
The team we named a short while ago this evening – which is the same as the one leaked earlier today – for the Round 2 qualifier match against Down at Páirc Esler in Newry tomorrow evening (throw-in 7pm) is as follows:
Mayo (All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers Round 2 v Down, 22/6/2019): David Clarke (Ballina Stephenites); Chris Barrett (Belmullet), Brendan Harrison (Aghamore), Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis); Lee Keegan (Westport), Colm Boyle (Davitts), Paddy Durcan (Castlebar Mitchels); Diarmuid O’Connor (Ballintubber, captain), Aidan O’Shea (Breaffy); Fionn McDonagh (Westport), Jason Doherty (Burrishoole), Conor Loftus (Crossmolina); Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore), Darren Coen (Hollymount/Carramore), Andy Moran (Ballaghaderreen).
So it’s five changes from the side that was beaten narrowly by Roscommon in the Connacht semi-final last month. Into the team come David Clarke, Colm Boyle, Fionn McDonagh, Conor Loftus and Andy Moran while out go Robbie Hennelly, Michael Plunkett, the injured Mattie Ruane, Fergal Boland and Evan Regan.
While it’s an extremely experienced team – all but two of the team played a part in the 2017 All-Ireland final, while eleven of them started in that decider – it’s also one that contains a Championship debutant. Fionn McDonagh, sidelined through injury for the last four months, makes his first Championship appearance for the county at senior level tomorrow evening and the best of luck to the young Westport player.
While Fionn is finally back after injury, the wait goes on for Cillian O’Connor’s return to the fray. The Ballintubber player last appeared for the county in the qualifier defeat to Kildare at Newbridge almost a year ago. He may, of course, be on the bench at Newry and, if so, I’d say there’s a good chance he’ll make an appearance before the evening is out.
Best of luck to the lads in this do-or-die knockout clash tomorrow evening,
That team won’t start WJ
I think that’s a weaker team that we started against Roscommon. Hard to see where scores are going to come from but hope they prove me wrong.
Good strong team .. No problem with going for experienced players .. We all know its a panel of players that wins matches . As I said previously , its just about getting the win and move on .
Am happy enough with that team – if it is the team.
Loftus starting is a statement on frees. FB line lucky to be intact. Harrison will have to live in Connaire Harrison’s rear end. If he doesn’t, Eoin O’D to come in and do a job.
People will whinge about Andy starting. Don’t care where Andy surfaces, I have complete confidence in him.
It is an interesting team i am glad to see Fionn McDonagh with Conor Loftus in the team hopefully they will shine tomorrow evening and let them tear into the Down back line
Who are the subs WJ
It’s an absolute fucking disgrace that info gets leaked and the newspaper that carried the unofficial report don’t have mayo’s best interest at heart. If we want to be the best we’ve a long way to go both on and off the pitch. Don’t give me “it’s only Down”. Every game is last chance saloon now and every game should be treated like an all Ireland final, cut out this unprofessionalism.
Happy with the team though and good luck lads
Maybe not the team that I would have picked but this is all about getting back into the winners enclosure, really hope that McDonagh, Coen and Loftus shine, if 2 out of 3 do well, then likely that we will have a positive result. Might see McLoughlin switch with Loftus during the game, best of luck to the team, will be there to shout them on.
Feel he has gone with Clarke as Down won’t push up and kick outs will be shorter and probably not challenged. That is a strong enough team to account for Down, I have full confidence in this panel of players. Best of luck Mayo and all safe travel to all who make the journey!
No problem with starting with Boyle and Moran hopefully go ahead early on and push on from there. Down shouldn’t live with us if we start right. Reckon if Boyle had come on v Rossies he would have lifted the crowd and players and we would have won
I think we will win tomorrow because of our huge physicality superiority to Down . don’t like that FB line though and unless there is a change in personel there in the way we defend as a unit we will have a short summer….
Hopefully a team with that much experience prevents any early rattling and also means youth can be injected if things go well over the course of the match.
Andy a good option for high fielding, will be interesting to see how tactics develop in the match
Well for all the talk of new guys etc is Darren Coens place being forgotten?
For me he is a pure natural scorer and not a word about him.
I expect Kevin Mc to play out the field and Doc to have a far better game than his last where he appeared to get a knock.
Anyway I think Horan has made the big call for Clarke so fair play to him. Loftus for frees. And a solid experienced defence.
Lastly for the previous discussion about Keith being a sub and not able to pass the ball.
HE HAS FOUR ALL STARS……………
Get a grip.
Up Mayo
I can’t understand why Mayo doesn’t release the substitutes list. As far as I know the full team and subs has to be submitted to Croke pk on the Thursday before each game so there should be no problem releasing it to the public.
Keith Higgins is one of the most intelligent and best players ever to play for Mayo . Nobody can ever dispute that but He is not fit for one to one man marking any more. He should be allowed to use his intelligence to sweep or as a line breaker in half forwards. I think that us the point being made here….
James Carr played for Ardagh tonight, pinged frees from the ground from distance. Can’t get my head around it. Diskin and Reape played with clubs too.
Any word of the subs
Can’t understand the reaction to the naming of teams. Always changes it’s a necessary evil that needs to be performed but serves no real purpose. We get got up in the how is he starting or not starting when the team that is named is a dummy team.
Newspapers are commercial ventures and should not be cheerleaders
Would have to wonder why Carr isn’t on the panel , played well in a league final & gone again
Glad to see Clarke back and also Boyler.
But Evan and Fergal were our two best forwards in NY and Castlebar
Just looked at Mayo’s matches in the 2017 championship, 10 in all with 2 that went to extra time, I actually think those matches benefitted Mayo, only mistake made was that guys didn’t get rotated enough, ie older guys had to play in every game.
Is this correct, win this round v Down, then 8 teams go into round 3, win this round then those 4 winners play the provincial losers, could well be Meath, Cavan and Cork and of course Galway , no team to fear there, won this round and then into the Super 8’s, 3 games in Super 8’s, if successful then a semi final and if successful then a final, in total 10 games, this is if there are no replays.
This could well be a Summer, all hands will be needed.
The point REDCOL is the official team named was leaked and it’s a worry. In the 2016 all ireland replay the whole country and his dog knew Robbie was starting in goals, including Dublin it’s probably fair to say. Loose lips sink ships, enough said
Something not right , Carr , Reape and diskin none on match day panel , ffs tonight man who’s kidding who here .
I agree with Sean
I’m baffled as to why Carr isn’t on the panel and Reape and Diskin they had good leagues and in Carr’s case a good league final wouldn’t be Mayo If there wasn’t a bit of mystery attached
This is an ultra conservative selection by JH. A fearful selection against a Division 3 team. Reflects his decision making on the line vs the Rossies. Look at his back 6. Makes an example of Plunkett, who wasn’t great but there were worse than him, especially the full back line . He obviously does not have faith in the younger players. I hope we put this game to bed as early as possible but if not it could be a long evening. So much for planning for the future. Carr not even a sub.
If I’m not mistaken James Carr has yet to play a full game for Mayo, maybe his fitness levels aren’t up to championship standard yet.
@albanyend. Really? Carr destroyed the Kerry fullback line over 10 minutes after half time in League final and changed the course of the game . Not bad for an unfit young buck.
Very experienced team.
The full back line very weak, I would like to see Vaughan , Eoin o’d, coen etc. in there.
Good midfield and good to see McDonagh back in.
No logic to speculate who isn’t playing, or why.
Let’s focus on the 15 and back them.
We’ve all become very pessimistic.
The highs and lows of Mayo football.
Go to Newry, get a win. Wait for 08.35 next Monday.
Round 3 if we’re good enough.
Yes we are, Roscommon are better than the credit they got.
We still should have one.
The puzzle will be solved, the pieces fit.
very disappointed if james carr is not in panel, can anyone tell me if cillian is a sub for tomorrow
I’m baffled as to how Carr especially, and Diskin and Reape could be playing tonight.
If this is the case I would like to know the justifications for them not been on the team bus to Newry.
Carr really looked the business against kerry. I really am stumped on this one if he isn’t at least on the subs bench tomorrow and yet fit to play for his club tonight.
Something smells really wrong here.
Carr is a strange one alright but he must be coming back to full fitness. Boland can feel unlucky but hopefully he’ll get a run, providing Horan improves his in game management which since 2011 has been pretty mediocre to say the least. I’m not sure he has a back room team that he listens to, like the last time he was in charge.
At Lahanman, Keith will be ok tomorrow, there will be cover in front of him, but in the bigger arena of Croker if there is wide open space afforded to good forwards, Keith and Harrison will get ate alive on a one-on-situation.
A win tomorrow to get things back in motion.
Fair comment @Mayo13BG.
Very negative from some posters .. A win against Down and we’ll all be suckin on the hind teat and looking forward to the next round .
IF we are to progress , this panel will be well and truly tested , both young and more experienced players . Safe journey to all !!
@Dooniver Swift’s…James Carr has played very little football in the last couple of years due to injury so it wouldn’t be that surprising if his fitness levels weren’t as high as those playing regularly.
It’s a complete nonsense what you’re on about here lads , James Carr should be on that panel tomorrow , sin e .
Very experienced selection. No real problem with it – for the purposes of getting through this game, it should be good enough.
We need any kind of a win. If this selection does the job, fine.
The absence of Carr from the panel is very strange, though.
@Sean Burke…It seems James Horan and his selectors disagree with you.
Jesus Christ, probably the 3 most promising up and coming scoring forwards we have and not even one of them on the bench, the mind boggles
I do not think anyone is being made an example of here. This is a strong team in my book and it is prudent. It pays respect to the opposition, which we may not have done enough against Roscommon. Any team from here on could knock us out and therefore deserve to be treated with the utmost respect. With no disrespect to any player here, I am happy to have experienced players starting this game and hopefully pushing us on. If and when we get motoring I am all for seeing other players then. We will need the skills of our younger or less experienced players quite soon enough if we can get the ball rolling first.
Let’s hope our forwards get motoring. Andy can score and he can pull defenders away. On the other wing, Kevin Mc showed he can score goals (as he did against Monaghan at the end of the League) and we know what Darren Coen can do. We also know what Conor Loftus is capable of – we remember that Derry game in 2017. I would love to see him have an impact on the scoreboard. I also remember how brilliant he was with frees in that League game against Donegal in 2018. Good luck to Fionn and Jason too.
I think it is interesting that there are several threats here in the forwards if they are having a good day. I remember against Tipperary and against Kildare in last year’s qualifiers, those teams had a policy of shutting down Andy and Cillian (thus shutting down our scoring outlets) and then just repeatedly running strongly down our wing and going for easy points. The fact that we have potential scorers from a few places right across the forwards should stretch the Derry defence and keep them occupied. I hope so anyway. For example, Andy can made runs and his marker will want to follow him. Best of luck to all the lads.
This fitness levels lark is rubbish. If Carr was fit enough to start a national final 2 months ago then surely, if he played for his club tonight, he’s fit enough to tog for Mayo. If lads are playing club tonight it’s highly unlikely they’ll be even close to involved (travelling at best) tomorrow.
I agree with Revellino. We deserve to know. We spend money and time going to fbd, league home and away, new York and to be frank about it, to be totally in the dark as to why a player is out of a named squad( Carr v ros) in a championship match isn’t right. I’m far from saying we deserve to know secrets or close info on the team etc and I totally agree the leakage of the team today is a disgrace, I really mean that BUT as loyal, dedicated money giving supporters we should know why a player isn’t involved. I do t believe he was injured v ros. Horan never named him and listing players on the recovery list and a poster on here a week ago said there was good reason as to why Carr wasn’t involved…again it suggests he wasn’t injured. I accept that sometimes personal life circumstances intervene and if that’s the case just say so and give the player space but, so much of us care sincerely about the Mayo team. It plays a big part in our lives (whether that’s a good thing or not!). It’s the not knowing that gets ya!
Anyway, thank God game day is nearly here. Onward to Newry.
Up Mayo. Bring your colours and shout loud.
@albanyend. But Carr is fit to play for his club Ardagh tonight and by all accounts, scoring. Meanwhile Kevin Mc who did not score against Kerry even though he played the full game and was poor against the Rossies and Jason D was also poor against the Rossies and yet both are selected. A forwards job is to score. If Carr Reape and Diskin, proven scorers all, are not on the panel against a 3rd division team, when will they get a chance. So much for looking to the future. A fearful selection. It seems some players are undroppable.
If Carr is fit Swallow Swoops, then Mayo do not have their best team on the pitch.
I’m an admirer of carr but doesn’t it say a lot that so many are up in arms because of his absence (regardless for the reason). It tells you how starved we are and have been for natural finishers. Inside forwards with strength, positioning skill and ability to score. We’ve have everything else in abundance but little or no finishers. Something wrong in the Mayo development….another thing, in fact a MAJOR thing for those running the Mayo Way to rectify.
Looking at Horan’s team selection it seems to me if you play well you could be dropped for the next match. Just hope it’s a win. If not many question to be anaswered by management.
Conservative selection and one that shows some desperation.
I assume Cillian is on the bench and will make an appearance? If not, I’ll be disappointed.
Your spot on Mayonaze.
We don’t need state secrets but we do deserve to know who is on or off the panel and if additions / omissions are fitness related, talent related or for some other reason.
We don’t need to know the reason if it’s non football, but it certainly does dull the enthusiasm when we are looking forward to see some bright new talent playing for us and they are not included in the team, and no information as to why.
I wish the team and managment the best of luck but I would plead with whoever the information officer or whoever deals with the information side of things, quit treating the football mad best in the country mayo fans like gobshites.
Every Mayo fan deserves to know who’s in and who’s out and a general reasoning as to why.
Following Mayo is begining to feel like following a masked shadow.
@Dooniver Swift’s….I think it’s a bit of an exaggeration to call them proven scorers..Reape scored something like 1-2 in the entire league, I don’t think Diskin scored at all and Carr scored 4 points in his 3 appearances for Mayo .
For goodness sake, ladies and gentlemen, there is nothing wrong with that team. Why do we need to cause fuss the evening before a game with a perfectly reasonable team (although point taken, Revellino, re James Carr, who although excellent, is still simply one player)? Quite frankly, I cannot handle the constant generating of drama – who needs crazy journalists to stir up our emotions, when we quite easily do it ourselves?
It is maybe unusual that James isn’t on the panel. But again – do we need to cause fuss about that just now? We will have some time to process that information over the next few weeks. Or maybe we will see him before then. I am pleased that those forwards can score. We also have Ciaran Treacy who can do so. Let us just put our best foot forward tomorrow and be smarter – put the ball over the bar instead of hitting too many wides, keep the defence tight and win at midfield for starters. If we do those things, and the management has prepared the team correctly, that should bring us a long way to our aim. Let’s go for it!
I’m normally positive but I’m with others on this.something doesn’t feel right. As far as I’m concerned if Cillian is not in the match day panel tomorrow unrest is true. This is all dulling my enthusiasm for tomorrow.
Swallow Swoops.
“Process over the next few weeks” ?
The game is less than a day away.
Speculation is borne out of non information.
Fair play to WJ. He puts up every last bit of verified information that is out there.
It’s a disgrace that he has to wait half a day to put up the 15, a half a day after it has been leaked.
People travelling the length of the country tomorrow and not a clue who is on the subs bench.
It’s a joke and a disgrace.
Surely the team is picked base on their
performance in training over the last month
Can the journalists from our local newspapers and radio station not just request the subs list from the county board. It’s hardly a state secret.
Sean Ross – No that can’t be it, there must be something more sinister at play here!
6 players over 30 and 2 players close to 30 starting…I don’t know lads. We saw what happened on a warm eve vs a kildare team with legs…going to be lots of running tomorrow and I think maybe 2 or 3 younger lads needed. Cannot believe the 3 lads mentioned played with their clubs tonight…unbelievable. It seems not much has been learned and blend of youth and experience not being fully utilised…mcdonagh the only new face really. Was very disappointed with management vs ros so let’s hope quicker changes if it doesn’t work out tomorrow and fresh legs will be brought in when needed
We’ll see the subs list at the game tomorrow. It’s hardly disgraceful that we have to wait until then. Down haven’t even named a team yet!
Also, I disagree that if a player is absent for disciplinary reasons that it needs to be broadcast across the media.
@Sean Ross.
How would we know how it’s picked ? We are told nothing.
Why shouldn’t the team have been given to WJ to announce ?
This is where the Mayo fans come for their information.
The Blog has done more for football fans than any paper has and has done so with respect.to managment teams and fans.
The team announcements in future should be given to WJ to put up and not to some paper that’s willing to print up a leak.
@Revellino,
I totally agree,Would hate to think there issues in
the camp before such an important match,
I don’t know anything about what goes on in the Mayo camp, but if a guy or guys don’t want to play anymore, or if they feel they need a break so what, plenty of young guys waiting for that chance.
Not bothered at all about Carr omission because management see these guys week in week out in training and know more than we do. Also don’t agree with our right to know logic behind such decisions. As for subs list we haven’t had them with starting team for a long time now and hasn’t changed. Not sure the logic as shouldn’t need to be a state secret but that seems to be the way of it.
@Wide ball.
If I travel to Dublin to a concert I tend to like to know who’s playing before I go.
Your right about disciplinary issues not been broadcast.
We should be told the either
a) player injury
b) player unfit
And if it’s neither of those we know, it’s the other reason. Wink wink.
Revellino, in my last post I tried to say that James is an excellent player and it is unusual that he is not playing. But I said that he is only one player. It is not the end the world and we do not have access to all the information. There are other players who are very very good too and I am satisfied that they can score, which is what we want forwards to do.
…on my point “process over the next few weeks”, I said also that we might see him before then. We do not need to get into a spin about one player now. Neither do I believe we have a God-given right to know why a manager selects or does not select a player for a particular match. (As regards Cillian, I wonder how well his injury is clearing up – the Mayo News article two weeks ago said he had another procedure so we do not know how fit he actually is to play. There is printed (in that newspaper) reason to infer that he may not be perfectly fit yet.
I honestly cannot agree with you that we, as supporters have a right to know who is on the subs bench before the game is thrown in. If people are travelling the length and breath of the country to attend the match they are doing so (i) to support the team and (ii) to watch Mayo play.
In my view, we/they have no God-given entitlement to know who is on the subs bench before the match. It is a privilege to be a Mayo supporter and we are not here waiting to have things run by us or be verified with us. We are going to be there to watch the team play. The team will play whether we are there or not. Their job is to fulfill the fixture and get through to the next round.
As another poster above said, and I have checked on the DownGAA Twitter account and their website, the Down team playing tomorrow has not been posted yet. (And their hurling team playing in the Christy Ring final tomorrow in Croke Park was named just 24 hours ahead of the fixture, and that for an important national game).
Dare I say it, our job as supporters is to support.
But I accept that your view may differ from mine on some of those points.
I often wonder what is the point of keeping subs list secret since it must be notified to Croke Park by Thursday. Is there an expectation that it cannot leak from Croke Park to opponents? That would be a naive expectation. A subs list has to got to the programme printers a few days in advance too – is that the same list which goes to Croke Park? So often we see players not listed on the programme being introduced to the game. What is the point of a programme or a list being sent to Croke Park?
I am surprised that Carr, Reape and Diskin were released to their clubs. It leaves me wondering who are the forward subs. And seeing Cillian still not named to start leaves me wondering about his longterm future. So often an apparently “minor” injury turns out to be career ending. Witness Galway’s Michael Meehan.
I think pound for pound keith is the best mayo player ever to pull on the jersey
Tomorrow is a big day for mayo football.
Mayo by 4 after an almighy struggle
James Horan has said he picks players based on how well they are performing in training. I don’t believe that is actually the case at all. Its a fairly rigid and simplistic approach that might simply be put out for the benefit of the public. But we all know there is much more to it than that – experience, big-game temperament, leadership etc. We have all seen lads who might be brilliant at training who disappear on match day for some reason or other. So James has gone for experience at the back with Fionn McDonagh and Darren Coen the only newish names in the forwards. Let’s see what happens.
Unrest in the camp? There’s always going to be some unrest in any camp. Generally, the15 starters are happy – the subs are disappointed not to be starting and the rest of the panel are pissed off at not being included. Throw in a painful loss that should not have been allowed to happen and a few ‘strong’ personalities ( including JH himself) and there you have it. So nothing too unusual there and not much to be gained by speculation about it.
Like a lot of others, I was happy enough to see James Horan back as manager. But what is important to remember is that the job of managing this group of players is totally different to managing them in 2011. Imposing discipline, rigour and a sense of belief was what was required then. What’s needed today is different and far more subtle and complex. My only worry is that the skills and approach that James brought to the team in 2011 may not be what is required in 2019.
In any case the result today is all that matters for now.
Jesus Christ Im starting to think this blog is doing more harm for Mayo football than good. I dont mean any disrespect to the creator and moderator when I say that. The night before a game you have a good contributor here saying, if Cillian isn’t on the bench then rumours of unrest are true. Ffs come on ppl, I must a forgotten that Mayo hold open training sessions and everybody here attends 3/4 nights a week, and saw Reape/Carr /Diskin scoring 10-59 each in the training games. Could it be that maybe they arent sharp enough for this game? Could it be that maybe a few knocks were picked up since ross game and their working their way back to fitness?. Nobody knows only managment. In the case of Diskin, I feel hes a bit raw yet, a super talent no doubt, but a bit raw. Reape has great potential, but again hasnt done much in the league when you look at it. Carr scored one point against the 5 in a row chasing New York!!!! Maybe just maybe James Horan knows a little bit more about football than all the experts on here.
Finally, we have no divine right to know every little detail of what our senior team do. Subs will be announced when we get the programme. Its none of our business, why players are in or out. Im sure they are full aware of the reasons, thats all that matters. I see a bit of the “we’re the best fans in the country” tripe on this thread, have to say ya wouldn’t think it reading the comments.
Mayo by 4.
Swallow Swoops.
Your correct in what you say. I’ll requalify what maybe I should have said. I’ll say what I would like.
I would like to know who the subs are for Saturdays game. Don’t worry, I’m not including you in this. But I would like to know. I don’t know why. If the subs are used like we used subs in the Roscommon game then it pretty much won’t matter who is on the bench. They will be on their backsides watching the match just like everyone else.
I would also like to know who is injured and who is been left out because they are not deemed up to the job. Dont worry here either. Im using “I” again. I like to know this because I have a great interest in how players are developing and improving.
Maybe I am looking for too much information.
You are correct. There is no obligation on anybody to let me know this.
At least I know I will be well informed, well in advance, about ticket prices and ticket hikes. This is always well communicated funnily enough.
Your correct. James Carr is only one player.
I would like to know if he is fit.
I would like to know if he is an important part of James Horan’s plans.
Swallow Swoops. I have an inquisitive mind. I love to know how and why things work the way they do.
If I don’t know something I try and educate myself so I learn what I didn’t know. Maybe I’m too inquisitive.
I’m not making small any of your points. I don’t care if Down don’t name their team until 3 hours after the match finishes. I don’t care how Down or when Down announce their team. I have no interest in the Down team except that we play them later today.
I do have an interest in the Mayo team.
Does, who is picked to play or who is or isn’t making the bench affect how I look forward to a fixture or the teams season ahead.
Definately.
I want to see the best mayo players and the best mayo subs take the field. Every time.
If it’s not the best players who are on the pitch, I would like to know why.
I don’t believe there is anything wrong with wanting to know why a player, who shone when he played earlier in the season, seemingly played for his club the night before this do or die game.
I’ll always have questions and have never blindly followed anything in my life. It’s no difference with Mayo.
I want to know everything now.
There is no use kicking the barn door once the horse has bolted up the road.
Jesus Christ lads, the self importance and windmilling going on here is unbelievable.
Nobody on here knows what’s going on in the camp, how lads are going in training, so i can’t see how people can be calling things disgraceful with regards team selection.
Sure it’s disappointing that Reape, Carr and Diskin are off the 26 this week, but a bit of perspective is badly needed. They scored 1-4 between the three of them in the league across multiple games, you’d swear these lads are all stars the way people are wailing on. It’s a classic symptom of some on here, the lads not on the team are built up to high heaven. We had folks agitating for Mikey Murray to start against Down, the lad having not had a sniff of intercounty football before. Do people not realize the step up involved, or how good our starting players are ?
The teams are sent to Croke Park on a Thursday. They are immediately forwarded on to the other team, including the subs. That’s how it works, one of my old friends from college is high up in the Wexford County Board, it’s the same for hurling. You can of course make late changes up to 30 mins before throw in, as we all know, so these named teams aren’t even of significant value. If a manager wants to spring a surprise, they can name a dummy team.
If a newspaper or any other media source obtains the team, they’re well within their rights to run a story on it. They get these sources through hard journalistic work and they should be free to publish stuff that comes from trusted channels. It’s not their obligation to keep things under wraps, if someone wants something kept secret then that’s their lookout. In any event, this whole notion of the teams being a secret is a cod, given the other team has them as soon as they go to HQ (and we have theirs).
@Revellino – your comparison with a concert is ludicrous. Aside from the fact that competitive team sporting events are completely different to artistic shows, the simple rebuttal is that you know WHAT you’re going to in both sport and concerts. You go to Mayo v Down in the same way you’d be going to see U2 or Springsteen. You don’t know what songs they’ll sing, and people would laugh at you if you said you were entitled to the setlist before deciding whether to go. Not remotely analagous.
If anyone honestly wants to claim that they would base their decision on whether or not to attend a game to support Mayo based on who gets picked or who is on the bench, I don’t think anything more needs to be said about that person.
@Rasta Joe. I have been to see U2 8 times and I have known the set list each time before the concerts.
The tone here now has gone very aggressive!
When a photo is shared of the programme we’ll see the subs.
I really don’t think JH has to answer to the regular and generally very balanced and clearly very passionate Mayo fans. He isn’t José who used to give pathetic press conferences.
He must have selected a team on merit and let’s go with that.
Just because we may have 3 good young forwards doesn’t mean they have to start. Has anyone here been at all the training sessions since the Ros game? Didn’t think so.
So again, let’s get behind the team and support them.
Anyone know the best place to park in Newry? Traveling from Dublin and don’t mind a long walk to the ground.
2 shopping centres mentioned somewhere. If think the charge but if easy access in and out it’s worth it.
Follow this Blog a lot as there is nothing more I enjoy, like the rest of you, than to see Mayo win football matches and hopefully some day reach the Holy Grail. However some of the negative and derogatory comments towards any of the management or players is down right discracefull. It’s trype like this that gives the likes of Joe Brolly ammunition to belittle us on his access to a far more popular national platform. I think it’s time some of ye refrained from singling out individuals who also have the same agenda as we do. Lets enjoy it for what it is ” A Game Of Football ” and like the Star did for Kerry do the talking on the pitch and tell Brolly where to go. Good luck to Mayo today to both management and whichever players are fortunate enough to get playing time. I certainly will be behind them and hopefully they get what they deserve. Mayo Abu
Its finally game day. It’s been a long month since the ros game. That may explain the agitation of some of the supporters on here. We just have to have faith in whatever team that Horan picks. He knows best. Good to see Clarke back between the sticks. He brings a cool reliable head to proceedings. Ruane is a big loss but Diarmuid was flying in midfield for some games last year. The performance in the kildare game stands out. Hes more than capable. It will be an interesting game but Mayo should be too strong youd think. Mayo by 5.
Just reviewing the comment posted overnight. I don’t ever recall such a tone being set by people the night before a game. Is this is in any way reflective of the team’s mindset – and, to be clear, I’m not saying this is the case – then we’re really in trouble.
I’ve often wondered (and still do) if that thought you’ve raised, Mayo Dunphy, is true, i.e. is the blog a positive or negative relating to the team? It’s at times likes this and reviewing comments like those posted overnight that this thought confronts me more and more.
It’s all very simple – the match is on later today and the team needs all the support they can get. What they don’t need is some of the commentary posted here over the last twelve hours or so.
It’s Mayo day today… come on all you Mayo men and women and children… let’s get going and trust our team will give it all they have. Maigheo go deo
I think the pressure is getting to people on here. Mayo didnt go through the front door and thats becoming the norm and fans sense the decline hence the microscopic focus on naming the subs , playing inexperienced forwards due to loss of confidence in the likes of Andy Moran and McLoughlin. I believe they can still do the job with more composure in front of the posts. If Mayo could get their wides down and averages up the belief will return. Enjoy the match I expect Mayo will will but will be interested in wides total .
Yeah. What Rasta Joe said.
This is all getting a bit silly now. Revellino, would you have demanded a refund had U2 not played the set list as laid out beforehand?
It wouldn’t kill Mayo GAA or lend our opponents an advantage if the subs bench were named. It would be a nice thing to know and would provide another facet for discussion. But it’s completely the prerogative of Mayo GAA not to release it if they choose not to. We have no right to demand it nor should we be throwing toys out of the pram because we don’t have it. We’ll know it soon enough. If that’s a problem for you then you have little for worrying about.
As for demanding to know why Carr, Reape, Tracey, Diskin et al aren’t starting/on the panel, that is noseyness, pure and simple. The management team have been entrusted to make such decisions, let them do their jobs.
Safe travels to all!
@Revellino – fair play, you’ve managed to miss the point completely
Good post Rasta. Let’s hope that whatever discord there is in the Mayo camp isn’t anything like as bad as the fractiousness and hostility we’ve seen in this thread! I’m off to Newry and I’m hoping, for once, for an easy ride. But this is Mayo, and after following them all over the country back in ’17 I know we’ll probably have plenty arseclenching to do before the day is out! See ye there!
Good god after waking up early and reading several of the comments on here iI’m not only feeling depressed but the pre excitment before the game that i usually experience when reading the blog has been completely sucked out of me!! As they say in life stay away from anything negative or toxic so for now I’m going to stop reading the rest of the comments and log out. Best of luck to the team & management and here’s hoping the lads get the result we all need. I thnk the Roscommon game was just a bleep. Maigheo Abu
I don’t hear Jim Gavin giving any details before a game as to why player X or Y is playing and player Z is not starting. Do we want Horan giving press conferences two days before a game explaining his team selection to the assembled media and they then making another story up about us. We are in the media enough without adding to it
Really looking forward to this game, think we have selected the correct 15 starters for this particular game but vital we play 20/21 players throughout, hard to get all our good players into a match day 26. It’s all about demonstrating the right attitude and tone today both on the field and on the sideline today. Up Mayo
Woohoo game day. Missing game as travelling but will be tuned in on route.
Confident team will get job done have more than enough ability. Whatever subs come on great hope some newer lads get time.
My biggest bone of contention regards the 3 players mentioned with their clubs this week is the lack of respect for club players. Teams in Ardaghs group knockmore, Westport and Achill now 2 games behind rest of groups in junior championship to accommodate 1 player involved county set up. Who it seems is not currently involved and was witj his club this weekend despite all that clubs championship game been moved to accommodate his involvement with county.
Hard for lads training in winter to see this when stuck doing nout game wise during summer.
Maybe the team wasnt announced because he wanted to minimise the length of time before the game that the absolute shite talk would be rampant.
Wow.
I stopped listening to Revellino when he said he’s paid to see Bono 8 times. Wonder did he see them in Ballina all those years ago? It’s like that old joke, why did Bono “fall” off the stage – because he was in Ballina!
He Still Hasn’t Found What He’s Looking For… the matchday 26!
I’ve been told James Carr wasn’t playing at all last night and the report on him scoring long range frees was rubbish it was Ardagh number nine who scored them .
Is there people going out of their way to tell lies or have I been fed lies , which is true . Anyone from ardagh on here , I’d really love to clear this up and is there a Brendan Carr plays for them also and was it a mix up ?
Ah, funny Ultair.
No I didn’t see U2 in Ballina Our time has come. I did see the Saw Doctors in it one time at the Salmon festival.
That might sound more like it @ Sean Burke.
If he is out through injury I hope he is back fit and well soon.
Can’t be arsed writing anything as I’m on holiday, but agree with Mayo Dunphy, need to chill out, management pick teams and we support, starting to sound like English supporters