Mayo GAA Discussion

PressRun · 19-02-2023 06:11PM

Definitely feel positive, especially about the defensive structure. There is something taking shape for sure and it feels like there is a purpose developing.

I also don't get the impression Kerry were fully taking it seriously either. I thought Jack O'Connor sounded a bit unbothered in his post match interview.

PARlance · 19-02-2023 06:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120261064#Comment_120261064

Mattie executes the basic skills in a very unusual way. You wouldn't teach his kicking style to anyone. It works for him and he's not there for his silky skills.

Was he soloing it that time? I thought it looked like the Kerry lad just grabbed the ball when Mattie was about to kick it... He pops the ball up before he kicks it.

He adds an awful lot to the team though. I certainly wouldn't be grouping him with McDonagh, who I think is a little bit off the level required at the moment.

PARlance · 19-02-2023 06:31PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120261799#Comment_120261799

15 minutes to throw in and they hadn't come out. An old Kerry gent behind me was worried by that... and even more worried by the actual warm-up itself, sort of a low intensity training game. It was more Junior B than All Ireland champions.

Fair to say they'll be a different animal in a few months.

PressRun · 19-02-2023 07:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120261961#Comment_120261961

I don't think he's the same as McDonagh and I wouldn't be looking to drop him, I just think he can be a bit loose at times. I thought he was brilliant in 2021 up to the final and he hasn't quite recaptured that form since, for me. I would still have him in the team. McDonagh is different in that I just don't think he's up to scratch unfortunately.

Squatman · 19-02-2023 09:51PM

Delighted to be proven wrong. Could only listen on the radio. I predicted a thumping and there was a thumping, I just expected to be on the receiving end of it. Disappointed we gave away a goal. On first half form I was hoping for an all time winning margin over Kerry! Probably weren't far off it.

Squatman · 19-02-2023 09:53PM

I checked it. 10 points was our largest ever Victory over kerry

MacDanger · 20-02-2023 12:55PM

Nice to get a big win over Kerry, it doesn't happen that often so we may as well enjoy it when it does. Good performances all over the pitch but Flynn & Hession in particular were excellent. I thought McHugh did very well considering his age. At the same time, we had a couple of bad wides and sloppy passing so there's still a bit to work on.

From a Kerry point of view, they look to be very reliant on Clifford & O'Shea - if either were to get injured during the year, Kerry would be right back in the pack imo.

20-02-2023 01:27PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120264715#Comment_120264715

I don't think Kerry are that far ahead of the pack as it is even with Clifford and O'Shea.

As for the game itself with the exception of the goal I again thought the defending was great.

They had gone soft in recent years, but they have really improved from what I have seen so far.

And once again it was the forwards that got the scores, no relying on the backs.

TagoMago · 20-02-2023 01:34PM

Great performance on Saturday night, Kerry looked very leggy, probably only starting the heavy training now but Mayo dispatched them convincingly.

Carr looking like he could be a class target man at 14. Except for RO'D they are all huge men in that forward line, can't remember having so much height 10-15 ever before.

Plenty could happen in the meantime obviously but playing the Rossies in the League final a week before playing them in a Connacht QF would be a strange and interesting set of events!

Green&Red · 20-02-2023 02:33PM

Thought Reape was excellent on Saturday, showed real composure, delighted for him

Agree that Ruane can be sloppy in possession from time to time and his tackling needs work.

Nice to see we seem to have a game plan which doesn't centre around us leaving the back of house bare, we are back to being an exciting team to watch.

PressRun · 20-02-2023 02:40PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120265192#Comment_120265192

Agreed on Reape. Thought he was very composed.

padd b1975 · 20-02-2023 04:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120265192#Comment_120265192

To the best of my knowledge Reape hasn't made a goal stopping save in his three games, getting out and down quickly on the attackers boot.

Very good under the high stuff and gets his kickouts away more often than not.

Blackjack · 20-02-2023 06:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120265813#Comment_120265813

I don't think he's had to make that many interventions to be honest - IMO our defence has improved so that there have been distinctly less efforts on goal compared to what we might have become accustomed to.

padd b1975 · 20-02-2023 06:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120266249#Comment_120266249

Thought he was very flat-footed for the goals against Galway and kerry but I take your point about the excellent defence.

Blackjack · 20-02-2023 07:29PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120266347#Comment_120266347

I'd agree he could have done better for both of those, no doubt he's learned from both of those now too.

Green&Red · 21-02-2023 01:14PM

I see JP Kean was on Ah Refs pod this week. He was lamenting what I'll call the county board mafia and how he thinks they shut him out and put a stop to his Midwest appearances and writing in the Western People.

Funny that

In 1993 Ray Dempsey got injured playing in a league match against Fermanagh, a week out from our All Ireland semi final against Eire Og. Early 1996 we were in the same position and the Knockmore lads refused to play in the league because we had Eire Og in another semi final.

The result was that no Knockmore players were invited to JP Keans minor trials. The club wrote asking for a teammate of mine to be considered. No reply. No representation on the county minor team.

I guess it's different when you're the one outside the door JP?

Blackjack · 21-02-2023 08:29PM

Interesting about JP. I know little about him though I’ve seen a few rants from him about the CB. I’ve seen his stuff be repeated by others who I would categorise as being a bit off centre and as such, I’ve taken his musings with a pinch of salt.

22-02-2023 06:28PM

Where was Orme Saturday night?

Was he injured?

If not why did he not get a run I wonder.

I would have thought a double digits lead would have been an ideal time to bring on a guy and get him scoring a few points.

Or is he done in managements eyes ?

Blackjack · 22-02-2023 06:45PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120276162#Comment_120276162

You could say the same for Paul Towey or Conor McStay, with Conor getting that game time. I’d say Cillian was brought on to see out the game, slow it down and protect the lead, being the ideal old dog for that hard road.

PARlance · 22-02-2023 10:08PM

There's a general feeling that McStay will start experimenting a bit once we're safe in the league. That the likes of Towey, Orme etc will get their gametime then. That was the general feeling on The Sunday Game and Ah Ref podcast anyway.

I wouldn't be so sure at all. I can't see McStay building momentum, only to risk losing it just before the Championship.

7 or 8 decent quality league games is nothing really for a new management team in terms of trying to implement new patterns of play, new defensive systems etc... There's really not an awful lot of scope for giving too many new players time imo.

You just have to look at what O'Connor did with Kerry last year for a blueprint. It was full speed ahead for the league and Championship. He wanted them finely tuned by the championship and you don't get that by experimenting in the second half of the league imo.

Blackjack · 23-02-2023 12:19PM

I’d agree with the above, I think that feeling comes from a general assumption that the League Final might be seen as a hindrance. Odd that a national title is viewed that way but I think it’s a demonstration of how the GAA can make a balls of the fixtures to the extent that the “secondary” competition is taken so much less seriously.

I’m coming around to the idea that in such a condensed fixture environment we should be going all out to win every game, carry the momentum and go from there. We’ll have the time to rest if we beat Roscommon in the first Round of the championship.

Ragwort and Stones · 23-02-2023 12:25PM

That first half v Kerry was as good as I've seen Mayo play in many years. Laois man here.

HBC08 · 23-02-2023 01:04PM

The assumption that Mayo are safe in the league and the worst thing that could happen to us now is making the league final is worrying to me.

We should be safe but I've never seen Tyrone lose at MacHale Park.Then you have the high flying rossies where anything could happen and then up against Monaghan who will be fighting for their lives and are the relegation dogfight experts. Lastly we have Donegal in Ballybofey who will also be fighting relegation,when's the last time we won there?

I'm certainly not being negative but Mayo fans are getting ahead of themselves a bit I think,get to safety first at all costs.

PARlance · 23-02-2023 01:55PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120278702#Comment_120278702

If that's aimed at me, I certainly wasn't saying we are safe. Neither were The Sunday Game or Ah Ref, who I mentioned.

They were both saying that achieving safety would be the number one goal for McStay, and that another win was needed for that... and only then McStay might have the freedom to try new players out.

I wasn't saying that we'll win the league, but I think the right attitude is to go out and try to win the league. I just don't get the "it might be best to take the foot of the gas" approach if safety was secured.

There has been a lot of talk about Mayo fans getting ahead of themselves. I think that day is long gone tbh. The only people spouting that kind of stuff is from people looking to land cheap jabs.

People were happy with the Kerry result, we played very well but I think everyone recognised that Kerry aren't at the races yet. Happy, but not losing the run of ourselves imo.

muddle84 · 23-02-2023 05:25PM

I agree we shouldn't be taking our foot off the gas at all. We should be going to win the league without a doubt! I really find the Tyrone game hard to call and Roscommon are on a high at the moment so i don't know how that will go either.

But Donegal without Michael Murphy are not the same animal, we have managed a number of draws in Ballybofey over the last few years and Id be confident of at least a draw there again this year.

Monaghan are without doubt the relegation fight experts but they have been hanging on by a thread for a few years now. McManus is 36 this year, will they hang on again this year?

HBC08 · 23-02-2023 07:09PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120278919#Comment_120278919

Not aimed at you specifically, just an observation on things I've been hearing (including the media)

Personally I'll start worrying about whether being in a league final is such a terrible thing once we are safe with no major injuries.

GBXI · 23-02-2023 07:09PM

Ruane is a strange player. When he's good he looks like one of the top midfielders in the game. When's bad, like against Kerry, he looks so average. Goes from 5/10 performances to 9/10 performances. He's just not consistent. Though he always gives 100%. Diarmuid on the other hand is like the Denis Irwin of Mayo football, absolute minimum of 7/10 and regularly 8/10. He's way more talented than Ruane but just doesn't have those 9/10 games enough. Here's hoping they dovetail at midfield because they are both massive scoring threats.

Why do they pick McDonagh over someone like Boland? His football skills are not intercounty standard.

PressRun · 23-02-2023 07:32PM

Agreed on Ruane. In 2021 right up until the final, he was outstanding. Then he had an absolute shocker in the final and I don't know that he has quite come back from that. He hasn't played as well since imo.

On the calendar, the GAA have made a **** up of the whole thing. The condensed season is a mess frankly and I wouldn't be surprised at all if it doesn't last. The chickens will come home to roost with injuries eventually. However, if we were to find ourselves in a situation where a league final was in sight, we should go for it. Why the hell not.

As for Tyrone, it's a tricky one for sure. No better team for giving everyone a land. I think they enjoy upsetting the apple cart and it will be a bit of a dogfight this weekend. Will need a lot of patience for this one.

charolais0153 · 24-02-2023 12:25AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120280297#Comment_120280297

Boland doesn’t have physicality for inter county I enjoyed watching a big and strong half forward line Well able to win breaking ball and compete In the air Not a fan of the light forwards (loftus,boland, Regan etc

GBXI · 24-02-2023 12:40PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120281813#Comment_120281813

Regan is an out and out corner forward. Agreed on Loftus, he's also too slow for an 11 - I'm not sure of him at 6 either but I prefer him there than in midfield or forwards. Boland doesn't have the physicality - does/did Kevin McLoughlin? Boland is tough as nails and so good at picking up breaking ball. You could have a half forward line of Boland, Touhy, Flynn. Plenty height and physicality there. McDonagh is such a strange choice, he's not even the best half forward on the Westport team - that's Oisin McLaughlin.

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