Where do you even start? Mayo and Roscommon drew yesterday and must meet again on Bank Holiday Monday for a place in the All-Ireland semi-final.
This week’s podcast, recorded in Croke Park during and after the game, attempts to make sense of yet another disjointed Mayo performance and a hugely impressive start and finish from Roscommon.
On this show, host Rob Murphy, John Gunnigan and Anne-Marie Flynn give you the view from the stands.
Meanwhile, Mike Finnerty caught up with Shane McGrath and Colm Keys in the press box and there is post game audio from Stephen Rochford and Kevin McStay, with thanks to Oisin Langan at Newstalk.
Stay tuned for our replay preview podcast next Friday.
The podcast is currently available on SoundCloud and will also be available on iTunes later on tonight.
I’d love to Diarmuid hit some form. He shows glimpses of class every now and then, goals v Clare, sligo and Kildare last season but overall we haven’t seen him even close to his best. He was simply class during the entire u21 campaign last year and even though this is ‘underage’ I saw enough to know how good he can be. Mayo need him at his best.
Walking to the harbour in Malaga this morning trying to make sense of it all, a dirty little Spanish bird shat on me. The wife quickly said that’s a sign of good luck!! Rather than taking that good luck for myself, as I’m in reasonably good health TG, I quickly wished it on to the Mayo team. I suppose you could say that I took one for the team!!!! I do happily let Spanish birds do what they need to do for the rest of the holiday if it guaranteed Sam in September. Although I have to say that while Sam would be nice will it stop me supporting this team? NEVER. We are so lucky to have lived in a time when a generation of footballers have made us dream. We have been punching above our weight for some time. The likes of the Meath, Kildare and Corks with their bigger populations-theyshould should be hanging their heads in shame with their recent efforts.
I hope the lads had a good drink for themselves last night or maybe enjoyed something that they have sacrificed for the last number of months just to blow off some steam.
The style of football that they are been asked to play requires them all putting in effort beyond what should be necessary. I have to say I was very disheartened by the tone of Rochford interview after the game. It looked like he needs to be lifted and we need him to lift the team. Whatever this grand plan is for playing Kerry or Dublin might need to be revealed very soon or the shit on my shoulder will be for nought.
Yesterdays performance was poor from both teams. To be honest the pick of them wouldn’t come near Kerry who never looked like getting out of second gear against a Galway team that simply didn’t have the self belief to go out and take Kerry on.
On the Kerry game I think although Kerry did look like they could be got at by a better team, I think they also would have raised their own game substantially if that possibility were to occur. Overall playing in second gear and winning by 7 or 8 points is a good sign for a team.
Back to us. We had a terrible start and then shook ourselves together to rally well. When we scored the final point of the half I thought looking on that it was a good sign for the second 35. I expected the team to push on and take Ross out but it simply didn’t happen. It was a bad sign.
Also what again are management at? Why was Tom Parsons brought on if he was not fit enough to start. All this talk about a hamstring. What if he had torn it 5 minutes after coming on? That would have been some disaster.
Overall I think we have enough in the tank to win next weekend. But based on performances to date this year its only delaying the inevitable. Frankly I would rather be beaten by Ross at this stage then take another hammering from Kerry.
Looking at the team and how tired they seem well maybe they too could do with an early Summer.
If you took the 2 early Rossie goals and points out of it, they scored 7 points for the rest of the match. After that, my prediction, if it was a prediction, more a feeling, more a hope, that it would be dour and low scoring was correct. The Rossies missed a stack (or a Stack), but they made it hard for us all day long and those misses of ours were partly as a result of Rossie pressure. But, we did the same at the other end, and I felt more confident about our defence as the game wore on.
On McQuillan, the question is not the decisions, but why we can’t seem to play referees. McQuillan has been consistent all season in applying the HQ directive on diving forwards, but we continually walked our way into situations where we were never going to get a free, and we did the same in Salthill. Yet we seemed completely unaware of this. No doubt the next ref won’t apply this directive with such consistency, but we have got to do our homework on the bees he has in his bonnet. I’m sure Rochy does, but sometimes it doesn’t show.
I see Carney has weighed in on the Moran booing incident. I have to say you could not hear it over the TV so it certainly wasn’t mainstream.
Before people get too hot and bothered I would just say if I was to sum up my own playing days – it would be that I was okay at times, but I was never good enough to be booed by the opposition – I just bloody wish I was that good, it would have been music to my ears and I’d be surprised if it was anything other than an added incentive/driver for Moran. So don’t get too pent up on it.
Mayo desperately need to freshen up thing’s… Kirby, Nally, Boland and Connor OShea need game time… That’s not a reason to give them some game time, but Mayo NEED fresh legs..badly a certain leg weariness was apparent yesterday, most notably AOS and SOS, several fresh player’s on the bench may in the circumstances be better for Mayo. Needs must,.. I would suggest that we start Kirby and Nally..SOS looked burned out without Tom Parsons by his side.. Vaughan would probably have been a better option to start at midfield yesterday… AOS was poor as well on a second viewing, finished the game better than he started it, maybe it was the unnecessary extra time of Limerick.. Ref not as bad as I previously taught, But in a number of instances he favored Roscommon, just as he had favored Galway earlier in the year versus Mayo…. Definitely worth a point or two for them… Big errors, yellow card for Diarmuid and free out for Roscommon following perfectly executed dispossession.. The leniency shown following definite black card, deliberate bringing down of Diarmuid.. Free given to Roscommon following AOS over carrying the ball, wrong decision, Aiden did not over carry …. Very lenient action taken following clothes wire head high tackle on AOS, Sean Cavanagh was sent off for similar last year…. At both throw ins, A Roscommon player just looks straight at AOS and impedes and actually fouls Aiden, straight in front of the Joe McQuillian, preventing him contesting the ball, doesn’t even look at the ball.. If Aiden were to do the same thing he would be given a yellow card and a free to Roscommon… Come on Ref, same rules for both teams and same rules apply for all players.
Cantini – not going to weigh in on the rights and wrongs of the booing, but being at the match it was very very apparent – was in the corner of the Cusack and Davin, the bulk of what I could hear in terms of booing was coming from the Davin and Hogan stand side, not as much from the lower cusack at least.
I never buy into this notion that Kerry would beat the pick of them etc Kerry won’t ever play the pick of them All games are different After the AISF v Tipp last year the perception was that Dubs would annihilate us but that didn’t happen over the 2 games Ross put serious pressure on us yesterday and a number of our players were below their best That’s possibly the result of huge amount of energy expended this year Some other small points There is quite a bit of criticism here about management here but they got their match ups right In fairness to McStay he copped on Also while lots of Mayo players can improve so can a number of the Rossie The Murtaghs and Smyth are better than what they produced yesterday Finally on the booing of Andy what was most disappointing was that a lot of it came from the Hogan Stand There were very few kids or teenagers in that stand as the family tickets were for the other stands
Good podcast but I think down to Rochford again with taking of players that should not have been he will never learn from his mistakes over and over again and this team legs are gone but they owe us nothing
I am still hoarse after yesterday .it was a helter skelter type of game ,though i always thought mayo would win the game.we will defnitely win the replay.ROSCOMMON had their chance yesterday and threw everything AT MAYO.I think S.R. should play evan regan,he will have a go and he will be fresh next monday.I urge all mayo supporters to get up to croke park next monday to finish off the job.the supporters need to keep at it as well as the team.
Kevin McStay had a game plan Rochord didn’t. When Lee Keegan was roasting his man Smith, McStay out foxed him and moved Smith in to the ff line, thus taking Lee away from where he is most effective. He again takes Colm Boyle off WHY ?
Kirkby should have been introduced a fresh big man who wasn’t involved in the previous marathons. Nally should have been brought in instead of Drake.I feel sorry for Cafferky his day at this level is gone, he never recovered from his injuries. When we beat Roscommon which I am sure we will if the Mgt.study the video and take the right steps and question how those goals of a soft variety got in. The backline should be Barrett Harrison Higgins Lee Boyle Durkan. Kerry are waiting for us and I don’t think it would be fair to ask Cafferky to contain Donaghy who is now more dangerous than ever.
A message to Stephen if is not broken don’t fix it this applis to the HB line.
Onemoretime > You gave me a good laugh with your Spanish bird experience/ I t lifted the tension. Up Mayo!!
Plus replay tickets a bit pricey??
McStay sacrificed his Connacht Final winning, man of the match, rampaging midfielder on Lee Keegan and managed to hold him to a paltry 1-03 while scoring nothing himself and having zero impact on the game. I mean, the man is a tactical genius. Let’s keep things in some perspective folks, the players kick the balls over the bar at the end of the day. Some decisions are questionable but let’s not make Stephen Rochford out to be a idiot and McStay the finest tactician since Rommel.
Sorry, found the podcast bit downbeat, guess it was because most of it was just after the game :-(. I usually find the podcast gives me a bit of a lift & still LOVE it though :-). I found the second captains one not too bad – Kerry fella praised the lads for never ever throwing in the towel.
I know I might get a going over for this but the poster above who was encouraging supporters to get up to Croke for another push is right. I have to admit I feel drained after all the games & have been contemplating if I should go up to this one & on top of it is the financial outlay. Anyway I feel so guilty when I think I might not head up for it, when all I have to do is sit there and shout & the effort the team have to put in, on and off the pitch.
UpMayo.
Clarke
Barrett
Harrison
Higgins
Vaughan
Nally
Boyle
Durcan
AOS
Parsons
Keegan
McLaughlin
DOC
COC
Loftus
Andy off the bench
Outside the initial 12 minutes and the goals, the Rossies scored twice from play in the remaining 65 minutes of football. I think the problem is that we’re still seeing this team through the eyes of 2013-2015 when we trimmed teams out the gate in quarter finals. When the dust settles and we look at the game coldly, we realise that despite throwing everything at us we weren’t beaten. We’ve become a team that’s extremely, extremely difficult to beat. It’s like the famous boxing quote, “you can’t beat a man that doesn’t quit”.
I’ve said it earlier, when the adrenaline leaves the system of the Rossies and they get over the excitement of yesterday they’ll realise they blew their chance. Where does McStay start with the rebuild?
You can’t tell the players that if you score a couple of early goals Mayo will fold.
You can’t say that if Cillian or Aiden don’t perform they’re beatable.
You can’t tell them you’ll outsmart them on the line and that’s how we’ll win.
So despite everything you needed to go right for you actually going right, you still couldn’t beat a team playing somewhere between 45%-55% of their best.
Keep the faith folks, the roller coaster will come to an end at some stage but it won’t be next Monday.
When Enda Smith was moved closer to our goals you’d have thought that the best thing to have done would have been to bring on Stephen Coen at that time to mark him, allowing Lee to still drive forward. When Lee got black carded against Dublin in the replay last year, Stephen Coen came on and did very well on Diarmuid Connolly. So he could have done the same yesterday on Smith. We could have replaced Ger Caff at that time with Coen.
We really do need some fresh legs and minds the next day. Hopefully Tom Parsons will be able to play a bigger part as he made a huge difference when he came on but can someone please take him to one side and get him to practice his shooting. He doesn’t kick through the ball for some reason. He seems to almost try to kick the ball with the side of his boot. I’d get him to have a practice session with Conor Loftus who has a lovely style of kicking the ball, surely any tips would help him as he undoes so much of his great work with his shooting. I heard the Rugby player Trevor Brennan say that when he went to France to play Rugby his passing was poor so the coach would get him to practice with the best passers in the team and his passing improved greatly. Even in Charlestown I can’t understand how his coaches there have not spotted this. Its not a criticism of Tom as he is a great lad but if he improved his shooting he could be up there as one of the top midfielders in the Country. At the moment he is missing some really easy chances for us.
After watching back the game I am a bit more positive as I think there’s plenty left in this team yet however I have to say I have very little confidence in our current management. After the 2 goals we were actually pretty comfortable this despite Cillian having an off day. Keegan was running the show, Higgins and McLoughlin were doing a good job as double sweepers and Boyle was on fire. The two best players on the pitch were Boyle and Keegan and management took them both out of the game by putting Keegan in full back and taking Boyle off. Absolutely nuts. We also continue to kick the ball long into the corner on a wet slippy day instead of hard running. I think we are capable of beating ros out the gate if we played to our strengths but we havnt done that in 2 years so I doubt we’ll start now. And what is the point of taking off forwards for defenders, I think we finished with 3 forwards on the pitch. Crazy stuff.
Certain lads look tired, caff is still well off the pace, seamy and aido were both jaded the last day and I think aido could have done with more time in FF as a target man to give him a break. Diarmuid is wrecked, he does so much running off the ball that by the time he gets it he looks like he’s about to collapse. Cillian had a off day and fell into the old trap of tracking back too much.
Coen wasn’t fantastic but he’s a good defender, he did a job on Connolly last year, id try him at full back with Harry and Higgins.
Half back line of Boyle, barret, durcan.
Move Keegan to midfield with parsons where he can effect the game more. Now we have serious mobility in the middle sector.
Doherty, aido, McLoughlin at half forward
Kirby, Cillian, loftus/regan in full forward. I would say loftus but he’s been so good off the bench he may be better as an impact sub. We can continue the quick ball into the ff line but with Kirby there we have an option of the high ball also.
I think we should play to our strengths as opposed to negating the oppositions.
I have faith in this team yet if they are set up right.
WJ i wouldn’t agree the ref Dublin Joe gave the rossies everything. Mayo got a few points from frees that weren’t fouls at all and another ref could have sent the two O Connors off.
In my opinion Mayo have a panel that can match any other in the country, but, and I hate to say it the Management don’t know how to use them. If you only have 15 top class players it’s easy, but when you have 30+ this is where management comes into play and unfortunately,IN MY OPINION, this is where we are failing this year. I wouldn’t blame any of the current panel if they said “fu**k it, what’s the point anymore, they have given so much. Hopefully they will keep going, I have so much admiration for then, but…but..but…
Team selection leaves a lot of questions to answer if a player is not fit to start how could he be brought on as a sub in the second half ,What about all the young players in the panel surely they should be getting game time.A lot of our players had a bad day at the office hopefully they rise to the challenge next day as I’m sure they will they have given us supporters so many good days out we’re proud of ye lads . Up Mayo
While I’m at it, what’s the role of a Captain on the pitch ? Is he there just to win the toss ? A Captain should lead his team on the field, not just by his performance but more so by directing things, I don’t see this anymore, a Captain who can make decisions in the heat of the moment on the pitch is surely much better than a guy on the sideline who doesn’t REALLY know how his charges are going, dare I say look at rug….
NiallMc1983 not sure on what basis you would select Doherty. failed to deliver again in croke park the last day simply does not have the engine from what i can see
Mayo forever
I wasn’t particularly happy with that dirty little Spanish bird with it being early morning but it could have been worse as I had my sombre rofin on. The wife thought I had been shot with the way I reacted…
Leantimes and Rahoon Sean. I agree 100% with your posts. I think that mayo man for man are better than Ros and I’d go as far as to say that maybe 1 to 26 are better than Ros1 to 15. So why don’t we go man for man and cut out this zonal chess game that they are currently trying to execute. It is beyond time to shake it up a little, spring 1, 2 or 3 surprises and see where it takes us.
I have no worries about kerry tbh as i dont see any big changes with them since 2014 but we need to get this Ros obstacle out of the way first. So so happy I’ll be home for replay to shout myself hoarse……
Hon Mayo
Centerfield, I wouldn’t have been the greatest advocate of Doherty before but he was excellent against Cork and he was very good yesterday. It was his mark and quick free that set up Lee’s goal, he won lots of ball and made one crucial interception in the second half when the ball came off the crossbar. He was not the problem. I’d imagine Diarmuid, Seamus and Caff are more in danger of losing their place for the next day, in terms of getting fresh legs in.
Doherty failed to deliver ?
In croke park again ?
I must above watched a different match / matches to you
Centrefield – I disagree completely re Doc. Do you recall his mark that led to Lee’s goal? And his point from play just before half-time? Doc is one of those players who’ll never get the plaudits no matter what he does.
Centre field. I respectively disagree.
Colm Boyle should only be taken off on a stretcher. Don’t care what the GPS says. One of the best leaders in modern day Gaelic football in any county. The mentality of a champion and a winner. Players like that are few and far between yet we somehow take him off every game because a computer says his time is up? What a load of absolute nonsense.
– Got that wrong underestimated the Rossies and overestimated our ability to recover physically from previous week
-We have a panel and a match day 26 and no cover for mid field. Why is Barry Moran on the panel when he has not played one minute in league or championship 2017. Surely there is 10 minutes in Barry somewhere on the pitch ??
– While some matches are won on paper by detailed planning, a management team need to be able to act quickly to what is happening on the pitch. Some of u believe the subs are preplanned and I think you are right.
– Liam is the only one that has questioned the location for the replay. I think the decision made by a pen pusher in Croke Park is wrong, did he consult both county boards. There will be no more than 35k at the replay and McHale Park can hold that. Support the west rather than dragging everyone to Dublin
– I am sticking to.my original prediction. We are not dead yet.
fair enough re Doherty i couldn’t get to the game and you miss a lot of what’s going on off the ball when your watching on Tv.Maybe i’m mistaken.
i still don’t think he’s suited to playing in. the half forward line in croke park and it would take a lot to convince me otherwise. He could maybe do a job at corner forward but has never really been given a run there after his first 1-2 seasons
Lot of people talking about players on road too long and burnout. Certainly looked like that for some players. The two o sheas in particular. But then – didnt they both miss virtually the entire league?? They should be flying now if that theory was true.
Leroy in contrast is playing for 18 months straight and looked the freshest player on the pitch.
If John Casey’s comments are to be taken at face value, the problem seems to be with Boyle’s hamstrings? Look, a blind man could see the influence he was having on the game yesterday. The likes of Donie Buckley etc. are no dopes – clearly, this must be the reason he was taken off. It has to be, for it makes no sense otherwise.
Jesus, Centerfield – the next time you want to make a critical comment about a player, please stop and think to confirm you know what you’re talking about. In this instance – as you at least admit – you didn’t have a clue. This isn’t a place for coming out with any old kind of baseless guff. Aside from anything else, it’s hugely disrespectful to the player in question.
Why o why do we give Keegan a man marking job? cut him free and he could wreak havoc in the opposition’s half. I also think it’s in the closing stages of the match when we might need a few scores that a fresh Andy Moran would be invaluable. Yesterday’s match was there for the taking but the substitutions contributed very little when they came on, like if they didn’t know their role in the team. Boyle should never be substituted even if he’s on his knees and Higgins in the full back line is lost to the attack. Those two guys running at pace sends shivers through any defense, throw Keegan into the mix and that’s when Mayo are at their best.
The winning of the replay will be Rochfords biggest test to-date, as a loss to the Rossies could bring his management credentials into question, and looking at his interview immediately after the match wouldn’t altogether fill one with confidence either – you could only feel sorry for him. It’s like he’s stuck in a time warp, probably still living with the crazy decision to drop the keeper before last years Final and now afraid to make the necessary tough calls that need to be made. In times like this who would be a manager.
Keegan at midfield definitely worth another go. He covers a lot of ground, inspiring, vocal, and we would have a midfielder who can score. We also need to work on breaking down kickouts to our own players. I dont know if anyone has exact figures but i reckon we got poor return from long kickouts on sunday. We really couldnt afford to give AOS breathers last sunday by throwing him in full forward.
Very strong arguments for starting Regan
Regan has not scored a point from play since the first league game
What are these strong arguments to start him ?
Assuming one change is made in the full forward line there is NO argument that it should and will be loftus to start
Ok here I go my First Comment on this Blog. Firstly I have only started recently reading this blog. Most of what’s written whilst its honest – I believe a lot should not be said. Mayo supporters are one in a million – our love of the game is second to none. I love my county and team (like most do here) in good days and bad – but I will never criticise our team management or hang certain players out like some do here. We all have to start believing – believe the decisions management make – ok some days it doesn’t work – What if Smith ran riot in our full back line scored a brace of goals game over and we left Keegan up the field. Like we believe in the players – we have to believe in our management. We all have to be one unit – why do we always have to look for a scapegoat – if were not blaming the ref, were blaming a player if not a player its the management. Lets go into Croke Park as a Team – if we can achieve this like we have in the past we can beat anyone. No more negativity believe in Mayo believe we can Win the All Ireland
All very good posts from everyone and precision observations on the team and our performances to date.
But a few of ye have questioned management or at least analysed their decisions. But one decision is baffling, not to have Neil Douglas on the panel not least part of the starting 15-21 match day players, after all he is the current top scoring forward in Mayo club football!
As I ponder yesterdays game I cant help wonder what our back room team are at,and before I start my rant this is not about criticism of our players, This is the greatest bunch of players that ever played for us and one of the greatest ever to step on to the croker turf.Looking back at this championship campaign we did not put in one consistent performance,i feel we are constantly playing under pressure,needless pressure that’s inflicted by changing a system that was working,wrong team selection and the failure to blood new players.firstly our defence, we are constantly leaking goals and our backroom team seems to think we should get the same results now playing six defenders with one a shadow of his former self while we had six playing at the top of their game last year plus a sweeper, A defence that held Dublin scoreless for half an hour in last years final,and we go and change it, a record not even Kerry could come near,now we are paying the price,always under pressure,teams gone 5 or 6 or even 7 points up before we get started, and if we go 6 or seven up we fall down again we cant defend it, not without a system that works and I mean from the half forward line back, in todays game a half forward must be a better defender than attacker,a runner that can cover the middle third all day long, and if right was right Donie should own the no 12 shirt by now that’s is ideal position, Diarmuid needs to improve a little to hold the other side with the big man in the middle, but drifting back to act as third midfielder that’s where he has played his best football for mayo,forget full forward he will be crowded out,except the odd time,mind he should have being in for cillians long rang free the last day.You need pace at midfield these days, SOS is just not quick enough there any more,but a powerhouse at centre back though,and i would not like to be the runner going through the middle with him there.A photograph of Cillian beside Kevin Mcstay on todays star tells it all, pressure, pressure and more to come if our manager doesn’t start thinking smartly and soon.Evan Regan should have started in every game,and as well as giving him experience his job should be to run the daylights out of one or other or both corner backs before Andy came on. there were times when we didn’t need a sweeper and play three up front,and take the pressure off Cillian and Andy, but no, we leave a star for the future on the sideline even though he has proved he can handle the big time.scoreing a brilliant goal and point to save us in the Derry game, and awarded man of the match and,a vital point against Cork.This needless pressure is destroying this team,and the most one I feel sorry for is Cillian,after all he is our captain,he knows we as supporters and the team looks to him to get the scores especially from frees,the three he put wide in injury time Sunday,natuarly we all taught he would put them overMr, why,because he is an natural forward,more over a natural scoreing forward and not somebody who is always put under pressure to get a score to keep us in the game, to draw us level or to put in front,but this is where he has found himself at some stage. in every game this year. Mr Rochford I was sickened to hear that slipping on a water bottle could have cost us a score on Sunday,such an excuse,and if you happen to read this I would hope you would think about the points made especially the sweeper system, its not to late.When Mcstay moved Enda Smith to full forward,why put Lee back, had we nobody else to do that job,E.G Stephen Coen,Lee with the help of the brilliant Boyle and Higgins was destroying them ,the creator, provider and finisher,and to see him waisted and static in a game like this was a shame,Boyle was taken off,nobody has said why, needless to say he looked disgusted,is it because we are allowing the gps system to tell us when we should make changes,i hope not.
Neil Douglas has been tried by three sets of different managements. He hasn’t stood out when taken out of the Mayo club football scene. Club football is one thing, intercounty is another. I’m sure too if the players on the panel felt he’d offer something they didn’t have, they’d be fighting strongly to have him there. He was on the panel at the start of the year – clearly he wasn’t good enough to make it then. Douglas isn’t a young up and coming star either, he’s 27 years of age. I wouldn’t criticise the management too much on that one, they are the ones who would have seen him in training, to be fair.
Its all gone a bit Joe Duffy here.
Not happy with the manager with a plan that nullified Enda Smith, not happy with the excellent Jason Docherty, wanting Andy Moran left on the bench and second guessing professional opinions regarding Boyles durability.
I thought we played well enough, all things considered. Cillian is so honest that he is probably trying to cover too much. Next week I expect he will play a more orthodox forward role and that will free up the rest of the Summer for our Roscommon neighbours.
Some interesting analysis here:
http://www.the42.ie/mayo-roscommon-analysis-3523171-Jul2017/
Hse thanks for posting that , interesting read for sure , very good analysis!
Agree with you there Rochfords Brigade. We have a habit of creating Richey Feeneys from players that don’t get to play. I recall under Horan’s watch Regan was one of these, and now many can’t stand the sight of him now he’s on the panel.
Club and County are 2 very different beasts.
Very depressing podcast. Turned it off.
I would be a fan of Douglas and do believe he should be there but to be fair he was looked at and involved earlier in the year so have to respect manager decision. I think Loftus has to start the next day. Badly need some pace in the ff line. Cillian needs to be managed better on the field, he was wrecked at the end, a fresher Cillian would have nailed a couple of those last shots. Release him from tracking back and working like a dog, have him patrolling the danger area and picking off piints.
Not buying the narrative that rochford is to blame for all our woes. It’s very lazy of so called supporters to do! The podcast insinuates that same narrative. I do question some decisions, I always will. But We do not know what the achievable outcome bar the result the management and players are looking for. Had cillians shooting been at the same level as last weekend we win by 3-4 points. Had aiden played in the first 50 mins the way he played the last 20 along with cillians shooting we win by 6-7 points! Had donie not found the only bottle that was on the pitch at that stage we score! There were stages where we just weren’t switched on in game time! That cost us on the scoreboard!! Ease back on the narrative that rochford is costing us, maybe his deck is compromised due to fatigue. Let’s see how the replay goes, I think we will get through this time, and we will show up!
sensible post, Fear an chomórtais
fear a chomortais,but for something the sky would fall and i presume its what I said that brings you to say ease the blame on rochford,but can you or anybody else answer me something,have you ever before seen a manager at the end of a game to end up with, 10 backs,3 forwards and one centre fieldman, Parsons,. and he was only on for 10 minutes,because I have not.
Gerry, whom would you have brought in in place of those that were introduced as subs, and why?.
Gerry with all due respect, don’t flatter yourself to think that my post is in retaliation to yours, its not!I didn’t actually read yours and i am mindful of the house rules about playing the man not the ball which is why I generalised my post. I also said the podcast had the same narrative, and I believe they were wrong to criticise boyles substitution and blame management for this when theres a very simple explanation but not one that should be posted online! just tired of people being lazy in their views and just blaming the manager/management. there are legitimate reasons why boyle was taken off, its very simple and its not a gps tracking thing! I do wonder why Kirby, Boland were not used against Roscommon last Sunday and I am hoping the will be utilised this Monday! I don’t agree with everything Rochford has done since he came to management with Mayo, but The same manager/management devised that game plan which worked last September, and bar for a very unfortunate series of unlucky own goals against Dublin we would still be up to out oxters in drink because they brought us within touching distance of Mecca! We are not privy to what goes on behind closed doors, and we shouldn’t be but the reasons they are managers is because they make tough decisions and the stand over them. Sometimes they work and they are labelled genius, and when they don’t they are idiots! we shouldn’t be quick to label them just because we don’t get or agree with the substitutions that WE think are the right ones and we shouldn’t be calling to blame them on that basis either. Our team and management are not fickle, we as supporters shouldn’t be either but some appear that they are and have stipulations on loyalty or how loyal they are to this team!
fair enough fear an chomortais,well said. fdbinashui, I would be a believer in staying with what we know works and we know Kevin as sweeper stopped us leaking goals before,A Ros supporter said to a friend of mine when the second goal went in THANKS, ye usually give away two,eneough said,Due respect to Caff he is under performing since the injury, I would take him off and move Harrison to full back and bring back Kevin as sweeper and stay there no going forward,Ihave no problem with Barrett at centre back but I just think he is better in the corner,he has pace and very hard to pass,and of course Hig in in other corner.Good move by Rochford to put Keegan centrefield but with kevin now sweeping I would not have put keegan back,Seamie was a lot on his own at mid field when he went off,i would have brought Durcan to midfield,he can catch, he can score, and most important he is very mobile between the two 45 meter lines,i feel he is light as a defender to easy pushed off the ball but brilliant besides so much like Brian Fenton,Seamie just doesn’t seem to have the pace,Vaughan Into centre back, Coen and Boyle the other two with Boyle man marking Conor Devaney,Im not just sure about Coen,he seems to lack that yard of pace to make a top class defender, Sometime in the future maybe a sweeper should be his roll and freeing up kevin for his surging runs would be to our advantage.Diarmuid I think could be carrying an injury he is certainly not the player he was,I thought Nally was good against Sligo and worth a chance here,Doherty is simply not consistant enough, very good against Cork,doesnt have the engine and gets tired two easily,Iwould have Loftus in at 12, to me he is one for the future but he needs game time,can play in either forward line, can carry the ball, link the play. and shoot from distance,i would have being starting him.Andy is still brilliant when he is in possession of the ball,but that’s a bit of a problem and if you watch him in a race is marker is always tight to him,getting a hand in,just doing something to deprive him of clean possession resulting in turnovers it has happened many times this year,but he still has a big part to play,above all games this year he should not have started against Galway,with weather conditions as they were it was very likely this game would come down to a dogfight,and afresh Andy Moran is nearly sure to get scores just when you need them most,incidentally I think Boland should be there as well that day.Kirby has to be an option at full forward and elsewhere when we are under pressure.We simply cant exspect Cillian to be all over the field defending like he was the last day, like wise Aiden,who at one stage was back in the full back line to save the day. I firmly believe that our defence is most important, simply because an under performing defence puts massive pressure on the rest of the team,and up to now that has being our problem in my view. Bernard Flynn has a piece in todays Mirror which endorses what I said in my previous rant about pressure, worth a read.
Sorry fear an chomortais, and fdbinashui, forgot correct name on previous
Kevin stopped us leaking goals? He scored one against us!! Only messing D! I see your point. Listened to the podcast there. All 3 agree that Mc stay won the tactical battle……lol. If we won the same 3 would be hailing Stephen as a tactical genius
Only for Stephens tactical decision which pulled the wool over mcstays eyes we would be out of the championship.