Morning all. Another day has dawned – a nice enough one too by the looks of it – and despite yesterday’s second half drama we’re still in this year’s championship, one of only eight counties who can say that at this stage.
I’ve no time, due to other commitments, to do a trawl through the match reports and all that today. And neither do you because you’ve got your tickets for next Saturday to get sorted and they need sorting today.
As I predicted in advance earlier in the week, there’s set to be the mother and father of a scramble for tickets for Saturday. We’re in action on the double – with the Junior All-Ireland final against Kerry at 2pm ahead of our All-Ireland SFC quarter-final against Tyrone at four – and once our day’s business is done, Dublin and Donegal are then on at six.
Croke Park is set to be full to the rafters and so tickets will be a precious commodity. Season ticket holders will NOT be able to avail of the Bring a Friend for this one and while some tickets will go on general sale – online and through the usual retail outlets – at nine this morning, they’re bound to be snapped up rapidly. There will, of course, be further tickets distributed via the clubs but these will also be limited in number.
The bottom line is that if you want to be there next Saturday, you need to get your posterior into gear this morning to do what you can to make this happen. The lads are going to need support like never before next Saturday so the more of us there to roar them on, the better.
Once you’re sorted on the ticket front, don’t forget the MOTM poll, which will remain open all day. Back later on this evening with the result on that one.
Would ther e be tickets on sale in the super values this morning does anyone know?
SuperValu and Centra as well as online as far as I know, Richie.
Tickets not on line yet..
In the scratcher reading this. Best make a move!!!.
Go on mayo
Anyone know what time tickets are for sale online? Thought it was 9am…
No sign of the tickets online yet.
Got the tickets for the 5 of us on tickets.ie. Logged in just before 9 and was queued on a timer. Straight in and got tickets when the timer timed down.
A lot less painful than the scramble was last year – they seemed to have beefed up their servers/system in anticipation.
yeah tickets are there now but there’s a long queue now.
Yeah, just got the tickets there. System is far better than last year in fairness.
Q is over an hour:/
SuperValu a better option. Wife got them in five minutes.
Against Dublin in the League we attended in the firm belief that a ten point thrashing or more was on the cards.We got the best performance of the campaign that evening even though we had a hotch potch of a selection out. Yesterday we got some of the things some had anticipated ….a reawakening for a period of the game on the part of Mayo and a very creditable show from WM who showed fair metal v the Champs in Leinster Final.By the sound of things we re in for another right masochistic thrashing next weekend so I’d advise people not to be spending too much of their hard earned money on tickets to witness this imminent massacre!!
I was waiting for tickets via Gaa.ie (which are still not listed) instead of tickets.ie and now am in an hour long queue, unlikely to get tickets.
If anyone has one spare ticket going I’d really appreciate it!
Got up early this morning and all but stupidly was on the wrong site!! AHHH!!!
Tickets in Super Value. No need for hour long wait online
I have 2 spare upper Cusack for anyone that needs them. Let me know.
In the queue waiting for tickets now, don’t suppose anyone know’s if they’rell be an extra (later) train returning from Dublin after the game?
Tickets for Cusack ran out on line but presume there will be more later. At moment only Hill and Hogan on line, not great if you have U16 Mayo suupporters. Hopefully another batch will appear but website saying if your number is over 2500 in queue you may not get tickets this morning
In Q early this morning Q, waiting for it to open. Tickets got and now the wait begins for next Saturday.
I do think the team have more offer – but will have wait and see!!
Hon Mayo!
Won’t be making this trip now myself it seems so best of luck with the tickets and the logistics of the whole thing.
Tyrone are hard to beat anyday and an August day in Croker harder still. Mickey Harte always brings a very well prepared and drilled side to the all Ireland series and this year, for the first one in a few, they look better than they have in a long time. That said, I still point to their Ulster final performance and how it took them 78 mins of football and fourteen wides to account for Donegal who are a shadow of their former selves, a top six or eight team according to one of their own during the week.
I genuinely feel Mayo can beat Tyrone on Saturday. We have a better squad and some momentum too. We’re far from the finished product but we don’t need to be in a quarter final……we just need to be good enough on the day to win. I’m sure not living in a haze of how wonderful we are and that all’s well in every aspect of play because it simply isn’t. The real belief comes from us being in a quarter yet not being near our best and still knowing how much room their is for improvement.
Stevie’s winnin matches, Stevie’s winnin games…
Just watched the game on sky. Mayo definitely have a lot more to give.
Class act imo. Watch out Tyrone.
My one concern would be how they deal with the Tyrone runners through the middle. Handle that and I will be confident.
The unnecessary ticket scramble again! Despite falling attendances and presumably less gate receipts, the saddle bags in HQ are obviously well and truly laden down – option 1 put almost full houses in over the two days with Mayo Tyrone on Sunday and get 150,000 or option 2 as decided by the all knowing hierarchy and get 135,000 people in at best. Ah hell pick option 2 and lets not be worried about that extra €375,000 that would be generated (15,000 punters @ €25 each on average). Sure what would we be spending it on anyway – player welfare funds and all that sort of jumped up nonsense!!!
We have progressed to where we need to be by only playing at a fraction of our potential. One big performance and who knows. 3-15, a seven point win, a sluggish second half and we should have a stronger team next Saturday. We should be well up for the strongest opposition we have had to face.
Waited 90 mins online… Managed to get a hill ticket. Would only allow me buy one! Mental system
there is a hurling semi on the Sunday for those suggesting the games be put over 2 days! I’m sure Tyrone people probably had travel and hotel arrangements made for the Saturday game too so that would be unfair on them!
just got cusack lower now more available and not long in the Q
Phew!! Eventually got 3 tickets for the lower cucack. Anyone having trouble, just keep trying as it was telling me for about an hour that there were only hill tickets left.
Do most people on here think Mickey Harte will be focusing on our first half or second half when he prepares for Saturdays game?
Do you think he’ll focus on the fact that the player who got man of the match did so on his first half performance alone and that this player is finding form at the right time?
Do you think he’ll note that despite missing the teams best player in Diarmuid for the whole game, our #1 midfielder in Tom and All Star corner back in Barrett for the majority of the game, we still won.
I guarantee you Mr Harte is a very astute man and he knows when he’s reading the Mayo obituaries in the morning papers that the balance of power has shifted to Mr Rochford.
Good man Liam. I only wish I could be so succinct and clear. Spot on.
A big thanks to the mayo woman who got my phone I left it on the seat yesterday Cusack stand lower row 305 pp when I got back to the seat there she was with the phone waiting for me thank you very much back again next week to do it all over again hope everyone got home safe I honestly don’t fear Tyrone they only beet Donegal by 2 points in the last 2 min of the six minutes add on now they say Donegal going no where one thing I do know is Michael Murphy is only half of the player he was Tyrone will be hard but its now or never we have to come good or go home up mayo
Tyrone may not be as good as the media is making out. They are however a massive step up on anything we have played this year. Mickie Harte will not be fearing us one bit, Mickie doesnt fear any team, never has. He fully believes in his system and if they implement it on the field then they will come out on top. He has the medals to back it up to. He will set up as he always does and put the onus on us to break them down. They will then try to hit us on the counter focusing on our still present soft centre. With the likes of Harte, McCann, Donnelly and the ever youthful Cavanagh they have the weapons to do serious damage.
A major improvement in every area will be required to progress, is this still in Mayo? Im not sure but I hope so, we will see next sat. Diarmuid will be a big addition even though Jason played reasonably well yesterday. Andy shows well at ff but wasnt seen nearly enough by his colleagues. Cillians best game so far this year, Regan is totally wasted in the corner, he works hard but the ball that goes into him is 50/50 at best and doesnt suit him. To me Mayo look to be caught between two stools, the running game of the past and the more kick pass style Rochford is trying to introduce. When we move the ball fast through the kick then we look really good but I dont think the players have fully bought into it yet.
I really hope there is still a big kick left in this side, I dont feel to enthusiastic yet but the closer we get to next sat the more green and red optimism will take over.
On a side note, really good attempt at the thunder clap by a section of the crowd yesterday, pity the ground was 3/4 empty or it would have been very impressive.
I’m very unhappy with HQ scheduling here. IMO their is another agenda and it’s serves Sky Sports only. It’s a Sat game with the most high profile teams and shortage of tickets. Drive people to pubs or to install Sky. It shows a disregard to plain old supporters as GAA pulls a quick one to serve Sky with a cracking fixtures to broadcast.
To be fair to Sky at least the Analyse the games. I’m getting fed up of Brolly and Spillane talk complete manure about whether the like the game or not, without any shred of analytics of what is happening on the pitch. As for O’Rourke, his sole contribution is to admire whether the lads have a nice short back and sides or Sunday going to Mass shoes. His Writings these days are complete drivel as well, harking back to the training in his day and how lads in the half back line used to smoke a fag to kill of the previous nights hangover before a semi final. Tired auld shite and a waste of the license fee.
Mayoman quarter finals have been on Saturdays in the past, long before sky got coverage. The problem this year is the way the A and B system worked out. It is unfortunate that the A side contains Kerry, who wait for the final, Galway who with the exception of about 2000 hardcore supporters are lukewarm in general and then Tipp and Clare which are hurling counties and get little support for their footballers. In contrast the B side contained Dubs with biggest support in country and then Donegal, Tyrone and ourselves who are all really well supported by their people. Dub v Donegal plus Tipp v Galway would be great on one weekend and Kerry v Clare and Mayo v Tyrone the next weekend would have been perfect but unfortunately that’s not the way it worked out. The other option would have been to put a football quarter final on with a hurling semi final
Sky is the best thing to ever happen the GAA, with the sky box I can now sky plus the games thus skipping the geriatrics at half time without missing a second of the action.
Seriously though its not ideal the double header next week regarding ticketing etc but the fixture schedule was fixed months ago and no one could have predicted Mayo and Donegal would be qualifers in this side of the draw. Its just one of those things. If anything the GAA would have predicted us to be playing today in a quater.
Poor performance in the second half yesterday. No need to panic but Tyrone will be a level or 2 above anything we have faced so far. I like the fact that our guys will be facing into it with a point to prove after the second half yesterday. So many improvements needed, so many simple mistakes, players looking uncomfortable, unsure of what to do and at times and looking lethargic. (Hard to believe sometimes that these guys have played at the level they have in previous years). Cillians frees are also a worry. For me our defensive setup is the big worry, dress it up whatever way we like but we’re conceding big scores, yes maybe not as many goals but we’re nevertheless conceding nearly if not just as much, albeit the majority are points. There’s overlaps around the middle, runners we can’t seem to get to grips with, and we’re not sure where exactly we’re suppose to pressurise the opposition. Are we pressing them high up the pitch or dropping back to the middle third? At the moment we’re kind of splitting the different and at the same time doing neither. For me our full back like is the big worry, you could not meet a more passionate, hard working and genuine player as Kevin Keane but I don’t think he can handle a mobile full forward one-on-one. If he was our only option I’d be behind him all the way but Keith Higgins is on the pitch. Yes he’s not an orthodox full back but look what Dublin did. There full back Rory o Carroll takes time out from football and they do the maths and decide they’l play johnny copper there, a corner back. We put our corner back to wing forward and bring in what has been our second choice full back. Particularly when we have Jason Doherty, Conor o Shea, Alan Freeman, Cathal carolan etc on the bench…we have forwards and our backs need shoring up so why not put Keith back. Maybe I’m the only one that sees this. It’s not my intention to be unfair to Kevin K but it’s my reading of things
Just watched it back on Sky – on which I have taken a month’s subscription, and very good coverage and analysis BTW.
What more could one add about the second half than has already been said? Well this: they finished well – the last 6 minutes were all Mayo. And funnily we have done this all year: let big leads slip, and get into all sorts of bother and then tack on a goal or a few points at the end. Monaghan, Down, Fermanagh, Kildare, and now Westmeath, with Galway the exception. Our good bench is helping us and Conor O’Shea came of age today I felt.
While I vote Donie MOTM, Andy at FF is just adding a new dimension to our game. Bring them on.
Brolly made an interesting point regarding Clare football. That is has taken a long time for the Clare manager to instill the confidence in the players to play a more expansive kicking game after so many years playing defensive conservative football. Possibly an issue with our lads, just dont trust themselves fully playing the way Rochford wants after years of playing Horans running style. Agreeing with Brolly on something, I feel dirty, time for a shower.
Tickets went on sale straight after the match. Very unfair. WHY???. MAYO supporters were making their way home. What chance have Mayo supporters for tickets, when Dublin could fill the stadium regardless of the other three teams. !
Not true, JK – tickets didn’t go on sale until 9am this morning.
Just been on line for my Cairde ticket to find that there are no tickets available. I was away for the weekend and am just back home so did not have a chance until now. I can hardly believe that tickets are sold out already and that season ticket holders did not get longer to buy. Perhaps there is some other reason why I cannot get a ticket now. Anybody got any ideas or similar experience?
AndyD they are not available for Cairde people until tomorrow or Tuesday. That’s what it said in email.
Looking at the 2 games today nobody looks like world beaters. Tip maybe?
Any news on DOC ?
Does anyone know will there be a second batch of tickets on sale online?
Tip an absolute joy to watch. Cutting through Glway at will. Speed, movement, quality ball, very impressive.
Maybe used to steam roll players up to this stage each year. Then go down hill after. By the time we got in to September, we were gone past our peak.
This year, after a lucky draw and a few lucky results, we are back to the 1/4”s. I just hope the Tyrone type of test has not come too early. If we get over this, I can see us busy up to the 3rd Sunday in September.
During Horan”s spell we had everything but luck. Under Rochford he may not have them as fine tuned, but he certainly appears to maybe have the rub of the green.
Looking at Roscommon over the last few weeks and Galway today, they appear to have peaked too early – peaked to beat Mayo.
As I said if they can just get past Tyrone we may be singing “Stevie is winning matches”!!!
Mayo now only connaught team standing. If we did get to all ireland we would have done it by not playing any team that operated in div 1 this year .amazing.
Tipp you beauties, the mrs dancing around the kitchen, from Emly
Mayo v Tipp, ya never know. ; )))
For all the doom and gloom about yesterday’s WIN I bet Galway she Roscommon would swap with us now
Had a great feeling about tipp today. As I’ve said all along galway are a bang average team who seem to bizarrely always attract hype when they win a match because they had good sides years and years ago. they were blatantly being set up for a fall today, after all the media and the fans hole licking of this side
Tipp will be a much tougher proposition if we get through Tyrone.
Tip well deserved the win. Begs the question what are alot of counties up to when a county so dominated by another code can develop really good players like that, especially given the fact that so many of their top players weren’t available. Goes to show when the proper structures are put in place you dont need major funding like Dublin to produce quality players.
In relation to Mayo i refer to a quote about a certain organisation: “They haven’t gone away you know!”
We are still there and we have a real chance to make a mark this year. The motivation to beat tyrone has to be huge now. I heard a pundit on radio hoping we beat Tyrone because it would give Tipp a real good chance! He deserves an answer next Saturday.
On another note, we really need to let these lads loose and play football the way they know how. Too much ‘system’ is as bad as no system at all. I am not convinced that what SR is trying to establish suits a lot of our fellas.
Well now…………I’m repeating what I said last week. I think Tyrone are as overhyped as the Galway forwards…..
We saw today the pointlessness of hammering a side (galway by 11 v ross) in one match and not turning up the following game……………………much prefer our situation ………playing bad but winning.
So much for what has been cited as the ‘aristocrats’ of football.
As we witnessed ourselves a few times this year,’Complacency’ can be a killer or at least very dangerous
Goodbye Galway. Battered because they underestimated Tipperary. It’s so easy to fall for the ” it’s a hurling county with no football ” line, but tipp have been producing the quality and have the nerve to match that quality. That winning goal the tipp minor scored to beat Dublin in the minor final was nothing if not shear guts and belief.
If Mayo manage to beat Tyrone it’s nearly impossible for us to say that tipp are a real football team without thinking we are half serious about it and because of that I believe this is going to be a very tough semi for either Tyrone or mayo.
Galway could have been truly massacred today and tipp will now know that with a bit more composure that they are in for goals goodo.
But, Tyrone first, that’s enough of a problem to be looking at
Tyrone will be a problem but if we play like how we can just hope d o c will be fit to play people saying yesterday at the game he had a dead leg don’t know how true it is but if he is back against Tyrone we will win but we need a full 70 mins playing well to win we have the players just to put it all together on the day come on mayo
If you look at Galways performance and the way they beat Mayo you can only
conclude that there are serious problems ahead against Tyrone.
Does anybody agree that we should forget about tactics,take off the shackles and
play with a free spirit .There is nothing loose.?
I’ve nothing against Galway but Tipperary were just brilliant to watch today. Now if you’ve got big skillful men then that is the way to play football. Their movement was intelligent and energetic and gave the player coming through several options each time. Not one player going around with hands on hips or overly complaining and each player ready to cover for any errors. Very watchable football indeed and won with a smile on their faces. We can only live in hope.
I do agree observer we need to go for it by taking off the shackles is the only way to beet Tyrone keep running at them it will pay because like when Donegal was running at them Tyrone was getting black cards its now or never I seen the Tyrone Donegal game there not as good as people say if the shackles or off and we play like how we can we will win but only if ye do everything right
Tip really want Tyrone because of the way they cheated them out of an AI u21 last year,I really believe we will beat Tyrone without having to be perfect.I’m not going to mention the game after that cod I might get told off?
Galway are a good ‘Castlebar’ team, We have spoiled ‘The Tribesman’ with our perfect surface. They couldn’t cope with that auld field in Drumcondra, sure it’s hard when you get used to playing in a class stadium to be a motivated for Croker!
Eddie don’t be afraid say what u think its the only way ?
Anyone know out there any repercussions arising out of colm boyles yellow yesterday and black the match before?
If Mayo win on Saturday i will have to fly two flags in Tipperary!!!!!!
Mayo man in tipp- doesn’t matter would only count if he got 2 yellows or a black yesterday
In an odd kind of way, Galway’s defeat today restores to us our original path through the All-Ireland series to the final, only with the order of opposition reversed. Had we won Connacht, it’d have been Tipp followed by Tyrone, now it’s Tyrone followed by Tipp. We still have to beat Tyrone, though! And Tipp, if we’re still standing this day week …
I see 1935 has appeared on the horizon again. I think that was the last time we played Kildare in the championship and it’s also the last time Tipp made the semifinals. Put that in your pipe and smoke it!
Yes bacon factory, tipp then beat us and beat Dublin in the final.
Good omen for tipp. ?
Croke park is bigger pitch and different spot altogether. Well done tipp. Another team with momentum from qualifiers. From now on mistakes have to be minumised as they will be punished as they were yesterday. Luckily we had plenty on score board. Done Vaughan is playing well fair play to him. I never rated him to high but fair play for his endeavour. His hard work and fearlessness. More of the same please next week.
Let’s look at what’s going right for us, and wrong:
We are getting forward movement now, and it’s hard to believe the impact Andy is having. I and I’m sure many more like me had him down as a good impact sub, with maybe some doubts about his fitness and ability to operate in the white heat of championship football. His positional sense, his movement, his runs, his lay offs have transformed our attacking options. We’ve scored five goals in the last 2 games – all forwards scored last night, and we should have had another two at least last night. And, what about Cillian’s point, while taking a hit from a Westmeath defender who was flattened in the process?
Midfield? Turned the corner? Maybe – yesterday a lot better, caught a lot of ball and breaking ball and our bench with Barry, and Conor delivered big time, and Tom P ready to play at last. And what about Donie?
Sweeper system? I’m happy enough with McLoughlin and his role and ‘reverse sweeper’ Higgins brought a lot to the party last night.
On the negative side: relating to the sweeper, why can’t we operate a blanket when we want to and control the game? We’re not controlling games for all the good patches we are having. Donegal were an absolute joy to watch in the way the closed the match out. I thought Cork were going to win it up to the 52nd minute; they were confirming my forecast, scoring from all angles and had a distinct edge. But when Donegal pegged back the two point lead Cork had, they just shut the game down. Action stations men, you all know the drill, do what you have to do and don’t let any of those Corkies get a scrabble kick.; Cork got one point after that, and Donegal picked off three or four, including a great free from Murphy who had fluffed them earlier. Cork just went to pieces, but you could see why.
Agree with Eddie, tipp will want Tyrone. It’s incredible to say this but at 28/1 for Sam tipp are a good value. I wouldn’t be sure that either mayo or Tyrone could be beat them.
I mean, I wouldn’t bet the ranch on it, they are big fellas and can really play the open fast football that would kill Tyrone, and they were mugged by a dirty cheating Tyrone U 21 team a couple of years ago. Not forgotten. This will be a wild month yet, I can feel it.
The biggest critic on TV of mc as sweeper is Peter canavan,before we lost to galway we were in line to play Tyrone they are nearly as good as the yerras for talking up the opposition they always had us down as their toughest opponent.next Saturday’s game will go our way mayo by 5
After all the stuttering and stammering, Mayo are back! The road ahead is clear. Tyrone, Tipperrary and then the Dubs. This squad made a decision and now it is their time. Passion, intensity and an unsatiable ruthless belief is needed now. Mayo are the only team that have honestly troubled the Dubs in the last 5 years. Yeah I know Donegal beat them but that was an anomaly. These things can happen. If Mayo are going to progress they will need to be as real as Carl Frampton. All the hard pennies are well saved now, Come on lads you have so much in the spring well and the bucket is dropping too long. Fill that fucker up!
I have a spare Nally for sale at facevalue.
A final place up for grabs for Tyrone or Mayo, no disrespect to Tipp, but no way a Div 3 side should be a worry to whoever wins next weekend. So can Mayo get it together. Nothing so far to suggest we will. But we have the players and experience. Lets hope we can get back to last years level on Sat!
I do have to laugh sometimes, all summer people have been posting not to underestimate the opposition and dont look beyond the next game. Funny then that all day everyone is saying tyrone are over rated and we will win. Who are we trying to convince? We havent been near good enough all year to beat an outfit like Tyrone over rated or not. I was hoping for a steady improvement through the qualifers but that didn’t happen, now we need a major improvement to win. Is it in them, i hope so but alot of improvements in all areas is required. Role on Sat and hope there is still a little left in the tank.
Tickets debacle result of sky sports deal tv money will cover lost spectator revenue. That’s not the point gaa has no regard for families sitting together at matches. People need to table motion with clubs so goes to congress just like rule 42.
Looking at Tyrone Higgins required in defence speed and mobility needed. Keane should lose out with Jason doc retained. Parsons & Diarmuid O Connor required to start. Aidan & Cillian need to find their mojo. Only a 70 minute performance from the team will defeat Tyrone only played 10 minutes spell in games up to now
The only thing the last few weeks should have shown any of us, fans, pundits and journalists alike that no one really has a fecken clue! It’s all on the day. On that basis, stop reading and writing shite and just enjoy the week, the build up to the match and 70 minutes of hell for leather after that!
I think everyone in mayo is on overdrive we should try enjoy the build up yes the team haven’t set the place alight we very patchy in all our games.some off the stuff people are writing is over the top we need to enjoy the week I’m sure the management and players no only a top performance will get us over the line Saturday. It’s great to be in a position were in considering the doom and gloom of a few weeks ago I think the mayo fans get so carried away we don’t realize how lucky we are with this team the enjoyment they have given us I just heared a stat from Galway they have now lost 9 games in Croker since 2001 that’s tough to take I know we haven’t won the big prize and we had a lot of heartache but we had far more good than bad days so enjoy the week and I’m sure willy Joe and mayo news will have all the info on the team
James horan said on sky that there should be places up for grabs after the second half performance, I’d agree. Although Rochford doesn’t appear to be one for making 2/3 changes to a team. Tomas O Se said that the likes of Aiden and Keith aren’t playing like they can and don’t look to be enjoying their football, I’d agree….hope to god we have a right Craic at Tyrone, intensity, discipline and work rate comes first for me, then our system….think some of our lads are thinking too much about the system and forgetting the aggression required at this level and this stage of championship.
Had the pleasure of being in croke park watching tipp v Galway, tipp were delightful, played with great spirit, tackled hard and forward movement was exceptional….having said that, galwAy did not come out with the appetite for battle that they had against us in Mc Hale park.
Tyrone and Kerry have both played very average football coming through the qualifiers in recent years and come quarter or semi final something sparked and the rest is history. We need that spark Saturday
Lads,
Am I completely raving or as a smart manager, is there a strong possibility that the Mayo game plan would have been to go and blitz Westmeath in the first half and the just do enough while conserving energy level in the second? Maybe I’m woring, but it seemed to me it was a case of Mayo just completely taking the foot off the gas?