Mayo GAA Discussion

The Donegal supporters thought the football they were going to get with Rochford on board was the mix of running and kicking football that Corofin played and Mayo played in 2016 and 2017. They were already running the ball under Bonner but were just running into blanket defences and being striped of the ball. They thought that with Rochford and Murphy at full forward balls would go in early and players would be coached and encouraged to shoot from distance to score and draw out defenders leaving room for runners. That was not what they got though. Murphy spent most of his time in midfield and centre back with those that actually had the ability to shoot and score from distance out of favour.

Was that down to Bonner as manager rather than Rochford, perhaps, but watching Mayo last year, and especially in the league so far this year, for me at least, it is very reminiscent of Donegal during the years he was there. It`s not a style of football that will get you anywhere under these new rules, and tbh the Mayo v Tyrone game at the weekend was dire with both teams looking clueless. The Tyrone keeper Morgan was joint top scorer with 3 points, 2 from play, and came close to scoring a goal as well. For such a low scoring game, almost half way through the league under these new rules, that statistic alone is crazy

The last page or two show that for all the messing and sh1te talk on this thread there can still be some good insightful posting and arguments.

I'm usually optimistic when it comes to Mayo.I feel people have been way to hard on management the last few years going back to Horans second stint.Peoole really need to get over losing the 21 final.We were outfoxed on the day and had only played one decent half of football all championship. Galway have lost 2 finals since (including last year when they completely bottled it) and are using it as motivation for this year.There's a good chance they'll lift Sam this year.

Horan in 22 was destroyed with injuries, worse than Galway last year yet we only lost to Galway by a point in Connacht.

McStay had us playing lovely football when he came in and won the league.A few weeks later we bet Kerry down in Killarney and were being (rightly) talked about as All Ireland contenders after all that.

Last year we had Galway bet only for the ref to have a meltdown and hand them the game (he has since admitted this so fair play to him on that) Galway go on to All Ireland final......fine margins.

My point being in those years Mayo could take on anyone and win,win most of the time in fact.

Now it's different. I've lost faith in management. That started with the players that didn't commit this year,that's a red flag.Then you have the terrible constipated football we are playing.I understand we haven't got our full compliment of players and we're trying to blood a few players (who are generally doing well) but it won't win anything.

Also we have made the least use of the new rules,that's a damning indictment. McStays weird and repeated comments that the rules may not be adopted come the summer ....totally bizarre, they may be tweaked but there are here to stay.

We will improve when we get a few lads back,we might win Connacht but we won't do much else.People might say we don't have the players,I think we have the players to be better than we are now.

The comparisons with Donegal are apt.Man for man compare the 2 squads and they are similar but Donegal would absolutely mangle this Mayo team come championship. That's down to belief, style and management.

After Kerry. During the break weekend.

They'd jump in any week if there was a clear issue, but they're hoping to make the main changes (I'd imagine 12v11 & 3/3 requirements while under black/red card to be looked at) between round 5 and before round 6 to give sides a chance to try them out in the last 2 league games before Championship.

(Things can technically change during Championship too, but they'd only do it if a clear problem started emerging - you'd expect the changes after Kerry to be the last for the year if things go anywhere close to plan.

Hopefully Motion 7 passes at the upcoming congress too so we're not forced into this dramatic upheaval every 5 years and can instead do changes in a more measured fashion going forward).

With 30 highly trained athletes occupying the same area of ground once occupied by much less fitter, less athletic players the game was only going one way. The GAA sat on this as long as they could but ultimately realised that game attendances would eventually collapse. Players have already commentated that the new game is more enjoyable to play in. The FRC committee carried out their work very diligently and consulted a large group of players, managers and supporters. Your comment that players in the FF line will only be supplying ball back to a half forward line for 2 points would only make sense if goals were abolished. Full forward line players will have more room to operate if other players gravitate to and congest the D area. That's the whole point of the 2 point change. The rugby analogy is also flawed as you can have players ahead of the ball in GAA that long balls can be kicked into unlike the offside rule in rugby.

Yes and no. Galway were missing players but by getting over Mayo that day, by any means, meant that they gained big confidence going into the group stages. The celebrations on the sideline were huge at the final whistle - Joyce was under massive pressure and had been knocked out of the championship at home to Mayo the year before. And what transpired for the rest of the championship was no one standout team, meaning anyone of a number of teams could have won it - I would include Mayo in that. Sure, Armagh won it! Honestly, fair play to to them but one of the least talented winning teams I can remember.

Getting closer to full strength with only arguably Paddy Durcan,Tommy Conroy,Diarmuid O'Connor and Jack Carney missing from strongest 15

He did his ACL last year. Still recovering I believe.

Good to see us slow things down and wait for the defence to get set when we turn Armagh over. Would be terrible to try and move the ball quickly

don’t think anyone on this team has practiced shooting since under 10s

We've come into it a bit in the last 10-15 mins at least; if it wasn't for some very bad misses, and being unlucky with the goal chance, we'd be right in this.

Important to get the minutes into the new lads or they won't know how to pass it aimlessly come championship.

That’s a savage finish from Neary

Much better 2nd half but we really should have won that. Overall performance was streets ahead of the last 2 games though

Much better second half but those last 2 minutes were beyond frustrating, Boland fouled the ball, threw it away and handed them the leveller. That miss from Reape unforgivable too after a gorgeous kick pass from RoD.

Can anyone explain what happened when the Armagh keeper received a pass from his defender inside his own half? Why wasn't that a Mayo free?

Great heart to get back into it. Neary the real bright spot playing off the cuff.