Well, that’s it, then. After the worst All-Ireland final in at least a decade – the original ‘puke football’ one of 2003 was probably the last time a contest of such awfulness occurred on football’s biggest day of the year – Sam is heading to Kerry for the 37th time. And if The Sunday Game tonight is anything to go by, the new All-Ireland champions won’t have to put up with any accusations of cynical play or a win-at-all-costs attitude ringing in their ears either. That’s what comes with being the game’s aristocrats, I guess.
I’m not going to dwell at any length here on today’s final – it’s too late and I don’t really have the heart for it. You all saw the match in all its dreadfulness so there’s no real need to elaborate any further on it. Like many others, thoughts about what might have been were at the forefront of my mind today as the decider played out but none of this wishful thinking can, I know, do anything to alter its outcome.
What it should do, though, is to reinforce our determination to seal the deal ourselves in 2015. We’ve now had three years of near misses, three championship campaigns which could easily have turned out differently. But they didn’t and our long wait has become ever longer.
It’s obviously the case that the appointment of Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes to lead our hunt for glory was a more important event for us this weekend than the All-Ireland final. True, the timing was odd and the County Board’s inability to keep a lid on the story showed an almost charming lack of cop-on about how news filters out so rapidly in this day and age. The entire process, in fact, left a fair bit to be desired but that’s all done now. Noel and Pat have been handed the reins and they deserve our full and unstinting support as they start to prepare their plans for next year.
Like those of us who sit on the outside looking in, the two lads will have seen today’s awful fare and they’ll know full well that the county team they’ve been given charge of is more than capable of beating that kind of talent in 2015. They won’t be coming in feeling sorry for themselves either and, as we turn our faces towards next year, neither should those who support the team.
If there’s one thing we should take, then, from today’s truly dire decider it’s a resolve that this time next year we’ll be back there and that on the biggest stage we’ll finally produce the kind of performance that will seal our deliverance. Everything we do between this and then should be with this aim in mind.
Roll on 2015. Up Mayo.
It’s over. Done, dusted. Time for us to move on, look towards 2015 and take our destiny into our own hands. Maigh Eo Abú.
2015 starts here and now!
That was poor alright! Anyway it’s done now so a time to think about the year ahead for us. Your poll WJ resulted in vast majority for Mcstay, yet Connelly/Holmes got the job. I’m curious to see what supporters expectations are for 2015…
Also, given that Mayo are a top 4 team and McStay was a candidate, I was surprised he didn’t get asked about it tonight on tsg.
Mister Mayor,
You should know by now that those in position anywhere in Ireland do not ask each other REALLY embarrassing or awkward questions. Thus no question tonight on the Sunday Game. Or any question as to how Aiden O;Shea was ignored when they came to pick their team of the year.
And there will be no serious questions asked as to how the news of the Connelly/Holmes appointment was leaked well before any official announcement. That would be as hard to figure out as a GSOC leak.
Anyway, as I said previously a Kerry win allows our players to go to bed knowing that they are the best football team in the country in 2014 although it will be cold comfort for them as well as us their supporters. But it should encourage and re energise them for 2015.
Some of us have local championship issues to entertain and distract us for another while at least. Otherwise it’s a long wait until FBD kicks off in the New Year. We can but wait.
The mayo news should make an interesting read this week, particularly McStay’s column. Will he share his thoughts on the process which yielded the new management team.
As i sat though yesterday’s pukefest of dour football, my mind wandered back to the great 1980’s gangster movie “the untouchables”. In this classic, you have kevin costner playing elliot ness, the bureau of prohibition agent and sean connery as the irish american not for turning cop, jimmy malone. One of the great quotes from this film relates to a conversation between the two when Ness says he wants to get Capone and maloney responsed by saying “You wanna know how to get Capone? They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue”
Looking back on all the previous teams and tormentors of mayo; Dave Barry, Denny Allen, Trevor Giles, John McDermott, Maurice Fitz, Dara O Se, Colm Cooper, Kieran Donaghy, Micheal Murphy, Bernard Brogan, Diarmuid Connely, James O Donoughe…….we never pulled a gun or sent any of them to the morgue.
Kerry did what they needed to win yesterday, and all year. The moral high ground is occupied with losers and the winners never have a case to answer, history is always kinder to them.
Tomas O Se spoke about “hitting a hammer with a hammer” after the replayed game and he may well have patented this phase but the catchphrase of the year came from John Giles during the world cup when he questioned players would “kill their grannies”. For too long mayo were see as a nice team to play, now there is steal in the team. But we need more, we need to get the retaliation in first, have the courage to shut down a game, turn it into an ugly entity. We need to win.
Shane Enright has a celtic cross in the pocket this morning, he crossed the line and has his rewards. Should one of our guys have crossed the line with Moran, O’ Donoghue or Donaghy ? Would we all be gleeming today and making our way to McHale park for the mother of homecomings.
Galway whing about the 12 apostles, Mchale whines abouts McEnnaney, Gary Kirby about his sore hand but Dublin, Meath and Wexford celebrated.
In a way im glad Donegal lost .And it’s not because I’m a Kerry fan but hopefully this awful anti football will go away now and more Mayo style of football will become the norm.
It was sickening to watch Donnaghy mouthing off after the game even though he was having a go at Brolly! It was worse having to listen to Spillane on about breeding on the Sunday game knowing we should have being there ourselves.
Anyway water under the bridge and all that , all we can do now is go out and support our lads and our new management team and go for it next in the knowledge that we were the best in 2014.
COME ON MAYO!
no we shouldn’t have crossed the line coz if we did we’d have been caught and hammered. The GAA loves Kerry and much like Man United back in the day they can do what the fuck they like.
As I said to someone at the match yesterday when Kerry got a 45 that wasn’t when they said “how was that a 45”, because the Kerry player asked for it. Thats how ridiculous this whole thing has gone now almost
Since i have being following football back in 96 that is the worst kerry team i have ever seen win an All Ireland. I think a lot of mayo supporters will look at this one and really see a missed opportunity. If we were playing yesterday which we were very close to being then there is no doubt we would be celebrating. I thought about it last nite and thought if i was a player that might get my passion back for 2015 fingers crossed it will. Yesterday was though watching as a Mayo supporter. Poor game overall a lot of simple mistakes made and if you think about it Kerry missed a lot of wides and still won by 3 you wonder how cold Dublin were in the semi v Donegal . Anyway tis time to look to the future lads and lassies..
Time to get over the missed opportunities.
In fairness the team all year had missed opportunities. Back in the League we let it slip against Dublin and Derry both times failing to close out the match. We did manage to close out the match against Ros but only after they went for goal instead of taking a point for a draw. And we let it slip again against Kerry when we were 5 points up the first day and unfortunately we let them back into it after we had scored the early 2 goals the second day.
Overall I think the team looked jaded this year when compared to 2012. And we still should have got to another All Ireland final.
Bottom line is that the front entire running players deserve a lot of rest time and as James Horan said the new management team should be looking at the semi finals to see what talent is available.
Bring on these new guys with the existing second team for the FBD and the early rounds of the League. Introduce the main guys back slowly with the intention of beginning to peaking once more from June onwards.
Well it’s a quiet day in donegal today, definite disappointment but great pride in the team and management. I’m trying to block out all the predictable guff about real football winning out in the end. Obviously it was a crap match for any neutral. Both teams set up similarly, both teams missed countless score chances. Bad and all as we played yesterday we could easily have been on the other end of the result… hitting the post in the dying seconds, the ref not giving us a definite 45 after o’connor’s miss, Durcan gifting Donaghey his goal. I can analyse it all I want, the simple fact is that we didn’t perform and made too many uncharacteristic mistakes. Kerry won, that’s all that really matters now and congratulations to them.
Whatever about the manner of their appointment I hope the new Mayo set up can bring something fresh next year and give you some more great days. Roll on 2015.
What really galled me was Spillane on the Sunday Game gushing over how Kerry practically had the A – Z of plans and contingency plans to win yesterday! It was incredible that this wasn’t challenged!! I’ve never heard such nonsense. Donegal were a hairsbreadth away from scoring an equalising goal in the dying seconds for goodness sake.
I’d agree that we have to now move on, although a bit of healthy venting was needed.
Roll on 2015 for sure, it may bring more joy for us than we think possible right now. Our best days may not be too far ahead….
Keep the Faith.
Couldn’t agree with you more Liberal, Spillane actually makes me nauseous. Such tripe I never heard. Kerry were a kick of the ball or a rub of the green away from not winning that match. Kerry played the type of football which, had it been an ulster team, would have been lambasted as nothing other than puke. And as for the argument that Kerry only did what they had to do to beat us, fair enough, but they cannot on the other hand still hold themselves up as the purists who only play the Kerry way. Call a spade a spade Spillane. Sure if you’re going to go down the needs must line of argument, Donegal only play the way we play because that’s what we have to do to progress against other Ulster teams.
I’m actually surprised how much I’m looking forward to next year already whatever it brings. Hopefully good things for both our counties.
It was very hard to listen to Spillane. All the best to the new management team.
Spillane is a bit of an amadawn,he was foaming at the mouth when he was talking sbout all Kerry’s plans. They were luck it Durkan handed them a goal and that McFadden hit the upright and not the net. That’s not planning, it’s luck. Sometimes you get it, sometimes not. Mayo shouldn’t have needed luck, for 2015 I would like to see them start protecting a lead when the game is win and do it however they need to. And if they are not given a fair crack by a referee I really hope that since our county board are too afraid to speak up, that Noel Connelly has the courage to say what needs to be said and have his team back him up on and off the pitch. Become a pain in the hole for the idiots running the gaa, refuse, point blank to be f——d around like we were in August, and be prepared to walk away if we have to.
On players, who will be brought in?
Well that’s that another season over. Worst final I have seen in a while. Fitzmaurice is a great tactician I will give him that, they played Donegal at their own game but it makes for a terrible game of football.
What’s that saying…’looking through rose coloured glasses’?? it springs to mind when you listen to Spillane on the Sunday Game.
And don’t get me started on that other eejit who thought the black card was a success??? HA! What the hell was he watching all year!!
Anywho now we must look to next year. We’ll be back out again before we know it. Must start booking my days off at work!! Maigh Eo Abú!! 🙂
Pure hypocrisy from Spillane last night. Can imagine how different his analysis would be if yesterday was an Ulster final with packed defences, cynical play and atrocious shooting. He had a go at Armagh for playing their best forward Jamie Clarke in a withdrawn role but no mention of Kerry’s superstar James O’Donohue not getting within as asses roar of the goal posts. Don’t think that’s bred into them down there.
Another Football Year Over. Kerry are champions They had the belief. Mayo are saying the same things as most years. We missed an opportunity. .We don’t have the belief..But we have the eternal hope of next year! Dublin will be very strong next year and Kerry close to them. It’s hard to look beyond those two for Sam. Galway and Roscommon will improve in connaught with the tribesmen a good bet to land the nestor cup. An all Ireland QF would be a good achievement for Mayo under new management giving the players psychological and physical rest they need. Even relaxation from division one this year might be no harm. 2016 will be the year for the push for Sam with a renewed energy in the team and a few new players to make a difference. Good luck to the new management team and here’s to a restful winter for all.