Championship is different. After a League game in played, the focus quickly shifts to the next match – often because it’s on the following weekend – with the one that’s just been played disappearing in the rearview mirror rapidly. The shuddering nature of championship clashes, combined with the ludicrously long wait for the next one to come along, means that there’s more time to look back in more detail at the game that’s just happened and try to make some sense about what it might mean for the next one up ahead.
There’s a fair bit of that in the papers today. The excellent analysis on us by Jim McGuinness in today Irish Times has already been mentioned in the comments – the few columns he’s written so far this year confirm in my mind what his time in Donegal had already shown, that he’s undoubtedly the clearest thinker in GAA team management of this generation – and anyone who hasn’t yet read it should definitely take the time to do so.
What really hit home for me in this piece was where he said that putting in place a more effective defensive shield was less about what players we decide to use in doing this and more about the system we adopt. We’ve a squad of highly experienced, battle-hardened operators who proved once again on Sunday that they have what it takes to work hard and grind out a result but I agree with McGuinness that unless we stop conceding unnecessary goals at the business end of the season – two in the 2013 All-Ireland final, two again in last year’s quarter-final, that late one against Kerry in the semi-final and three more (two admittedly from penalties that should never have been) in the replay – we’re going to find it very hard to reach the Holy Grail.
Central to our hopes of finally clinching the deal will, of course, be Aidan O’Shea. Both the Irish Examiner (here) and the Irish Independent (here) have pieces today, which compare the importance of Aidan to us to the similar dependence that Donegal have on Michael Murphy. As the two articles note, they’re very different players who bring totally different things to their respective teams but what they have in common is how vital they are to their respective counties.
It was no surprise, then, that it was the two big lads who polled strongest in this week’s GAA Footballer of the Week vote. Michael Murphy was ahead in the early tallies yesterday but it was our man who prevailed when the counting was completed. Aidan claimed the weekly award with 45% of the vote, from Murphy on 42%, with Kildare’s Mick O’Grady a distant third on 13%. Full details here.
Back to today’s papers for a few other articles of interest, both in the Irish Examiner. This piece by Sylvester Hennessy runs some stats on our match from Sunday, pointing to our accuracy in front of the posts – we converted 16 out of 21 scoring chances – as a key reason for our win. As the piece notes, though, a good number of these were in fact tap-over frees but the reason they were was because Galway kept fouling our lads in good scoring positions.
The other article in the same paper that’s worth a read has nothing at all to do with our game but is an opinion piece by former GAA President Sean Kelly advocating structural change to the football championship. Kelly was the man who drove both the introduction of the highly successful tiered championship set-up in hurling and also the junior and intermediate club All-Ireland championships so he’s a man with a good track record at promoting structural innovations that works. I think what he says – which he himself notes is similar to the plan put forward last week by Jim McGuinness – makes a lot of sense.
Finally, back to our game again, this time the local angle. I’ve just had a quick perusal of the digital edition of the Mayo News and it’s full to the brim with coverage of Sunday’s match. There’s good analysis from Billy Joe Padden, Edwin McGreal (whose tale about his dash from Spain to Salthill form the game is worth reading too) and Sean Rice, while Mike Finnerty has an injury update on Andy Moran, Alan Dillon and Aidan O’Shea which sounds positive. There are benefits, I suppose, from all these long breaks between games at this time of year.
what changes would people make for the final?
Clarke or Hennelly in goal?
Vaughan in for cunniffe?
whats the situation with Andy’s injury??
who wasnt in the squad on sunday ??
What McGuinness says makes complete sense. Here’s hoping it will be deployed come the business end of championship but there is no need to show our cards just yet.
I watched the Sunday Game last night on RTE Player, its time for my annual crossness at GAA punditry on RTE, ever year I get wound up, and I know I shouldn’t let it happen, but its just so bad I cant help it.
Firstly, Marty had decided that Galway were going to win from the throw in, either he decided or he just really really likes Galway. His fawning over every Galway score was just ridiculous. The failed manager Tom Carr then couldn’t even get the players right, once Sice “slipped past” Tom Cunniffe it was a goal according to Tom. Funny then that Tom was inside in the square marking Comer when the ball was dispatched to the net. As has already been mentioned elsewhere, Leeroy lying on the ball was “just silly” and “the GAA need to sort out this timewasting”, yet Kieran “the baller” Donaghy tries to ingest the ball several times in the replay semi last year and hes “streetwise” and a “competitior”.
Then afterwards we have the Rossie Early calling us Galway half the time and not even having the grace to give Christy O’Connor the credit for the stat he produced in Saturdays excellent insight into Cillian regarding his importance to Mayo “I read a graphic somewhere” he mumbles, you didn’t, you read the article on Saturday like the rest of us and at least have the professionalism to reference the author who researched it. Here is that article for those who may not have read it, worth a read http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/cillian-oconnor-im-itching-to-play-im-ready-for-road-31299178.html
We then had the 7 points from play stat trotted out again, without any context, very little reference to the Galway tactic of trying to kick the shite outta us instead of playing ball. All in all, its just shockingly bad. When you listen to what good sounds/looks like in the likes of Newstalk, they should just be ashamed.
Anyway, rant over, glad I got that off my chest.
McGuinness may have done us a favour because whatever about listening to us hurlers on the ditch, management will take that on board. System beats individuals, we have one of the toughest back lines out there individually.
To answer two of Mayo15’s questions as a hurler on the ditch…
1) Clarke has nailed the place down firmly.
2) Vaughan too good to leave off and might even be Barrett or Keane to lose out, not that they didn’t perform just Vaughan too good. Would TC have his usual good form if left at corner back? Would need to see training matches to know.
Have to say that Jim McGuinness’s analysis of us is spot on.
We are being opened up at an alarming rate at the back, we are not coping very well with people running directly at us & the the number of ‘slap in’ goal opportunities being created against us from this tactic continues to be a big concern.
Whenever we get a decent lead we continually find a way to give a goal away which puts the game back in the melting pot again.
His observation that our middle players are not racing back quickly enough to protect our full back line is a pertinent one. On Sunday I saw only Diarmuid O Connor (who in my view had a tremendous game on the defensive side of things) offering defensive protection.
I have reached the conclusion that we need to withdraw one of our non scoring forwards & have someone like Keith play between the FB line & HB line.
I would have our midfield play defensively as well but I would again unleash our half backs into all out attack as I feel we are missing out on their talents in this area by being too restrictive. I believe that such a set-up best suits the talents of the players currently at our disposal.
If we stop conceding goals we will be very hard beaten.
I have to say the managment deserve credit for their substitutions on Sunday, they made quick decisions especially when keane picked up a yellow, ger was brought in fast. Vaughan had the desired impact and barry slowed the clock and galway momentum. Also was great to see us become more cynical, keegan was dead right in lying on the ball and causing that melee, seems lessons were learned from limerick. McGuinness bang on the money in his article, we have everything required to win sam, just need to sacrifice a forward and shore up the back line, its not hard to do, its harder to find an aidan o shea or cillian o connor…we are blessed to have these guys. For the record i think it will be sligo for us in the connacht final, sligo are gunna cause the first major upset of the year next weekend.
It’s been said here already many times and now reinforced again with that excellent article by Jim McGuinness. It was obvious to many for some time now, that our defensive system was not fit for purpose, in the modern game. James Horan did an awful lot of good things for Mayo football over the years, and brought us so, so close to the holy grail, but it was the lack of a defensive strategy, to know how to close out a game when in a winning position, that cost us so dearly.
Following the Galway match, which again exposed our defensive weaknesses. Management and players might now see the need to put in place a system that has been adopted by all the top teams – attack when you can, but priority must first be to keep your own house in order. As Jimmy said, “Mayo have the players”, it’s now a question of how we use them.
Great article by McGuinness and one that management have to sit up and take notice of. Galway created at least 4 goal chances on Sunday, converting two of them. So what will a Dublin, Kerry or Donegal create and convert ?
Last year a very average Cork team nearly did us because of our defensive frailties and we let Kerry off the hook in both games with goals that shouldn’t have been conceded. Dublin the year before and Donegal the year before that. The trend is embarrassingly obvious and has been highlighted on this site numerous times.
When we got six ahead on Sunday it should have been game over ball burst but instead we did our usual cough up of a totally silly goal and even a couple of other chances that might have gone in. It should have been a way more comfortable victory.
People have gone to town on Cafferkey because of our defensive lapses but we’ve left him and the fullback line totally exposed and then dumped on him for not preventing the inevitable. It’s not the personnel, it’s the system that’s wrong and therefore the good news is that it’s fixable because we have the players.
The simple strategy, as Jimmy points out, is a no-goals mindset and if you can achieve that then we can beat any team.
We have been warned and if we don’t take it on board, we will only have ourselves to blame as it all ends in tears again.
McGuinness comments interesting on the Bernard Brogan goal in 2013 that it was to be expected and on the nature of how goals occur (Defend well 19 times out of 20 and on 20th time a goal).
McGuinness even states that it is a pure numbers game in terms of volume of attacks.
Man on man defending is very difficult to hold teams out from goaling.
In a round about way maybe McGuinness’ views will result in tipping the balance towards us making necessary changes.
Jimmy McGuinness helping us to win the All Ireland!!!
If Galway had only goaled once in that game I believe their momentum and teamwork would have totally collapsed.
First target is to get the goal concession rate down to one goal anyways. We are regularly conceding two goals.
McGuinness is indeed bang on the money.
I thought we were very loose at the back on Sunday and that definitely needs to be worked on.
I think Jason at 15 doesn’t work either, he’s better on the half forward line, dropping back to help out in Midfield and he’s very good at collecting dirty ball around there. He would be a great man to feed ball to AOS too.
Diarmuid O’Connor impressed me with his work rate the last day.
Good to see Andy back on form, shame he had to come off as early, the margin would have been a lot more I expect if he had been on a bit longer.
We looked rusty, no doubt about that, but it also looked as if we had another Gear available if we were under any more pressure.
Letting in goals when we are ahead in a game at vital times in a game has cost us again and again over the past 4 years and it needs to be addressed. We got away with it yesterday but we won’t on another day.
It does not have to be a case of all out attack to built on your lead or all out defense to prevent the opposition from scoring but eliminating errors and knowing when to counter.
East Cork Exile, I’ll agree with you for sure, I do think they were right to have a go at keegan though
If it was the other way around we’d be furious, it was blatant time wasting and the GAA really do need to look at that in general
But while the rules are what they are, I’m delighted he did it and more or less ensured injury time didn’t even happen!
Tommy Carr is a joke plain and simple. Thank christ I didn’t have to listen to him live
“I think Jason at 15 doesn’t work either, he’s better on the half forward line, dropping back to help out in Midfield and he’s very good at collecting dirty ball around there.”
DOC didn’t play 15 despite wearing it. Andy, COC and McL started inside with Aido moving in for Kev shortly. Dillon then came in and roved around a bit, leaving the two men inside. Ronaldson then played in the corner while allowing Aidan move out a bit and win some ball out the pitch. Aidan still made a few ventures into full to join the two lads
That’s what I remember of it anyway
Thank you Mr Mc Guinniees for exposing one of our major weaknesses. Could you please include in your next article how we might go about dealing with Team Donegals favourite manner of playing garlic football! In other words please finish the story!
Decent performance I thought, we are obvs going to be a bit rusty, will come on for the game, especially defensively.
Shuffly Deck, how did Clarke nail down his place? I didn’t see anything to merit that, in fact, for a guy who supposedly commands his area so well he let a ball over and across his goal and was out jumped by Cummins who is one of the shortest guys on the pitch. Lucky to only give away a 45. He doesn’t look comfortable in possession either.
PJB Mayo, Clarke had a solid game. His kick outs were top notch, he found his man every time with the short kick outs, something Hennelly has consistently failed to do. Clarke has nailed his spot.
Yeah I’m baffled by Clarke criticism, he was the finest?
Excellent article by McGuinness! Sums everything up in one, however after the defensive performance we had against Donegal I would say we are preparing for clogging up the defence. Really and truly we probably just didn’t have to deploy it Sunday. It will keep our next competitors second guessing if and when we do deploy it. Also with Keegan running further up the field, Lundy had to follow and took the sting out of a lot of his attack prowess.
Thought Clarke had a relatively good game but for me the jury is still out on the Clarke vs Hennelly debate. While he does command his area and is a great shot stopper no question, there were a couple of points that I didn’t admire of Clarke Sunday.
For one he carried the ball beyond his area on one occasion as opposed to a quick lay off to someone out the field. He did this against Cork too if memory serves me right in the league and I had my heart in my mouth! This has led to mistakes for other teams previously, a la Niall Morgan for Tyrone in the league.
On top of that, while he was indeed being impeded by Comer on Sunday where we got the free out, he lashed out in temper and laid a fist on the Galway man. On another day that could have been dealt with a lot differently and he could have walked. Needs to keep his cool a bit more, but don’t get me wrong he is a fine keeper but the jury is still out for me!
“On another day that could have been dealt with a lot differently and he could have walked.”
Ah now Comer was lying on top of him, it was completely harmless. If red cards were dished out for that there’d be about 10 reds a game
It was his first champ game in 2 full years, I think we’ll let him off with a slight bit of rustiness. That said he was the finest in my view, couldn’t have asked much more of him at all
That said I’m perfectly ok with either him or Rob, we’ve two great options
Can you imagine the reaction here if Clarke ‘did a Breathnach’ for the goal though!!
Haha stop I know, we probably don’t realise just how lucky we are to have three top keepers to chose from (including O’Malley) as I don’t believe we would ever see any of them do a Breathnach on it!
for me clarke has nailed down the no 1 spot.
His kickouts were supurb, picked out the runner everytime.
We need to think of the long term perspective, Hennelly has been shown up badly twice in big games with high balls, ( Dublin 2013 & Kerry 2014)
Its a no brainer arguement…………
The half back line was badly exposed on Sunday, this is more of a worry….. we need a centre back that will sit in the pocket……………
I don’t really know what KW is doing with the whole keeper situation tbh! 3 keepers used in 3 matches, you’re asking for trouble really
It doesn’t really surprise me when a rusty keeper comes and does that then!
O’Malley would walk into most county teams, including Galway!
The video shows clearly that ff Comer had Clark’s leg clamped between his own……! Is that a foul do you think?
Inbetweener I said all along Clark was being impeded, Comer was at it all day with shoulders to chest as well out the field, only point I’m making is Clarkes reaction in striking out with the fist. It’s something I don’t like to see anywhere and I would hope it doesn’t worsen.
Have to say and I have been to many a match for many a year I was uneasy with Clarke in Goal. He did not look at ease
Howayajoe with all due respect I think you’re being a bit overly dramatic on the incident!
I think clarke was right to give him a slap, it was cringy looking at galway lads trying to act the hard men, even keegan and barrett were laughing at them on plenty of occasions. Regards clarke, i think he was only ok, kick outs were top quality but cummins should never have touched that ball which led to a 45. But done eneough to stay ahead of hennelly for now.
Amazing the different things people take away from the same game. Clarke played just as I expected him to play, not great. His kicking technique is far from natural, balloons the ball way too much. Despite his size, he is no better (probably worse) in the air than Hennelly (see D Cummins incident). I’d have Hennelly there all day, especially when playing the big boys.
I know Comer overstepped the line on a few occasions, but he’s going to be (already is tbh) one hell of a player. I’d bloody love him in the green and red
He is literally unstoppable for his club these days and has transferred a lot of this to his county showings- both under 21 and senior- this season
If he cuts out the needless over-aggression and rashness he will become one of the top forwards in the country imo. A real handful
And never once featured for his county below under 21 level and couldn’t make the Jarlaths Team
Danny Cummins too is a bit of end product away from being a top forward
For some reason Lundy hasn’t got going at all after the Corofin win
Absolutely baffled by some of the Clarke comments. Baffled
MayoMark, it’s not to say I think Clarke is bad keeper, I actually think he’d start for probably 29/30 of the other counties. But that I’m comparing him to Hennelly and he’s just not as good.
Is hennelly really the best keeper in Ireland though? ^^
I’m a fan of his but he’d need an All Star to even come into the conversation tbh
Mayo might be trying to discourage teams from kicking high ball to the square. Over the years Clarke has been steady under a high ball and perceived by teamates/opposition/analysts as strong n aggressive in claiming high ball.
Perception might be enough as there is opposite perception about Hennelly.
Given none of our full backs are tall this might be to reduce the problem of high ball. BTW Danny Cummins goal was way out of range of any keeper?
Some other incident? Only thing was the very high kickouts, but we got a good percentage of them.
Howayajoe, Clarke has a habit of coming out of his area with the ball and it scares the bejaysus out of me every time. I don’t remember it ever backfiring on him but I can’t help feeling some day he will turn over possession and it will be a disaster. Mind you, we are of a nervous disposition anyway, we Mayo supporters. 😉
Can’t believe the comments about Clarke Definitely did enough for no 1
How do you think Boyle played ? He seems to have gone back a lot
I think people should stop and think for a second about how both Galway and Roscommon see this Mayo dominance in Connacht , they see mayos physicality as the reason we have beat them over the last few years and both hidings in 13 were an embarrassment to them . So they have decided to match Mayo in this supposedly street smarts that comes with being a top team in today’s game , Galway made a bollix of it imo , put too much emphasis on it and also showed inexperience in committing the foul to near the goals , the likes of comer and cummins were hell bent on acting the macho man too. Roscommon put down their marker in this sense in the fbd game in castlebar and boy are they going to heat it up in castlebar on 19th July if they manage to beat Sligo on sat. Watch seanie Mac , he will be boxing come the Connacht final , honestly I reckon it is going to be the highest intensity/dirty Connacht final in years.
I’m mildly surprised by this debate with regard to who should wear our number one shirt. I’ve no doubt whatsoever that the correct decision was made last week in selecting David Clarke, a superb goalkeeper. That’s saying something in a county that boasts of another few excellent exponents of the art, particularly Robbie Hennelly. But, that said, our problem is still in that part of the field, as in the concession of goals at crucial times.
While not wishing that we might turn our back on our noble an honourable tradition of positive and attacking football I feel we simply must give urgent attention to the ideas and attitude expressed in Jim McGuinness’ article in The Irish Times. My half century following and supporting my beloved county leaves me in no doubt in this regard.
Thanks Jim. I haven’t got a lot of time for you or for what you’ve done to football but I’m convinced that Mayo could profitably take a leaf or two from your book. The roar of the commentator, “it’s in the back of the Mayo net” is one I’ve heard thirty or forty times too many.
Why I said Clarke has nailed the place is goalies are seldom dropped and a few lads with bias on this want to see things in a way that their preference gets picked. Clark hasn’t let us down in the bread and butter of goalkeeping in any game, not one major blunder that I can recall and usually takes man and ball in the air. Cummins may or may not have gotten higher but that was an RTE commentator quote recycled. Bottom line is he positioned himself in right place to save. Not his most commanding piece of goalkeeping but that’s the one in 20 McGuinness referred to and still good enough to save.
And yer right about Carr and Earley who both get players names and teams mixed up all the time. Nice lads both but not cut out for punditry as the mistakes are frustrating.
Clarke did ok only I would say, if hes in there to offer us more protection for the high ball, I don’t think it really worked.
His kickouts didn’t seem to have any shape to them, we were just more dominant in midfield so they may have looked ok, but I saw runners making runs for kickouts that he ignored. Now I believe some of them were decoys as the timing was all wrong, he might only be after placing the ball and a run was being made when he still had the steps back and run up to get through.
Whatever about that, Galways kick out strategy was baffling, they started out trying to build from the back, and did ok at it, stalling a few times but eventually getting out over the 45 on occasion. Then they just abandoned it and decided to hoof it down the middle and hope for the best. In fact the reason we tacked on 1-2 after Aidans great fetch and pass for the first point was because they were quickly just sending it back down the middle where we were collecting it fairly easily.
i thought clarke had a good game, picked the runners well, wasnt at fault for either of the goals
I would be be more worried about cunniffe, thought he was poor
Mayo need to look at Mc Guinness’s comments they need to be smarter, someone needs to hold in the half back line…………. we leave to much space and are badly exposed at times…
Mike Finnerty noted the most precise training of a Mayo training session he witnessed was the goalkeeper drills. Decoy runs n timing would be all worked on Im pretty certain.
Amazing that we arguing about who should be goalie. Both are excellent. People keep coming back to Brogans goal in 2013. Surely their memory of that game should also recall 2 absolutely outstanding saves by Hennelly that day. I wonder do Donegal supporters just remember Durkins mistake in last years AIF or do they remember his great performances down through the years. Anyway Clarke has the jersey for the moment and he wont lose it based on last sunday. McGuinness article was excellent. He is a man I admire hugely for what he did for Donegal. Just because we were on the wrong side of his genius doesn’t lessen my admiration. When you compare his knowledge to the guff and bullshit out of brolly and spillane you see how poor an offering RTE gives us. He s probably too intelligent for our national broadcaster.
Think the article by Darragh is out of order.Could have made the point without focusing on Lundy.
Not sure it is valid either.It was not Lundys first outing at county level and he has played as much as Ronaldson who I feel did very well.Some points valid..of course theres a difference between club and county but my god he laboured that point to death.
We all need to realise all g.a.a. players are amateur and being personal adds nothing to any debate.
His brother is spouting nonsense also about cynicism…Kerry are masters at it. They get away with big team syndrome …dont start me.
Just watched Sunday Game highlights. Des Cahill taking time out from his tub of coleslaw to tee up his panel members. So Dermot/Tomas you felt Mayo time wasted 2 mins from 4… Maybe the red should add time wasting on at the end…….would you lot ever ~}}% off!! Kerry did it last year. Not a word. Mayo do it. Oh add the time back on!
Martin Breheny whingeing bitching and moaning in an article yesterday too looking for the hooter cos Mayo wasted time running down the clock. He really gives me a pain in the hole. No article after Kerry did it in Limerick.
Trevor, just read that article by Breheny-that guy must have 5/6 articles written in january 2003 and uses the old find/replace button on Ms word every monday morning to swap out names. He is an absolute clown, Im actually more disappointed with myself for clicking on his frigging article and wasting 60seconds of my morning reading the thing I should know better by now
http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/gaa-statistics-evidence-suggests-mayo-s-main-problem-a-defensive-one-1.2253363
from this article it looks like it’s not our scoring that’s the problem it’s our defensive work,
all the more resin to adopt a sweeper
Nobody takes Breheny seriously lads. I wouldn’t worry about it.
I often do wonder were people at the same game as myself? We were opened up at an alarming rate down the middle. Chris Barrett seemed to be 6 but there was no clear presence at centre back and not one hit put in on galway as they came through that channel. I thought midfield was poor. Both tom and sos want to go forward but it’s common sense that when one goes forward the other drops in front of centre back to hold middle and both don’t go forward. Seamus made one crucial interception and kicked a point but that was it. His pathetic kick out over line could have killed us against stronger opposition at end. Aidan was a different class, great performance. Then I hear people going on about parsons. What’s that about? He was anonymous in 1st half. Was left on his arse for the goal and just had to meet the man and slow him down as others were dropping back. Of the catches he made one was from a kick out that was not contested as ref had blown to bring a sub in and he fouled for another one. He also gave a wayward pass that ended with our man being put over line at one stage so I’d say a change in midfield vs ros needed. We cannot be waiting for lads to up game and second half and need quicker changes. Our distribution will be crucial and donie will have to slot in at centre back next game too. Also full back line need to pull socks up big time as ros dangerous up there too. Massive test ahead. But if homework done we should shade it but it won’t be pretty as you saw last year and in fbd
The problem with Darragh O’Shea’s article is that, like a lot of the stuff he writes, it’s more about himself ( when he was playing club football ) and bloody Kerry than it is about the topic itself. Yeah Lundy didn’t deliver on Sunday and yes he was excellent early in the year but what a guy like Lundy is doing trying to physically mix it with Keegan is beyond me. He was always on a hiding to nothing there and he should have concentrated on trying to get away from Keegan, not get entangled with him. Keegan put him in his pocket and thereby nullified one of their main threats. Keegan may not have been overly involved in the game but he performed his main task to perfection, keep Lundy quiet and scoreless.
Contrast O’Shea’s article with the excellent Jim McGuinness piece on the game – they’re poles apart. O’Shea concentrates on one aspect – the club county conundrum and after making his point, meanders all over the place, like a young fella at school writing a composition and trying to fill up the page. McGuinness;s article is full of intelligent insights and analysis that we would be well advised to take on board. It really shows up the kind of half thought out drivel the other guy is getting away with.
One thing about that article, it got me thinking, you’d wonder was it a tactic to try and get one of our boys sent off. Remember the way Keegan kicked out against Kerry last year. Also at one time when Clarke was been held down, he kinda hit out. So we need to be careful, if other teams use these tactics. At one stage in the first half, three of our defenders were on yellow cards.
any word on regan ?
PK,
You may want to go back and look an entire game, before making inaccurate statement regarding Tom Parsons. I thought he had a very industrious game and was directly involved in at least three points.
Galway’s first goal came directly from a terrible pass from one of our half-backs, who was under no pressure when he kicked the ball. Yes Parsons could have done a better job with his non-tackle. But it appeared he slipped.
Parsons did little wrong on Sunday, bar getting fooled by Sice’s sidestep. Fielded quite a bit of ball and laid it off well. But that strikes me as a waste of Tom’s talents. The man knows where the goalposts are, and that’s pure gold for Mayo if we use it. We didn’t see any of that on Sunday though. Was he instructed to stick to his position and not burst forward?
oh the penny has dropped its the fact that our defending has been rubbish thats the main problem!!
Anyone with half a brain thats been watching Mayo since 04 could figure that out.
We have not had a solid FB line since Cahill/K Mort.
Against the big teams its a case of 3-4 man forward line AOS/COC/Moran and maybe DOH and everyone else back. Otherwise forget about it
@joemamas go back and watch the first half as I said in my original post you can’t wait that long in a tight game for someone to come into a game in the second half. Yes terrible pass from cboyle I’d agree. But I heard similar sentiments from other mayo fans around me and thought we didn’t win half enough primary ball/breaks for our liking. We all want to attack midfielders and backs but if you watch donegal when lacey goes forward a midfielder half forward drops back. You don’t have a chb and a midfielder or wing back going up with them. If our backs are under pressure there must be a reason eg poor turnovers, lads not tracking or poor marking/lads out of position. Also worryingly under the current set up were not ruthless enough. Our goal tally has been poor this year. I remember only a year or 2 ago us banging in goals left right and centre vs donegal in quarters, galway in salthill etc.