When we got to MacHale Park tonight with a bit less than half an hour to throw-in, the place was humming, the stand was almost full and you could see even then that a crowd in excess of 10,000 was in the house. It looked all set then for a great contest under the lights at Castlebar but what we got instead was a massacre. And we were the ones getting hosed.
We started brightly – Jason Doherty once again bashing over a long-range point within seconds of the throw-in and Kevin McLoughlin adding a second as he zeroed in on Stephen Cluxton’s goal. We looked well up for the battle at that stage.
But then Dublin got going and they simply ripped us to pieces. In a six-minute spell they put 1-5 on the board before we finally got a third score but from then until half-time we were simply engulfed in wave after wave of Dublin attacks.
By half-time – already ten points down – the contest was well over. It didn’t get any better after the break either when, merely playing for pride at this stage, it took us ten minutes to get our first second half score.
The changes we made came far too late. Danny Kirby and Alan Dillon had some good moments after coming on but it was all too little, much too late.
It’s easy to see why we lost as badly as we did: we played straight into their hands. It’s no secret that Dublin’s forwards are fast, that their ball handling and speed of transfer are excellent, their movement busy and inventive. Going man-to-man with that kind of forward line is madness. Yet that was what we did.
Stephen Cluxton is the master – as we know full well, not least from the 2013 All-Ireland – of the perfectly directed kickout. The Parnells man added further to that reputation tonight as Dublin won around 90% of their own kickouts. And what did we do in response? Boom every bloody kickout right down the middle, where we claimed about 20% of it cleanly. That kind of one-dimensional madness will never win you a game.
And then, to staunch the bleeding in midfield, we go and shift Aidan O’Shea – who battled bravely all night – to try to win ball there, thus robbing us of our attacking fulcrum. If old-fashioned primary possession was, we felt, our salvation, then why the hell didn’t we bring Barry Moran on earlier and leave Aidan inside?
When we had the ball, we never looked all that dangerous with it either. Compared to the dizzying speed and variety of movement they had as they came at us, we were as slow as an ould wan wandering around the supermarket. We took forever to get the ball in, all the time turning back inside and looping around laterally, showing no penetration whatsoever. A ten-point return, only half of that total from play, was a fair enough reflection of our woeful attacking efforts on the night.
Set against this, Dublin racked up 2-18 – a point more than the total they recorded in that madcap shootout at Croke Park last year. They could have scored more, but then again their second shouldn’t have stood because there was a double-hop (by McManamon, I think) in the lead-up that wasn’t spotted.
Tonight’s thumping was, for sure, a serious reality-check for us. Dublin needed the win, I know, and so it’s not surprising that they came at us as pumped up as they did but what was a shock was that we wilted so badly when faced with this challenge.
I haven’t got the heart to go back over the records but I’d hazard a guess that it’s been a very long time since we were beaten out the gate in our own backyard. James Horan’s team suffered a bad beating by Donegal back in 2012 but that was up there and neither his team nor any other Mayo team in at least the last ten years ever suffered a hosing like tonight’s on home ground.
It is, of course, too early in the year to say that a defeat like this could have fatal consequences for our hopes in 2015 but at the same time it’s got to be the case that the manner of tonight’s collapse has the potential to be highly damaging. Over 13,500 people – mainly our supporters – turned out tonight and what they saw was a Mayo team getting beaten out the gate on home turf. It’s difficult to take any positives from that.
What’s important – vital, even – now is that we see a visible reaction over our remaining two matches. We travel to Cork next and if we set up there in the hopelessly naive way we did tonight, we could be in for another difficult day then.
Twice already this season, Pat and Noel have been blindsided tactically and they need to start showing over the course of the next two matches that they do have the smarts to cope with the kind of challenges that modern-day inter-county football present. I think it’s safe to say that after tonight the jury is out on that score.
Hopefully, we can use tonight’s scorching as a springboard to greater endeavour and maybe in time we’ll be able to look back on this result as a bizarre one-off event. That will only happen, though, if we are capable of improving every facet of our operation – both on the field and on the sideline – and, on tonight’s evidence, a good bit more than marginal improvement will be needed if we’re going to be able to compete at any kind of meaningful level this year.
Mayo: Robbie Hennelly; Tom Cunniffe, Kevin Keane, Keith Higgins; Lee Keegan, Colm Boyle, Patrick Durcan; Seamus O’Shea, Donal Vaughan; Kevin McLoughlin (0-3, one free), Aidan O’Shea, Diarmuid O’Connor; Mark Ronaldson (0-1), Alan Freeman, Jason Doherty (0-4, three frees). Subs: Danny Kirby (0-1) for Freeman, Stephen Coen for Durcan, Alan Dillon (0-1) for O’Connor, Mikey Sweeney for Ronaldson, Barry Moran for Seamus O’Shea, Ger Cafferkey for Vaughan.
I forecast a reality check and we got it.
That this would show us where we are at and where we are going.
Thanks for the memories.
Audio report will be X rated I’d say
What a shambles, no excuse being humiliated at home like that. Brainless football, why play Aidan O’Shea at full forward if you’re going to handpass the ball continuously in the first half. We were light years off the pace tonight. I’m normally very measured in my reaction…but it was a performance devoid of a gameplan, in front of the biggest crowd I’ve seen at a national league game in years.
Well firstly the positives :p 😀
It’s only March.
Kirby had a great attempt at goal of the season
Aidan caused problems at full
Keegan carried well at times
Higgins made some great tackles
Not going to go into individual negatives but as a whole this is very very worrying. You’d expect we’d have been looking at Dublin as probably our main rivals for Sam at the start of the year. They beat us by 14 points.
Now look they were always going to bounce back, and with the main lads coming back they were always going to bring their best performance so far, but the manner in which we were demolished is grim. It was the worst Mayo performance I’ve seen in quite some time, and suddenly 2015 is beginning to look a little tricky. For the first time in years we may well be in a position where we can’t even look past the Connacht Championship. A lot of our main men haven’t even gotten going yet this year. It’s worrying. The flatness seen so often so far throughout the league is ominous
Now I still think we’ll make a league semi but we’d have our work cut out to make a final. But look it’s March and there’s a lot of ball to be played yet.
As for Dublin, well they’re the best team in the country and once again will be the team to beat. They’ll probably go from “struggling” to winning the league now, and to be honest if they hit form no-one will beat them in Championship. They won’t mess up again you’d imagine
No definitely no excuse . As I said on the other thread and as willie Joe rightly put it in the audio, we were ponderous. Hopefully that is due to the tired legs of hard training rather than a lack of ideas.
Also Vaughan in midfield clearly does not work, we were being cleaned out in midfield throughout the match. Also Diarmuid O’Connor moved to half backs in the second half, Aidan O’Shea full forward, then midfield, then full forward again?? I mean it was like they were making switches just for the sake of it!!
Mayo County Board responsible for this. We have a fantastic team that were unlucky to lose last 3 All Irelands. By mmaking an absolute farce off selection process for Manager, they have ensured the end for this current bunch of talented Mayo players. Its a disgrace after all these Mayo players have given. Too many Mayo men going to their grave waiting for an All Ireland while County Board CONTINUE to fuck up work being put in by players. Disgusted!!!
Hi All,
I was not expecting that but it was a great win in Castlebar, a great crowd for a league match there too. Like people said nobody wins anything in March but we needed that badly…see you in the League semis or final if we get that far, cheers.
Kind Regards,
Martin the Dub
It will be interesting to hear managements perspective on this one.
Bury this game where it fell and move away fast. Dublin had to win.
We didn’t defend like we should have early, learn the lesson for summer and move onto the next game.
I’m dsv , in that previous post
Surprised by 15 men behind the ball against Tyrone. This time-what is it?? The opposition wearing Blue?
How this team should be preparing is based around target man inside. Various players going through rep after rep of various plays based on OShea being the target man. There is no way that is what is being done right now. Not when you have 70 mins with a handful of passes inside on about 40 % posession.
Vaughan is not an option at midfield. Seamus OShea almost sets up Aidan for a goal n gets the bench. Finishing with the slowest midfield pairing of Moran n Vaughan until Vaughan was taken off. We need Parsons at midfield to bring some speed. No one seems to be willing to do simple basics to tee a player up to send the ball in long.
Its a long time since we got that sort of a hiding. While management have every right to experiment theres no point doing it for the sake of it. D Vaughan has played half back for the last few years and he and the other two boys have been excellent both from an attacking and defending perspective. AOS has played MF or CHF and has been excellent also. No harm trying him FF but the ball must be sent into him. Our forward problems remain but JH style of high tempo football with half back line bombing forward compensated for that and it was also exciting to watch. Management deserve patience but a lot of these players have given so much over the last few years that one would have to be concerned. Its amazing to think that when Mayo drew a fantastic game with Dubs in league in Croker last year there were lots here giving out about performance and result. Id say we would have gladly taken an exciting draw tonight
Men against boys. We have still I suppose to give the benefit of the doubt as it’s only March but inconsistency seems to be the theme this year so far. Two shows king displays at home with only the Derry win last week a verifiable decent win, kerry were still on holidays and Monaghan self destructed.
The psychological and physical legacy of the last four years looks like it’s beginning to take its toll in the absence of inspired leadership. Either there is a mater plan being hatched or we are regressing alarmingly towards 2010 levels.
I’m not prone to overstatements or exaggerating – but that was the worst performance I have witnessed in the last 5 years. The worst team performance, with little to no support play, movement, or tactical acumen. What pains me most is that we made an overrated Dublin team look better than they were.
I’m hoping that things will be different in the summer. Hope rather than expectation.
Apologies that should be two shocking displays in line four of my post….The joys of predictive text!
No point showing our hand in March.
Well,thats my excuse for tonight.
That’s Mayo’s heaviest defeat since the 2006 All Ireland Final.
Mayo players ran off their feet by pacey athletic Dublin team. From midfied to 15 they posessed the know-how and instinct Mayo can only dream about. What a huge disappointment for the players and subs as well as the huge Mayo following present and worldwide.
It really looks like some players won’t budge from the bomb forward style of 2012 – 14. It’s leaving our forwards undersupplied and crowded. What in Gods name is Stephen Coen doing receiving ball 20 yards from the Dublin goal.
I feared we’d get a thumping tonight and that’s just what we got. Dublin showed their true worth tonight and proved once again that they are miles ahead of the pack. Its going to be hard for the boys now to pick themselves up for the Cork game which I also believe were going to lose by a considerable margin. So its likely to come down to the Donegal visit for a must win final game to have any chance of grabbing a semi-final place.
Left Mc hale park to go to the pub at half time to watch the second half, never ever did that in horan era, hope this management team knows what it is doing and there is hard training going on at the moment, I fear for the summer otherwise.
Anybody know what the real attendance was?
I.E. Not the 13,500 figure which seems to be getting branded about.
One other point,why were the first 2-3 entrances closed to the stand leading to a bottleneck at the 1st entrance.
Did our Co.board expect a small crowd? It was an accident waiting to happen.
The work rate and skill level of the dubs made us look very bad tonight. We were unable to cope with their pace and accuracy when they had the ball. On the other hand when we were attacking we looked utterly clueless with little or no options for the man in possession and support play almost totally absent.
The only hope is that this is a one off bad day like Kerry had against cork last week. However, I doubt if that is the case. I am beginning to fear we are in decline after so long on the road. I hope I’m wrong but if we are it is perfectly understandable. The intensity which we relied on so much for so long seems to be nearly gone or only present for short periods. Time will tell.
A brutal pathetic performance by the team. Management hadnt a clue. No movement by players from kick out. Kick outs to slow.Midfield eaten alive. Muck. That current bench named not good enough
Horrible defeat yielding zero positives. Clueless in defense and clueless in attack with no midfield.
Outclassed, outplayed, outfought and outsmarted; and precisely the type of defeat that would never happen under James Horan’s stewardship. Under Horan, Mayo were always well prepared, regimented and well drilled. They would pursue and execute a game plan that enabled them to win or made then exceptionally difficult to beat.
What was the game plan today? The go-out-there-and-give-it-a-right-lash approach that yielded such sterling reward under Maughan and Moran?
The manner of defeat to both Tyrone and Dublin points more to management deficit and naivety than depth of quality in the squad. Management had the temerity to essentially blame Mayo’s poor performance against Tyrone on Tyrone’s making it hard for Mayo to play well. It seemed to be a shock to them that serious teams might take such an approach.
What excuse will the Laurel and Hardy combo dredge up on this occasion?
If Mayo are to be serious contenders this year, then this management duo requires
Attendance announced was 13548 if memory serves. Great crowd. We just didn’t seem to get into it at all, especially second half. Disappointed to say the least as I was expecting a much closer contest. I feel it was more gameplan at fault than players although some of them looked off the pace altogether. Our players owe us nothing and have given their all these last few years so I am loathe to criticise them. Anyway can’t change result now, we have to get on with it and hope improvements are made before championship.
Very poor from Mayo beaten in every sector
– Vaughan chasing shadows at midfield again
– kickouts straight down the middle every time
– Mayo with loads of men back but no tackles going in
– half backs who won’t let the ball in – giving the forwards no chance
p.s. time to forget about Horan
It was a lovely night for football, it was a pity we couldn’t have have given them a better game. Man for man they beat us on every part of the field. Hard as it is for me to say, but they were a joy to watch. We looked totally unprepared for them, even though we’ve played them often enough.
Not acceptable…reckon wj could be busy with the ‘black card ‘ this week. Mayo supporters deserve better than that crap. It was men and boys. Thirteen thousand at a league game qnd vast majority of them from mayo yet again. County board management and players owe us all a response v cork and I’m sorry but stop sending out small men…It was embarrassing how the dubs just swatted our boys to one side..I’d rather we send out lss talented bugger men the next day! Something different please and donie vaughan is not a midfielder and I’m sorry but rob hennely needs to stop chucking the ball down the middle of the . pitch hoping we will win ball against bigger men
I have heard of startled earwigs but this was more a case of groggy earwigs. How a team of Mayo’s ability contrived to come up with this performance when you would have expected them to be ready for a battle of the season is beyond me.
I said in the run up to the game that if we were to beat Dublin we had to start with pressuring Cluxton’s kickouts as we did last year. Instead it was more a case of “Ah, sure kick it wherever you want, Steve. We don’t mind”. Then we proceeded to give the Dubs acres of freedom around the park as if we had a conscientious objection to marking. The result was inevitable.
I trust that in the light of the overall result you will refrain from taking a poll for Mayo Man of the Match. While there were some efforts to rise above the mediocrity they were generally unsuccessful.
Despite the display and result on the night I expect the team to rise to the fight against Cork and will be in Pairc Uí Rinn on the 29th to support them.
Very poor performance. Could so easily have been 20 points plus of a defeat.
Turnovers are killing us. I counted one player who turned the ball over 15 times.
Changes should have been made at half time.
Feels like days of old are back again.
Hopefully I’m wrong, but I fear not.
Any idea who got MOTM. So many to choose from on the Dublin team.
Mayo came into this game with a little less focus than was required a they had their six points secured. The dubs came into it scared and with their backs to the cliff and got early advantage. They drove on and Mayo just couldn’t stop the tide when the wave got momentum. If ye want trophy’s in March go to Cheltenham, it’s that simple. Mayo are a serious outfit and this is just a blip caused by a number of different ingredients and circumstances.
The Dubs are a fine team but they are not that good trust me, some of the above comments are ridiculous, untrusting and very insulting to both players and management. Give them a small bit of respect and time, if we were safe I would be delighted with the experience my team got tonight. A good kick in the arse for all, a reality check for young players and a sense of how fast things happen on the inter county stage and the reality for all involved that they have plenty of time to gain the maximum return from the lesson learned over the next twelve weeks or so.
This is a big stick for the management to use to secure focus and desipline and will only benifif Mayo if the experience is used in the correct way, I’m sure it will be.
Well said gamechanger.
As I’ve said numerous times in the past, this blog is a psychologists wet dream. Very few posters seem to inhabit the middle ground. It’s either mayo4sam or relegation and disaster. Division 1 is serious stuff and while we got a trimming tonight, it’s not the end of the world. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again,
“Your never as good as they say and your never as bad as they say”.
Posters who claim to be in their 60’s talking about never watching Mayo play again because of a league defeat in March would lead me to believe they are trolling or seriously mentally unbalanced.
How can there be a poll for man of the match after that performance. Hennelly had no one to pass the ball to for a short kick out unlike Cluxton who could pick and choose.How many times were simple handpasses intercepted.Changes should have been made in personal half way through the 1st half.For the first time I am not so sure about this management team I hope we can rise from this disaster.l
Dont want to sound too dramatic but honestly it was like watching a car crash in slow motion…on a loop..every single ball from kickouts ended up in a dublin players hands…we were beaten in all positions..had looked forward to this game all week and at it was a weird silence leaving mchale pk…
It’s becoming increasingly hard to avoid thinking this squad missed golden opportunities to win Sam and are now simply Burnt out. The new guys tonight were swatted by the dubs. Management looked over awed, again.
Firstly, congratulations to Dublin. They were very impressive tonight. As one or two above said, it’s better to get a beating now than later this summer. If there is such a performance in the championship then questions will be asked, as management are on notice. Perhaps I am clutching at straws, or simply deluded, but I still believe this squad are, at their best, the equal of all. The squad of eight months ago can’t have disappeared.
Aidan OShea our clear Mayo man of the match. Carried us. God knows what score would have been without him.
Dublin ‘overrated’, ‘not that good’??
Deary me, 3 of the last 4 major titles, jeez I’d bite your hand off for one of those (yes even a league at this stage)
They’re still well and truly the finest team in the country for me, who were caught out in a freak match last year. Had they nabbed one of those first half goals they’d have most likely won pulling up v Donegal. They didn’t get the breaks but one match doesn’t make you a bad team overnight
Flynn was only out for a jog today, BB/COS/ McCarthy way off match pace yet, Connolly only going through the motions and MDMA and Ger Brennan to come back in
We still have one point more than Dublin. Not a pleasant experience tonight but certainly not the first such. Less said the better! See saw season so far and will continue so for rest of league. Galway supporters already smelling blood but will be sorely disappointed. Onwards and upwards. Hold the head!
Now then liam and all the rest mayo are not that good or that bad, but this team has given their all over the last few years it is very very hard to keep going back, I said after last year against kerry I felt they were over the top I hope I am wrong but our middle eight were cleaned out by kerry and that was our strongest part, so how can we improve not by changing our best players from their positions eg dv aos , we need ger caf, cris b, back. I have always thought jh was our best manager ever who picked players on merit without fear or favour, and was not able to get over the line, so I think pat and noel were our best option of the candidates, but I am not optimistic, I hope I am wrong but all these players were tried under horan and were not good enough and I don’t see anybody else coming trough.if we had a lot of potential I would have expected some outside managers to have applied, but as far a s we know nobody but the four from mayo applied bot nobody did. I am now sixty five so would like to see sam cross corick bridge but dont feel we will see it this year, I hope I am wrong
Aiden O’Shea versus Dublin.
Very disappointing performance this evening,mayo looked lost reminded me of an Ireland with Kerry few years back ,game was over in first half,the lads seemed tired,in saying that its early days its only march their playing most weekends and training hard,lets not forget that ,maybe losing this game might just make them more eager more stronger,also maybe leave Aiden ff ,parsons midfield,what’s story with Chris Barrett and Andy Moran,
No substitution till well into the second half.WTF
absolutely no movement from Ronaldon and Freeman when they were operating as the 2 man ff line, meant nowwhere for the man in possession to kick to. Caused multiple turnovers
operating with one man midfield as Vaughan 3 inches and 3 stone too small to play there
Mcloughlin operating at FF at times??
OShea been yo yoed around the Park, needs to be left back in MF we simply don’t have enough cover there.
What the hell was going on with Hennely coming up to tak the 45 then plays it short another example of why we should be picking one of the other 2 in goal.
Maybe mgt not showing the dubs full hand? believe Kerry were at this with Cork last week. otherwise we’re in serious bother because it’s the worst performance I’ve seen since the early 90s
Corick Bridge how could you say Mayo were ‘over the top’ after the Kerry replay? Imagine Hennelly’s free in the last minute of the replay has a couple of extra yards in it? Mayo then make a final. Are they over the top then?
Sorry I just find it strange analysis. Mayo might have been poor in midfield that day but probably would have won with someone that knew the rules actually refereeing. When they lose they’re ‘over the top’ yet in the exact same game had they kicked a free a bit longer suddenly they’re probably a ‘top team’ still?
Maybe if they got hammered or something I’d understand…
Anyhow in general in GAA there is a big ‘you’re only as good as you’re last match’ mentality out there. No doubt if Mayo were to win handy down in Cork next week they’d be AI contenders again amongst many
Today’s match was concerning but it’s not time to write the obituaries just yet
I was at the game this evening.
First 3/4 minutes Mayo took the game to Dublin with speed & Intensity.
Once Dublin started to pile forward at speed against our back line & put. Few scores on the board we just seemed to wilt.
We were totally so not in this game from the 5th minute onwards.
I fear that these lads are reaching burn out & the desire is not their in abundance anymore. 5 years of total dedication to the cause & loosing 2 All/Ireland’s has to affect them both mentally & physically.
Dublin on tonight’s showing were miles ahead of our lads.
Speed & purpose.
Moving the ball at pace finding the space & the man & getting the scores.
We were far to ponderous with the ball & no real purpose as to what we were trying to do.
It’s the most disappointing performance I can remember for a long time.
These players who have been around for ages owe us nothing.
I’m afraid the new players come championship time will not cut the Mustard. Way to small & light – no disrespect to them but I don’t think they will cut it come championship.
As for the management to be fair they have to be given this season before judgement can be passed.
I will reserve judgement until then.
But I would be concerned that Galway or Roscommon will end Mayo’s regin in Connacht this year because of the 1st 4 games are anything to go by Mayo have not been impressive.
Anyways onto Cork next & then Donegal.
Jesus christ the over reaction on this blog is something seirious. We got a hammering on the 14th of March by a team scared shitless of relegation. Without our all star forward, with two in experienced u-21’s starting, and now we are in decline, going backwards. I see some posters salivating over what kerry do, and that we should be copying them as they are so successful! Well iv never seen kerry firing on all cylinders in march, yet we have one utterly shite performance and all of a sudden this is the end? People need to relax and just move on, yes, we deserve a reaction and yes, some players deserve a good fucking out of it by pat and noel, but its not the end of the world.. Keep the faith people.
For Mayo or Kerry or donegal to even compete with Dublin is an achievement these days. Player numbers alone never mind the way they are set up is hard to compete with but we must fight on. Maybe someone will catch them on the hop like donegal did , that’s why Mayo must be ready and keep going hard at it. It’s easy to be annoyed at Dublin, 10 times our population and their last game outside Croker for all of 2015 is a week away which means home advantage all year from March on, that’s the way the gaa is set up
We can only hope Tyrone or some other qualifier do us a favour at quarterfinal stage.
Well, that was depressing. There’s only one saving grace; it’s the League. If Mayo get trimmed like that in the championship, then all the end-of-the-world stuff will be justified. As it stands, it’s a hammering in March. It’s not pleasant but sometimes it happens. The All-Ireland champions were humbled last weekend. They won’t panic, and neither should we.
After the Tyrone game none of us were too upbeat about the team and where it was going. We got a reaction then, and I believe we will get a reaction again. This is the new management team’s fourth competitive game. They are learning at this level. That will include harsh lessons like tonight’s.
The players owe us nothing. I’m not surprised that some of them are struggling to get to the pitch of intensity required to match Dublin’s this evening. These lads have serious mileage up. Last four of the championship every year since 2011. Last four of the League every year bar one since 2010. It’s not easy to treat each game like an All-Ireland final.
Minimum, we’ll stay in Division 1. I still believe we’ll go to the League semis.
Granted it was a bad loss. a very bad loss it is only March and we will come good. As long as we stay up and i feel we will we will be grand. This experience will serve us better thatn the Dublin experience of hammering us. I not going to say that this is our year but a beating like this will get the mind thinking.
You only need to look back at September too to see All Irelands aren’t all that hard to win at the minute either
A rebuilding kerry team more or less stumbled upon the AI by accident, a serious amount of luck in AI semi vs ourselves as well as the benefit of playing a team that absolutely shit themselves in the final, after taking out the best team in Ireland
If the Dublin juggernaut can be stopped it’s wide open
However the worry, for the first time in a while now is, will we even make it to face the Dublin juggernaut?
It’s important we get back on the horse straight away. A league semi is huge I think
If your forwards don’t make runs and show for the ball what are the half backs and midfield supposed to do? As clueless a display of forward play as if seen in years. I coach U14 girls and this morning at training they made better runs and displayed greater hunger for scores than our front six did this evening.
Durcan was left stranded under the stand in the first half, surrounded by 4 Dubs, and not 1 Mayoman offered him an option for a pass!! He had to hoof it and it went straight back to Dublin!
Hennelly placed a kick out to Diarmuid O’Connor when there were 4 Dubs closing on him. The previous 2 kickouts O’Connor was free and calling for the ball and Hennelly ignored him and hit it straight down the middle.!!
It’s been a long time since we had our arses handed back to us like that. Shades of Cork ’99. A total systems failure at every level. I tipped Dublin to win but I never imagined we’d get destroyed like that.
A lot of work and soul searching needed before Cork. At least it’s March and not July. We are NOT that bad. Gone Mayo.
That should read “Hon Mayo”. Not my night at all.
Firstly dublin were excellent tonight and lets be honest should have beaten us by a
greater margin. They cut us open on numerous ocassions with slick passing and
movement. As for mayo they were clueless and how the management waited till early in the second half to make any changes is beyond me with being 10 points down at half time. Teams have worked mayo out stop there running game and you stop mayo! Yet we kept carrying the ball into the tackle and getting turned over and dublin broke at speed and scored. Why play aidan at full forward and starve him of possession? Anyway we need him at midfield. Our forward play is terrible and the kick passing of half dozen of our players is shocking considering they are intercounty footballers. Talks of mayo and league smei finals is silly considering we have cork away next. If we just let our backs play as backs and forwards the same and move the ball quickly by foot. Lots to work on but this might be the wake up call we needed because we have been poor this league campaign to date…
Very disappointing performance,no fighting spirit shown.The Mayo Management is made up of four former defenders (Noel,Pat,Michael and Fergal Costelloe who trains the Dublin based players) who is coaching the forwards?. Jim Gavin with all the forward power that Dublin have brought Jason Sherlock onto his back room team this year to improve their forward play further. Should the Mayo management not have a former forward on board?Galway and Roscommon will be much stronger this year.
Dreadful stuff tonight .. But perspective needed. Championship Mayo team will be at least 13 lads who could/should have beaten Kerry over 2 games last year and faced Donegal in a final we would have won. Dubs are best team in Ireland last couple of years. My main concern is where we are going .. Horan brought a disasterous Mayo team to the latter stages where luck played a part .. But he improved the team, the organisation, the attitude and the sense that we were a top team. The duo are a new combinatio. I just hope we don’t have to suffer a year where these boys learn how top teams play .. Otherwise the Horam lessons/years were wasted.
Maybe, just maybe, we should all pull back a little from this latest setback and contemplate for a moment the possibility that for this team, their best days are behind them. The hype that followed the Derry victory, where we were suddenly being talked up as possible League winners, was in hindsight way over the top, even Sam got a mention or two along the way.
Mayo supporters may soon have to realize that over this past few years, we were been carried along on the crest of a wave, and even though we never reached the promised land, we sure gave it one hell of a go. Lowering expectations now, might take some pressure off the players and Managers alike, allow them some time to breath, and see how thing go over the next few League games.
I’ve no doubt that on seeing the massive turnout in MacHale park this evening, would have brought it’s own pressure on the player, as they could since the air of expectation that was all around. A hungry and rampant Dublin team was the last thing they needed, and from once the floodgates opened they were always going to be swamped.
So let’s see out the League, in what-ever way it goes, and set our sights on the bigger prize that lies ahead. And we shouldn’t be talking here about Sam, but retaining our Connaught title, is now a prize worth fighting for.
I can normally find something positive to say after even the worst defeat but tonight? The only thing that stood out to me was that Aidan O’Shea never gave up and never stopped trying. The rest? There’s not one positive thing I can take from it.
I’d be the first to cast scorn on wailing and gnashing of teeth after a league defeat, and maybe some perspective will return during the week, but at this point, tonight’s game feels like a turning point, and not a good one.
Lads we lost because of tactics, its simple. Reading in paper that jim gavin was looking forward to playing a traditional football team like Mayo as in saying mayo play the way we want all teams to play. None of this blanket crack. Our lads have not become bad players over night but there was no strategy in place to counter Dublins style of play. Dublin had numbers back and countered when turned over. We need to use the blanket when needs be, and that’s pat and noels call.
Didn’t see that coming but then Dublin were desperate for points.Management knew this and should have known that they would attack us from the start yet there was no plan to combat it.Far too slow to make changes.I was under the stand as the lads came in from their warm up and a lot of them looked like they had played 70 minutes.If things don’t improve we’re looking at the same result against Cork.Kickouts are a joke.At least last week in Derry O’Malley found a Mayo man with most of his Kickouts given us some chance.You haven’t a hope if your own kickouts are falling into opposition hands.Far too many soft turnovers and passes going astray.Thank God it’s only March but it makes the last two games all the more important.On a slightly more positive note we still have a lot of lads out.The likes of Jason Gibbons,Mickey Conroy,Tom Parsons,Andy Moran,Cillian,Evan Regan,Richie Feeney,Chris Barrett.All lads that can make a difference.Hopefully we see a few of them back sooner rather than later.Time to forget this one,hope lessons were learned and move on to Cork where there’s two more points to battle for.I know with 15 minutes to go it was over but sickening to see so many so called Mayo supporters leaving,then again I’m sure I won’t meet many of them in Cork either
For me, the of a real gameplan was the most frustrating aspect…its clear little preparation was put into this game
Pacar, Talking about players out is what I call bullshit. None of those mentioned except Andy and Cillian have made any real difference over the past few years. Expecting a difference from them is hopeful in the extreme. Andy probably has his best days behind him and will be a second half impact player – as for most of last year – at best. Cillian possibly has his best days ahead but his recent form – or his 2014 form – has not been encouraging. Our management seem to be unable to think on their feet. Why Alan Freeman was taken off yesterday before Ronaldson beats me. Why they cannot decide where they want to play Aiden O’Shea beats me. Why they did not instruct our forwards to mark their opponents for Dublin kickouts also beats me. Early on Cluxton obviously expected Mayo to do that as he sent his kicks into the midfield area but he soon realised he need not have worried.
I am not convinced that AOS is the answer to the full forward position, He seems to be too slow and cumbersome to release the ball or to take his own shot. Yesterday he should have taken his chance instead of passing to Ronaldson – and telegraphing that pass beforehand. I am also pretty well convinced that we cannot afford to do without him at midfield. Certainly Donie Vaughan is not a replacement. And on the performance of our U21’s last Weds none of them are ready to take a place in senior championship football. None of them should have been given the illusion that they were by selecting them to face the Dubs.
Management making to many changes this was a winning team they took over not the mess james Horan has to deal with you put your best players in their best positions Vaughan centre back poor Aidan is our best player by far but he doesn’t had his own position anymore absolutely crazy.they need to get their act together defeats like this at home or anywhere are not acceptable for a team that dines at the top table of Gaelic football
For the second game this year management looked totally devoid of any ideas. How did it take until 10 minutes into second half yesterday to make any changes?. Their inability to think on their feet yet again has given me a total lack of confidence in them.
Well keep sucking the comfort blanket called “its only March” and see what the taste does. I have to admit I didn’t see that result coming and I confess that I was suckered by the Mon and Derry result. All the shortcomings plus positives are highlighted above already. One thing though, as long as I have followed Mayo their kick outs are banged up the middle , why?
Another thing seeping through is this. I assumed we had a duo managerial team yet Mid West and other media refer to a triumvirate of the two “managers” plus Collins. Where did Buckley slip to? The manic tackling of Galway/Donegal 2013 is a thing of the past.
We need a single “manager” with a clear vision, one boss. We need AOS in ONE position, it’s like watching a poor U14 side getting walloped and their only big guy being moved across the chess board ad nauseam . Stop it.
This Duo had a stated aim of upping the size of the team. Do it. Doing the same thing time and time again and getting it wrong is stupid. Either put a proper defensive screen in place or revert to attacking from wing backs.
The county board are the ones culpable ultimately for this hammer fest last night. The fuck up over the appointment of one managerial team and the shafting of another saw the crows gather on the telegraph wires in McHale last night. Another beating like that and whether it be March or August it will be the vultures gathering.
Not wanting to cause any indigestion over breakfast but I think I can now place last night’s defeat in its historical context. It was our worst loss in League or championship since 1993: Cork beat us by 20 points on that year’s All-Ireland semi-final and then Dublin whacked us by 14 in the League that autumn. I had to go all the way back to 1956 and a 5-13 to 2-5 reversal to Galway in that year’s Connacht championship to locate a worse defeat for us at MacHale Park.
Yeah, there’s the sobering reality…there’s no way to paint this in a positive light…I’ve been home for two games this year Tyrone & Dublin and the alarm bells are ringing now .
In those statistical dominated times it’s interesting to note that Dub/Tyrone in McHale ran up a combined 3-29 to our 1-17 over 2 games. Roughly out scored 0-20 to 0-10 per game. Too loose at defending and too short at scoring. Often it’s as simple as that. But this team is on the road, some since 2009, but it’s not tired bodies, it’s tired minds and lack of fresh ideas. That’s what I believe McStay and yes McHale would have brought to this actually good squad. Between 10 and 15K people turned up last night but possibly six to ten people decide our counties fate.
Sometimes people find themselves in jobs that they are unsuited to. Organisations often make mistakes in recruitment. The Mayo County Board made a mistake, the management they recruited are patently not up to the task. It’s not the managers fault, they don’t know how to cope with the county game as it is currently played. Some say it’s only March, it’s only the league, we’ll we are regressing and if the current management team stay in place, the summer will be short.
In the two games against Tyrone and Dublin in our home patch we scored 1-1-17 and conceded 3-29. That’s roughly a 0-20 to 0-10 return. Too loose at back , foolishly I thought they had solved that, too poor a return up front. Over 10K to 15K people turned up last night. Most were Mayo, many had travelled across this nation but the future of Mayo football was decided by six to ten county board affiliates. Many of this fine sqyad are on the road a long time, some since ’04, some since ’06
More since 09′ and the remainder since 2011. What they didn’t need was a load of managers. What they needed was fresh ideas, tactical nous and savvy. McStay and yes McHale would have brought that. A team forged on frontline of four year top class football looked seriously adrift last night.
Sorry, thought the first one didn’t go.
I would not blame the inside forwards. The problem with the ball not going in lies solely with the middle eight players and full backs.
Don’t tell me you don’t have an option when you have Aidan OShea and Alan Freeman both inside.
The backs in particular were turning back or automatically passing backwards. Durcan, Boyle and Keegan were not releasing the ball long n early. Keith Higgins soloing forward, when he’s capable of reaching inside options from 70 yards away. Vaughans one opportunity to give in the first half he puts the shoulders back n runs into three Dublin tacklers. Kevin Keane shooting with a pass on. Colm Boyle shooting.
Kevin Mcgloughlin had many posessions in both halves, did not have one accurate kick pass inside. The U21s are playing under a management team that has their middle eight just running the ball forward and playing a blanket when we lose it. Hence I’m not surprised at our tactics.
If we play similar tactics versus Cork their athletic middle eight will cut us open. After last night I’d be getting Dillon and Keith Higgins freed up around the middle of the pitch to kick the ball in.
I had decided during the night that it wasn’t actually that bad and that important lessons would be learnt from being hammered like that, then I decided to check the comments here, maybe should have left it a few days. As an outsider maybe gamechangers comment is actually nearer the truth than then our wild swings from highs to lows. We are supporters and that is our job and our part to play. I was so proud to see so many people there, but as someone mentioned earlier could they not have stayed in their seats till the end. Good or bad result we are mayo.
I don’t believe Mc Stay wanted the Mayo job at all. he had to pretend he did, Mac Nicholas ham fisted approach to appointment gave him the perfect out, and the chance to give country board a good kicking in the process.
We have the management we have and there was no long queues for the job.
We had the Tyrone game several weeks ago. The lesson was to let the ball in early and long. We have a defence on a shooting % of 0% from around 18 – 19 shots in the last 4 games. That is not an exageration defenders have shot 18 or 19 times from Tyrone, Monaghan, Derry, Dublin games and failed to score once!
The management team have nothing of target man play bedded in and they’ve had several months training and games to do it.
This is not a blip. Five league games and in all five our middle eight play has been poor tactically based around carrying the ball and handpassing. Get brains like Dillon and Cillian into the half forward line is one solution for championship.
I found out a lot, you found out and the players and management found out a lot. That’s the positive we now know we are not near the level we should be at. is it even possible at this stage to get to that level ?
A very informed comrade said last night the best thing that could happen going forward now after last night is to get another crack at the Dubs in croker . He also said some players have been told the league is their trial and if they don’t impress they will be cut .
AOS was brilliant , what a man.
What happened last night was like other occasions pre James Horan era. What are the reasons for this? many posts above have pointed to the reasons.
1. The players are mentally scared or drained after the last few years.
2. The players have not bought into what the new management wants them to do.
3. The new management is not up to the task of management at this level.
Just read a post on another site comparing last night to a mother watching her child get a beating in the ring and not being able to watch…wasnt far off the mark!!
Maybe the lads don’t have the appetite for the fight anymore they’ve been on the road a long time and owe is deck all at this stage. the current management have been great servants to Mayo football and are decent men but in my humble opinion they just don’t have the smarts for modern inter county football I’m worried about meeting Galway and possibly Roscommon but maybe last night will be a watershed game
No one should be surprised by what happened last night our fate for the next few years was sealed when the county board appointed two well meaning but clueless people to be our manament team. I have spent most of my life recruiting talent for companies and never ever has it been successful when you don’t give the job to the best candidate. John cuffe is spot on in his commentary on this shambles and those players no matter how long they been at the top under the right management they would reach the summit but not with what we have. The county board should hang there heads in shame with what they have done but yet again an unaccountable bunch of muppets have ruined any chance of success for years to come.
I think it’s better to wait and see what happens in the next 2 games before getting too excited. Dublin simply had to win last night, they had no choice. They were in relegation territory and that’s not where they belong, at least in their own minds.
I think Mayo players sensed it early that the dubs were really intent on winning it at all costs, it happens that way sometimes and is not fatal like some posters think.
Plus don’t forget, Dublin have the population pick of mayo, galway, Roscommon, Sligo, Leitrim combined and then multiplied by 2, it has to count for something somewhere along the line.
Mayo will win one of the remaining 2 league games and stay in division 1, they will likely win Connaught again, win a quarterfinal against a team like Monaghan or Galway and meet Dublin in a semi again in August where they will need to drop the flair football of horans era and defend en masse from the throw in. All is not lost today,we can now see from this early point of the year that Mayo cannot play toe to toe football with this Dublin team and start preparing themselves for what they need to be at to stop them.Dublin are going to be the team to beat.
Come on Mayo
spot on dave
AndyD
In the early stages of the league last year Jason Gibbons was playing out of his skin,fielding several clean ball’s in midfield,something that we now don’t have anyone to do,unfortunately he has had a lot of injuries since but if he can regain that form then he has a lot to offer in this team.For the past two seasons every poster on here has been crying out for Ritchie to be played.They have been saying that whatever needs to be done must be done to get Evan Regan back into the panel.We all know what Andy can do and I think with the time out with his injury and the break he has had he could still have a lot to offer.Cillian needs rest and time to recover properly.If these lads come back fit and on form they all have a great deal to offer and for me,to say they don’t is bullshite.Just look at Kevin Keane,a forgotten man for the past two seasons,he has regained his form and is now a vital part of our back line again.Mickey Conroy a rarely used sub for the last two years but showing great form again this year till he got injured.Just my opinion but I don’t think things are as bad as they seem right now.People seem to think there’s two chance with Mayo,we’ll win Sam or we’re fucked,going nowhere.Hopefully management (whom in not the biggest fan of) will have learned a lesson last night
March14th,not even paddys day.if this happend in July its a problem,it’s not the end of the road,did Kerry not get hammered by cork last week? Something tells me they’re now panicked by it.
I think a lot of the guys are jumpin the gun here. Its March in the league. Dublin had more to play for.
Thinking forward to the summer. My opinion is that we wont be goid enough to win it out. We havent added the 2/3 necessary to win the AI.
I was disappointed with donie. Im doubting my earlier post that he is our best option for MF. I hope im wrong.
Need a big performance for Cork.
John cuffe, I have the highest respect for your views, and always look forward with anticipation , to your writing, but I don’t see anything onmcstays or liam mchales cv to suggest they would do anything for mayo football, if it is aib club champions, tom Jordan won it, t lyons won it, and I expect steven Rochford to win it, it does not mean it will transfer to a county team, I think pat and noel had the best credentials within mayo, at the time, although I am hopeful steven Rochford will progress.
Terrific site What super comments.
Just wondering why were mine deleted?
Making comparisons between Mayo’s and Kerry’s performance in this or any league are hardly comparisons of like with like. Kerry do tend to win things regardless.
Well Corick Bridge we won’t fall out. Certainly I wouldn’t regard winning an All Ireland club title as a final endorsement. But I tend to follow my instinct and my instinct told me we needed something different, something radical. I still feel McStay would have brought that. His credentials are top class. Had a wonderful U21 Mayo team . Blooded the likes of BJP, Trevor, Gill, McNicholas, Loftus, Conor, etc. he managed to get Brigids over the winning line. He sees first hand football on a weekly basis with RTE and would have an insight into current tactics and thinking. His cv bears admirable comparison with the one Horan brought in 2011. Certainly I have yet to see a two man managerial set up prosper and our duo won’t crack that code. But the way the results ran this weekend it’s in our hands to make the semis . Best Donegal and Cork and we will do that. So essentially as in Johnnos last season and that league final pasting plus defeats to sligo and Longford , our season could be defined in the next four five competitive games. Result driven expectations come with a cost.
For the past 46 yrs I have supported my county driving from Dublin each time (last nite was my 3rd trip this year)and somehow the same pattern has existed where the poor supporters are constantly disappointed. How can 2 managers make decisions during a game ??
Apologies, Up Mayo – don’t know what happened there. I’ve put that one back up (the other was just a duplicate so I left it).
The game was bad and the reaction was even worse. Its clear that some people do not want Pat and Noel to be given the chance . they have their reasons …… WJ the next time the job comes up for manager of the Mayo team I hope the county board have a transparent system in place.These guys will come good and I for one believe that…. Let every one take a step back and give them time .
Agree fully with John Cuffe.
The manner of this result would not have happened with McStay at the helm. The vast majority of Mayo people favoured McStay, but we got the fingers up from the cowboys in charge.
Some of us were more vocally supportive of McStay/McHale than others, based purely on instinct and knowledge of the game.
We are going nowhere fast. The county board are to blame. Blah blah… We’ve been saying it for years. It’s tiring at this stage. What a shame our talented team have to have these clowns running the gaa in the county and as supporters we did sweet f all. PJ Monaghan was brave enough amnd showed initiative to put himself up to try to lead change and didn’t get the support.
The co board make mockery of things… London scenic tour trip… Biscuit tins in NYC…MacHale Park stand cock up… Lied during last managerial process….
Sad. The current management are the ones who didn’t want the job and it’s clear as day they are so far out of touch with what is required at senior level.
McStay will get the ros job next season and trounce us. Our only hope is he’ll turn it down but knowing our luck, he won’t.
Didn’t make the match. Watched it on tv. Liam McHale was on the commentary. It was depressing to see that he seemed to be in tune with mayo were doing wrong far more than the two guys actually managing the team. All his calls were right, and he made them before disaster struck.
Re: Mayonaze, That old record you go on about Co Board, London, New York, McHale Park, P J Monaghan ( who didn’t show up) is well past its sell date. About this “talented team” its was far from talented last Saturday night. We are not dead and buried yet.
Yes we got a beating, next game we will redeem ourselves. The league for Mayo is not over yet until the fat lady sings. Have faith and hope for better days ahead.