is a nice footballer and has lots of admirable qualities. He just needs to be more consistent. This has been his best year but it is disappointing that he tailored off when the quality of the opposition improved.

gigantic09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120799998#Comment_120799998

I don't think we can really compare the 2017 team to the current one.In 2017 we had players who had a lot of credit in the bank and we kinda new we could count on them to perform on the big days even if we were struggling to put away inferior opposition. ultimately they fell short but more often than not they gave 💯.

The current team has no such credit in the bank Most of us hadn't a clue what to expect from them yesterday.A few lads are in their 1st season so they can be given a pass but we have too many players who are good one day and average or poor the next.

The last 3 championships have seen us rarely put in convincing displays.Even the great victory against the dubs in 2021 we weren't by any means convincing till the last 10 mins of normal time and extra time.

Man Vs ManUre

A terrible season for Connacht. I think the players of Mayo, Galway and Roscommon are spending too much time acting like the hardy bucks of Castletown instead of being out on the training fields.

Be-Jaysus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120797017#Comment_120797017

That year we played Donegal in a knockout 7 days before that hammering.

A 2 week break would have probably have prevented both hammerings imo, but the result would have remained the same ( 5/6 point loss with the victors pulling up )

Mayo need to unearth a few more players this winter & the management staff should now know at this stage what they need to do to try and bridge the gap.

Anyone else hearing of the impending retirement of cillian O’Connor? Wouldn’t blame him with all the recent injuries.

His physicality will be a big loss got mayo.

Sebastian Dangerfield

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120802663#Comment_120802663

It will in theory, but he has played what, one full season of the last four? Theyve already figured out how to play without him I think

Squatman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120802663#Comment_120802663

no, but it would be a pity for him to retire with ROD coming into his own. would be great to have 2 scoring options! albeit his tendency towards injuries would warrant he consider his future.

overall, MAyo have secured their position as the 2nd best team in Connaught, behind Roscommon. leaving Galway well down the pecking order, somewhere between London and New York. :)

Green&Red

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120802663#Comment_120802663

Soft chat I'd say, I'd imagine none of them lads know themselves yet, not the kinda decision you make the day after a loss

BKWDR

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120802663#Comment_120802663

I didn't hear anything but father time will march on with a few of the boys.

As a Dublin fan, I was watching Dean Rock kick his score when he came on and the half arsed block that COC put on it, basically not a block but just more jumping in frustration and i thought to myself, with a minute to go, is that his last effort in a Mayo jersey but sums up a 'just not enough' block on one of his biggest adversaries down the home straight. As a Dub i never liked his antics but can't argue with the score tally, it's black and white, but never was the ultimate prize.

It's nearly a harder and longer winter to endure now with the shorter season. I think Lee Keegan / Boyle did right to leave when they did and probably have been afforded a great opportunity that AOS or COC would have likely slipped into with the punditry.

TagoMago

It's sad to say but after Sunday you'd have to think that we definitively say that it's clear that the '13 Minor/'16 u21 have not and will not provide us with the platform for success that many of us thought they would. The likes of Ruane, Coen, Carr and Loftus (not to mention Boland, Plunkett and a few others before them) are good players but all (except maybe Carr) have regressed since '21, when they were all around 25/26 and should really have been hitting their prime.

Even Diarmuid O'Connor, undoubtedly the best of them and the only one I'd hope will be a mainstay for the next 5 years, has probably not hit the potential expected of him. For sure he'll be remembered as a great servant to the county, but not an all time great for us.

fuinneamh

Neutral watching the game on Sunday and I thought there was a lot of similarities between this game and Roscommon game. In both games Mayo looked the slicker attacking outfit untill the concession of soft goals. With scoreboard pressure acrrued the opposition packed defence and played on the counter. Essentially Mayo couldn't chase a lead on both days. If the solution is not conceding goals or a plan B in attack or both is the question for the Autumn.

Panrich

Watching us implode on Sunday was a bit like how McStays Roscommon team imploded against us in 2017. That came just one week after they should have beaten us in the drawn game. Our up and down form this year especially in championship is very reminiscent of that team as well. It's very worrying that we can show such wildly varying form. It smacks of too much focus on small details and letting the big picture look after itself. Let's hope that we can find the improvements next year or else it will be along few years.

PARlance

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120800614#Comment_120800614

Did he really drop off when the quality improved? He had a good game vs Kerry in Killarney iirc, some great points off both feet, himself and RO'D our highest scorers from play.

Didn't score against Louth, but I wouldn't be quick to blame the FF line on that day. Taken off against Cork at HT.

It all points to the management team not having enough conviction imo.

They threw out Loftus and Carr after they had been playing them all year. Whether either are good enough (I think Carr is, Loftus not at CB), it shows a real weakness in management to either leave it so late or not stick by the players.

When the pressure came on, they threw a half back in at half forward. All the talk of backing the forwards, letting them express themselves from earlier in the year was out the window.

FullBack Jam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120813816#Comment_120813816

I presume that Eoghan Mc was in the half-forwards cause they had intended for him to be tracking Jack McCaffrey. But Jack didn't actually start.

Or maybe there was a different plan.

I still cannot understand why Mayo did not set-up ultra-defensively for the first 15 mins of the second half, to try to shut Dublin out and give ourselves a fighting chance going into the last quarter. Is it just me, or are we just always naïve in the crunch moments - especially on the sideline. We have seen over the last decade, that Dublin will come out after half time, and put all of their energies into blitzing teams away, so that they avoid getting into a dogfight. Why not try to soak up that pressure by retreating the lads, and hope to get a point or 2 in counter attacks. At least try to limit Dublin picking of score after score until they get out of reach in less than 15 mins of the second half. We know that most of the Dublin team will not try a pot-shot for a point outside of 30 years.

Even if we were only 3 or 4 points down with 10 mins to go, at least it provides some hope, and would keep Dublin a little uneasy. We probably won't see Monaghan that naïve on Saturday week.

manofwisdom

From the Mayo news.

There’s a lot of talk about timing your run and not peaking too soon in discussions around form at various stages of the year. But it’s too simplistic a way to look at Mayo.

Consider a league that started with two draws; followed by explosive wins over Tyrone and Kerry; a game they nearly blew against Roscommon; a handy win over a Donegal team in disarray followed by a final round defeat to Monaghan.

That was the precursor for a league final win over Galway, but not an impressive display.

The following week Mayo were made to look like minors by Roscommon in Castlebar.

The response to that was to go down to Killarney with a showcase win over Kerry before falling over the line against Louth. Lose to Cork, beat Galway, lose to Dublin.

The problem is not peaking too soon, it’s too many peaks and troughs.

Audioslaven

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120813816#Comment_120813816

He wasn't to the fore for Galway and Dublin. These were the crunch games and this was when the quality started. The other games were not do or die games for SAM. This has been his best year so who knows for next year.

Either way, management lost confidence in him.

MacDanger

Good luck to Mayo v Galway in Salthill today, hopefully it's less windy than the last game or it could ruin it. Galway slight favourites with the bookies but would be nice to follow up our Connacht final win against them

MacDanger

Sweet way to win it