Mayo GAA Discussion - Part 4

PressRun wrote: »

I wish I shared this optimism!

i cant see why you shouldnt , everyone knows mayo do things the hard way , look at that run against derry , clare and cork a few years ago for example ,

I found that game v Meath yesterday very nostalgic

It reminded me of a game v another Leinster team, namely Laois in 2006

It was a time when Mayo were in the All Ireland series, but never really at the top table.

It was different from the 2011 to 2017 era, very different.

Gone are the days that Mayo would go into a QF and be so dominant in possession, in the tackle, in turnovers, in work rate that you were never in doubt about the final result

Gone or the days of Cillian killing for a ball that was about to go over the end line to setup the first goal v Donegal in 2013

Gone are the days of Alan Freeman killing for a ball he had no right to get hold of to setup Aiden O’ Shea for a goal v Cork in 2014

Yesterday the Donegal v Kerry game was what Mayo used to be like.

I thought they were very sloppy yesterday, like a team out for the first time in the league, even McLaughlin’s goal was sloppy, he dropped the ball, which the keeper reacted to, and with the keeper committed he had an easy tap in.

I doubt they will beat Donegal the say they are playing

There is hope for the future though, there are plenty of young players in that team, and it will take a few more years for them to develop, just like McLoughlin, Aiden, Barrett, Vaughan etc were around since 2009/2010 before they really became top class players from 2012 onwards.

But at the same time it was Seamus O’ Shea, Andy Moran, and Kevin McLouglin that were some of the standouts yesterday
There is a lot more work to be done in finding guys to replace them.

Was Horan suggesting Tom Parsons might make an appearance the next day? That's a remarkable recovery for him if true, considering it did seem like it would be a career ending injury at the time.

jr86 wrote: »

Yeah if nothing else 2019 will go down as a year where we managed to give some substantial game time to some new options. So that's a positive in itself

I reckon it'll be back to experience for the Donegal game however. I could see a very similar team than the one which lined out in the 2017 final

Well, I'd throw the league win in there also.

I agree he will go with experience v Donegal, trust in the guys he knows.

https://www.facebook.com/186309284834560/posts/1610823675716440?s=706165333&sfns=mo

Have any of you seen this? Very funny analysis of the brawl v Meath in 1996 by Pat Spillane.

As for yesterday, a win is a win. Major improvements needed and some recovery time also for some of the walking wounded. Mayo’s pace, shot accuracy, passing, kickouts all poor. I could go on but I have to give credit to the team for fighting on and grinding out a victory. They never give up and it is something to be hugely admired about this group. If they are outplayed by Donegal in two weeks, fair enough. However you can never predict Mayo’s championship journey, and you just never know.

jr86 wrote: »

Yeah in fairness Donegal were missing a guy who nearly got an All star last year and another who has All Stars falling out of his arse. Add in McGrath who is a very underrated player for them.

Their subs - particularly O'Baoil, Gallen and McGlynn all made telling contributions. Them 3, plus McGee and McGrath and the 15 who started yesterday, are 20 good options alone that they will have available to them in Castlebar. So don't know where this "better squad than them" is coming from

In fairness we're well and truly relying on intangibles going our way in 2 weeks, or something well out of the ordinary. Its not impossible though. That said we don't actually have a brilliant record as underdogs. Maybe the Tyrone game in 16 is all I can think of? and that was 50/50 enough

Agreed. Something like a Michael Murphy red card might go some way towards narrowing things. I can see Mayo's season closing out in 2 weeks with a whimper. It just seems similar to last year when they lost to Kildare. Out of gas. This has the same inevitable feeling to it. Hope to God I'm wrong and they
somehow burst out of the traps.

There was such a difference yesterday in terms of kick-outs in the 2 matches. When Donegal did press on the Kerry kickout, the Kerry backs were busting a lung sprinting to offer an option for the ball. Mayo's backs would make a half-hearted run for a kick-out and stop after 10 yards. It was like "look at me looking for the ball (but really don't kick it to me cause I don't want it)". It's not laziness; I think with some of the talk around Clarke, Hennelly etc., that the backs now are afraid to put themselves into the limelight if something goes wrong on a potential bad kickout from D Clarke.

We've had since the Roscommon game to start making improvements, tbh.

Does anyone think we've actually improved since the Roscommon game?

I'm not sure if we have tbh

We've looked ok in patches of some games but overall very unconvincing. If Meath had taken their chances yesterday we'd have been in major trouble

Suarezistheman wrote: »

It's all doom and gloom around here anyway, wish Id stayed away!

Was thinking the same

Cartman78 wrote: »

Does anyone think we've actually improved since the Roscommon game?

McDonagh has come back and got some minutes, Carr has made an impact. If we had been knocked out by Armagh none of this would be possible. We now know Darren Coen performance was not a flash in the pan. We also know Boyler still has plenty in the tank, he didn't play v the Rossies. Seamie is back. We been been decimated with injuries since the Roscommon game and still managed to win 4 of our last 5. This will all stand to us next year.

Big matches bring the best out of this team. Remember the first game V Roscommon in 2017? And remember what happened a week later? Things can change quickly. There is a massive game in us. I have a feeling Higgins Durcan and hopefully one of DOC/Ruane could be back. I said it last week and I will say it again, the mood needs changing among the fan-base. We are absolutely capable of a big performance and beating Donegal.

Suarezistheman wrote: »

Cartman78 wrote: »

Does anyone think we've actually improved since the Roscommon game?

McDonagh has come back and got some minutes, Carr has made an impact. If we had been knocked out by Armagh none of this would be possible. We been been decimated with injuries since the Roscommon game and still managed to win 4 of our last 5. This will all stand to us next year.

Big matches bring the best out of this team. Remember the first game V Roscommon in 2017? And remember what happened a week later? Things can change quickly. There is a massive game in us. I have a feeling Higgins Durcan and hopefully one of DOC/Ruane could be back. I said it last week and I will say it again, the mood needs changing among the fan-base. We are absolutely capable of a big performance and beating Donegal.

Agreed. I was happy leaving CP yesterday. It wasn't a great performance but when you take the injuries, some lads fitness levels not being 100% and the fact we've played five weeks straight, the result was the main thing.
Two weeks will do us the world of good. Some lads can rest up and little and the likes of Paddy Durcan will be back. A nine point victory was flattering but it will give the team a lift.

It's all or nothing now against Donegal, I wouldn't be that fearful. We're more than capable of beating them in Castlebar, it's a great chance to get to a semi-final.

Cartman78 wrote: »

Cheers lads - I wasn't trying to depress everyone or anything but yesterday was a tough watch at times.

I'm praying that this core of players has one (or two or three ) big games left in them yet.

The rest will do them good no doubt, and if we can get a couple of players back (esp. Durcan) and nail down a kickout strategy then we'll be in half decent shape for Donegal hopefully

If we haven't nailed down a kickout strategy by now, it's not going to happen in the next 2 weeks. It's not like it has suddenly crept up on us.
Like I said in a previous post, when the opposition press, the Mayo backs don't really want the ball, leaving no option but for Clarke to go long. And then we have the floating punt up the field. If we are lucky enough to get the breaks, it camoflagues over the problem. But on a bad day, when the breaks don't go our way (or on a day where a David Moran intervenes), the problem is highlighted. I don't see how this can be rectified against a fit, all running Donegal team, and who have decent midfield, along with Michael Murphy lurching around midfield.
Play 2 goalies - Clarke for the shot-stopping and Hennelly for the kickouts!!