The Irish Times is reporting today that Alan Dillon, Andy Moran and Barry Moran are all almost certain not to start against Galway on Sunday but that all three are likely to be on the bench at Pearse Stadium. This news was confirmed by County Board PRO Aidan McLoughlin in the following terms:
Andy has made great progress and was back training last week. His only problem, really, is that he hasn’t had any game time. Alan is also back to full training now, but Sunday’s game has come slightly too soon for them both. But they may still be selected as part of the 26-man panel to travel.
It’s stated in the same report that while Barry Moran is “over the worst” in relation to his ankle injury, he’s also unlikely to start in Salthill. It’s also confirmed in that piece that the team for Sunday is due to be named at lunchtime tomorrow.
Fair play to the PRO disclosing the manager’s hand
Disclosing? Hardly. We don’t need mind games to be part of the battle. We have the players so let’s go and do it.
It’s hardly news. Delighted that Andy is on the way back, I listened to his interview with newstalk, he sure has a very optimistic streak in him.
Even having the 3 of them on the bench is a great comfort.
No news is good news yea
I have to say I find it very hard to see how we are going to win this match without Andy, Alan, Barry, and Michael. To go down to Galway’s home patch has always been difficult for good Mayo teams but to do so riddled with injuries is wildly optimistic. If Mayo have a panel that can beat this Galway team without those players, they could very well win the All Ireland. Where are they going to get the scores?
Galway may not have been great of late, but poor Galway teams have beaten good Mayo team in Tuam and Salthill before. Last year, our forwards were not considered good enough, either by Mayo supporters or the rest of Ireland to win the All Ireland. We scraped by Sligo with our best team out, (with the exception of Aidan who came on after half time). Now we are down Andy, our best forward of 2011, Alan arguably our best forward of last year and Michael who was in great form in last year’s All Ireland series and our best forward in the league. Not to mention Barry, who was the reason we won Connacht last year in many ways.
Now I think this team are improving, but I think it’s a tall order to beat Galway without those players. Surely others think the same, no? It’s very hard to pin hopes on the likes of Carolan, Regan and Conor O’Shea who have never started or figured in championship football. Cillian’s return from play has been minimal really (though I think he’s a fine player) and it’s hard to see him scoring enough to keep Galway at bay.
As I said, if Mayo pull this win out of the fire, you have the makings of a team who can definitely bring Sam home this year. But I really feel that we have it all to do, we are not that far ahead of the other Connacht teams that we can beat them missing four or five of our top players. I hope I’m wrong.
Good post Horan’s Brigade and would have to agree with most of that. While nervous like you I do think James has equipped us with the ability to dig out a dour win and I think if we can score 10 or 11 points that will probably be enough to win this game. Personally I hope we dominate posession in the middle third, be patient in working our scores and use our man isolation tactis to pressurise the Galway men into turnovers. I am expecting a tough dour low scoring dog fight which will suit Mayo fine with our current injuries in the forwards. A fast helter skelter type game will what Galway will be looking for to get the crowd involved while looking to create space for Michael Meehan because while injuries have made his legs slower his football brain still has plenty left in the tank to bury us.
Well said horans brigade. You make a lot of sense. God forbid we would lose the likes of AOS.
I do think we have a battle on our hands. And having andy moran on the bench is of little value given his lack of match practice. Not sure about alan dillons fitness either. I certainly am hoping that with 15 mins to go we are not looking to them to rescue us. Some other players are going to have up their game dramatically and I wonder can they. Hopefully so!! For me it is sh## or bust for some of them.
Cant wait for sunday.
Wj are you going to set up a mini league on facetheball.com again this year? Just joined the football prediction league.
I think what’s important here is the mindset.
We went to Salthill in 07 with a new manager but with old attitudes and were torn asunder by Galway.
We had injuries galore, but we also had a hangover from the 06 All Ireland and we also felt we had a God-given right to an All Ireland under an All Ireland-winning manager, and we had a star player (McDonald) coming off the bench not fully fit.
If we carry some or all of that baggage, we are doomed.
So, it comes down to how they have prepared mentally, how they prepare to take the game to Galway that will be very important.
It’s a huge game for Galway. No Connaught for ages, defeats by Sligo, Mulholland in his second year, and no win against Mayo for ages including heavy defeats handed out in the league in 10 & 11. They will be desperate.
Will we be just as desperate? I hope so.
Catcol
I think we are getting more desperate by the year. I really doubt Mayo will be thinking anything other than giving Galway a clipping. This year is likely ” the ” year for jh and some of the lads in his charge,so, thereis only one goal that they can target.
Roscommon, Carlow, Meath etc can be happy with decent runs, this Mayo panel and management cannot be happy with anything less than Sam Maguire
Iv set up a mini league on the facetheball website. I emailed WIllie Joe to offer my services in running it this summer.
The league is called mayogaablog and the code is 1GARViTxShva
there is also a new website this year, http://www.fantasygaelic.ie for anybody interested
“Where are they going to get the scores?”
O’Connor mostly from frees 7 or 8 points others forwards selected will score a point or two as will the O’sheas and one of the defenders will score a goal. 14 to 16 points probably will be enough to beat Galway as Mayo won’t give away much at the back and Galway best forward Meehan isn’t the same player he once was the U-21s are too raw for senior football.
David says:
May 14, 2013 at 7:42 pm
this Mayo panel and management cannot be happy with anything less than Sam Maguire
Mayo were able to go about their business with little or no expectations that last two years now it’s totally different and we’ll get to see what this Mayo side are like under the spotlight. Anyone else think this is James Horan’s last year regardless of what happens this summer?
Hello All, Surprising lack of confidence in most of tecommentsl. Andy Moran was very upbeat in an article in the “SUN” last week (had a free read) where he said that he had learned some new ways of doing things under Bucklie? and mentioned 3 other forwards who had improved under him as well admittedly Michael Conroy was one.
Bucklie may just be the missing ingredient for scoring goals and long distance points. Saw him in action in charge of warm-ups. Yes, I think all of the forwards can score, midfield and maybe all of the team.I expect Richie Feeney to be at chf.
On top of all that, they have had the Belmullet air and are ready to explode next Sunday.
Barry Moran……is that for sure?
He didn’t seem to hint at anything like that in the interview I read this morning,, think it was the star.
Galway team for Sunday has been named…
1 Manus Breathnach
2 Johnny Duane
3 Colin Forde
4 Gary Sweeney
5 Gareth Bradshaw (Captain)
6 Keith Kelly
7 Gary Sice
8 Niall Coleman
9 Fiontan O’Curraoin
10 Thomas Flynn
11 Paul Conroy
12 Conor Doherty
13 Sean Armstrong
14 Michael Meehan
15 Danny Cummins
No Finian Hanley. He’s been injured recently which I assume is the reason he is not starting. It’s not a great fifteen truth be told
I have every confidence in the team to measure up to the job on Sunday even without four of our stars. The main reason is that I believe James Horan has added a considerable amount of steel to the mental attitude which was noticeably absent in the past when we seem to crumble at the first setback. Secondly I think Aiden O’
Shea is really maturing into a top class midfielder. Third, I believe we have a much stronger panel with the ability to substitute for the injured stars. Fourth, I reckon Ger Cafferkey is playing the best football of his career and is capable of keeping tabs on Michael Meehan. If Meehan is held Galway do not have enough forward power to win.
Finally would everybody PLEASE give me and the team a break and not mention Sam until Sept at earliest. There are several games to be won before that. We seem to be going into the same sort of attitude as in John Maughan’s time [and that was not Maughan;s fault].
And then you have genius’s writing James Horan’s obituary already. Give us all a break here, please.
Bit early for that is it hopefully mayo don’t want to be cocky like the dub s prob am being unfair on them
Well said andyd, the only team to concern us now is Gal way, and that should be enough for anyone.
We have done what was NEEDED in the league. A point more than Gal way is what is needed in Salt hill. That when it happens is always a good day
Sean, The Barry Moran “Article: was carried in nearly in nearly all the papers.
The Andy Moran Interview that I referred to was last week and surprised that no one picked up on it. He also was on Newstalk and it may have followed on from that. You lose me as to where you see the connection with Barry Moran. I am sure Barry Moran is well able to score as well.
How anyone can doubt Mayo winning on Sunday is beyond me.
Ciaran, it is very realistic to have concerns about Mayo. It’s called observation of recent Mayo games when a person is on the edge of their seat, cursing and swearing at all the mistakes being made over and over again; a team that could hardly able to put one of the worst Kerry teams in history away in the second half.
That’s why some people have doubts about Mayo. I don’t like having doubts but the torture experienced during the league does not lead to confidence.
This Mayo team, though missing some fine players will quieten their critics, its not the tender Mayo of the past but a hardened bunch that have shielded their hand up till now. The scores will come and they will surprise many on Sunday.
Maigh Eo Abu
Theres an All ireland in that Galway team, sure we’ll be lucky to keep it kicked out to them
Do we go into the first round of the qualifiers or the second after this?
No Andy Moran, Alan Dillon (match-fit) or Michael Conroy for Sunday. So if you’re Mulholland, you get your defenders to concentrate their efforts on Cillian O’Connor and Kevin McLoughlin, knowing that the rest won’t put many scores on the board.
That’s why I’m concerned about Sunday.
I live in Galway and they’re absolutely bulling for the game to start down here. I don’t blame them. If they can break even in midfield then given Mayo’s absentees they have a great chance. Look how close we were pushed by Sligo last year – at a neutral venue – when our only major absentee was AOS.
But in the grand scheme of things, I’m just hoping Mayo can get to August weekend. If that means that we go for a tour of the country via the qualifiers then so be it. It’s past time that we put away our childish attitude to the qualifiers anyway. They were good enough for Galway in 2001 and plenty of other All-Ireland winning teams thereafter. For Mayo, getting to the quarters is all that matters and there’s no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ way to do it.
Can’t see any grounds for optimism this year. Prior to the All-Ireland the manager highlighted a problem at full back which was immediately exploited, yet no effective remedy has been tried throughout the entire league campaign. Adittionally every supporter identified Varley as not being of the standard required to deliver the ultimate prize. During the game he was joined by Doherty, Dillon and O’Connor, which left us with two forwards who might deliver and now Conroy is gone. Where do we find the other five? Conor O’Shea and Evan Regan are along way off, Coen ,maybe,if he curbs the over elaboration, Jimmy Killeen has never been tried and the best forward in the county,Kilcoyne, exudes a sulphurous odour in the manager’s vicinity. We also have te best midfielder in the county. Parsons,out of favour and Cunniffe, who would add some spine at centre back, is barely tolerated.I fear it’s the qualifiers with an early exit, followed ,hopefully by the departure of JH and his replacement by somebody who can see outside Ballintubber.
Good man Bill that was a real help………..
Naughty step for Bill i fear.
It’s hard to know where to start with that, Bill, only to say that I prefer your namesake’s brand of humour. What I would say, though, is that this is a site for supporters so maybe you might go away and think about what that term means before posting again.
Team just named. Barry Moran not on bench or starting. And can I point out Bill that the problem was not at full back … but we will move on.