Morning all. It’s Thursday and there’s plenty more coverage out there in the run-up to Sunday’s big game.
Some of it relates to our team announcement last night but I’m not going to bother linking to those articles as they just relay information you’ve already seen. On our team selection, I think the one thing we can say for sure about it is that none of us really have a clue how we’ll set up on Sunday and who’ll be in (or out) from the start.
On the Chris for Tom swap in the team named, it could be that Tom isn’t fit enough to be included in the match-day panel but, then again, it’s possible that he might start the game. Like everything else to do with our team selection, that’s one that’ll only be answered on the day.
It’s likely to be tomorrow, or maybe even Saturday, before Dublin release details of their pick. Even then, past experience would suggest that one or two of those named to start won’t do so. That’s how the whole team selection ritual operates nowadays, I guess.
A quick gallop though the coverage, then. For a change, I think I’ll do it via media outlet this morning.
Irish Independent: Jimmy Keaveney on how Dublin should set up and why he thinks they’ll win, Bomber Liston’s analysis (he also reckons Dublin will win), Martin Breheny speaking with managers of teams beaten by Dublin in this year’s championship (who all think Dublin will win too).
Irish Examiner: piece with Jimmy Keaveney.
Irish Times: an interesting stats piece by Eamon Donoghue on Aidan O’Shea.
Herald: interview with Philly McMahon, feature on Tom Parsons, more Jimmy Keaveney.
RTÉ: feature with Oisin McConville and Dermot Earley about Sunday’s game.
Galway Advertiser: match preview (can’t see who wrote it), in which we’re tipped to win.
That’s all I can find at the minute. Back later on with another interesting and informative guest post.
Presume Ray Silke did the Gadvertiser piece he’s their man sports man
Not sure that was a ray silke piece, it wasn’t condescending and no mention of galway’s AI wins!
Ah I’ve softened on Silke (pardon the pun), doesn’t seem a bad lad/
I wonder will we have a “spotter” up in the stand on Sunday reading the game and wired up to the sideline. Seeing trouble coming 5 minutes before it happens. Seeing where we can make hay. Advising the line on where a change needs to be made. Somebody who is a very good reader of the game. We have fallen down in this department before.
Silke pieces in the GA are more sympathetic to Mayo than they used to be, simply because they now usually get reprinted in the Mayo Advertiser too. So you don’t get Ray’s real opinion. He’s usually more blunt in the Examiner (or on the radio).
Put it this way, if the Dubs win, Ray won’t be long putting us down again.
Jim, Pat Holmes sits up the stand and communicates down to Connelly on the sideline. Seems to be working well so far!
It’s on Ray Silke’s page in paper, split with Galway U-21 hurling defeat.
Tut tut Willie Joe. You are not following The Sun!
Sun ‘interview’ with Liam MacHale via Hogan Stand, who thinks the O’Shea move is beneficial: http://tinyurl.com/pjsesm9.
Strikes me from all the coverage that the whole thing is being framed around O’Shea and Dublin’s likely response. Will he, won’t he? Should we do this? No we should do that to stop him. And so on. If O’Shea does nothing, but lets others flourish he will have done a good days work in my book.
James Horan in the Western (can’t link it, but could scan it to you WJ) predicts a high scoring, attack oriented game. I don’t.
So in a nutshell WJ, pretty much no pundit or analyst is going for a Mayo win..apart from anyone with sympathies toward us.
Lads, if ye are interested, a diff kind of piece. Did this myself, and there will be a follow up later, too.
http://mayoclub51.com/top-10-mayo-semi-final-moments-part-1-of-2/
Also, great bit of writing here from a Dublin man – this is well worth 5 mins!
http://mayoclub51.com/view-from-the-hill/
I can’t take analysis to be honest, it gets me too wound up. I’ll do the podcasts on Friday and Saturday to get me through!
Hi, James Horan is going for Mayo win in Star. He would not be surprised if distance covered by some players is increased from 14k to 15k as they are the 2 fittest teams in the Country.
He mentions that Lee Keegan likes a challenge and expects a fast and furious game with Cian O’Sullivan as sweeper for the LOW Ball to Aido.
A very hopeful Ciaran 2.
Ray Silke really is a hater. If we ever win Sam his piece will be a sight to behold as he praises us from on high while dying a little inside.
Agree on Ray Silke. He really has an agenda with us. There was a videocast? last year, I think for the Mayo news in Breaffy House with himself, J Maughan and J Casey where he openly laughed at the possibility of Mayo winning the AI.
Ray Silke is no hater. He’s an honest man. Read him over the years. Asked what drive the Galway ’98 team he replied “one word …Mayo”. What they achieved in ’96/97 inspired and challenged Silke and his compadres.
In the Hogan stand with cup he challenged all the Western teams to follow Galways lead. I found/ find him fair. We shouldn’t be in the business anyway of seeking “love”. Two wins and a monkey gone, anything less and same old same old. Dublin by five plus.
Agree John Cuffe, we like to be liked too much.
So what if certain columnists/commentators don’t like us? We haven’t landed the big one and some people point that out.
I’d prefer that to the near constant neutral refrain at the moment: would love to see Mayo do it…no team deserves it more… should have won it…could have won it…it has to be, yes has to be Mayo…
John Cuffe, do you mean Mayo to win by five or Dublin to win by five?
Couldn’t give a damn what Ray Silke thinks, he’s not one of our own and is entitled to say what he thinks, and we are not shy in disparaging other counties ourselves. Let him at it. At the end of the day the truth is Galway succeeded where we did not back in those days and we have still not yet bettered that achievement.
I’d far rather be hated than pitied, and after a weekend of being patronised below in Yerra-land, like every other supporter in the county I just want the job done so we can stop caring what people like Silke and Hayes et al think of us.
Anne Marie. I had not read your post before I posted my own. Spot on lady.
Great list MayoMark. Agreed about Keith Higgins, he was massive that day in 2006. Made a super run in the lead up to Mac’s wonder point as well.
Some of my own moments:
Brian Kilkelly’s point to put us one up against Tyrone in 1989. In fact, every point scored after Fitzmaurice’s free kick you could hear the joy of the faithful after 38 years of hurt!
James Horan’s goal against Kerry in 1996. What a way to put them to the sword!
Alan Freeman stepping up after O’Connor hurt his shoulder in 2013.
Alan Dillon and Cillian O’Connor’s points before and after Dublin’s 2nd half resurgence in 2012. We thought we would walk it after we went ten up, didn’t quite turn out that way but Cillian’s last point of the game was a real pressure kick that gave us badly needed breathing space. All in all that second half was tense, heart stopping stuff. How satisfying it was to come out with the win. As Willie Joe wrote afterwards on this site in his match report, “these are the days we live for”. No truer words spoken!
Ultair , you might enjoy the next 5 of our top 10 , coming this evening !
I beg to differ John , he is an absolute hater, fair play he was a winner as a player but don’t ask me to have much time for a man that hates my own county. I listened to him enough as a guest on RTE drivetime sport on Mondays and after every Mayo win it was always the failings of the other team rather than anything positive about Mayo. Now he changes his tune as he gets a few bob from the Mayo advertiser.
And as for your prediction I know in your heart you hope its otherwise so I won’t challenge you on that !
Glad you enjoyed it Ultair! The hardest part was that I could only pick 5 😀
Don’t think Ray silke should get any more “air time” on this blog 🙂 theirs eneough said today about him, couldnt give a shite what anyone says, the more haters the better, great to see all the pundits tipping Dublin, thats the way i like it. Roll on sunday.
Jaysus, all I did was put a link up to the preview poor old Ray wrote (if it even was he who wrote it). I never thought I was lining him up against the wall in doing so!
Yep…I think Ray’s got too much flak here. Living in galway I’m pretty sure he’d like to see Mayo win.
Karol Mannion on Second Captains podcast with John Casey is bucking the trend and thinks we’ll shade it on Sunday.
It’s getting close….
Ray did a video piece with the examiner before the 2013 final, from The Jes where he teaches, basically of him previewing the match in full detail.
It was actually very good, and while he predicted Dublin by a point or two (his preview of the match and match ups turned out to be scarily accurate!) he still tried his best to cling on to a few intangibles that might go in our favour
I was pleasantly surprised how pro-Mayo it was actually!! 😀
Watch the new Elverys promo ad John, it’ll cheer you up…..