55 thoughts on “Monday match reports”

1. I think we are level now Willie on 46 each ?? Or am i mistaken?

2. Its ok i am mistaken.. We do indeed have 47 now..

3. Joe Blow stars in his very own Punch and Judy shit show .
   —————————
   Brillo and Toe Mass now comrades in arms against Mayo.
   ——————————
   Brillo was adamant . Proclaiming in his Indo column that the lines between fantasy and reality had blurred , superficial emotion has triumphed over logic , and likeability had triumphed over performance .

   The fact that he has proven all three things true of himself , beyond all reasonable doubt ,betrayed an astonishing lack of self awareness and depth.

   Superficial Emotion and Logic
   —————————————-
   No matter what he said before , this was now , so this right now is the complete absolute Brillo clean new truth and everything before is dirty contaminated and unworthy of discussion .

   “Now listen to my every word . Because I’m all personality and I’m mister inconsistency . So listen hard because by next week this could all be rubbish “

   Last week he was saying that David Hickey was recommending commemorative medals for service to Gaelic football for Mayo and Dublin’s combined contribution to the greatest All Ireland Final ever last September.

   But that was sooo last week …

   This week there are more column inches to fill , more papers to sell and more bullshit throwing competitions to be won . Of the latter he is the undisputed world champion .

   A literary and verbal carnival barker par excellence, he could never be tamed when fame or even infamy was the prize. They were both the same to him.

   Joe Blow believed there is no such thing as bad publicity . Like his idol , shamelessness defined him ( in his analyst’s role )

   Brillo has a certain world leader’s mouthiness for sure. And like him his every insane remark gets to drive the media narrative .This current news cycle is all that matters .

   His analyst’s life was the very definition of a Punch and Judy shit show. Last week was so Judy. This week total Punch. Consistency be damned .Superficiality rules . Logic can go ….!!!!!

   You can almost see the leprechaun gremlins inside his head having a total meltdown .

   So this week he fell back on his tried and tested Mayo bashing .This week he was prattling on about awards that Mayo players did not deserve, insulting players and gentlemen like Andy Moran and David Clarke and Aidan O Shea.

   I mean it’s one thing to suggest that someone deserves an upcoming prize or doesn’t , it’s another to say , after the fact , that the winner didn’t deserve it . That all three of them in fact didn’t deserve it.

   It’s so Kanye West towards Taylor Swift. And so raving lunatic and inappropriate.

   Truly there is no show like a Joe show! And the throwing of David Hickey under the bus while in an intensive medical moment was classic .

   I mean Brillo could not be condemned for his attitude to humanity , esp that humanity whose orbit revolves around him . In that way he was better than. He had been a kidney donor. Was and is a fund raiser for great causes and donated his time generously .

   But being around Toe Mass beside whom he was vertically challenged ,looking up to him as a little puppy dog would , and acting like his little bitch , meant that it was purely a matter of time before he started up again with the bizzare anti-Mayo craic .

   That does sell newspapers esp down in Yoplait Kingdom where ( like elsewhere )the illiterati and the want to be deludeds ( about Mayo ) consume Indo product .

   Likeability triumphs over performance
   ———————————————
   Well here’s the thing Joe. For all your attributes as a generous and thoughtful human being , you are simultaneously the very definition of an asshole .That’s not a contradiction . Both are true. One is Judy . The other Punch .

   Both reside in a permanent shit show inside your head . One cancels the other out. The good community guy is neutralized by the flamingly inconsistent and often times incoherent AHol. And then some !

   Joe , your( bad ) performance as a bad actor , triumphs over your likeability by a significant margin .

   Andy , David and Aidan are ten times the man you’ll ever be. I mean these guys have spotless integrity , are every bit the community champions , and are certainly not known for being blowhards. They are bigger men in every sense .

   They are not stirrers and they don’t throw excrement around. You know they won’t hit back . They are manly and they will take your unmanly comments for what they are , those of an alfb( annoying little fucking bully)

   Fantasy blurs with Reality
   —————————————
   Joe Blow’s description of a flesh and bone Connolly having all the qualities of a fantasy footballer ring very true . He is all that . A bone fide Top class footballer . A fantasy come true if you will .

   And he is also a manager’s nightmare , which is also Jim Gavin’s reality.

   The fact that Connolly has difficulties in his personal life is no secret. The fact that his discipline in front of officials has let him down , well known . Trouble with solicitors , missing court appearances ,treating victims shabbily , check yes on all three counts.

   In addition there was a strong rumor that he was making waves in the run up to the three in a row final . Gavin was never going to let that challenge go unpunished .

   And that there Joe Blow is the reality of management. Fantasy not allowed to disturb reality .

   So here’s the thing Joe. I fully expect you to say after Mayo win the All Ireland that you said all these things to just goad and prod us to the summit . That is a fantasy Joe of you having it every way and I can tell you that your “reality “ is just not credible .

4. Had anyone any word on tickets and prices for Saturday’s match?

5. 15 euro for adult tickets. Unreserved seating

6. It’s ok. Got info. here ye go for those that want to know.

   Adults 15
   Juniors 5
   Student and OAP 10 on day with valid id
   Season ticket holder 10

7. Being at a music festival I only caught last 15 of Galway Ros. 3 things apparent there 1) Galway absolutely playing puck with pulling and dragging during that period all going unpunished (wouldn’t blame Reilly would blame the linesmen) 2) Ros seemed out on their feet, have they an S&C problem? and 3) despite this fatigue Ros had plenty of opportunity to finish Galway off with Galway being wasteful also but only less so. Pitch seemed slippy but still teams were very wasteful. Comer also put a great goal chance over the bar at the end.

8. Larry Duff…Re the previous thread.. It might be my fault, for having incorrectly said that Conor Mortimer had his MotM display in the rescheduled (Fog disrupted) league match versus the All Ireland Champions Dublin 2012… Actually it 2013, and by then Donegal were All Ireland Champions… Andy Moran did get badly injured versus Down on 2012, but Mortimer was out injured for the whole of the 2012 championship… So Conor Mortimer absence and Mayo’s failure versus Donegal had absolutely nothing to do with Conor Mortimer… I as certain that our failure’s were down to management decisions… Why for instance was a change not made in regard’s to who was marking Karl Lacey?… Karl Lacey ended up with a deserved PotY award, but he did get a free ride versus Mayo.. Michael Murphy in fairness was as near to unmarkable as it is possible to be….. In the summer of 2013, we did lose the then highest scorer in Mayo history before the Connacht Final (and subsequently struggled to beat Sligo, with neither of our starting corner forwards actually scoring at all) in the Hyde … Both sides, management, and the Mortimer family came out with their public relations efforts in the aftermath of the debacle… The letter from Mortimer family probably being particularly ill advised..(although you can understand the family loyalty shown to Conor in the middle of a National Media storm).. But there was fault on both sides!…. With the benefit of hindsight, it is easy to see that the availability of one extra top quality forward to Mayo , could easily have been enough for Mayo to get over the line in 2013_& 2014… And also a bit better judgement by management, in both the Mortimer debacle, and the decisions made before and during the All Ireland final of 2013, and semifinals of, 2014.

9. Your dates are wrong, Leantimes – it was 2012. Larry’s point stands.

10. No you were right the first time Leantimes – all the occurred in 2012 . Had Mortimer stuck with it , he would have most likely have been Moran’s replacement & played in 2012 final

11. It was 2012 and had he stayed on he could have made a difference in the final with his free kicks from the right hand side. Great player’s come back stronger when being asked to prove themselves. I think we have moved on from that with a lot more ifs, buts and maybes since then. Its very unfair to blame management for Mortimer leaving the squad because he was not starting one match after some under par performances. The good of the team needs to always come ahead of an individuals ego especially when the individual is one of the most experienced players amongst a young team building a team spirit.

12. Dave (2) – I’ve had to add a 2 to your handle as the name’Dave’ is already being used by someone else. Small world, I know!

13. Yes, ye are right.. It was indeed 2012.. Should have left it as I written on the previous thread..should have consulted the archives… I still maintain his absence might have been the slight difference we needed… Either way, he ain’t coming back now!

14. Until last weekend Mortimer was Mayo’s top scorer so by.that alone made him a great player. He may have had a couple of hiccups during his playing career, I prefer to call it individuality :-). He won manies the game for Mayo and his departure from playing with Mayo for whatever reason was at the time and for a few years after Mayo’s loss. I’d say he did alot more for Mayo football than the efforts he put in did for him. Casting all the buts and why’s aside, he served his county well and that’s what he should be remembered for not for a couple of acts of silliness along the way.

15. No point crying over spilt milk but in 2012 final our FF line had a big part to play in our bad start because the first 5 or 6 balls that went in were gobbled up by rabid Donegal defenders. Varley and in particular Conroy did find the target later on but at the start of the game we were badly out muscled in that dept. Andy was completely unmarkable that year before injury and Donegal, as fit as they were wouldn’t have handled him. The question is would Mort have posed a bigger threat than Varley and my guess is yes he would have done some damage as Donegal were never going to concede goals. He would struggle with Donegal’s physicality but experience, cuteness and ability to win soft frees which he invariably scored… he might have made a difference.
    In 2013 final Conroy brought on as sub but shot some wides from tricky positions and Varley was brought on in the wrong position (half forward). Mort would definitely have done damage that day with his accuracy. However Horan was correct in not guaranteeing Mort his place in 2012 and Mort never added proper defensive tracking and tackling to his repertoire which is needed in the modern game. Even look at Connolly for Dublin, great talents with the ball but also puts in a shift defending.

16. None of us know the ins and outs but the way Mortimer left practically on the eve of a Connacht final, went public with it and then bizarrely allowing his family get publicly involved served no-one and there could only have been one answer from management from that point onwards.
    Whether he was wronged up to that, we don’t know, but a good player will work on, put his head down and work to get his way back even if he is seething inside. Channel it positively should have been the goal.
    Anyway, tis all irrelevant now.

17. What’s the use of looking back?

    I am Mayo to the core but I have to say that all this looking back at “what ifs” etc is exhausting . It’s energy sapping stuff . Meanwhile we need all our energies focused on Tipperary .

    I think we would be better served deciding what we want to do with our future lives than this stuff.

    The fact remains that bar 2012 AIF which we were not ready to win , we have had more than ample opportunities to win the others All Ireland’s. With or without the refs help or the opposite .

    The fact that we didn’t speaks to many things but by far the elephant in the room is our composure went missing at crucial points. If we can’t see that by now then there is no hope in understanding how to go about winning the thing .

    All the talent in the world is absolutely useless without composure .

    I think we should be lighter about things . This is way too heavy and self defeating (imo ) The future is ours to grasp . Learn from the past and move on . The burden of pressure on the players and management is such that any additional pressure is unwelcome .

    One thing is for sure , if we were to get to the semis this year then it will be the hardest road yet , by far .Talking about former players is losing the plot a bit .

    We will have the opportunity to win every game we are in . The question remains , have we learned to be composed under fierce pressure and with an inner drive that is ferocious and icy cool ?

    That is the question .

    No former player in the recent past has left this panel that I think would make this panel . Life moves on . We need to also .

18. Love him, or hate him.. But we certainly can’t forget him, the talented but not perfect, Conor Mortimer!… What would Roscommon give today for a corner forward like him in a Connacht Final versus Galway???.. Allot I’d wager! …. I don’t like the issue to be painted in the Black and White and Mortimer always painted Black….and I think the most recent comments have been fair…. Around the same time, the then Donegal team had their own, player issue at the same time… Now Jim McGuiness legacy is assured in Donegal and indeed in Ireland…. But if it were me, I would prefer if Damien Cassidy was still in the Donegal team…. When you win, you escape the Post Mortem…. And I rate Jim McGuiness the best GAA manager, but for me it’s hard to see Donegal not being stronger with Damien Cassidy… It isn’t something peculiar to Mayo,.. Séan Cavanagh recently has been quite negative in his opinions regarding Mickey Harte and his handling of some talented Tyrone forward’s….. Such is life!

19. Jaysus, time to let Mort live (rest) in peace!

    Interesting analysis by Kieran Shannon on the Munster round robin hurling and how teams with a break did best while teams playing 4 weeks in a row didn’t survive. If Rochford gets mayo to a semifinal this year it will be some achievement. The S&C experts will tell you it’s impossible to perform on 5 weekends running!
    Can’t wait to see how Rochford tries to plot a course!

20. Fair point Swahilli, moving on to the treacherous waters of piling fixtures for the teams who win rounds 2 and 3… round 4 will likely have 2 fairly soft opponents (for that stage of the year) Laois and Fermanagh and 2 fairly tricky ones Cork (or Kerry) and Ros. For me if we beat Tipp, hopefully get a soft round 3 and avoid Cork (who are unpredictable in round 4) (or Kerry) then several players can be rested. I would prefer to start some of these games strong (best team), try to blow opposition away and run the bench from 40th minute onwards. Ros S&C looked off at the end yesterday, they lacked pace at that stage. Round 1 of super 8 could be a dog of a game for the back door teams. Fermanagh could, in theory catch Donegal but they won’t get away with surprising teams indefinitely.

21. Leantimes it was Kevin Cassidy. He was excellent and Jim made big decision to drop him but got away with it. Very tough on Cassidy to miss out on AI medal Damien Cassidy played for Derry. Very good player also. Mortimer was very good for Mayo and it really was a pity how it ended up. But James Horan did great things as Mayo manager and we have lots to thank him for. May as well leave it all in the past and focus on a potentially difficult match on Saturday. If we come up short we will have plenty of time to discuss James Horan and Conor Mortimer

22. The only problem there Shuffly Deck is the newbies who are brought on when the other team is hopefully blown away , they learn nothing about winning a game by doing this. Your talking about games already won.

    I see your point in ensuring we win firstly, but blooding the newer guys by bringing them on when the battle is won isn’t going to teach them a whole pile.

    Everyone has preached that our bench depth hasn’t been strong enough to win recent all Ireland’s. The only way to properly build up ammunition that can swing an all Ireland final is to throw them in to battle at the start of these qualifiers and let them learn how to win games.

    I’d rather get beaten earlier in the year by building properly than ending up on the wrong side of another narrow defeat because the lads on the bench haven’t been properly tried out.

23. If we manage to survive, playing that many games so close together will take a lot of management. If we happen to get a ‘soft’ draw then we need to give the fringe players a chance for two reasons; rest the regulars and blood the new guys. Playing all the regulars in every game will most certainly catch up with us. We know this from the hurling.

24. If Conor was treated the same as Joe Corcoran i would concede you had a case but he walked,there can only be one manager and James Horan was correct,if I remember he was in complete awe of Kerry’s stars in the parade in Croke Park not the attitude you would expect if you want to win a final,I know he played some good games for Mayo but I don’t believe he would have made a difference for us

25. Coulddda shoulda wudda. No point looking back all the tea in China won’t change events or results. As we say in Ballina forward to the goal of victory. It’s the only way even if we never know when that victory will come. What choice to we have except to have hope.

26. When McStay quits Roscommon in July. I think Mayo Co Board should offer him a job, not anything to do with running a football team because he’s not much good at that. Out of touch with the the modern way. Rochford brought McEntee in, Galway Tally, McStay stuck with McHale and got nowhere. But one thing he’s excellent at is standing up for the county he’s with, something we could do with in Mayo .So lets get him on board as our PR man.

27. Conor Mortimer played in two All Ireland finals v Kerry. In 2004 he scored one point and in 2006 he recored 3 points from frees. There is nothing in that record to suggest that he would have made a difference from 2011 onwards. There is certainly nothing in it to suggest that he had any reason at all for throwing a strop in 2012 and walking out. End of story.

28. AndyD. It took a collective team effort to sustain the hammerings we got in 2004 and 2006. We were bet out the gate in both games. There is nothing in both those games to suggest anything to be quite honest.

29. Easy up on McStay there, Norris – he won Connacht last year, Ros are back in Division One and only for desperately poor shot selection from his forwards in the second half yesterday he might have won Connacht again this year. I’d also hold judgment on how Tally has Galway playing until they face the real stuff next month.

    Reamonn – did your mother not tell you that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit?

    All – I think we’ve more relevant issues to be discussing at this point in time than Mortgate.

30. McStay and McHale have done well with Roscommon… They can’t kick the ball over the bar for the Primrose and Blue…. If that had been done, I think we might have a different result?…Still next year, three Connacht teams Div 1… ‘To win just once ‘.. Yes it was Kevin Cassidy…. Not the first time I was mistaken today!.. But all of this is in the past now…. Next Saturday, is a new beginning again…. Tipperary are not Limerick… Very good player’s like Quinlivan and Sweeney, could easily have gone to the State’s.. And made a few $$$.. , but they are staying put, and that tells me that Tipperary are not there to make up the numbers… Our taughts will leave Mortgate, Galway and Roscommon and the Nestor Cup behind as focus on the announced selection for this coming Saturday…. And even then,.. We will speculate on the real line up, and various player’s merit’s… Nothing is set in stone!

31. Tally has been doing one session a week with Galway, Brian Silke is his selector, all ireland minor medalwinner with Kevin Walsh in 86 and senior medal in 98. The only reason people know Tally is cos Brolly keeps rabbitting in about him. Paul Clarke and Declan Darcy are the Dublin coaches and yet we never hear about them just endless drivel about Paddy Tally, Steven Poacher, Donie Buckley who collectively have won diddly squat in the last 5 years

32. Less of the post MORTems….and more of future TIPs for getting to the Holy Grail……..team predictions?

33. I wouldn’t be too concerned about this supposed glut of games we have.
    We had 10 games last year.
    We have the experience of last year.
    If we win it this year it will take 10 games.
    We have 2 out of the way so 8 to go.
    We have to win the next 3.
    Then 2 wins from 3 will see us in the semi final.
    Then we have to win the semi and final.
    I know we were on quicksand a few times last year but we got to the final.
    We were blessed last year as regards injuries although we were missing Lee for a spell.
    We’re in good shape but for now at least next weekend is our all ireland final. The next small bit of breathing space is in the super 8’s.

34. I say the lads must be kicking themselves watching how poor both Galway and Ross were yesterday, that should have been our Connacht title if everyone was fit and Diarmuid doesn’t get sent off v Galway.
    I think Rochy’s subs v Limerick the last day was the first sign that he wants to finish with his best 15 on the field in the last 15 to 20 mins of games.The most important positional change Rochy has made is moving Cillian to the edge of the square at 14, this could be a game changer,he can destroy teams when hes this close to goal, Cooper and Philly the only two who could hold him.Andy is well capable of playing at 15.I think Rochy has to try out all other forward options before the Super 8s to see who the best Front 6 are, would like to see Nally and Douglas get a chance in Thurles this weekend as I think they can be a scoring threat on a fast dry sod.

    1.David Clarke
    2.Eoin O’Donoghue
    3.Lee Keegan to mark Michael Quinlivan
    4.Keith Higgins
    5.Chris Barrett
    6.Colm Boyle
    7.Paddy Durcan
    8.Seamie O’Shea
    9.Diarmuid O’Connor
    10.Kevin McLoughlin
    11.Aidan O’Shea
    12.Shane Nally
    13.Evan Regan
    14.Cillian O’Connor
    15.James Durcan
    Subs
    Donie Vaughan
    Andy Moran
    Jason Doherty
    Cian Hanley
    Caolan Crowe
    Neil Douglas

35. Nice piece on the radio Willie Joe
    Roll on Sat. Could be a tricky fixture!
    They had better win or I will never live it down!!!

36. I didn’t want the McStay/McHale duo for Mayo, but they have done well with the Rossies. 13 wides – pretty much the same as ourselves against Galway, means you have thrown the game away. It was an achievement to come right back up to Division 1 in one season. How many seasons did it take Galway? Or Meath – still struggling?

    I do think they’ll be rattled though. Losing a provincial finalis not a good place to be. If we get to round 4, they would be on my list of preferences. But, that’s a long way off yet.

37. Some good highlights of the U20 game up on the TG4 website. Lambert’s pace from deep caused a lot of problems for the Rossies. A number of quality points from play from a variety of players.

38. Thanks, Wide Ball – the link to those TG4 highlights is here.

39. Revelino I have to disagree. Dublin always pick best 15 and afford other teams respect and when they’re happy that the game is safe they throw on the subs. They leave nothing to chance.
    The problem with back door is ye have to win every game. No point trying out loads of subs as starters if we’re out the following day. If we start too many unknown quantities the chances are Tipp will beat us. Let the fringe players be too good to leave out. That’s what Cody did. That’s how Shane O’ Donnell won Clare an AI replacing a 6’5″ giant.

40. There is that chance shuffly Deck. We could get knocked out.

    We have however 7 years of proof what we will end up winning if we don’t have the proper quality coming off the bench.
    Maybe a few of our fringe players are too good to leave out. At least 4 of our starting forwards haven’t lit up the sky since the start of the season. I’m not saying they won’t, but its the backs who kept us in Div 1. Maybe to see the younger lads pulling on their jerseys is the kick up the behind that some of our non performing forwards need.

41. Of our starting forwards I was for dropping Cillian a few months back and focus on Loftus but he scored 3-3 from play the last day. Kevin McLoughlin has to play, never a discussion there. Andy is POTY, he adds a lot especially when he and Cillian have a really good understanding. Diarmaid is droppable but bear in mind he carried a hamstring last season. Jason is droppable this year and needs to up his game as he did last year and made himself un droppable. AOS is needed in the middle third and is a serious line breaker, a potential wrecking ball. We can free a forward’s jersey by playing him in midfield, under no circumstances should he be dropped. Most of the Galway crowd I talk to think we should move Keegan to midfield. I think Donie marginally offers more than Diarmaid with a similar engine, more aggression and line breaking off the shoulder, though not as reliable a shooter. Don’t think Hanley (not long off the plane) can claim Diarmaid’s jersey in 2018. There’s a case for playing Evan or James instead of Jason or move Jason out.to HF. Some people say leave Andy off as starter and as quantity of games rack up maybe we should risk that but it relies on Cillian being a big scoring threat.

42. The 1 sure thing Shuffly Deck is that everyone on here, we all want the same thing at the end of the summer. No doubt about that. Except of course for the dirty trolls.
    I cannot disagree with any of your points above. In fact sometimes I wonder why I ever hope for new blood when I think back on our all Ireland display. We were brilliant.
    I think we have to use and keep using the word progressive. We have to strive to improve every year and to look at it on the micro scale every match from now till the end of the Mayo summer. That’s officially when summer ends in Mayo, when the football stands idle on the pitch.
    I know it was only Limerick and the new lads were far from the polished diamond but they seemed to add new legs up front. They ran at the Limerick backs. They took them on. It was a success in that it was different. A different dimension to throw at a team.
    Whether Rochford goes with the older crew or the newer lads the 1 sure thing is we seem to have more options than this time last year.
    The improvment needed now is much greater due to Toms injury but there is improvement there for sure.
    Whether we debate the big or the little things we should always remember that we are all together on this mission and that is to bring old Sammy boy to the greatest county in the country. The beautiful county mayo.

43. Agree with ye there Revelino, and whatever 15 picked to start I’ll happily back the management. There’s no perfect answer.. when they make one of more calls that work they are lauded and when not they are criticised. It’s all down to the day, sport is unpredictable. Best we can do is support our team & management and cheer them all on.

44. Shuffly Deck.. Dublin always pick their best 15??? . But apart from, Cluxton, Kilkenny, Fenton,McCafferty (if fully fit) and Connolly (if available)… Very hard to tell what is Dublin’s best team.. The depth of talent is awesome and for me it’s impossible to say…. Is Basquell better than Paddy Andrews? .. Mannion better than McMananon?…. Con O Callaghan the current Young player of the year dosent always start …. You won’t be able find a weak link on the panel… And if a player is off form, we won’t know about it, but Jim Gavin will… And another player will take his place… Joe Public, won’t just know, is Jim Gavin just giving a player some game time, or has a player moved up in the, ‘Jim Gavin’ ranking system because of lack of form of another … But we do know that the system is ‘God’…. For Chairman Kim Gavin… Sorry Jim Gavin, couldn’t resist it… The North Korean leader dosent rule with an’ Iorn Fist’ like Jim Gavin.. But, Kim the leader of North Korea has charmed President Trump, and got what he want’s.. Not even Jim Gavin could do that…. But Kim of North Korea would never drop, Diarmuid Connolly, I’m convinced of that!

45. What is it in Mayo with forwards we produce few of them and rarely seem to get longevity out of them P Brogan K O Neill K Mc Donnell The Mort all these have being involved with more than 2 management teams but all could have and should have played more games for us .

46. Anyone know if you can get tickets at the gate on Saturday or do you need to buy them beforehand?

47. Well done to JP and a few others here who backed this u20 team a good while back to deliver. Good to see lads with an ear to the ground at club level. While there are bigger tests ahead for the team, that’s 2 impressive wins in a row. Kerry look very very strong on the back of unprecedented minor success even allowing for Clifford and o Shea’s non involvement, but we’ll see how we get on against the ulster champions first. I wonder have Mayo deliberately not involved any u20s in the senior squad to give them the best chance of u20 success?? There’s a few perennial unused/non impact subs on that Mayo senior squad and surely the best one or two 20 year olds in the county would have moved ahead of them in the pecking order? It’s an interesting dilemma for the managers. Given it appears to be a better than average crop of u20s, you’d have to imagine a couple of them would be in the top 26 players in the county, purely based on merit right now, even disregarding future promise?
    Interested in people’s thoughts as I’m exiled overseas and done see much of these guys on the ground at club level!

48. Well said Revillino. I haven’t allowed myself to day dream this year probably because of all the disappointment over the years at the last hurdle and we haven’t really had a good test yet again a top side. However your piece has just given me goose bumps…….Maigheo Abu

49. Hoping for the winners of Leitrim/Louth in the next round. Then Laois in the round after that.

50. I’d prefer the winners of Cavan and Down (or Longford v Kildare), followed by Cork. A step up each time.

    But all of that assumes that we beat Tipp. I think we will, but I’m expecting a very uncomfortable evening in Thurles.

51. Can anybody name one of the fringe players who contributors on this site are saying should start in a do or die match against Tipp who has demonstrated that they are ahead of an established player at present. I’m struggling to see any?Starting an untried team could see Tipp building an early start on us, they
    have some good players and based on our form to date we might leave ourselves with too much to do.

52. Mo4ever

    I wouldn’t be one bit afraid of starting Shane nally or Neil Douglas this weekend. That’s 2.

53. One thing we have learned about Stephen Rockford over the last few years is that he is very conservative when picking teams. Even towards the end of the FBD league this year he was picking his strongest available team, so I don’t expect any unforced surprise selections.

54. Mo4ever… Starting the conservative safe 15… Might also see Tipperary take an early lead… Just as easily… That’s what happened two years ago in the All Ireland Semifinal… A Kieth Higgins interseption and powerful run released Jason Doherty for a goal complety against the run of play… Mayo stayed in front until the end after that, but not convincingly!.. On the Macro level, Mayo need to more players than the usual 15…. Match’s come quick and fast after next weekend… To make the Super Eight from where we are now… We need to win 3 games in 3 weeks… It was quite apparent in the new hurling format in Munster that, team’s found that very difficult to do… Waterford last year’s finalist’s are out… Tipperary are out, both had unfavourable numbers of fixtures in quick succession…. I would like to see, something of a fresh look to the Mayo selection next Saturday… Of course, that new fresh look could include Vaughan and Keegan who haven’t played much football already this year… I hope Stephen Rochford persists with James Durcan in Particular.. I taught he impressed the most of the new boys, including Hanley and Regan versus Limerick… Big pitch, great surface should suit a pacy player… Either way, the successful inclusion of these 3 non regularars versus Limerick in our forward line gives us some useful options in the forward line… Séamus O Shea and Colm Boyle have been used so much this year, it is a concern… Anyways I think we have more options than many appreciate.. If we stay in competition, get some football into Keegan and Vaughan, we have Harrison to come back, Jason Doherty can find the form of late last summer….. We can always unearth another Gem… We will need to do just that!

55. I read Galway have a kicking coach, going back to underage level.
    We have lost a lot of close big games down through the years where our kicking for scores let us down.
    We excelled in all other areas of our game with our kicking for scores letting us down, time after time.
    Surely there’s a lesson there, get kicking coaches from underage up to senior level and especially with county senior teams.
    Good luck v Tipp.