Now that our 2014 FBD campaign is done and dusted, it’s time for some stats on this year’s pre-season action. I’ve summarised in the table below (apologies in advance for its garish look – design isn’t really my thing and I am colour-blind) details of players involved and who scored what.
As the table shows, we used a total of 32 players – 27 lining out from the start and five who only appeared off the bench – over the three games. Four of the lads played in all three games – Kevin Keane, Brendan Harrison, Shane McHale and David Drake – with the latter trio lining out in all three matches in the same positions (Kevin played at full-back in the first two matches and then switched to the corner last Sunday).
Top scorer for the campaign was Darren Coen, with a modest enough winning total of 0-7, four points of which came from placed balls. Adam Gallagher comes next on 1-2 but that’s taking a charitable view of the goal he’s credited for against the Rossies, which arguably should be chalked down as an OG.
At a macro level, we scored a total of 3-28 over the three matches and conceded 3-27. As has already been widely discussed in the comments, we failed to record a clean sheet in terms of goals conceded over the three games.
We got off lightly enough as regards the dreaded black cards. Moy Davitts’ Sean Kelly gained a slice of immortality for himself in our opening FBD fixture against NUIG when he became the first ever Mayo senior player to be ordered off under the new rule and he was joined in this select group in the IT Sligo game by Kevin McLoughlin and Kevin Keane.
A table of stats for the FBD! Well by God fair play to you Willie Joe! You’re back with a vengeance. I feared that after the AI in Sep you might have called it a day with all the misery and pain which you had to manage here. You did a great job. Well done and keep up the good work.
And now we are into better days and indeed hopes are high yet again.
When we eventually bring that auld silvery pot with the big lugs down the new bypass in Ballaghadereen I hope you have a seat of honour on the bus. Thank you for all you are doing for us Mayo supporters.
Thanks, Diehard, I hadn’t looked at it like that! It looks like we’re all back for another lash at it this year.
Careful diehard ….you’ll end up with a brown nose,and a big head on WJ!!.Seriously though WJ,site has been managed brilliantly and an odd tug of the reins was no harm(as well as a few lashes of the whip for some fireflys that appeared post AIF).We’ll all ride shotgun for the(long,hopefully)season ahead,and with all goin well we’ll reach the holy trail.Best a luck with this juggernaught for the year WJ.
I see our first 3 matches in the league are to be covered by TG4. http://hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=207998
Good work WJ. Keep it up!
How much should we read into the players that started all 4 games?
Interesting stats there Willie Joe, fair play, thanks for that! Even though it is very early in the season, again not much scoring from play by either our forwards or midfielders. Its a pity that Aidan O’Shea does not shoot more, he is well able to take a long range point. He scored a couple of lovely ones against Dublin in the league semi-final. I’d be encouraging him to shoot a bit more this year. Also I noted that Andy Moran scored two points from center half-forward against Roscommon, but nothing from corner forward, in his first two games. I’d like to see him get more game time on the half-forward line, to use his creative talents, he can still chip in with a few scores from at position too. Also goals conceded again, hopefully we can keep some more clean sheets in the future….
Mighty stuff.
Fair play to you, Willie Joe. Your enthusiasm knows no bounds.
By the way re your chart, green and red is never garish
Seriously hope springs you want Aiden to shoot more?Do you remember the London game?
Yeah Pj, his radar was turned off that day alright! In a game like that he probably had almost too much time to line up his shots and that can be a bad thing sometimes, rather than shooting on instinct. He should be well able to score a lot more. If you look at Aidan Walsh the Cork mid-fielder, who is of a similar build to O’Shea, its not unusual for him to score 1-2 or more in a game. Aidan O’Shea should be chipping in with a few more scores, if we are to improve in 2014.
As a rule of thumb I always had this in my mind in terms of shooting for a score. If you miss the first time is Ok. You’re getting your range. However get into same position and miss same relative chance again your eye is off and after that you should not be trying from same range in that game rather handing off to another attacker. (Hopefully one is as good if not a better position then you). This is one of problems common enough with fringe and younger guys trying to constantly impress. Refusing to accept that some days it doesn’t go exactly as you want so you have to adjust your game to compensate even if this takes away from your spotlight. What they need to understand is if they grasp this is also that this does show maturity on your behalf as not afraid to make subtle change to help team even if it affects yourself.
Jpm that’s something I’ve had in my head to say for a long time but you said it very well. A person is not in the same form every day. Anyone who has played pool will tell you there are nights that you couldn’t miss. Then there are other nights when you’ll miss shots by about the same amount each time. I think managers need to be able to see when players are off form especially key players. Even the very best of them have stinkers.I think James should take on someone to do that job to replace James Nallen, preferably someone who is good with the soft sciences, who can coax the gifted ones who are usually hard to handle. We have in the past fallen out with these types, so no pressure on the new man: )!
Yes – AOS and other midfielders should be scoring more. Simple as that. Some days they don’t go over, but mostly they should. Fisted points from a bit of distance should be an option for our midfielders and they can be more difficult for defenders. Remember Karol Mannion’s great fisted goal in the club final last year.
Scores from this line of the team would I think make more comfortable for the forwards to do their job. It is something that Tom Parsons could bring – as well as Seamie, Barry and Jason.
thats great stuff
Yeah some interesting thoughts there jpm. I was actually reading an interview that was done with Bernard Brogan lately. At the beginning of last year he played for 11 week-ends in row. At that time he was scoring from all angles. Then he got injured. He was saying that normally he would be putting in two evenings a week of kicking practice. When he got injured, he couldn’t do this. Even as he was getting his fitness back, after the injury, the most thing that was affected was his kicking technique. Even when he came back playing games, he still said that it took him a long time to get back to where he was before he was injured. His shooting was just not up to standard. I actually remember that he kept shooting and was been off target a lot of the time, for a good while after he came back. So I suppose even the best scorers in the country can be off key, if they do not get enough kicking practice in. I suppose as they say practice makes perfect, I know that Aidan O’Shea had a similar type injury in 2012. So hopefully he’ll be able to get some more practice in this year. He should be well able to bang in a few goals too…
Well done again WJ. That is a great start to another successful year we hope. The stats say it all. and the 4 lads that featured strongly up now will be given time in the league. I hope we have a place for McHale. His club form was excellent even though he was’nt on our team