‘The Final Countdown’ series is almost complete on the Mayo News football podcast ahead of Saturday’s All-Ireland final between Mayo and Dublin. Almost but not quite!
Kevin McStay’s wonderfully evocative column in the Irish Times earlier in the week really hit a chord with Mayo supporters and in this episode we’re delighted to welcome Kevin back onto the podcast for some final thoughts ahead of Saturday’s big match.
Chatting to Rob Murphy, Kevin expands on his idea of the Mayo journey and why those who insist on sympathising with Mayo supporters are missing the point. The discussion also covers the new players James Horan has introduced this year, what the potential match-ups on Saturday might be and what to expect from ref David Coldrick. Kevin finishes by giving us his prediction for Saturday, with a few provisos tagged onto it along with some reasons for hope.
This latest episode of the Mayo News football podcast is now online and is available to listen to on iTunes, SoundCloud, Podomatic and Spotify. You can also listen to it directly on the Mayo News website as well as here on the blog using the SoundCloud player below or the one on the panel on the right.
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It’s only a game ! Passionate fans , committed teams ,
everything set up for a great final. Won’t be the same looking at it on t.v. And not having banter with opposing fans and enjoying the craic.
However with this horrible pandemic stalking our country let’s just be grateful to both sets of players for giving us something to look forward to. I will be supporting Dublin but will congratulate Mayo if they win. Something about this year makes us realise what we all care about and love. Stay safe everybody and see u at a game in 2021.
Well said John. I’ll be supporting Mayo but appreciate your words. Fair play to all the players and managers and their families for giving us a little glimmer of light in the depths of our Covid winter. Mayo or bust…
Willie Joe, you must have hired that little 4 year old Tyrone farmer, with the amount of work you and the crew are putting out, great stuff!
Listening to McStay and those stats this now seems like an impossible task.
Really enjoyed that podcast and Kevins piece in the Irish Times. The closer the game gets the more bullish I get. I’m avoiding the likes of Brolly like the plague. Just saw on twitter he was on MWR. Not sure why they had him on at all. I’m 100% for a plan like just going balls out at Dublin for the day and see where the chips land because sitting back and inviting Dublin on to you is just a slow torturous death by a thousand cuts. Imagine winning by 4-16 to 3-18 🙂
I think Dublin are far too powerful and will bring an intensity to the game that Mayo will struggle to match. Yes sitting back is dangerous but I expect Dublin to go for early goals so sitting back at the start has to be done or Mayo could be beaten by first water break. Dont underestimate Dublins desire to bury Mayo in this match its a very dangerous game for ye and Horan has got to be ultra cautious and try to be still there with 5 minutes left and going “balls out” wont I believe bring Mayo to that position.
After listening to Brolly, not sure I want to listen to anything else to take my positivity down this close to d day. Really don’t know why they had him on. Think the presenter started thinking the same on air but no way out at that stage!!!! He just goes on and on and on about his beloved Dublin – on a Mayo show. Only for Andy anyone who listened to it would be heading to the bed depressed. That man is a tonic.
https://youtu.be/qbwcmt9jVDI well worth a listen ta one is getting excited. Mayo abu
On the RTE podcast today Wheelo mentions that the biggest issue for Mayo is maintaining energy into the second half, ie 2017 we dominated first half and only led by 1 point (albeit should have been 2, but the two Dublin crataurs crashed into each other and got a free in), then we hadn’t the energy to push on that dominance. Similar in last years semi, only 2 points up after a dominant first 35mins.. although other variables were at play in that game, fatigue after consecutive games and lads with too many miles on the clock.
Also, Wheelo rightly mentions that Aido loses energy in the second half. This is when we really need him to help push us on to victory. Could he perhaps start in full forward and only go to midfield for the last quarter on Saturday? It might be worth a shot. We need him scattering Dublin lads in the last quarter, and setting up scores or key plays. He has the ability.
Kevin McStay floats the idea of Leeroy to Midfield. Possibly to tag Fenton. What a tasty battle that would be. Padraig o’hora could then go to FB line… could happen.
Would love to see Paddy Durcan tracking Fenton, think he’d put him on the back foot.
Really enjoying these podcasts, and enjoying the honest opinions from McStay. Based on how we’ve looked in previous games id agree we have the aerobic fitness and speed to match Dublin on Saturday. Conor Finn is to thank for a lot of that work, as S&C coach. McStay mentions Martin Mcintyre who is a team physio I believe along with Mark Gallagher, another Claremorris club man. All doing super work and keeping our lads on the field and in shape.
I think we have the men and management to do the job on Saturday. Really looking forward to the game.
time for a team picture
I really enjoyed that podcast. Kevin as usual is very honest in his analysis.
The 40 30 20 metrics are interesting so we have to hope that we lower those tallies that Dublin have been hitting. We will be the best outfit Dublin have faced this year so that will be coming down a bit. Then we have to get 5 match ups right. Well he said 3 out of 5 would do fine and then we have to win 65% of our kick outs. That’s right. 65%. That’s a 6 followed by a 5. We might need a can of pepper spray around midfield.
He doesn’t give in to grouching about the referees after the game is done. That’s one of my favourite pastimes. Sure Christ Almighty I have a big bunch of sour grapes bought already in case I need them Saturday evening.
I was hopeful until I heard Kevin….then reality set in.This is 04/06 rather than 16/17.
I think we will be wide open and be gone in 15 mins as Dublin wont miss the chances Tipp did.
Pat I have followed Mayo since the 70’s, love Mayo football but for me this unfortunately looks like it has 04 written all over it. Our defence has been wide open the way this team is set up. If has been that way all through the league and championship. Dublin are professionals in all but name playing amateurs I don’t think our past performances v Dublin come in to this. The 16/17 team started with defence. A pity we did not have our current full forward line on that team. Our strategy is offence now not defence and that has been strong enough to get us to a final, even if we did get a soft route. However really hoping we do not get destroyed on Saturday as it will not help this upcoming team. Hope we do not go out and go for it with a one on one defence as it could be very ugly!
There has never been in any sport anywhere in the world a team, nó matter how dominant they have been previously, who are invincible. There is always hope, once you have the players with ability, who believe, are determined, don’t give up, are well managed and have good leaders on the pitch.
Never give up, never give in.
Never give up, never give in
Never give up, never give in
Never give up, never give in
Just a reminder, don’t be listening to anything that is going to make ye unsure, anything negative, I have not or wont listen to this podcast as it seems to be putting the fear of God into some guys here.
A few very positive reminders to the unsure / worried souls.
1, Mayo team now is twice as strong as the team that played the Dubs in the league in early 2020, the Dubs had an 80% full team out that night.
2, Mayo team now is much better equipped to put up a big score than in any other year, no problem in conceding a big score if you score higher.
3, The 2016 and 2017 Mayo teams were primed to come good in late Summer but were weak in the early part of the year, too much reliance on trying to stop the opposition.
4, Defence and counter attack works in soccer but in the modern football game just does not work, God favours the brave, attack / then defend around the middle, not very close to your own goals, attack again.
Mayo need to get the Dubs out of their rhythm.
5, I trust management to do the right things tomorrow.
It seems to me that some have given up already, accepting that Mayo will be beaten, this is sad to see.
I for one see a chance tomorrow to finally bury the Dubs, no reason why it cannot be done.
Remember what I wrote a few days ago, we have heard too much shite from media and analysts in how good this Dublin team are and too many seem to have fallen for it.
Well said Mayo 88. Dublin are a fine team but the “greatest of all time” shouldn’t need replays and 1 PT wins in finals. Dublin are worried about our FF line. We need to keep AoS in there. We will need 2 goals and we are more than capable of getting them
Listened to Berno and Flynner on otb. On about their careers, it was lovely to hear them talking about Fento and how they rate him as the best footballer of all time. They truly are such a special team and deserve all the praise they get, they train in such a high level environment and it has driven them and their teammates onto do other things in life outside football that they might not have attempted had they played for another county I’d say. Mayo will be able to measure themselves tomorrow night against Dublin and see where the improvements are needed to come back again in 2021 and 2022 as our panel of players improve enough to compete at the highest level with Dublin. On Monday I fully expect we will be reading about Dublin going for the Magnificent Seven and they deserve it because they really are magnificent and a credit to the GAA.
So Kevin Mc Stay doesn’t criticise refs. Well I remember he had a good rant ( and rightly so) following the Mayo/ Kerry replay in 14. He said I’m not putting on the Green and Red jersey here but the performance of Cormac Reilly was appalling. When the game ran away from him, it was out of control. Can’t remember the rest.
Nephin, I think on the podcast with Rob he pretty much said he changed tack when he went into management, understanding that its pointless criticising refs and other uncontrollables. Regarding Mayo, he also made the clear point that since 1989, aide from some bad luck etc at times, ALL those Mayo teams who came so close had chances to win Sam but failed to take them.
Kieran Donaghy provides some really good analysis of Dublin defensive’s system and the match-ups for Saturday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JXGKJF_dbE
Of course you’re right Liberal Role. Indeed 14 should never have gone to a replay. We were five up with minutes to go. Kerry had to goal. Donaghy came on and moved from midfield to FF and caused the problem. Had Aidan followed him it was game over. Lads on the field should see what’s happening and respond.
I’m with Mayo88. I think I have to wait for the last podcast. After Brolly last night I’m not subjecting myself to another ‘tainting of my vibe’!!!
It might be just as well supporters cannot be there tomorrow as I’d worry we would do a 2013 frozen with fear performance on it and not help our team. Did ye see one of the club’s good luck message to some of their county players on fb?? Ends with ‘Dublin may be a bridge too far’. WTF!!! I’m sure the players in question are not going up with that attitude or we have lost already.
Actually, do ye think Horan would actually say we don’t really have a hope, just try your best and we will see where we are at with our development or we can do this/we will do this? I’m curious from others who have played/managed. Personally I imagine/hope it’s along the lines of ‘Do it. Go get them. Believe ‘.
I just can’t admire this Dublin team with all their advantages pouring out of their ears. I find them boring – too much hand passing for me. And I’m sick and tired of hearing about them. I hope we go out and whip the hell out of them, even by a point. We can do this. It’s a game of football.
This is nothing to do with anything, but with all their money they could improve the quality and appearance of their jersey. As I said nothing to do with anything, only I don’t like it at all. And it’s not very Christmassy. At least we will be festive tomorrow ? Ho Ho Up Mayo!
Kevin McStay certainly going with the developed narrative … Safe, Safe, Safe enough to be kept in RTE, as for his respect for Refs, not long ago he threw the football in the direction of the Ref hitting him on the back of the head in Dr Hyde Park following a Roscommon defeat… After that you have to talk nice about referees.. It’s waffle my friends, … Coldrick not a patch on Geogh or Lane, as a top referee but well ahead of Dublin Joe McQuillean running the line for him, and well ahead of Maurice Deegan …I wish him well in the final, and I don’t think it will be easy to Ref it either…As for Kevin’s contention that Refs go out to give their very best, of course they do… But not because they are afraid of being called out for a howler by the Sunday Game team, as Kevin stated ..Geogh got wrongly slautered by the Roman Centurian like Ciaran Whelan on the Sunday Game for correctly sending Johnny Cooper in the drawn All Ireland final, same happened with the hurling Referee, can’t think of his name when he rightly sent off the Kilkenny player in the 2019 All Ireland hurling final….Altough recently on the Sunday Game, Kevin McStay did make a few good points as regards the unfair advantages conferred on Dublin by the powers that be in the GAA…. The excuse for real debate took place on the same Sunday Game show, between Des Cahill, ex Dublin manager Pat Gilroy and current Meath manager McEanny… That excuse for a debate muddied the waters so much that it was an insult to the intelligence of anyone who knows anything about the GAA. … And as O’Rourke, he must think that he’s some type of comedian with all the repeated jokes about Cavan so called meanness, and Spillane can’t go 2 minutes without reminding you about the great team he played with and his own experiences…