Photo: Wexford GAA
It’s Wednesday, we’re playing again on Saturday but, once again, you wouldn’t know it by looking at the papers. The qualifiers really are the way to go for hiding in plain sight.
Had we won Connacht it’d have been our lads all over the media at the minute but we didn’t so instead it’s the turn of Galway’s Damien Comer, the latest poster-boy for football in the province. Style on you, Damo.
The one bit that’s out there today on our game is on the GAA website – where they’ve obviously become tired of penning all those fawning pieces with Dublin players that have littered the place the last while – and it features Westmeath’s player Ger Egan. There’s not a whole pile to this piece, to be honest, and the Lake County’s captain certainly provides no material for the wall of our dressing room the next day, saying as he does that we’re “an awesome team” and are to boot “just as good as Dublin”. Oh you silver-tongued devil, Ger.
Let’s move on to more here-and-now stuff. The city’s quays will be even worse than normal traffic-wise this weekend, due to Luas works on O’Connell Bridge, which will close east and westbound traffic at this junction. There’s a piece on the works here.
Anyone in their right mind shouldn’t, of course, ever think about approaching Croke Park from the west via the quays, unless you’re coming by train, in which case you’re not going to be driving anyway. The M50’s the only way to go and so the weekend’s fun and games on O’Connell Bridge shouldn’t really be of any concern from a #mayogaa point of view.
Of greater concern (only potentially, mind – we’re still in one-game-at-a-time mode here) is what’s contained in this piece by Malachy Clerkin in the Irish Times, already mentioned in the comments, about the arrangements for the quarter-finals. This one, should it come to pass, has all the makings of a proper GAA clusterfuck.
If (and I stress the if) Donegal and ourselves win our respective Round 4B matches, then the four counties in All-Ireland quarter-final action the following Saturday (which means it’s a seven-day turnaround, by the way, not the six-day one that everyone says is facing us) will be the two of us along with Tyrone and Dublin. That’s right: four of the best supported counties in the country.
According to Malachy Clerkin’s piece, the GAA have said “there’s no chance whatsoever” of shifting one of the quarter-finals to another day, so as to accommodate likely demand for tickets. In this regard, it’s worth pulling out from that piece the quote about the estimated demand for tickets by the unnamed GAA spokesperson. Here it is:
Realistically, if we had a stadium of unlimited capacity, you would probably not be far off the 80,000 mark for games with those teams at the quarter-final stage. If it was at semi-final stage, that would be a different situation.
“But on a Saturday in a quarter-final, you’re probably looking in or around capacity. That’s our call on it. We saw the possibility of this a week or more ago and we think it would fall at just around capacity. The only way that upcoming fixtures could potentially spill in that direction is in the event of draws.
The technical term for such reasoning is, I think, complete and utter bollocks. That stuff about having a stadium of “unlimited capacity” makes no sense at all but that aside it looks like they’ve done a bit (maybe five seconds worth) of counting on their pinkies and have come up with the conclusion that the attendance for the quarters will be “in or around capacity”.
Okay, if Cork win then their usual quota of in or around twelve supporters changes the equation (and if we’re gone, Westmeath probably wouldn’t bring the same number as us but they’d still bring a decent crowd) but surely the GAA needs to be thinking about the possibility that demand for tickets for Saturday week could well exceed supply, perhaps by a big enough margin? It’s all the more relevant for them to be doing so in a year where overall attendances are on the slide.
If there is a scramble for tickets, that Irish Times piece also contains proof that it’s our supporters (if, if, if …) who’ll be at a particular disadvantage, in much the same way we were for last year’s All-Ireland semi-final replay. This is because the GAA plan to put the tickets on sale that night, either straight after our match finishes (if no draw is needed for the quarters) or else by 9pm that night (if a draw is required, it’ll be done by then).
Last year, the bulk of our support was still on the move after the drawn match when the tickets for the replay went on sale, with the predictable result that the Dubs had gobbled up way more than their fair share before our lot were in a position to starting looking for them. A similar scenario could now be facing us on Saturday evening in relation to the quarters … but only, of course, if we sort Westmeath first.
The GAA have completely overlooked the fact that we might end up playing the dubs, if that happens that game would sell out on its own. Meanwhile the hurling semi final the next day will do well to reach 40k. GAA at it’s best!
Amazing really. I doubt the quarters on sunday will draw more than 25 to 30 thousand yet the following week demand could exceed supply. This is the unfortunate consequence of the A and B side of the draw. As you rightly pointed out it was impossible to get tickets for the family for last years replay as the vast majority were sold by the time I got home. Supporters who attend the Westmeath match could find themselves in a similar scenario this weekend. Talk about penalising the genuine supporter yet again
Here we are again, more or less dismissing Westmeath. Before the Galway game it was all about Cluxtons kickouts, now its all about tickets for a Quarter final, that we’re not even in. No Such thing as one game at a time anymore?.
Can’t imagine there will be 20k in Croke on Sunday.
Think the record low is 22k in 2011 for Mayo v Cork and Kerry v Limerick.
We had very few supporters back then. The bandwagon rolled into town after that win.
Go Juan go juan go juan
1/2 the fun is the dream and the other 3/4’s is getting to bitch about the GAA.
Ger – winning team’s generate bandwagons. Every county has a hardcore element but then the day trippers come on board. It’s no issue as most genuine fans have season tickets so the bottle neck IF IF IF we beat Westmeath should be no problem.
Forget about the quarter finals we are only in the qualifiers.
We won’t be playing Dublin because cork will not beet Donegal its Tyrone next but never mind Tyrone if we over look Westmeath like we did Galway u know what will happen fully focused on Westmeath can not wate for Saturday my other half is from Donegal so Donegal all the way till they meet Dublin but we can beet Tyrone if first we over come Westmeath
Come on, Juan – did you not see the big IF I put in the headline and all the other caveats in the piece? The point I wanted to raise about the POSSIBLE ticket issue IF we beat Westmeath is that by the time it happens (IF it happens) it’ll be too late for supporters to do anything about it and it’d certainly be too late to be raising it here. But, hell, I’ve gone and dismissed Westmeath in the process!
Does anyone know the safest place to park for the AI final if we’re playing Dublin??
Not all genuine fans have season tickets and im sure whole families dont have them. There are around 4500 season tickets, alot more than that will want to attend the quater final (IF, WHEN, MIGHT, MAYBE we get there) so its a valid issue that should be raised which may affect Mayo supporters (dont have to be a season ticket holder to be a genuine supporter)
Also we might get Dublin, god forbid we write off Westmeath and look one week into the future but people have no problems writing off Cork. They are at the exact same stage as us, have some extremely talented players (better than us in some areas) and have one of the top forwards around in Colm O’Neill. Cork can very well beat Donegal on Saturday.
Puckout,
You are assuming Dublin will beat Kerry there.
lol.
Posts like this are what westmeath gaa and gaa in general wud look at and laugh. The golden rule is 1 game at a time. Can we just think about westmeath please. Tickets for the final will be scarce too…
Mayo have many, many genuine fans, only a few thousand are season ticket holders who by their nature tend to be hard core, genuine supporter’s! Now we are fine in this potential ‘ticket scramble’ seneraio. Those die hard supporters by and large will be supporting Mayo on Saturday but so will I imagine several thousand genuine Mayo supporter’s (non season ticket holders) be there on Saturday who are just as good as any Mayo supporters. But we also have a ‘bandwagon’ supporter’s of the teams who like to travel for the very very big days! They are also more than welcome. But our genuine supporters (non season ticket)who attended the match on this Saturday, go to the matches following Mayo gaa from Pairc Ui Ring,Clones to Ballybofey (should we win) will be at a disadvantage, over our stay at home, fans, because tickets go on sale @9pm online next Saturday. It’s allot easier to use get to your computer /smartphone and get your tickets if you are a stay at home watch it on television fan, compared to a Mayo fan travelling by car/train /bus trying to get home before 1am on Reek Sunday, Surely the GAA could take this into account, a little more empathy for Genuine supporters of all the potential quater finalists would be a welcome! Before any one worries about it tough, let’s make sure we’re in the quarters first!
The very people who are saying one game at a time, dont think about quater finals etc are the same people who will be on here sunday morning complaining that they couldnt get tickets or they could only get ones that are up in the rafters. Read the article. It says IF we win on Saturday there could be an issue with tickets, note the word IF!!!! Its repeated enough.
Ah feck it, just to be contrary myprediction for the weekend “Mayo will win on Saturday” Cork will also will, we will be drawn against the Dubs, big scramble for tickets, alot of angry “genuine” supporters come sunday morning.
myself included, I don’t think there are supporters of any kind anywhere in the world as tore, confused, optimistic, pessimistic, delusional, insightful, united and/or divided.
All of which gives me a lot of confidence that we will indeed win Sam this year!!!!
Hooooray!!!! At last our day has come, take that all you Feckin ba#tards who doubted us. Especially those on RTE and that #@&’*£@## that works in spar in claregalway and not forgetting that whore who calls himself a mayoman, but revels more in defeat than in victory. Feck ye all, I say!!!!!!
That is of course, if Heslin & co don’t do a Galway on us, Tyrone aren’t as good as media makes them. And Jeysus, Imagine getting HAMMERED by the tribes in the semi and sure what referee would let us beat the dubs.
ARRRRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
bOOM…
Tonyk, careful now with the “we will indeed win sam”, down with that sort so thing. You will upset alot of people with that sort of optimistic craic.
WIllie Joe, I know your just informing us of a “potential” ticket fiasco, and credit to you. I just feel that Westmeath are being written off by loads on here, lots of talk about whether its better to be playing Dublin or Tyrone etc. On initial reading of your post, I just felt it added to the over-all sentiment that Westmeath are being more or less overlooked. BUT on reflection I now see your just spreading the word that a massive scramble could take place Saturday evening if we win.
https://secure.tickets.ie/Listing/EventInformation/30399/2016-football-feast-package-quarter-final-and-semi-final-days-croke-park-28-August-2016
Lads, see the link above. Have bought one myself last week when I copped this scenario could happen (fully expect us to beat Westmeath)! If you’re travelling from the West it’s not ideal, but if you’re based in Leinster it’s great value for money, would get in the two quarters for next weekend (and the two on Sunday if you’re not in a rush home), and more than likely a Dublin V Kerry semi final and fingers crossed Galway v our lads. From the eticket that was sent to me it seems as if you can claim €10 back for each game with it too if you’re a student or OAP, so potentially up to €40 off the cost.
Long time viewer, first time poster Willie Joe, hope you don’t mind me sharing the link, better to get as many of our own in there if we get to quarters!
I remember last years replay where the gaa said tickets were for sale on tickets.ie, the site crashed all morning and when it did come online they were all sold out. The dubs were in centra and super valu buying 50 tickets at a time, also cueing at ticket office in dorset street at 9am. So make sure to get onto tickets.ie after the match or after the draw at 9.30pm on Saturday evening and order your tickets. Or get to a super-valu/centra after 9.30pm on a Saturday or first thing Sunday morning, if we don’t get our allocation, the same fellas will be getting 50 tickets a time and Mayo fans won’t get the chance to cheer on their team.
Lets not make the same mistake, we will need as much support as we can to cheer Mayo on in the 1/4 finals providing we beat Westmeath. We need vocal support now for the lads to drive them on when the chips are down and a 16th man is needed.
Maigh Eo Abu!!!
Juan and others, you are right in the absolute sence that we should not be looking beyond the next game, but my view is that if we cant beat Westmeath, when bookies have us 1-33 on and coming from where we have been the last few years, then we can give up on an AI for this team, lets hang up our hats and re-build for the future. Enjoy Saturday 🙂 Sure it wouldn’t be a Myo summer without some sort of scramble for tickets
What happens if Mayo and Westmeath draw even after extra time .
one game at a time Westmeath are dangerous would love nothing better then to beat Mayo forget Tyrone or the dubs.
At least this time IF IF IF IF IF IF IF IF IF IF IF IF IF IF such a situation arises we will be well warned – there is no excuse for travelling supporters not to have someone on hand at home or near a Supervalu to pick up tickets on their behalf.
Let’s be on the ball good and early this time IF IF IF IF IF IF IF IF IF IF IF IF IF IF we need to be.
Eyesontheball, I’ve just been onto the link you provided. Sadly ‘ tickets these events currently not on sale’ . You certainly had your eyes on the ball last week. Don’t think there’s any need panic yet. To date anyhow :season ticket holders get a chance chance to bring a friend. For certain ‘GENUINE SUPPORTERS’ you probably would do it! , even though I you won’t get as good a seat, both the season ticket holders and friend/’s, get downgraded. But it is an option!
Nah Cait, we will beat them and turn it on , Andy and Regan will thrive on their new found confidence and open spaces and our halfbackline will wreak havoc running at them . So long as we dont concede an early sloppy goal we will be fine and with Clarke in goal I dont see that happening as frequently as in the past .
Seamie will be all the better for the games he has got out of his system .
Cillian likewise he was out for along time and now coming back to the boil and would imagine despite what Westmeath said about us not being as quci k or mobile as Dublin that they will spend most of the day trying to catch up to Diarmuid , Kevin Mc, Leeroy, Durkan and Higgins as if you can get lads who can run faster with ball in hand you are doing well .
Kl, in 2008 after Tyrone lost in ulster they were 33-1 for Sam. You know what happened? They won Sam. Bookies can get things wrong too.
That aside, Mayo should win this game if they are any way right at all.
After all the negative and outright over the top publisity the team has got they will be out to proive they are a top team in the country.
Pride is bound to be hurting and our lads have being one of the most consistent team in the country over the past 5 years without getting over the line.
More consistent than the self imploding Dublin who fell apart v Donegal what 2 years ago , moreso than Donegal maybe only Kerry more consistent but any game we lost be it an All Ireland Final or Semi replay we lost it narrowly so these guys character and believe being questioned will be soon answered and they will make a statement be it this weekend or next .
They deserve better , imagine how dissapointed we all have being come September over the last 5 years never mind having trained November to September every year for 5 years solid 3 times a week, no pints , under scrutiny in what they say and do, these lads are a credit to themselves and their county and we should get behind them as they are made of the right stuff and this year above any they had to drag themselves across the line but I think they are all the better for it and someone will feel the force of them shortly .
Well said outside of boot
100% agree
And it’s not only people and media outside the county that have over the top IMO
Look I suppose IF we get there, it’s very much a case of first world problems.
One would suspect that statement from the GAA could [and will] be rammed down their throats if the bookies are correct in their assessment of the odds on Sat.
But once the Dubs and their corporate partners are happy then it’s all golden with me.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being optimistic as long as we’re in the competition because ‘when’ we’re knocked out ‘if’ we’re knocked out, there’s won’t be much space for positivity then staring into a cold dark winter.
As for calling the games, it’s very difficult because it’s very hard to know where teams are before the quarters, and I include Dublin in that. As Thomas oshea said, you might think you’re flying but it’s only when things get tough you realise if the fight is still there. I think Mayo will win, I’m unsure about cork-Donegal. I just don’t think it will take an earth shattering performance to beat Donegal.
I love it, love it, love it when the national media say negative things about us. Every Sunday when brolly and Spillane are talking about the championship in general before the first match throws in, Im there hoping they write us totally off. Loved it when they called Aido a cheat. Was delighted to see dara o se say dublin kerry and Tyrone were the contenders with galway and Mayo at the same level, but behind the top sides. Praying they will put the boot into us again this weekend. Even within the county – I thought JPMs article here the other day was excellent. Questioning some of our top players and their form and ability, didn’t go far enough in my view. I hope Cillian and Aidan read it. I hope they felt angry. Henry shefflin wrote an article the other day about the 2008 season when he was openly questioned about his form in the kilkenny dressing room in early summer. Said it made him so angry he was a man possessed for the remainder of the season. They beat waterford by 31 points in the AI final later that year.
Praise is a bad thing for most sportspeople. Draws them into a comfort zone and takes the edge off them, that 5% extra that makes them great in the first place. In my view there’s been far too much nice things said about Mayo in the national media inthe last couple of years and I dont like it. I believe it’s blunted the competitive edge of some of our players. Others are unaffected – different personalities perhaps. When you play senior championship football Ya have to be fucking angry. Like we were against cork in 2011, against dublin in 2012, in the second half v kerry in 2014. Adversity in a group can generate strength and defiance. Nice flowery compliments have the opposite affect. When you are on the field, you need to be thinking “fcuk this, I’ll show them” attitude. One of the most powerful weapons in sport psychology.
Season ticket is the way to go for €100 money well spent! Or chairde for €200
the gaa should only put so many online and look after the clubs who in turn can look after there members!
Agree Fully Macs Left Boot!
I’ve loved mayo being the “bad boys ”
I was sick of being everyone’s “second ” team and the “Aragh I’d love to see mayo win it ” attitude and being perceived as such a “nice ” team.
I said it at the time and I stand by it ……that defeat by Galway could be THE defining moment for us . All of us. Team, management and supporters .
I’m confident …….and I don’t mean just about Saturday 😉
I have made a thousand and one mistakes in my life but buying a season ticket was not one of them. I think Willie Joe’s use of the word Fcukfest elegantly and quite aduquitely describes the scramble for tickets if we and Donegal make it through to play Tyrone and the Dubs
Tis a great feeling to be heading to croker on sat with a chance at being there again week after all going well. Many teams that are long gone would love our position now. Embrace and enjoy
Who’ll give me odds on it not being a full house next weekend even if four mentioned teams get through? 5/1 surely ?
WJ I’m sick of all these posts going on about dismissing Westmeath. It’s all bullshit. We will beat Westmeath. No question about it. Even playin at half throttle. There’s no point sayin “oh be careful of Westmeath” just in case we loose. It’s shite. We will win. Simple
@wj i admire your diplomacy on these issues,not to get carried away,but people who think mayo football has not moved whole new level of professionalism in the last 5 year’s need to sit down and have a chat with themselves.unlike our neighbours,our team has given us a damn good reason to be optimistic,we have being in grasping distance of the holy grail over the last number of year’s and i see this year being no different,now if some of the poster’s can point out to me what in god’s name has westmeath done to warrant such optimism from some bloggers,what has changed in westmeath over the pass two weeks that makes people think they can upset us.if we need to approach a division 4 team with this level of caution and dread,then god help us IF we manage to scrape throughly this hugely daunting qualifier and reach the qf’s.
Are we top four team potential AL winners
Etc or not. With a professional performance we should beat Westmeath there is a gulf in class. Yes we got caught on hop by Galway who were a better team and that defeat and poor performance all year should guard against complecancy. If the management haven’t learned from Galaxy then something is wrong similarly if the players aren’t tuned in something not right.
Mayo should go out in blitz them first 20 minutes or so end game as a contest. Run the bench n rest key guys for next week while at the same time build up game time of other guys. Westmeath will pack defense early on and try high balls into forwards who have potential to do some damage. . I was in Hyde Park in 2001 when they beat us despite us being 4 up n second half. I remember one csmeo out if it that’s sums up Mayo then and since at times. The great Kieran Mac missed a 14 yard free dead straight in front of posts and then a minute later put over an impossible score from the corner flag.. just to be on safe side I think I will tip westmeath as I tipped roscommon and derry last week!!
In terms of putting case for getting tickets for Dublin game I would like to put the case for my son who is 7 . He has been to croke park 5 times and never saw Mayo lose 3 wins and two draws…He is going on Saturday. ….
Icahn man, whatever about Saturday make sure you take him on Sunday week, luck plays a huge part in winning championships !!
Puckout parking in Q park clery.s mariborough st Dublin 1 8euro for 24 hours call 018748902 no need to book drive safe
Looking on Donegal Daly this morning Walsh on Wednesday all u see is Dublin and Tyrone and Kerry we are not there over looking us
Home sweet that’s what u want. In under radar. Now I know time will tell where exactly were going this year but it’s great motivation to be left out of the reckoning. Just ask galway. All Kevin Walsh had to do was show the panel the video of Spillane and Co writing them off. Sure you would eat nails after it. Now their 1 match from semi final. Beware the wounded lion
Mac’s left boot, where exactly did anger get Mayo in 2011, 2012and 2014?? They didn’t win the AI on any of those occasions did they? It’s not anger that’s needed, it’s skill and self-belief.
How could we be rated as a top team this season. We played well for 10 mins against Galway for about 15 mins against Kildare and huffed and puffed our way past Fermanagh, We have been cleaned out at midfield, very defensive and without a proper functioning attacking plan.
Maybe that will all change and I hope it does but up to now we have been average to poor in all three games.
puckout, safest place to park your car in Dublin is Ballina train station 🙂
in the past our biggest weakness is the concession of sloppy goals, stop that and e will be hard beaten
Agree with Outside of boot with Clarke in goal I don’t see that happening as much as in the past
Puckout,
There are several options for parking for matches in Croke Park and most of them can be found on the web at https://crokepark.ie/getting-here/match-concert-parking. One of the safest and handiest places I have found is the Parnell Centre. It is a brisk 15 min walk to get to the Cusack Stand and a little less to get to the Hogan. Their internet site is advertising this at €5 for the day – http://www.parkrite.ie/discounting-parking/event-parking.
Whatever you do, do NOT park on the street. The clampers seem to take delight in taking advantage of cars belonging to fans up from the country, whose tickets have expired by only a few mins.
Finally, allow extra time on Saturday as there will be road closures on the quays due to Luas works. If you are coming in from the N4, go through Chapelizod and divert up towards the North Circular Road. Turn right AFTER the Phibsborough junction down by the Mater Hospital and right on to the Dorset Street. Turn left just before the DIT college at Bolton Street and follow the parking signs around the block to get into the Parnell Centre.
Since 2011, if you include this year’s league title, 11 senior national titles have been handed out. Of those Dublin have won SEVEN, 4 leagues and 3 All-Ireland titles, Cork have 2 league titles won and Kerry and Donegal have each won an All-Ireland title. We have ZERO national titles won during this period despite our valiant efforts. That is what the record books will show. Thank God we have at least picked up a Minor All-Ireland title in 2013 and an U21 All-Ireland title this year or it would have been even harder to take that we have not got over the line in the big one. That is where we are at and it’s all to play for in 2016. Roll on the next game!
Don’t think anyone has mentioned this but did people see about the funding increase for coaching in the county? The county board and the county council are each contributing €30k which will mean there are 2 additional full time coaches in the county (now 6 in total). Coaches will now be divided up based on population, not divisional boards. This can only be of help moving forward.
As regards Westmeath, I really hope we tear out of the blocks similar to the Kildare game. You would hope that any form of complacency has been knocked out of the players from the Galway and Fermanagh games. In an ideal world, we would have the game won with 20 minutes to spare. Some of the older guys could then be subbed (Boyle, Higgins, Andy) with the likes of Loftus and Barrett getting some game time under their belts. I’m sure DO’C will be a marked man this weekend so I’ll be looking to Cillian, Aidan & Keegan in particular to up their performance to what we know they’re capable of.
Consistency!
Persistency!
Scoring!
Team Spirit!
Defending!
Line decisions!
Ball possession!
Self belief!
Prayers!
Tradition!
Luck!
Pluck!
Referee!
Preparation!
Age profile!
Movement!
Psychology!
Team play!
Fitness Levels!
Opposition!
Co. B!
And the greatest of these is…..? Which one is the jewel in the crown? Which one is the key to the kingdom? Only one answer allowed! Answers confidential!
Answers on a postcard only please……
Watched the first half of the Kildare match again last night. Was looking specifically at the positioning and contribution of AOS and COC. Neither were as dominant as they can be but still made some telling interventions. We got most of our scores off turnovers and both were integral to the hard tackling press up front.
It was very noticeable that COC was again going very deep to collect possession. I’m not sure if this is entirely necessary or it’s simply a tactic to get COC on the ball and feeding the guys inside. Maybe the bigger pitch in Croker will allow him to drift and leave that space but stay slightly closer to goal. To be honest I’ve no great worries about COC finding his form and am confident he’ll deliver on Sat.
I would be a little more concerned that we’re still not getting AOS in the right positions. He’s a human wrecking ball and we need to find a way to get him dominating games. At the moment he’s beginning to wander through certain games, trying to drive turnovers but not really asking questions of the opposition – akin to Murphy with Donegal.
Some of the other stalwarts are showing signs of real form [Keegan, Higgins & Boyler] and the younger lads are beginning to deliver [DOC, Regan & Durcan]. However, we could still do with talismanic figures like COC and AOS sending a message on Sat, particularly IF we are looking down the barrel of a quarter against one of the big guns a week down the line.
Rock, have you seen Michael Murphy playing. recently,? He hasn’t been setting the world of Gaelic-football alight. Don’t for second doubt his quality!
but Donegal are robbing Peter to pay Paul by MM playing around midfield, like AOS he’s not the world’s greatest athlete, I don’t think he can do both unlike Sean Cavanagh in his prime. Who was/is probably one of greatest ‘All Round’ players of our time!. And like Donegal, Mayo too need to define an effective role for AOS. We’ll know more about both ‘Big Guys’ come 8pm Saturday!.. Both teams will need to get more from these ‘”marquee,’ players…… Hopefully, the emergence of ‘Evan Regan & Diarmod O Connor’ both playing well will give AOS a little more room to operate. No player can operate with 3 players hanging off him. If that happens on Saturday like it did V Dublin both days last year. I think Aiden should release the ball as fast as possible. Mayo should have a look free man in that seneraio, all we need from Aiden is a tap down!
I actually thought Aidan played very well against Kildare. In the context of the nonsense that went on the week before, it was great to see that it didn’t drain him. He’s a super tackler and especially early on in the game he made a couple of clean text-book dispossessions, fast hands, stripping the ball. He does this brilliantly. I think penaltygate is a blessing in disguise in the sense that Aidan will be more inclined to let the ball go earlier. It’s imperative he starts doing this.
I agree AOS was quietly effective against Kildare but we can definitely get more out of him. His tackling was much improved the last day out and it had to be. He was fortunate not to get a second yellow or black/red against Fermanagh.
Agree Aido was better v Kildare but to be honest I would be expecting more than good tackling, forcing turn overs for Aidan. That should be standard practice from all players. Aidan needs a defined role within the team to maximise his talents. As a previous poster says, he is not the greatest athlete and having him operate in various roles throughout the game is diluting his effectivness.
Also leantimes I take it your not a fan of the marquee tag going by the quotation marks. With you there, im pretty sure that tag was invented by a sertain Dublin pundit to seperate Brogan from the rest of the herd. Frankly I find it insulting to every forward playing that some people find are not a “marquee forward”
Given Boyler’s card situation – here’s my pick for Sat:
Clarke
Harrison
Keane (if fit) / Vaughan
Higgins
Keegan
Nally
Durcan
SOS
Parsons
McLoughlin
AOS
DOC
Regan
A Moran
COC
Would boyler not be better off taking a hit in this game and missing the quarters.
Boyle must play this game. It would send out the wrong message completely if he was rested. He’s experienced enough to keep out of trouble and depending on how the game is going, he could be subbed before the end.
Mayodan
I meant he should play and take a black towards the end.
Boyler will have to walk the tight rope. It could be Dublin in the quarters…
I know tonyk. I was referring to 45’s team selection.
Mayomad, as for the ‘marquee,’ tag on player’s. Some days they are ‘marquee :and some days their not. Bernard Brogan included, Against Laoise he was taking off having not scored, No bother to the Jim Gavin, he has the player’s on the bench and is ruthless enough to to it….. . Can we in Mayo be as ruthless???. Don’t think we have quite the panel the Dubs can boast of. Personally I think, Stephen Rochford should have been more ruthless during the league, you would keep everyone on their toes a bit better….. But now we’re coming into our fifth game of the championship, we have mixed and matched a bit since the Galway game, mostly by necessity. By and large I think we’re coming along nicely, but improvement from one or two of our ‘marquee’, players have yet to be find ‘fifth’gear, or maybe even’ third’. I have no doubt that gears are there!
Last year we got a lot out of Aiden too early. This year his role us not defined. Yet. Where ever the work us to be done put him there. Maybe his best position is quatified by whatever way the game is going. He is very good defensive midfielder. Does a lot of good work there. At least this year there is no talk of him being unmarkable. Keep improving a little and keep opposition guessing. Element of surprise can be great weapon
Lahan man,
I won’t be long winded as there’s nothing I hate more than a man (or woman) saying in twenty sentences what could have been said in two.
You, lahan man, have correctly identified the second biggest danger we face on Saturday, i. e. Colm Boyle collecting another card. The biggest, obviously, is getting beaten.
If Kevin Keane starts and Vaughan is held in reserve then you’d reckon that Donie would be the perfect man to replace Boyler when needed. So you’d like to see Colm starting and then Vaughan replacing him when the time is right. We seen Donie doing well when he came on against Fermanagh and he should be well able to do the same thing in this game against Westmeath.
One more sleep kids.
God I have been counting the hours rock lol can’t wait till get on that train. For me the big question is do these guys still have the desire to make another stab at sam? With new additions and new management let’s hope so.
Very much a case of whether we wander into Croker expecting to meander into the quarters or do we march in there looking to barrel into the season.
Anyone with seasontickets.ie, they have updated my account showing Quarter Final 06/08/16 @ 16:00 NOT ATTENDED
and they have not mentioned IF!!!
Even the great GAA GAA know we are going to win then 🙂 No IF’s or But;s there!
1. Darren Quinn (Tyrrellspass)
2. Kevin Maguire (Caulry)
3. Francis Boyle (Killucan)
4. Killian Daly (Mullingar Shamrocks)
5. Jamie Gonoud (Tyrrellspass)
6. David Lynch (St. Malachys)
7. James Dolan (Garrycastle)
8. Darragh Daly (Mullingar Shamrocks)
9. Ger Egan (Tyrrellspass)
10. John Egan (Athlone)
11. Paul Sharry (St. Lomans Mullingar)
12. Kieran Martin (Maryland)
13. Callum McCormack (Maryland)
14. John Heslin (St. Lomans Mullingar
15. John Connellan (Athlone)
Westmeath team announced yesterday.
Good set of forwards. Heslin, Connellan and Martin are serious footballers and a decent midfield, assuming Sharry helps out there.
However, there’s no doubting their defence is light. Apart from Dolan, the rest I wouldn’t rate all that highly.
It’ll be interesting to see what way they play.
If they drop everyone back, like what they did against Dublin, it’ll need a patient performance.
If they push on, one would hope Mayo’s forward line could do serious damage.