Mayo GAA Discussion

Panrich

Callinan and McBrien both subbed off with injuries. I wonder was McStay on the beer last night. Changes made pre-match meant we started with 9 defenders. You'd hardly be happy if you were a fringe forward to not get a chance today and see a half back taking your place.

PressRun

Team selection was bizarre and we struggled even with the extra man. Once again, huge problems with the mass defence. Really hard to know where we're going tbh - no evidence of any sort of game plan emerging at all, which is worrying given championship is around the corner.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121934180#Comment_121934180

The whole league has been a bit meh.

Granted the defense is working well and up to the Derry game they were very tight.

But then again Derry are the type of team you want to be stopping at the business end of the championship.

Overall I can't see this iteration of the team being any different than last near.

There is nothing new there.

For one reason or another I watched the last 10 minutes of the 2015 SF v Dublin on YouTube, the one where Mayo came from 7 down.

The running, the energy, the urgency, fair enough it was mainly coming from the half backs but that was what the 2910s and Mayo were all about.

We seem a million miles away from it now, and not in a good way.

RedDevil55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121934570#Comment_121934570

Didn't see the game today and agree that overall the league was average.

However, there have been loads of 10 minute spells in the last few years where we did similar to that semi final (which we followed up with a comprehensive defeat a week later btw). Kerry and Galway in championship last year, Dublin in 2021, even Derry last week.

Dunno how the championship will go, but we seem to have a reasonably fit and healthy squad so wouldn't rule out a long run. Not that many teams better than us.

Be-Jaysus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121934726#Comment_121934726

Mayo are barely a Top 6 side in Ireland now, with Derry taking our mantel as the Main challenger to the status Quo of Dublin & Kerry for the foreseeable future.

Its now a dogfight for the lower tier consisting of Mayo, Tyrone ,Galway, Donegal, Armagh for that 4th semi final slot.(making up the numbers slot)

Higgins5473

That is such heartbreaking news about Ger Brady. Condolences to all and RIP.

RedDevil55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121935743#Comment_121935743

Thankfully games aren't decided based on what imaginary tier teams are in.

This time last year Kerry and Galway were top 3 in the betting for Sam yet we beat both in championship.

naughto

The rossies/galway had a very poor league is there anything for us to to worried about when we meet both in the championship?

Westernview

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121936265#Comment_121936265

Not unless Galway get their big guns back from injury and up to speed. They are running out of time though.

The Rossies will have to be respected but don't appear to be a big threat. Seem to have gone back a bit since last year.

RedDevil55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121936312#Comment_121936312

Galway have 6 weeks until the Connacht final so loads of time for injuries to clear up.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121936201#Comment_121936201

This time last year Kerry and Galway were top 3 in the betting for Sam yet we beat both in championship.

Fat lot of good it did Mayo when they couldn't beat Cork, top their group and avoid another a group winner in the Quarter finals.

The reality is they are no longer competitive against the real top contenders and are susceptible to losing to perceived lesser teams (see Roscommon and Cork 2023).

That's something that was not the case in the 2010s.

Westernview

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121936583#Comment_121936583

It's not that simple. Yeah time for injuries to clear and for lads to get back playing but Comer, McDaid and Kelly have missed most of the league and the heavy training. Walsh has also missed the second half of the league.

It's almost impossible to recover all that stamina training once championship begins.

MacDanger

Whoever wins Connacht has a pretty decent chance of topping their group, being in an easier QF and potentially making a SF. That's as good as it's getting for any of us based on what we've seen so far.

RedDevil55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121936732#Comment_121936732

I think some people have rose tinted glasses looking back at the 2010s.

We lost to Galway 3 years in a row. There were also numerous lucky escapes - Roscommon 2014, Fermanagh 2016, Derry, Cork and Roscommon 2017.

Unlike last year, in 2016 and 17 we got lucky to avoid Dublin in the quarter final and semi final draws so went on a long championship run.

Personally I think we're in a similar position now to the last 12 years. Clearly not the best team around but capable of beating anyone on our day.

Westernview

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121936877#Comment_121936877

Nothing rose-tinted about it. We are barely at the level of 'beating anyone on our day' now, certainly not a fresh and hungry Dublin team at late championship stage anyway.

The team of the 2010s was clearly much better than this. One of the most consistent Mayo teams ever. 5 connacht titles in a row and 5 AI final appearances, 4 semi final appearances. Also a number of our players were in the top 10 in Ireland. Hard to make an argument that we have any now apart maybe from an injury free Paddy Durcan.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121936877#Comment_121936877

But they could go toe to toe with Dublin and Kerry back then.

In the last two seasons they have been blown out by both.

RedDevil55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121936941#Comment_121936941

Well we didn't beat Dublin at all between 2012 and 2021 so that's nothing new.

No denying we had some good years during that period but also had multiple defeats to Galway, lost to Roscommon and got knocked out of the championship by Kildare one year.

In the last 3.5 years we've won two Connacht titles, contested two All Ireland finals, beaten Dublin and Kerry in championship so our form hasn't just fallen off a cliff.

RedDevil55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121936958#Comment_121936958

Would we have gone toe to toe with Dublin back then if we'd to play them with a week's notice? The replay in 2015 would suggest not.

Also, we beat Kerry last year.

Westernview

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121937022#Comment_121937022

When Rochford took over the emphasis changed to peaking for the AI series so the connacht championship wasn't taken as serious. Whereas any time we met Galway or Roscommon at knock-out stage when it really matter we went on to beat them. If the connacht championship was do or die we would almost certainly have won those games. The 2010s was our most consistent phase for winning big games in Croke Park.

I also forgot to mention that we had what was probably the best Mayo player of the last 60 years on the team which we don't have now. You could go through the teams line by line and the 2010s was clearly superior to now. Diarmuid, Aidan and Cillian were in their prime then but are not the players they were. They haven't been replaced by players of the same calibre.

spakman

Westernview, Diarmuid is only 29. He's injured at the moment, but it's a bit soon to be saying he's not the player he once was!

Westernview

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121937262#Comment_121937262

I agree he is still young but like Paddy D and Cillian (who is still only 31) he is probably now suffering from recurring old injuries. In his case I'm basing it on availability. If injuries are limiting his game time or ability to get to full championship fitness then he won't be as effective as he once was. Apart from lasting just a few minutes against Tyrone Diarmuid has only featured in one league game (against Kerry in Tralee.)

muddle84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121936877#Comment_121936877

I think it was summed up really well on the Ah Ref Podcast there a few weeks back when comparing back to where we were then and where we are now.

There was a top 20 player list they were referring to, does anyone remember what list it was? We only had one in the list. I can't remember was it Ryan or Paddy. Where as in the 2010's we would have had 5 - 7 players on that list.

TsuDhoNimh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121938201#Comment_121938201

They were chatting in relation to the original list, Paddy was our highest in that one and Ryan surprisingly low. He'd shot up a lot for this update. (StatsAndSolos put's out some fantastic stuff on odds/game modelling for odds. Well worth a follow for anyone on Twitter)

https://twitter.com/StatsAndSolos/status/1765840201392291848

km79

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121936860#Comment_121936860

Spot on imo

Barlett

I think a Semi-Final appearance plus a competitive showing in that semi final would represent a job well done for Mayo this year

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121944847#Comment_121944847

I'd agree

flasher0030

I was optimistic at the beginning of the league. But getting a little more pessimistic as the weeks are moving along.

For Mayo to get to a semi-final, I think it will take a lot of fortune along the way - decent draws in the group stages, minimal injuries, decisions to go our way. etc.

If Ryan O'Donoghue gets injured, I think our goose is cooked. Too many teams have better players than us - Dublin, Kerry, Derry, it is arguable that Tyrone, Armagh, Donegal, Galway may be slightly better (but that is debatable and can depend on the circumstances on any given day). And the likes of Louth, Roscommon, Cork, Down, Westmeath could give Mayo a close game.

MacDanger

0-16 to 2-6 win for the U20s against Galway. Looking good for at least a SF spot at this stage

TsuDhoNimh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121947987#Comment_121947987

Great game. Mesmerising number of turnovers by both sides, but made for an absolute joy to watch.

Massive performances from 2 of the younger u18 lads. Eoin McGreal an absolute rock at the back and Darragh Beirne's cultured left boot & feverish tackling for turnovers a constant threat up front. Both with astonishing performances, especially for their age. John MacMonagle another that locked the door on the Galway attack in the second half holding them to just the 2 early points in the half.

11 different scorers from play, all 6 starting forwards getting a score, a nice impact from the lads off the bench (Cronin again making a big impression with an absolute peach of a point with the outside of his right boot), looked athletically able to run down the opponents (massive spike in Galway turnovers as the legs started to go the later the game went) and looked absolutely buzzing with intensity & controlled agression for turnovers from 2 to 15 all big positives to look to.

In reality, we were still pretty wasteful up front, kicked a lot less than we created (and a lot less than we should have given the positions) and still yet to see that forward unit really click near where we know they can... which is a fantastic complaint to have while sitting in a relatively commanding position in the group after tonights results.

A million different things that still need to be improved or fixed for now, yet all sorts of massive positives to take and be super content with.

Squatman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121944849#Comment_121944849

shoot for the stars. Thats what really separates mayo from Kerry. a loser defeatist attitude. As paidi said Kerry people a ducking animals.