Mayo GAA Discussion

I don't think anyone wants a third Horan term, even Horan. While I'll always respect him for turning us into a constantly competitive team to be feared, he's proven enough times that he's not the man to bring us across the line. From some of the stories (from reliable sources, not wild pub talk or anything like that) I've heard about his involvement in the U-20's this year, it's clear he'll never change his ways…. Time to look elsewhere.

Its true he will never change. But i don't think it matters much what management we have at this stage. We have seen the coaching ticket versus the single coach Horan option. The more the years go by the more i see the problem being underage coaching.

Up to 200 kids involved in development squads and we can't produce a left footed free taker or a third midfielder to come in from the bench. The latest minor team were the next great hopes but ultimately outclassed by Armagh.

Decision making and lack of leadership have cost us the Connacht Final and the games over last 2 weeks. This also reflects issues from underage coaching. It's too late for senior players to learn these things. What new management would overcome these issues?

What you call 'baffling substitutions' I call 'substitutions'. If a player's legs are gone they are gone and a replacement is needed. O'Shea was still on the field against Dublin and Cluxton kicked it to a Dublin player away from O'Shea. The problem was the players didn't foul/halt Dublin from counter-attacking. And just a week later they still hadn't learned and kicked away possession. Mayo were leading into injury in the Connacht final, Dublin game and Derry game. Even if McStay and the management left the venue 10 minutes before it was over the players should have enough smarts to see out the game.

I had to double check myself as I wasn't sure if he had finished the game or not.

Most of the discussion on subs has been on taking O'Shea off in the Derry game so I presumed that was what you referred to. I mentioned Dublin game as that was one he finished but they still didn't win. Regarding other substitutions well they will always cause a certain amount of disruption. So unless you don't make switches there will always be that.

I agree it seems we will never learn. Just doesn't seem to be part of our make up. Keegan throwing the gps in the 2017 final seemed to be the closest we ever got to that type of gamesmanship. Didn't work on that occasion but it's fine margins sometimes that win or lose it. This year our season hinged on that Kilkenny catch. Dublin would never allow a Mayo player to do that and also get the pass off. A last minute black card would be a cheap price to pay.

I wouldn't, but my hunch is that they will.

Its all too comfortable between the lot of them, even at boardroom level.

Dublins loss today is sickening, would make you wonder why we didn’t hold out for the win against them when we had the chance, if a poor Galway team can beat them then it puts more pressure on mcstay.

Felt sorry for KOC on GAAgo, I’d say he was regretting the few pound he got, looked awful uncomfortable after the final whistle.

At least Roscommon were sent home.

There’s a levelling off at the top now that Dublin have come back to the pack.

Kerry might pick up another handy All Ireland despite not really kicking on with the talents of the great underage teams they produced.

Mayo are right there at the level despite being in transition. Our only loss in the championship in reality was the one we threw away against Galway in the Connacht final.

In fairness you can't account for the likes of a referee meltdown like Gough had in injury time in Connacht final.You can't blame players or management for that.

Things like taking off Aido,Callinan missed points v Galway and Derry etc you can lay at the door of management/players. It's very fine margins,I think Mayo are a better team than Galway but we went out before the QF and they might win the all ireland.

Three sickening losses for Mayo this year. Failing to close out connacht final v Galway. Galway comprehensively beat Derry. Then Derry knock Mayo out. And then to add insult to injury Galway beat Dublin in croke park, when mayo thought they'd done well by drawing with Dublin in the Hyde.

Not really… it was only a 1/4 final. Im pretty sure you have been having a peep in the Galway thread to see how we are getting on

Can't agree with much of that. If Mayo were better than Galway we'd have beaten Galway and Dublin. Simple as that.

Goughs decisions in injury time is more or less irrevelent. Match should never have resched injury time. Gough didn't cause Sam to miss an easy chance or Loftus to lose the ball carrying into a tackle when he could have turned back and recycled it. Once it went to injury time I knew Mayo hadn't it in them. Leading in injury time in 3 championship games and not winning is not the form of a team aiming to win the AI.

100%. There's a world of difference between drawing a game and pushing on to win when it comes to all ireland finals. Cillian exemplified this with a clutch score equaliser in 2016 but the a miss in 2017 to go a point ahead at the end. Its almost a fear of winning at this stage.

All of this just goes to show that there’s not a huge gap between the top teams. Sure you can say we can’t close out games but that’s an old failing and not related to our level. On our day we’re a match for any of the teams in contention and that’s up to management to solve.