Mayo GAA Discussion

flasher0030

Just throwing this out there. I think Conor O'Shea should be given a chance at midfield for Mayo. He's has played consistently well for Breaffy over the years, yet any time I see him play for Mayo, he is thrown into the half forward line. Completely different roles. It was different when we had an abundance of big midfielders to choose from - 2 x O'Sheas, Vaughan, Jason Gibbons, Barry Moran etc. But now we don't. I don't mean to pick on Conor Loftus, but I don't think he is cut out for a midfield role at the top level. Very good forward player on his day alright, but lacks pace and a bit of aggression in the modern game to nail down a forward role. I think if Conor O'Shea was in the middle, with a little more space that a midfielder generally gets that a forward doesn't, he would have more of an influential role. I know it's not our complete saving grace, but every little helps.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117947668#Comment_117947668

A sensible approach to life

MacDanger

Was at the Knockmore match at the weekend, we won handier than I had expected to tbh. The first 15 mins were close enough but Aughamore kicked 3-4 bads wides which would have kept them in it. Knockmore dominated the 2nd quarter, won everything at midfield for 10-15 mins and should have been further ahead than the 9 points they were at HT. The 2nd half was scrappy enough, Knockmore dropped off quite a bit and Aughamore came back into it but never really threatened to get the goal they needed and it was Knockmore who should have had another 2-3 goals on the break. For Knockmore, I though Pearse Ruttledge was very good, got a nice few scores and picked up some a lot of breaking ball. Kieran King was another one who did very well.

westsidestory

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117948685#Comment_117948685

Darren McHale injured?

MacDanger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117948755#Comment_117948755

No, he played - got a couple of scores and had some nice link play. I believe he had a broken rib in the lead up to the AI which is why he wasn't on the 26

tobefrank321

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117946956#Comment_117946956

I am fully aware of the "management" structure or lack of in 50/51 and I was fairly sure someone would come back with a response such as yours.

Since the modern management structures came into being, starting with the likes of Heffernan and O'Dwyer, we have never had a manager with tactical awareness on AI final day - that is borne out by the 13 finals we've been unable to win.

Its straightforward, a manager with the ability to come up with a plan and follow it through to victory and Horan is p*ss poor at that, even you have to agree with that.

Sadly there are still some people who think Horan will some day come good on AI final day, or that its ok to keep losing finals.

And I know which camp you're in, the keep him on camp and hope for the best.

Reaching AI finals is no longer success, the bar has or should have been raised. If you consider reaching finals success, then don't be surprised if we keep losing.

Definition of insanity and all that.

tobefrank321

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117947840#Comment_117947840

He's an average footballer at best. He came on against Dublin, gave the ball away twice in quick succession, which if the Dubs weren't so poor, could have cost us the game. Got a bit lucky forcing the 45, but that was about it. Any time I've seen him in the past, he's been average and certainly not in the same league as SOS or Parsons both of who are a big loss.

HBC08

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950464#Comment_117950464

Do ya ever get sick of listening to yourself?

muddle84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950401#Comment_117950401

Do you really think Rochford has no "tactical awareness"???

Squatman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950464#Comment_117950464

agreed. seems like the type player that is... a big man for a small game 🤣

tobefrank321

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117951213#Comment_117951213

Get lost.

tobefrank321

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117951940#Comment_117951940

Tactically the best of a bad bunch. Came very close but unfortunately made one crucial selection mistake in 2016. Much better than Horan though.

PARlance

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117947668#Comment_117947668

Bypass or bomb it... I'd take either!

muddle84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117952131#Comment_117952131

But he made that change based on tactical awareness. It didn't work out for much the same reason we conceded two goals this year. But isn't that what you'd want from a manager to have the guts to make those decisions! Alan Dillon marking Colm Cavanagh, AOS marking Donaghy both worked out really well. Or does a manager have to actually win an AI final to be classed as tactically aware?

PARlance

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117947840#Comment_117947840

As a fellow clubman, I would say no. Some players don't make the step up and Conor hasn't done anything to suggest a starting midfield spot for Mayo.

Rochford got the best out of him as a substitute "middle third" runner imo.

There are plenty of examples of players who have shone at club level but not at county.

Audioslaven

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117947840#Comment_117947840

Look he works hard and that is admirable but he is not IC level for me. I find his playing decisions all over the place at times

muddle84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117952447#Comment_117952447

Also agree, he tried and it didn't work out, time to move on

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950401#Comment_117950401

Do you ever think one team just has better payers and no matter who is the coach it wont make a difference.

In none of the 11 all irelands we lost have we had the stronger starting 15 or panel. The main difference in the closest of those being the absence of a group of composed forwards under pressure. This is down to the way young footballers are developed where the emphasis is on getting talented young footballers in possession out the field as much as possible, with the consequence that our best players tend to have limited experience shooting under pressure. We are a county that tried to turn Andy Moran into a wing back FFS. Even the new bright lights, Tommy C and ROD are more comfortable coming from deep than up top.

Fanofconnacht

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117946261#Comment_117946261

Ballintubber yes the most successful senior team this last decade but no Club AI yet. Historically Senior Club Giants are Ballina, Castlebar, followed by Knockmore, Crossmolina and Garrymore. Breaffy and Westport don't feature not recently and not historically.

It says some thing that Breaffy had 3 players on Team AI day but County Champions Knockmore had only 1. Interesting to see Anthony Hennigan of Western People putting the boot into JH and AOS. When the local media who are normally all sweetness and light and as hard hitting as a daisy do this there is definitely a problem. (You can see article on western people website)

Hopefully a new manager will recognise Fergal Bolands worth next year and will need to find one less forward.

Squatman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117953200#Comment_117953200

Couldnt think of his name, but Fergal boland had some great games. what ever became of him? too small?

Fanofconnacht

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950401#Comment_117950401

I don't think that Manager needs to necessarily have this skill but if he does not, he needs to find somebody who does have it, get him on his team and listen to him when the battle is in progress.

muddle84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117953226#Comment_117953226

He is still on the panel, but not making it through to the match day 26!

NabyLadistheman

Conor Diskin needs to be brought back in. Not sure what happened previously but the lad is flying at the moment. Let's hope Horan brings him back. Boland 100% could have offered something, he is always good for a point and every time he togged he performed. Fionn McDonagh another man surplus to requirements despite being in the overall squad, scored 3 points from play at the weekend, from midfield. There are a number of players around the fringes of the Mayo squad who should surely have seen more game time, especially when ya consider how he parachuted Aidan Orme in out of no where for the final. Madness IMO and nothing against the lad at all as Im sure he has a big future ahead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117953200#Comment_117953200

There has always been great forwards in Mayo who were constantly overlooked...according to the narrative people told themselves anyway. Can never be that our best just weren't good enough. Hopefully Fergal Boland does deliver, but it is not as if he has never been given a chance.

On the clubs - Breaffy and Westport have come towards the top due to population shifts, and even Ballintubber to an extent. And club All Ireland's are not a predictor of Inter County success.

Also, its entirely impossible for one team to have more inter country level players even if the overall strength of the other is higher. And of course while Knockmore were running away with the county title, Breaffy were struggling in junior B. Its not as if there was only a score between them in the final.

muddle84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117953761#Comment_117953761

I don't think its just population shifts, I think the people in the clubs deserve more credit than that. Yes the population in westport has increased but they have done fantastic work there to get GAA to be the biggest sport in the town now. Westport was always a rugby town from what i remember!

tobefrank321

Just thinking back on the final, we've a number of half backs and defenders who are also really sweet strikers of the ball and also with the guts to take on shots. Maybe its time to consider moving at least one of them to the forwards long term. We're producing great defenders, but we're badly lacking in scoring forwards.

muddle84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117953899#Comment_117953899

Move Lee up to 14 and be done with it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117953899#Comment_117953899

Coming through and shooting from open space from 35 meters is an entirely different skill set to winning the ball with your back to goal and turning and shooting in half a yard. These skills should be developed from 12 to 20 and not at 25 on a whim and a prayer

PARlance

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117953847#Comment_117953847

I think Westport would have been described as more of a soccer town more than anything. Soccer is still very strong and Westport United have also done serious work in the community. Lee's brother Phil opting for soccer is a good example of where the town is at the moment, there's enough of a population and enough good people involved to compete on both fronts tbh. You can certainly see a huge effort has gone in on the GAA front over the last decade or so and they're seeing the rewards now.

As for Breaffy, the increase in population has certainly helped. The national school (approx 430 kids) is one of, if not, the biggest in the County afaik. A small minority of those kids would play for Mitchells which is a weird dynamic it must be said. Fado fado we would struggle to get 15 players over the 2 years for an underage team. I help out with the underage now and there are about 60 kids between U5, U6 and U7. Numbers have certainly helped in our case.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117954486#Comment_117954486

Ballyheane NS not within the catchment also?

Back in the day, it was regarded as shameful in the environs of Balla, Ballintubber, Parke, Islandeady etc to lose to a Breaffy team at underage