Photo: Mayo Mick
The polling booth has closed and by a very wide margin – 52% of all votes cast (166 in all) – Adam Gallagher is the overwhelming choice as Mayo MOTM from yesterday’s game with Tyrone. On what wasn’t a day to remember for the team, the performance of the young Mayo Gaels man – lining out for only the second time in a league match for us – really stood out and his nine-point contribution as well as his general play marked him out as by far our most prominent player in Healy Park yesterday.
Well done to Adam and also to Lee Keegan who attracted 22% of the vote to finish clear of the rest of the field in second. Thanks too to all the mammies, WAGs and assorted groupies for ensuring that everyone (bar two lads whom I’m not going to name) ended up with at least one vote. And there was me thinking you were all being on the level when we were having that debate about the merits or otherwise of the players’ rating proposal.
I voted for Keegan myself .But i wouldn’t begrudge Adam.He is a very fine footballer.I haven’t seen as much of Adam as others but from what i saw he is hard working.He can dig deep to get a tough score and he has a natural instinct for score.Id live to see him playing with Mikey Sweeney.
I think more keep an eye on this site than you thought WJ, anyway this is by far the fairer option and tribute to those who didn’t get a vote, I’m sure it’s not lack of popularity but a mark of real honesty.
Adam gallagher was the best by far yesterday and he somthing for the future, Tyrone yesterday and Kildare the week before have forwards who can get scores when there neded. we should have had goals yesterday but we balloned them over the bar. Unless we can do somthing about this it will be the same old story for the future. We need Marquee forwards, it was metioned last year by Mchugh, and im afraid hes right.
Well done Adam Gallagher, congrats to him! Something to be positive about, so far from our league campaign. As they say, things can only get better, roll on the next game. We have reason to be a bit worried, at the moment but maybe Kerry have more reasons to be worried at this stage. They have to come to Castlebar after losing at home to Derry and Paul Galvin retired last week, which could not have done much for morale in the Kerry camp. Would he have retired, if he thought Kerry were going to do well this year. According to the reports in the papers, Derry’s greater physical strength carried the day against younger and smaller Kerry players. We need to use this to our advantage and learn lessons from this. We are the only team in Division 1 not to have played a home game so far.
The voting are in and the count is finished and Adam Gallagher is the clear winner, congratulations Adam on a great performance. And to those players who for one reason or another got feck all or no votes, don’t despair, it could be you next time. So guys just remember when you tog out for Mayo against Kerry next game, it won’t be James Horan you’ll have to impress, no, it will be the many contributors to this Mayo GAA Blog that are calling the shots now.
From here on there will be no where to hide – every tackle made, every block, catch, pass, every free won and indeed conceded, every score, black card or other will be noted before casting our precious votes.
So now lads, all of you who are in the privileged position to play for your beloved Mayo go out there and do your self’s and your county proud and let 2014 be a year to remember……..
Congrats young man and well earned. 9 points is an excellent contribution against tough opponents. Keep the head down, continue to work hard and listen to those who you should listen to.
That does not include the likes of us on here who only wish we were good enough to play for our county 🙂
well done to young Gallagher, its a fair step to make and he seems to be comfortable.
another cillian in the making? or maybe even better.
either way hes badly needed and another one like him wouldn’t go amiss neither, lads that can score and play up front.
Ouch! 😉
I think Adam more than deserves it, rolling off the shoulder of four Tyrone lads to loft the ball over the bar! He looks ready for the championship.
The team performance however – it’s horrifying to watch Mayo become this stale, running team while Mickey Harte tears up the blueprint and reinvents Tyrone to become the Kerry of the north.
Why leave McLoughlin upfront on his own, he’s bullied off the ball too easily and you have lads like Freeman and Doherty sitting on the bench. Maybe Barry Moran as an option too? Andy Moran was our best full-forward last year and Mayo only seem to spark to life when he gets the ball in the final third.
I genuinely believe Horan lost the plot after that defeat to Donegal in 2012. Something snapped and he threw everything into this new Mayo – hard-running and super-fit. Funny that Donegal destroyed us with the long-ball into Murphy and Dublin are now masters at the kicking game. Mickey Harte wasn’t too stubborn to change.
Hopefully mayo beat Kerry I see on the results Kildare got beat I have funny feeling they could be relegated to division 2 Kerry won’t go down anyway
Wouldn’t surprise me if Kerry went down tbh. They’re clearly struggling big time and only have one or two Crokes players to come back into line up (Fitzgerald will start but Buckley will prob be used off bench mostly)
It’s between them and Derry IMO although the latter’s draw v Tyrone could yet be very important. We’ll do enough I think, starting with beating Kerry in 3 weeks.
I’d say Kildare will be sound they always go well early in the year, and have only lost away to a side who always do well in the league.
We need 6 forwards working in a cohesive manner-not going to happen in Feb when James is experimenting with different set-ups .If I hear the Marquee word again I’ll fukn puke!
Think it is worth keeping a weather eye on the kiwi too!
I don’t mind trying out new lads in the forwards. But when I see someone saying Barry Moran be brought into the forwards its a joke, Barry has been tried and tested in those positions and sadly he is not a forward. I am not stating he is a bad footballer but he is definitely not a forward. Looking at the players so far seen in 2014, their is a place for Adam Gallagher and Evan Regan. Count in Cillian O Connor and we are left with 3 places remaining. Who they would be is a 6 marker.
Probably Alan Dillon if fully fit (play maker) Alan Freeman , Darren Coen, At least we have 6 natural forwards
opt2misteek-love it. Don’t forget to bring a paper bag. 😉
Congrats to Adam Gallagher well deserved and the first to win Mayo GAA Blogs MOTM. He has like COC a great maturity about him.
MaighEo Abu
Barry Moran’s put in some good performances at full-forward, as has Aidan O’Shea. McLoughlin has been eaten alive in this position so far and we look a sharper outfit when there’s a target-man in there.
Nobody plays with 6 forwards anymore, at the moment Horan is using one full-forward and three half-forwards supporting. Higgins is there to win ball and protect the midfield.
I understand what you’re saying, lads have to be tried but don’t throw the baby out with the bath-water. Mayo suffered big time last year going into late summer without a settled forward line. Dublin stuck with Brogan and Mannion throughout the League, fine-tuned their tactics and won the Championship. Mayo need to do the same.
Indeed Adam Gallagher deserved the award and praise, this past week. He was steady and cool under pressure. Long may it last. A lock for a position if he keeps it up. But, we will see.
Anyone care to name a team to face kerry? just askin!
I kinda think that someone else made this suggestion before, I thought that it was a good idea at the time, so I thought that I’d mention it again. I was just wondering if it would be a good idea to extend this Mayo MOTM award by having a poll at the end of the season to select the Mayo Footballer of the year and maybe you could even include a Young Footballer of the year too, as chosen by the Mayo Gaa Blog supporters. A sort of fans award. Or just go by the number of MOTM awards won during the year, to decide the winners. Maybe some sponsorship could be sourced as well, a local business might like to sponsor these awards. It might be a nice idea as well to name the awards after famous Mayo players who are now deceased, like John Morley or someone worthy of the honour like him. A players award, chosen by the fans, in memory of a great player, would be something to consider I reckon.
So are you saying all those players are better than the likes of Andy Moran, Richie Feeney, Cathal Carolan, Enda Varley, Kevin McLoughlin and Michael Conroy?
If so I don’t understand upon what basis are you making this if this becasue the hard fact is that the payers I have listed have all played inter county championship at the highest level i.e. Al Ireland final and National League finals.
I don’t see how you can automatically say they should be playing when some of them have not even played provincial championship, never mind playing in Croke Park at Senior inter county level.
A lot depeds on next weekend. Kerry have at least 4 top names to come back. Declan and Darren O’Sullivan, Marc O’Sé, and Keiran Donaghy.
If the Crokes were to lose to Castlebar next weekend you can then add Gooch, Johnny Buckley and Kieran O’Leary to that list.
That would make a a massive difference to the current Kerry team.
Have to ask what do you think of the black cards are the working Brian Cody seems to think they be no black card I seen in the independent. Wonder will cillian be back for Dublin game mayo need him now I think.
I’m pretty sure the gooch will play no part in the league whether crokes are in final or not.
I’d still expect Kerry to beat us on current form , I also think Derry are better presently than most posters are giving them credit for and I predict our last game in McHale park v Derry will be a relegation decider.
I have read elsewhere some are having a chuckle at some of our posts being so downbeat and like I always say when I’m negative about our chances , I sincerely hope I’m very wrong when I say I think we’re in trouble.
I think if Kerry get in dire straits and face relegation Gooch may well change his mind and make a league appearance.
JPM says:
February 11, 2014 at 10:09 pm
“So are you saying all those players are better than the likes of Andy Moran, Richie Feeney, Cathal Carolan, Enda Varley, Kevin McLoughlin and Michael Conroy?”
What players?
Fai enough opt2misteek , but its pukeing you will be if we dont do somthing about the forward line, i would love to see 6 forwards woring as you said but at the minute i would settle for one who could do it consistantly.