The Mayo News is reporting that Mark Ronaldson, who was dropped from the squad after an underwhelming showing in the league campaign, has now rejoined the panel. According to the report mentioned above, he lined out in last week’s challenge game against Donegal (I haven’t been able to locate any kind of report on this contest, I’m afraid) and so too did Aghamore’s Cathal Freeman.
Adding some additional firepower in the forwards will certainly do no harm, in particular if it means we’re also going to jettison this daft tactic of deploying a sweeper in every match. It needs to be borne in mind, though, that Mark has little or nothing in the way of championship pedigree: his only championship appearances for us so far have been as a sub and I think it’s fair to say that he’s not significantly more reliable at the freetaking than any of the other seven who tried their luck in this department in Ruislip. The return of the diminutive Shrule-Glencorrib man shouldn’t, therefore, be viewed as any kind of one-man panacea for us.
The squad trained on three separate occasions last week (as well as playing that challenge game) and, in that Mayo News report, James Horan professes his happiness with the level of commitment shown. But it appears that the training schedule now has to play second fiddle to the club championship, the first round of which takes place this coming weekend. I know, I know – the club action is important in its own right but facing into such a crucial clash on June 26th, you’d think we’d give ourselves every opportunity to make sure that all our preparations are as they should be. I can’t help but feel that we need Round 1 of the club championship this weekend like we do the proverbial hole in the head.
But at least we’re in the semi-final. John Prenty wins this week’s bleedin’ obvious comment award by revealing to the Mayo News that a victory for London would have been a “financial disaster”. Three-hundred and fifty big ones it would have cost the Connacht Council, John reckons, had London pulled off the shock GAA result of the century. And that’s to say nothing of the footballing disaster the county narrowly avoided in Ruislip as well.
Willie Joe I think you are harsh on Mark.
His ‘underwhelming’ league arose because he was not given a fair chance. Best player in FBD but a scapegoat against Down.
It does not fill me with confidence that 5/6 weeks ago the manager dropped him, and now is asking him back. Decision made in haste I think
Well a small wing forward is part of the Fourgoal blueprint. Now if he could work on the ‘mesmerislingy fast’ element…
I don’t think he has taken any of the chances he has been given just doesn’t have the quality, and to my mind this futtering around with the squad makes it looks like the manager hasn’t a clue at this stage of the summer who his best players are.
I often wondered did the incumbent manager ever seek advice from any of his previous colleagues. Or do they remain shy of them less it might be construed as a sign of weakness? Courtesy of the Mayo Advertiser this is John Maughans suggested remedy.
“I believe there is too much pressure being thrown on to the young inexperienced shoulders of Jason Doherty. Jason had a magnificent National League campaign, scoring goals for fun, but in the process has alerted everyone to the fact that he is a forward of real class. He, like his manager, will fully realise that the yard or two of space he was getting in the league will no longer be there. I would deploy a big ball winner on the edge of the square (Aidan O’Shea) and play two orthodox corner forwards off him. I would consider Trevor Mortimer as an inside forward along with Doherty for the Galway game. Alan Freeman could very easily play in the half forward line. Persisting with a two-man full forward line, with the extra man being deployed in a defensive role, is more or less raising a white flag before a ball is kicked. A smart opposing manager will also have devised a simple plan to counteract this move by deploying a good footballer (not necessarily a defender) onto the roving defender”.
Hard to argue with and rest of article on line in Mayo Advertiser.
Ontheroad-you must remember O’Mahoney is the same manager that brought on the aforementioned Ronaldson as an extra roving player around the middle against Galway in the championship after us building up a healthy lead-drew Galway on to us and we ended up having to rely on an injury time point by Peadar G to get us out of jail in a game that should have been so easily won.
Ronaldson not county standard, O’Mahoney had his chance(s) so I wish he would have the decency and respect for his successor to keep his trap shut-total lack of any class on his part.
As for Doherty, looked a class act in the league, lets hope he can produce in the champioship, same for Freeman. Freeman looks our best bet at no14 for donkeys years and already fellas are again talking about putting in O’Shea in there when he has been found out so many times as being too slow in there!! Talk about going around in circles!
Lads Aidan O’Shea is a midfielder, and a damn good one at that if given time to develop there at inter county level, is my humble opinion. Do we need to wait until hes gone off to play for Kerry or someone in that position before we realise it?
I have no issue with a manager changing his mind, but too many changes with no definitive purpose can only lead one to believe that someone doesnt know what they are at. Its too early to tell on that score but experimenting this late in the year makes me very nervous. Anyway, time to get on with it and beat the owl enemy in Castlebar. Unfortunatley I’ll be taking the horse to France that weekend so dont think I’ll get to see/hear it. That twitter yoke will have to be rolled out.
If Aidan O’shea chooses to play for Kerry becasue he’s told there’s no midfield place on the Mayo team for him – then off with him. No player should be allowed to dictate where they are going to play. And anyway if he went to Kerry and Jack O’Connor told him he wasn’t good enough for the Kery midfield what does he do then? Look for where his grandparests are from ?
On the seventh defender issue – the only team I have seen really employing it thus far is Kildare. A seventh defender is fine but all he can really do is provide cover in a certain area – usually either between midfield and 1/2 back line or between FB and 1/2 back line.
Also everyone seems to point to Dublin but they don’t really play a seventh defender. They play 11 or 12 fellas behind the ball when they don’t have it. Not just one. All the 1/2 fws and midfield drop back as well and only Alan Brogan and A.N. Other are left up front.
Personally I don’t blame JH for using a seventh defender option. It worked for him at club level and he achieved the Holy Grail there with Ballintubber. Why shouldn’t he choose to think it might work at county level as well ? And no reason he shouldn’t decide to try it out. He is the Boss and it is his first year in charge.
Finally on Mark Ronaldson being brought back to the squad. Well good luck to him. At least he can take a penalty.
The squad selection all seems very ad hoc at the moment. We are well into June and we are still chopping and changing. It just shows how unsettled things are at the moment with only about 7 players certain of a starting place. Most good settled teams would only have maybe 2 positions up for grabs at this stage.
How can a guy get dropped from the panel and be back in 6 weeks later ??? What is that based on?
Horan seems pretty desperate for players at this stage. It looks a mess to me.
I have nothing against Mark Ronaldson except that I can’t see him winning dirty ball in championship football, he is too small and light. I watched him in Croke Parke in the league final, last year ,against Cork and he was trown around like a rag doll, and got no free for his trouble.
What would he do against the Kildare , Cork, Kerry, Dublin, Meath ,and Tyrone ,defence’s.
No offense to the guy but hes just not county standard.This smacks of desperation.
U2011 you might note that ontheroad is quoting Maughan, not O’Mahony??
Good man Summer Supporter. I did note that but last time I tried to explain a comment the roof almost caved in. My point stands. Take advice and help from anybody that can give it. We are in a bad place and in fairness to MAUGHAN not O MAHONY , he did get a lot of his calls right for Mayo, 3 All Ireland finals do not happen by accident.
I think John Maughan’s position can also be contrasted with John O’Mahony’s in terms of how the two commented on the team’s performance when the other was in charge. When Maughan had the bib on, there was a constant stream of ‘advice’ and opinion, both on the Western and on Midwest, from JOM, which was at best distracting and at worst highly damaging to the man in the job. When the roles were reversed, however, JM was very restrained in what he had to say, not least during the SuperMac cock-up when he could – and would have had every right to – have given it to JOM between the eyeballs for how he’d mishandled the affair. I’d consider JM’s recent comments on the current set-up to be helpful whereas Johnno’s … well, I think everyone knows by now where I stand on that particular subject!
Does anyone have any details on the Donegal game? I can’t even find the score anywhere. All I’m hearing is that it was a “high scoring contest”
Good timing, Dan – I’ve just spotted this detailed match report by Anthony Hennigan in the Western on it.
Anthony highlighted the good progress of the team in this match. Also he noted the concession of our customary two goals. Two v London and Offally and the ten we leaked in the league clearly shows the problem in the team.
I don’t know, Donegal were missing Murphy and once upon a time we were champions of the challenge match’s. I suppose they are useful in that they show what the obvious strengths and weaknesses are.
I would prefer to see Horan play against a team like Knockmore, Kiltane, Ballina or Crossmolina where there might be a bit of an edge and bite to it. That would serve a twofold purpose. It would give us a stiff match and he could see other potential players for the county who might have a point to prove.
Might as well play those type of outfits rather than playing sides like Cavan last year and Offally and Antrim this year. None of those will make it past July.
Thanks for the link WJ.
Our goal concession rate is a worry alright. As the report states, both Donegal goals came from their centre forward, while London’s centre forward scored 1-3 the other week.
No.6 is a position we have struggled with since Nallen left the scene, we seem as far off as ever from finding a replacement.
Looking at that line-up, it seems we dispensed with the sweeper and went with a 3 man full forward line. Maybe lessons have been learnt.