Mayo GAA Discussion

What an absolutely terrible performance

Who's the little gurrier pushing the ref at the end there? He's caught on camera anyway. Can't see what complaint he'd have, well beaten.

We are a division 2 side, and that's the truth. Shooting is nowhere near the level required, and neither is midfield. Our lack of physicality and strength around the middle is stark.

I'd normally be optimistic even in defeats and back the management.

However today was different.

It was very obvious to me that the game was over at HT (even though Mayo were a point up) The conditions into the bacon factory end were as perfect as there will ever be for 2 pointers.2 pointers were going to decide this game and Mayo kicked 1 into that end whilst Galway kicked 7,sin è.

McStays comments a few weeks ago about the new rules being no big deal worried me and it turns out I was right to be worried.We were playing the old rules (and not very well at that)

We are way too small physically and tactically so naive that it's almost shocking.

The only consolation out of this game today is Galway gave us such a hiding with 2 pointers that the penny might drop with management .

Just to add a bit of balance and be fair we are missing a lot of players.The likes of Aido and Jordan Flynn would not be pushed around like that.Throw in a fit DOC,Paddy Durcan,Loftus (all of whom can kick long range points) and we'd be a lot more competitive.

Also Galway are very good with a huge squad.

Unfortunately ive lost all faith in management,I always felt we'd be relegated this year and that looks a certainty now.

Can't score 2 pters and don't seem to able to defend against them either.

The people here calling for McStays head will be the same ones calling for his successors head and all the managers following that. We simply haven't the players and that's the fault of the underage system. A big football county and no full back, no big domiating midfielder, defenders and midfielders unable to deliver long kick passes to forwardline, small forwards that can't win 50/50 ball and not much on the bench. The next manager will face the same issues.

Ah but at the same time, he has done a couple of interviews now where he initially said the rules will have little impact & now tonight effectively said he didn’t understand the three up rule …I mean if you had watched any game this month , you’d understand the three up rule. This is basic stuff …we don’t have the players I agree, but this management team is getting no where near the best out of the ones we do have . The similarities to Donegal under Rochford are there for everyone to see.

I’m not saying you’re wrong , I agree underage coaching is without doubt a major issue but a good management team does make a difference …I mean we went from being beaten out the gate against Galway in 1995 to back to back finals with John Maughan in 96/97 and similarly losing to Longford in 2010 to and AI final in 2012.

Look at Donegal no hopers for the last few years , Jim McGuinness comes back and now they are a serious contender. Underage structures play a part but so does management . Galway had underage success coming out of their ears in the noughties and it translated to Mayo dominating the following decade of football .

I don't see any Mayo version of McGuinness around though. Even he would struggle with this squad. He might get a bounce out of them and get to an AI semi or something but no way would he bring us all the way. The size and skill levels aren't there.

Mayo in the 90s and Horans team didn't have enough scorers. Not enough on the bench either. This hasn't been addressed.

No longer living in the county a question for those who who may still be involved at club level? Is shot practice banned at training after U14? The kicking ability under pressure of inter county players from minor up is atrocious. Exceptions being players who we know practice on their own like Cillian, possibly getting ran off the pitch by older members saying you can’t kick footballs on the football pitch. When I played, 90s, kicking practice was something that was only done adhoc at start of training only. The contrast I see in Galway at the club my boys play with is stark where most training sessions at club level have an element of long kick passing and shooting integrated into drills. And it’s the ethos at the club that everything involves a ball. And boys and men’s team members are encouraged to come to the pitch to practice outside of training times. There is always a few lads there in the summer with a bag of balls. When I drive by Mayo club grounds when down you will rarely see the same. To me the biggest problem with mayo football is not enough time kicking the football. You are left with what you see yesterday. Players at their own arc getting the ball and getting trapped because they don’t trust themselves to play a 40yard kick pass. And the players who could receive such a pass not trusting their teammate to be able to execute so not being available for the pass. Players on the 40 on the other end with space to go for the two pointer because Galway know they won’t shoot, but no one but Fergal Boland willing to actually shoot. Boland being a streaky shooter because he probably doesn’t have the reps from practice to be consistent. So we are left with players when they run out of ideas, running into contact and getting turned over. Almost rugby like, except Ireland know that even in rugby you look for the space

I think the 3 up rule penalty is too harsh with a free up the other end.

Yeah it is harsh, but it's also to train guys not to break the rule.

Once people get used to it I'd expect to see far fewer occurrence of it.

A bit like in soccer with back passes to the goalkeeper, after a while the players learned and you never saw a back pass being picked up again.

Yes, a few other teams got pulled up for it.

You'd wonder

Is the current players there for Mayo who have physical attributes and speed on turnovers?

You could bring in Jim Gavin and it wouldn't make much difference. The players aren't there. When was the last time a Mayo senior club won Connacht? 2015? Our senior championship is woeful quality. Underage structures are extremely poor also and frankly behind the times. The fact is, there are a few quiet years incoming and it's becoming more and more obvious that Horan's 2010s team was a once-off generational type team, because there is no conveyor belt. It's not a Kerry or Dublin situation where rebuilds can happen quickly. There's a good 5-10 years of nothing coming down the line. Galway went through abject years up until quite recently, Armagh also. It's our turn now.