Enjoy!!
Old thread here......
https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2057962937/mayo-gaa-discussion-part-4#latest
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Green Peter - Permanent
Man Vs ManUre until 9/05/23
I am well aware who Liam McHale is
A fine player but nowhere near the level Keegan has consistently played at .
One all star. Never won POTY. Fairly easy to see who is the better player
And of all the posters here I am the last person who needs to do my research on Conor ;)
Do you even know who Liam McHale is? Mortimer second highest Mayo scorer ever after COC, and he quit the team before he needed to. Do some research.
Out of that list Higgins is the only one on a par with Keegan
Go back to bed
Am convinced DOC actually unsettled ROD for the pen. Both of them when in to get the ball and there was a bit of a debate until ROD finally took charge. If DOC was not the assigned penalty taker he should not have gone near it. Apart from the pen ROD was our best performer from 8-15 and DOC was poor
“The game was finally over in the 25th minute. Aidan O’Shea was presented with the easiest goal chance I have seen in a final. The Tyrone keeper was caught out and had left his goal empty, chasing back fearing the worst”
Absolute scutter
Conor Loftus chance when there was no keeper and a defender lying on the ground who he hit the ball at was the best chance
Followed by Conroy’s
And of course the penalty
Bit yeah Aidan o Shea’s on at an angle outside the box with a defender in the way was the easiest.
Mort and Donie Vaughan were better players than Lee Keegan?
It's nearly 1 o clock the next day,are you still on the sauce,topping up or what's the craic?
Well thats a load of rubbish!!! I wonder what he would have wrote if Mayo won.
Quick question for ye. McHale failed to make the 26 yesterday. I know his form in the last 2 matches was poor and Canning said Orme impressed in a recent A v B. But was McHale just dropped or any injury? Its quite a drop to go from starting a semi to not making 26 in the final.
Best player Mayo ever had? Not a hope. Liam McHale, Conor Mortimer, Andy Moran, Keith Higgins, Donie Vaughan etc. To name a few that were far superior to him and far more sportsmanlike.
Here’s the Brolly article for anyone interested…
No more excuses please from football’s great time wastersJoe Brolly
Mayo is full of cliques and favourites as culture will not change under Horan who made Tyrone’s job easy
September 11 2021 10:08 PM
Time wasters. A lot of other counties would give their right arms to be here. The people of Mayo put their heart and soul into their team. And this is what they get?
A manager on the sideline making choices based on political considerations. A protected captain who does not lead and never will.
Substituting Pádraig O’Hora in the 51st minute after he had surged forward to win a free inside the Tyrone half and had been taking the game to Tyrone? Leaving passengers on the field?
It was embarrassing and enraging, even if it was inevitable. The shame is that with a high-performance culture based on merit, Mayo could be so much more than this. I got a text from Pat Gilroy on the final whistle. It said “culture”.
At the highest level, the best culture wins. Which is why, in the end, a middling Tyrone team still learning their trade won easily. They are serious.
With Dooher, Logan and Peter Canavan leading the group, there is a merciless search for success. No passengers. No favourites. Winning big games, as they know, is war without guns.
The six in-a-row Dubs might have been highly skilled, highly conditioned, and expertly coached, but they would not have won without bringing war. Tyrone were up for it. Mayo, with a few exceptions, were not. How could they be? They have too many distractions.
The game was finally over in the 25th minute. Aidan O’Shea was presented with the easiest goal chance I have seen in a final. The Tyrone keeper was caught out and had left his goal empty, chasing back fearing the worst.
His life must have flashed before his eyes. He needn’t have worried. “Oh for f**k sake” the Mayo man beside me said. My brother Proinsias texted me, “As I said our boy”.
When there are individuals who are undroppable and a manager has favourites, cliques form and it is not a team.
The players know this, and the true bonds of loyalty and togetherness that are compulsory for success are missing.
The manager talks a good game but it is merely talk. I feel bad for Mayo and its people and its wonderful clubs but until this malaise is rooted out, this will continue to be their reality.
Straws will be clutched at. Mayo missed a penalty when they were two points down. But when everything isn’t right, nothing is right.
The feeling of liberation at the absence of Dublin and the hope that Mayo might perform was soon replaced with a feeling that nothing has changed. Tyrone, all calm and composed and ruthless when it came to it, won by five points.
It could have been worse, if for the second game in a row, the ‘Son of God’ hadn’t missed what for him was an easy goal chance.
I have watched him with excitement since he was a teenager and have never seen him miss a goal chance. It must be the Carrickmore in him. He has his first Sam Maguire already. His father, who did not win his first until he was 33, must be well pleased.
I wrote last week that what happened in the last quarter of the Dublin game and in extra-time was not a game plan. It was a crazy, unpredictable, emotional energy that an underdog sometimes taps into.
Tyrone, meanwhile, gloved Kerry, with a miraculous performance from David Clifford keeping Kerry in it. Finals are unsentimental affairs. It is kill or be killed. It is culture v culture. And when one team’s philosophy is not based on the principles of logic and merit, defeat is inevitable. The back-to-the-drawing-board bullshit does not cut it.
Good culture is the backdrop for the decisive contributions that are required to win an All-Ireland. I think of the Meath team of Colm O’Rourke, all loyalty and stubbornness and refusal to accept defeat, winning All-Irelands against better teams on paper.
Or the 2008 Tyrone team. Or Down of 1991. Or us in 1993. Or the Dubs from 2011 onwards. Mayo’s manager will say, “We lost by a point” or “we missed a penalty” or “we couldn’t repeat our semi-final performance” but this is just bullshit.
Tyrone, a team picked on merit, with a culture of heads down, no commercial distractions and playing for the people of Tyrone, easily won. Two expertly-taken goals will be the headline, but the truth is that their culture is a world away from their opposition’s.
There were any number of moments where we turned to each other and said, “Well that’s the end of that”, but the truth is that this contest was over before it began.
Tyrone came in at half-time two up, after O’Hora had surged forward defiantly to win a 20-metre free that Ryan O’Donoghue easily converted. But the wheels of this sentimental, public-relations merry-go-round came off altogether in the second half.
McShane came on and fisted a superb goal from a terrific long diagonal ball. The ‘Son of God’ came on shortly afterwards and played with the precision and expertise one would expect from a Canavan.
The inevitable second Tyrone goal followed, a thrilling long kick-out from Morgan leading to an expertly-taken finish. Calm, precise, serious. Just what you’d expect from a serious team.
Thing is, Tyrone did not expect to be All-Ireland champions at the start of this season. But when they got Mayo in the final, they knew, and we knew, that it was going to happen. In the end, it is a question of culture.
Under this manager, Mayo are time wasters. Soul destroying for good footballers and good clubs. Soul destroying for the people.
When things were going away from us he and Stephen Coen were the ones who really stood up.
Coen has had a lot of critics . We seen yday why he has captained minor , U21 and sigerson winning teams . He will captain the senior team within 2/3 years as well
I also feel sorry for Keegan. He's the best player we've ever had and it's sad to think he won't get a medal. He's the only one who showed up yesterday.
Agree with all of that
Ive consistently stood up for Aido but I now accept his role should be one as an impact sub from next year .
Speaking of lack of composure in the finals ......Horan simply has to blood a new keeper next year. If he doesn’t then I’ll be very very worried about him as a manager and about our chances of winning anything over next few years. When the chips are down you have to be 100% certain of your keeper and that he is 100% certain of himself and all that he does.
We don’t have that . That’s beyond dispute now .
This defeat hurts. And it’s one I think we’ll really come to regret quite badly. It was probably the most open championship since 2010. Certainly the most open final since then. With the big two (the Dubs and Kerry) out of the way, you have to take those chances when they come along. Too many players didn’t step up yesterday. Very wasteful with our chances. Too many bad decisions by our forwards and a general lack of composure.
Felt sorry for Keegan he was superb yesterday. Never stopped driving the team on. Time is running out for him now. Hate to think of it ending the same way for him as it did for Andy, Higgins and some others, but it’s looking likely he won’t get that elusive AI title he deserves.
I thought O'Shea was extremely poor in 2 of the biggest games in a row - semi final and now the final. Not just bad, but actually to the extreme that everything he touched turned to muck. Constantly giving the ball away in the Dublin game. ANd yesterday when he did get his hands on the ball, all he had to do was a simple handpass over one of the Tyrone guys into one of our forwards for a semi-goal chance. Couldn't even do that. Looks like his confidence is completed sapped. I'm not mocking him. These guys give up their lives for GAA; the rest of us just look on and get entertained. But you need to call it as it is. A readjustment needs to be made by the management. Can't have this outright running game, and then have the elephant in the room who is static most of the time. It was so obvious from being at the match yesterday. I don't know if it would matter, but I think Horan should have taken O'Shea off few mins into the second half, brought on a defender/marker, and freed up Enda Hession a little to add another pacy runner on some type of counter attack structure.
Don't know why Barrett is mentioned in that post. He retired. That's no different than saying that Tyrone would have won by more if they had Sean Kavanagh or Stephen O'Neill. Need to focus on who we have and who might be available. I don think Cillian O'Connor would have made a few points difference yesterday. He's very composed on the ball, and would spot runs made by Tommy Conroy and Ryan O'Donoghue quicker than those who were playing yesterday.
Don't think I'll be buying the papers today. Had been hopeful of hitting the pub in celebration around this time. Sport can be cruel.
Heartbreak yet again for you guys, as James Horan said it's disappointing but no way fatal, you guys will be back you always are. Cillian was a massive loss as Mayo's scoring dried up a small bit and the ball inside broke down far too much. Tyrone got on top in midfield as well which was a surprise and bet the Mayo press easy at times. This is a very young team and has massive potential. The majority of counties in Ireland would love to be on the journey you guys have been on lads over the last 10 years so keep embracing it lads. Final point is Lee Keegan is an absolute warrior. Enjoy the club championship and it won't be long until the green and red are playing again.
What a load of **** shite.
Why on earth can't Mayo teams just for once in a final go out and play the game of their lives.
Look at Tyrone, dominated mid field when that's where they were supposed to be weak, Cathal McShane touted as a "super sub" comes on and as advertised delivers big time. Defend in numbers but then break with speed.
We never get that from Mayo when the chips are down on All Ireland final day.
Great comebacks and hard luck losses like in 2016 and 2017 just can't paper over the cracks that they just can't deliver when it's required.
This was terrible.
The one chance we had in recent years in a final that did not contain a really strong opponent and they fail to take advantage.
It's utterly depressing.
So many under par performances out there.
Credit to Tyrone they knew how to win the game, but let's be honest they are no world beaters.
I've said before here that this was an opportunity because it wasn't Dublin or Kerry in their pomp, and that if they didn't take it there was no place to hide. Well there is no place to hide now.
Days like that only give the clown from Derry fuel to his fire.
I really think it could be the end of the line for Aiden O'Shea as a starter.
All he offered yesterday was that he made it a bit messy up front and freed up a bit of space in the second quarter.
If that's the best you can get out of him on All Ireland final day then it's really time to reevaluate.
I know it's an intangible but if Cillian was playing things may have been different.
If you remember the little debate between Cora and Spillane during the Leitrim game Spillane scoffed at Cora's suggestion that Mayo would win the All Ireland, but his reasoning may have been correct, he said they would not win because they did not have Cillian.
But hey, there is always next year.
Cillian will be there, these guys are still young etc, but they really need to learn from this, they really need to build a mindset that you do not leave it behind on the big day, that coming out as the losers is not an option.
Tough one to take, genuinely thought it was finally going to be our year. Now to deal with this raging hangover...
Don't know what to say. It was a very winnable game. But we were brain dead from the off.
Tyrone managed the game well a d deserved to win.
Midfield were appalling. Did they catch a ball all day?
The most disappointing loss since 2006. At least in the finals against Dublin they performed but were up against the all time greats.
Even in 2012 against Donegal although it was disappointing I don't think anyone expected us to get to the final that year and it was peak Jim McGuiness. Despite the loss there was a lot to be optimistic for.
Yesterday was just flat with so many players just not playing well. I felt beforehand it was our best chance in years to win it.
I know we dismiss the scars of the past but we have a mental frailty when it comes to finals. It swings both ways where Mayo don't believe they're capable of winning and the opposition are boosted because it's us they're playing and then believe they're not capable of losing.
I honestly don't think there is any county in the top ten or fifteen who wouldn't fancy their chances playing a Mayo team in the final.
As a Tyrone man I had great craic on the way in on the train yesterday from Maynooth with Mayo fans. Great spirit.
Never felt as sorry for a team after a big game in my life, I know the condolences are no good to you but you are up there as the best supporters in Ireland. Created a fantastic atmosphere in croke park yesterday. There was no gloating (from what I seen) and there was real acknowledgment of Mayo’s hurt after the final whistle. A lot of tears shed on both sides!
you will be back, don’t forget Tyrone were similar before they won their first win 18 years ago, always the bridesmaid.
fantastic supporters, if we could play teams with the same class and pride as Mayo GAA would be an even better organization.
needless to say we don’t miss Kerry or Dublin supporters, different kettle of fish altogether !!
You've got to be kidding me.
Not sure what game you were watching. .lazy opinion.
Fans at Croke park yesterday weren't the fans that showed up for the Connacht championship in howling wind and rain.
Crowd was quite , and heard more moans than and wilful support.
Poor performance in the game. Oshea wasnt as bad as people are making out though. He was actually marginally better than many of his team mates, who arent getting any mention. Too much made of him truth be told. He didnt play well, neither did the tyrone captain by the way. People should try to be a bit more objective about him.
We were very poor, but saying that, tyrone couldnt put us away either. We were limping along for 50 minutes and still in the game. I feel oconnor was a seismic loss for this game, and if we had him and barrett, we could well have stolen it. Not sure why Harrison wasnt introduced to mark McCurry. I feel the line was poor throughout
All the pundits and podcasts in the run up suggested the loss of cillian would be too big and... It was. That said however, if the team had stepped up and performed like we know they can, I still think they could have beaten that Tyrone team yesterday. But they didn't. So here we are.
Walking out of croke park in 2019 after that 15 min massacre by Dublin, I would never have thought that we'd be AI final in 2020 and 2021. So with that... this team is good, can only get better hopefully.
Maigh Eo Abu!
Great post.
Leeroy,Paddy,Stephen Coen,Ryan O Donoghue and Tommy Conroy tried manfully to stem the tide.
I honestly don't know what James Horan is supposed to do when we are shipping so much water all over the park and your forward line is malfunctioning to such a degree.
Although taking off Aidan early appeared to be an obvious switch.
We tried the patient,oft times slow lateral buildup which has failed us so often against Tyrone.We did'nt mix it up with quick direct ball enough.Unfortunately the lads appeared to be like rabbits caught in the headlights with their reluctance to take a shot on from distance.
High ball frailties came back to haunt us yet again.Goalkeeping error.
It's a really tough place for the players.
The only bit of perspective I can offer is with Cillian's loss we'd pretty much written off a Connacht title nevermind an All Ireland title but TBH such an excuse may be a tad hollow and perhaps is part of the problem.You grab an All Ireland when it's there in front of you.
I think the selector was James Burke. Plays his club football with Ballymun. Played for Mayo in 2011.
Hard luck to Mayo, Tyrone the better team. Unfortunately Mayo still making the same mistakes over and over again in finals, poor decision making, bad wides and indiscipline. Tyrone played with much more composure. Ye are as far away as ever from winning an All Ireland, Kerry & Dublin likely to be stronger next season and Tyrone will still be there, hard to see this Mayo team win an All Ireland at this stage, too many wounds from losing finals now. Yesterday was a golden opportunity they let pass them by, unlikely to get a better chance.
With 8/10 minutes to go there was a sideline shot of Horan and his main assistant ( not McDonald). It seemed to me the assistant was furious and Horan was refusing to budge on the issue. Probably AOS move - anyway it was too late then.
Absolutely devastating defeat to lose that, as bad as walk out of Croke Park that I can remember. Wish I was turning the car West last night with the rest of the crew but instead had the sole journey down the M7. Its one where never really got going. Credit to Tyrone, they executed their game plan to a tee and had the forwards to finish off their chances. Even saying that, if we had taken the big chances when they came we would have been in with a shout. Lost the one on one battles all over the field all day and still have the same frailties under the high ball at the back. It was infuriating that McShane was just on the pitch and that happened, surely we knew that was coming.
Fair play to ROD he tried all bloody day,was the only real focal point in attack. Still done a couple of silly things and missed the penalty but can't really fault him. Leeroy was excellent too.
As other have said Cillian was hugely missed, having him there to win primary ball and link the play cant be understated. Feel for O'Shea will get dogs abuse after another poor display but in reality I don't know where he fits in anymore. He's not a full forward and that has to stop now and he doesn't appear to have the legs in midfield to match the top teams.
A lot is being said of Horan too. I find it hard to buy 100% into that, who was he suppose to spring from the bench to fix 10+ players individually underperforming. We can talk about systems but some of the individual displays and mistakes just can't be accounted for. He was the Messiah after the Dublin game and is now back to being under prepared and tactically inept. For me he's unearthed another championship contending team out of nowhere, not sure who else could have done that in that timescale.
Any congrats to Tyrone they were certainly worthy winners. The Mayo support there yesterday was phenomenal, all pure mad passionate lunatics. We'll go again as we always do and we'll have another bite at the cherry in the not too distant future.
Fair play to Tyrone - worthy winners and hats off to their fans too, all of whom I found to be very gracious in victory. Some other counties’ fans could learn a lot from them on how to behave themselves.
On the game itself - that was a very disappointing performance but you’d have to give credit to Tyrone for how they defended and managed their opposing players.
Leeroy once again outstanding for us, as was Stephen Coen. Other than those 2 with perhaps the odd exception, there was little to cheer in terms of performance.
We created a number of chances but just didn’t convert them and that was pretty much the story of the day.
As Seligehgit mentioned the absence of Cillian is unquantifiable. Don’t know if he would have been able to close the 5 point difference, but that’s by the by now.
Yesterday was Tyrones day and I wish them well and may they enjoy their celebrations, they Certainly deserve it.
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