Mayo GAA Discussion

Declan Bonner was manager during Rochford`s time with Donegal and caution first and foremost would be very much Bonner`s style.

We had a couple of goal chances yesterday, just didn't take them

When the 5 lads lined up I thought to myself from a technical ability point of view is there anyone else in the squad apart from those 5 you'd want taking the penalties. Possibly James Carr. Thats about it.

It's impossible to tell from outside the camp how much he had left to give or how much he would have recovered by extra time. McStay said his race was run so if that was the case there was little point putting him back on sideline sprints or not.

I'd argue that fatigue played a big part when we lost most of the big games against Dublin over the last decade - especially on the home straight when Dublin had superior subs to bring on. Whereas we had to persist for longer with players that started the game. Last weeks game with Dublin was noticeable under the different playing style how we kept with Dublin until the end even though the Dubs brought on McCaffrey, Mannion and McCarthy. We couldn't match those changes but we had enough in the legs until the end.

I agree but we don't have the same quality of players now as well. I did think last eight would be a best case all year until a short lived Dublin performance which did offer some sign of improvement. However if you look back over the last few months, this is probably about right as any decent team was going to knock us out. Horan could play that full on football as he had some cracking footballers at the right age. We don't have the same quality now and the guys who could do it during the Horan era are too old with too much played.

It's hard to say without seeing them play a running game, and while they're younger and not as established to those we are comparing them against... I do think we've the backs that could have slotted in very well to Horan's style.

They'll never / won't have a chance to gain a reputation the others had when they're playing packed defence versus packed defence, but I think the likes of McBrien, Brickenden, Hession, Callinan etc would all suit a running game.

I'm in danger of sounding like I want a return to Horanball, I don't. We've been there and done that. I just think McStay has gone to the template and not delivered on it.

I expected him to bring a bit of brains / movement to our attacking play but there's no thought, plan or structure to it. Lateral ball across the defence followed by a handpass into the crowded middle… ironically enough, relying on strong runners to make something happen. Compare that to Derry that went over one side and worked us over there only to switch play quickly for a scoring chance. I think they scored 3 or 4 almost identical points late on doing this.

Looks like Roscommon will be the only Connacht team to make the semis. And if they were to draw Donegal/Louth they will probably make the final.

Why waste another year though? Does anyone actually see any change given the shambles this season has been with one bad move after another and not using the squad correctly? He'll get another year because there's zero scrutiny from his media mates and the County Board are too gutless to acknowledge that the appointment was farce from the off. It's so disillusioning to see players careers being wasted and the likes of Cillian and Aidan probably finishing up before there's a change.

Sounds like you're advocating for a third Horan term. That would be a retrograde step at this stage.

Instead of blaming current management questions need be asked of the players inability to run the clock down by holding pn to possession for an extra minute. Loftus gave the ball away very cheaply near the end of normal time, shortly before callinan fisted wide. Players should be capable of knowing how to do this regardless of tactics on the line.

"Decision making and lack of leadership have cost us the Connacht Final and the games over last 2 weeks" - eh, what about the baffling substitutions by McStay that caused nothing but disruption to the team and our flow in the game? I'd argue that he has a lot of questions to answer. Also the baffling selection decisions and constant chopping and changing, impossible to get a settled team with all the disruption. It showed as players didn't seem to know what was going on or whether they were coming or going.

I helped spread that "misinformation" as they call it nowadays... got it wrong in other words. O'Shea was indeed on at the end vs Dublin, it was Ruane that was taken off for Bob very late on.

Where did I mention anything about O'Shea or the Dublin game? As anyone will tell you who has ever been involved with a team, when you make substitutions (especially a couple very quickly) you disrupt the rhythm and flow of your team and there can be confusion as to who is picking up who or what exactly their role is/they are supposed to be doing. It's one thing getting a pep talk before you go on, it's another thing when you actually get on the pitch - not to mention the players who haven't been privy to that pep talk knowing what's happening.

However, I would agree with you about the players not shutting down Kilkenny. He should have been put into the top row of the stand. We should have learned from what they did to us our kick out in 2017 and just took out anything that moved. We're too nice…….we will never learn (take your pick) but until we change, we'll never get across the finishing line.

Taking off O'Shea against Derry was a mistake, he didn't look gassed to anyone. It was like a pre-meditated plan that they had to rigidly stick to (like other moves in other games). What I would call baffling substitutions is putting on Conor Loftus as a half forward (where he should be playing) in the first Roscommon game where he plays so well and kicks two points that he's been talked about as a starter there the next day, only for management to never play him there again for the rest of the season but deploy him instead as a half back where it's been consistently proven that he's not suited to playing there. All while natural half backs like Hession, Plunkett etc. sit on the bench. The mind boggles!

100% agree with your second paragraph though. Dublin would never allow it to happen (as they've shown before) and black cards would not have mattered at that point.

We spoke here before the game about how strange it was that Hession wasn't playing more often. When McLaughlin went off injured at half-time, Loftus replaced him. Despite him getting a good score from play in extra time, Derry did massive damage down the left wing and Loftus had a couple of bad turnovers (he is so weak in the tackle). How did they not think Hession would be a better replacement wing-back than Loftus?

I doubt it would have made any difference. We just seem poor this year.

WE do a lot of analysing and over analysing in Mayo. Tactics, scrutiny of management, refereeing decisions, team selection. The fact is that Galway had a resolve in that second half that we didn't against Dublin. If Galway go all the way it won't mean Mayo are really close as some are saying. We were supposedly close many times in the last decade, in the 90s and the 60s when we could compete with Galway. And there are no curses or hard luck issues. You have to have players with the right mentality and take the chance to win when it arises.

Galway have just put Dublin out of the championship and you're here trawling the Mayo GAA thread.....

Pretty sad.

Part of what you say is correct. But Gough did lose the run of himself for those 3 or 4 minutes. I was at the match, and you could sense that his adrenaline was running mad whenever the Galway cheer rose from the crowd. He just got carried away. So there is logic to saying that Mayo were robbed in Salthill that day. But you are also correct in saying that Mayo should have closed the game out before that.

Over the years we've blamed pat mcenaney, Comac reilly, maurice keegan Dublin Joe and now gough. Its easy to pick out decisions against us when we can't accept we weren't good enough. Even when liam mchale was sent off we went 6 points up. We blew it after that.

We were 6 points up in the replay before john madden gave away the penalty. A distant memory yes but I mentioned it to make the point that we have been blaming refs a long time.

Anyway I hope we eventually win it but if we are to we will need to be good enough to do it.

Hjj

You're right it was Mortimer. Madden came out and missed the ball.