No sooner than I’d hit the button on the last post, saying as I did so that there was still no sign of the senior team being published, than out it pops.
The short version of the team announcement that has just been made is that, somewhat surprisingly, James Horan has decided to name the same starting fifteen as that which lined out in the Connacht final against Sligo three weeks ago. As mentioned here and elsewhere over the last few days, Aidan O’Shea was expected to start at midfield but he’s not in the team that’s been named. He’s obviously in the subs but the list of replacements hasn’t been published with the team announcement so we’re going to have to wait for the day itself to find out the exact composition of the bench.
For the record, then, this is the team we’ve named for Saturday’s Croke Park clash with Down:
Mayo (All-Ireland SFC quarter-final v Down, 4/8/2012): David Clarke (Ballina Stephenites); Kevin Keane (Westport), Ger Cafferkey (Ballina Stephenites), Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis); Lee Keegan (Westport), Donal Vaughan (Ballinrobe), Colm Boyle (Davitts); Barry Moran (Castlebar Mitchels), Danny Geraghty (Ballintubber); Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore), Cillian O’Connor (Ballintubber), Alan Dillon (Ballintubber); Enda Varley (Garrymore), Andy Moran (Ballaghaderreen), Jason Doherty (Burrishoole).
The team shows four changes from the one that started against Down in the league back in March. Out from that team go Richie Feeney, Aidan O’Shea, Alan Freeman and Conor Mortimer while in come Colm Boyle, Danny Geraghty, Kevin McLoughlin and Cillian O’Connor. Compared to the side that last took the field for us at Croke Park – in the league final against Cork at the end of April – there are three changes, with Danny Geraghty starting instead of Jason Gibbons at midfield and with Enda Varley and Jason Doherty replacing Conor Mortimer and Michael Conroy respectively.
No word yet on the Down team but, the way things are going this morning, it’ll surely be out the minute this post goes live.
Very surprised with that. Surely O’Shea must be fit enough by now to start the game. Down have a strong midfield, we’ll need our 2 best midfielders in there.
Or maybe this is just all mind tricks with James Horan. He wouldn’t be the first manager to omit a player, only for that player to start the next day.
You could be onto something there Dan. They might be under pressure from Croke Park to name a team for the program and the easiest thing then is to just say “same again.” I find it hard to believe that this team will start on Saturday.
thta wont be the team that starts the game o shea will start in midfield
No surprise to me that Aiden O’Shea is not starting. Having been out for so long he can hardly have built up his stamina to last a full 70 minutes in Croke Park and he can contribute more coming on than starting and running out of steam. It may well be that he will start but I expect to see him introduced in the sceond half unless things go redically wrong earlier. The weight of responsibility on Barry and Danny will be heavy but I expect to see them measure up to it.
I’m hoping that that’s the reason behind this team announcement (i.e. mind games, pressure to name a team for the programme) because this is not Mayo’s best fifteen. I for one, will be very disappointed to see this team start on Saturday. O’Shea, Conroy, Freeman – surely 2 or 3 changes needed to be made. Really hoping this is not Saturday’s team.
Horan doesn’t do mind games, the team will start as named. AOS will be used as an impact sub again (if fit). You have to hand it Horan he has some balls, the whole county was clamouring for changes in the ff line, and at centre forward and he goes with the same again. I can see a trend developing in Mayo this year. Unity, team, work ethic, and no superstars, Mayo team playing as a team.
Maybe JH is remainng loyal to the guys up front or they are playing out of their skins in training. After all he knows them in training so he has to make the call.
Down are notorious if they get a good head start and are very hard to beat especially if they build up any reasonable lead. So I don’t understand the AOS call. If he is 1/2 fit or 3/4 fit then I would start him. Bringing him on if we are chasing a game is a big call.
Hopefully we won’t be.
I am with Ceide boy on this, why not start with those boys, what if it comes off? that’s how a panel gets depth, no good telling everbody that we are fine from 1 to 30 but secretly sweateing from number 18 onwards. Let the games begin and let new hero’s step out. No hiding from here on….yuuuuuup.
i wouldnt be surprised if conor comes back for saturday and comes off the bench and scores the winner from a 14 yard free with a huge wind at his back…. again it depends on the wind!
My gut instinct is that the team will start as named. Aidan O’Shea couldn’t be up to match fitness for a Croke Park Q-F based on 30 minutes against Sligo and 60 minutes in a club game. He’ll come off the bench when he’s needed.
What bothers me is the forwards. Cillian at 11 again. It’s not working. Maybe himself and Doherty will switch before the throw-in. Here’s hoping, because neither man is producing his best in his current position.
Happy with the team picked. I was at most games this year in league and championship and I have to say Danny Geraghty has won me over as at first I just couldn’t see why he was there. It was only after the Connacht final when I realised the amount of work he gets through in the middle third. He’s a bull of a man and I think the perfect foil for big Barry and is a big factor in the Mitchell man’s form at the moment. Also he has improved his distribution no end since he first came into the team.
Also up front while not the flowing mercurial box forwrds of old I think if Cillian and Doherty can up the game 10%, we could make hay. Cillian needs to stop taking on some much ball and let into Andy and Doc especially. If he does this he’ll engineer a tiny bit more space for himself which we’ll allow him to do more damage from his boot than he currently is but I can definitely see him doing this as he grows into the no.11 shirt. Doc is almost there and can’t be faulted in terms of workrate and the amount of ball he wins. I think the bigger pitch in croker will really suit him and wouldn’t be surprised if he rattles a goal early on Saturday afternoon.
Varley needs to be wiser in working off Andy and timing his runs in behind and off Andy’s shoulder which would be my main critisim of his play this season but he’s willing so hopefully he’s worked on this with mangement because again if given space he’s well able to score. For me with the forwards it’s a case of 95% right on the execution and what is heartening is the belief in the game plan and players stepping up to tke take responsibility for the team at critical moments regardless of how the game is going
Then we have a couple of big guns on the bench and the nous on the line to change things if plan A isn’t working. All in all should be a craker but I’m gutted I can’t make it on Sat although the only games I missed this year were Armagh and Kerry away and the league semi with the Kingdom which could be a good thing!! Anyway to put my money where my mouth is I’ll go for Mayo by 2 after Down leading at half time.
Up the Green and Red!!!!!!!!
I suppose we have to respect James Horans selection , it still has to be questioned though.
If Varley and Doc dont perform again and we lose, he has left himself open to for some flak.
I would of taken a chance with freeman for this game tbh, could of suited him.
Ao Se is a mystery to me, came on v Sligo on the 42min mark, looked savage, lean, faster than ever, should be starting, i’d rather be taking him off when the game is won rather than bringing him on chasing a game if we’re behind but that’s only my way of thinking others will argue he will be an excellent impact sub!! not for me though impact subs are very rarely such a great thing unless you’re Maurice fitz, peter canavan et el.
I think AOS will start ,Cillian and Conroy in the corners with Doc at CHF
Only 2 players I would see some merit in including – Feeney (possibly as a forward!) and Murphy from Ballinrobe. JH has always said that players will be picked according to their form. Murphy is unmarkable, strong, intelligent and does not do nerves and rarely has a bad day.
Murphy has never played for Mayo senior county in his life, i’m not suggesting he wouldn’t be able(i don’t have a notion about the lad) but it is a big step up from club championship to the lions den of croke park ai q/f inter county, massive massive step up.
James Horan is definatly his own man, this Mayo team definatly dosent get selected on public opinion. I think confidence is so important especially for inside forwards, so hopefully they will
get off to a good start in the first 15 minutes, then they & Mayo could have a very good day, if not changes will have to be made quickly. I think its great that AOS is available but I think James Horan is right not to start him, hopefully bring him on for a little longer than he got in the Hyde 3 weeks ago. Croker is a huge pitch & you need to be able to follow your man, I dont think is a fit as he was at the end of the league, hopefully he’ll get there & we’r still in the competion. Still its a strange selection I taught Jadon Gibbons might partener Barry in midfield. Richie Feeny must be pushing hard for a starting position not that I’d drop Vaughan, he’s far too good for that but I would like to see him pushed into the CHF position & Cillian moved into No 13 slot. Anyhow best of luck to the minor & seniors on Saturday but genuinly I’ll be slightly surprized & very nervous if thats the way we line up. I think we will have a good idea after 15 minutes as to how we will have to ‘beg borrow or steal a ticket should it come to pass that its a repeat of the 2006 semifinal, I never enjoyed a match more than on that glorious day, we will see what happens, fingers crossed!
all over twitter now that james will be ringing the changes from that announced team
I doubt if not starting will bother O’Shea so long as he can make a difference when called on as he did agin Sligo, as Feeney did agin Keery any of the 15 starters are just starters, names on a sheet of paper, might not last 5 mins (God forbid) There are 20 -22 Men going to croker on Sat ready to do or die for their county who starts ? who finishes ? who cares so long as the game is won.
Roger Milla says:
August 2, 2012 at 4:33 pm
all over twitter now that james will be ringing the changes from that announced team
Team is for the press,program etc.. i like most will expect 2 or 3 changes come throw in time including a start for AOS.
good luck lads hope ye win and it would be nice if the g hurlers won too
Bad feeling about this.was hoping conroy would start.o shea not fit.gibbons is.hope lowalty not misplaced.think donegal kildare and dublin will join Mayo in semi.hope so.
All i,l say if this is mayo team start,n from conn. final, on sat. its god help us, a poor enough down team to put us out of our misery i,m afraid to say.. how he comes up with and left gearaghty on till 2nd half against sligo is beyond me an we seen how poor sligo were as a team against kildare, i,m afraid very afraid….
Best of luck Mayo on Saturday, three results required, We don’t have to be great lads just good enough.
Jeez, johno mo on tour climb off the barstool and give James
and the b’ys some credit.Less of the personal criticism of Geraghty
also a la the site rules.I happen to believe that some of the credit
for Barrys performance should go to ‘The Enforcer’!
I have attended nearly every Mayo match this year and in general IMO JH has got it all correct except that he has been unable to settle the forward line. Mayo in the 40s had a policy of playing good forwards in the backs position to give the team a more stylish look but an average Kerry and other teams bate lumps out of them. I do feel that there is now merit in playing good backs in the forward positions. I would go as far as playing both Vaughan and Feeney in the forwards. The game has evolved where all players need to be comfortable in all positions. I think it is essential that Feeney plays and I am from a small club – no agenda!
Agree with opt2 mis teek john mo on tour you need to leave negativity at home on Saturday.would like to have seen conroy but he can still do a job as can Feeney.think we need backup for B.Moran and A O Se can give that. Reckon Geraghty will be fine actually.
Crete Boom You are calling it right in my opinion. I have not attended any training sessions so I could not make the calls some people are making here. Its Croker next and this bunch have put B2B Connacht titles over the last 2 seasons. I say let Down worry about Mayo for a change. I would not like to see a player who has been out with injury replace a player who is playing adaquately up to this point. Management is trying to be seen to be fair to all players. Another first for this Mayo team lads
Ya, I was also surprised that Aidan isn’t starting on Saturday, my guess is that James doesn’t think he can do the full 70 and would rather have him as an impact sub than start him and have him fade out. Geraghty has held his own in the middle so far, so why not give him a shot again. As regards the forwards, to me they are all much of a muchness really, you could take any of Doherty, Varley, Freeman and Conroy and mix and match. The corners will need to play a lot better than the Sligo game in any event.
I’ve seen a lot of comments that James may change the team beforehand, I could be wrong (and please correct me if I am!) but he doesn’t really have previous in making those changes before the game, usually they play as selected and usually in the same positions as well.
Heard from very good sours, O Shea and Conroy to start.
One way or another, changes will be made if not before the match then during it. Down alyways raise their game in Croke Park, I would’nt be so, naive as to think that all sections of the team will click 100 o/o . But we got options, players not selected will believe with some conviction that they should have started regardless of what team lines up. Thats a good way to have it, we may be the bookies favorites but, that in itself wont do anything for us. I think Horan & Co will have them ‘Locked & Loaded’ to borrow a phrase from ‘Paul O’Connell’ & believe me, we’r going to have earn it. Down played good attractive football in Castlebar last spring & may have won anyhow regardless of AOS red card. I think we can out battle them this time round. Either way it will be a blood pumping, heart raceing afternoon in the HQ before we can relax for Laois v Dublin. If I could give advise to anyone with a bad heart, its think twice before you try the fast food on offer underneath the Cusack stand I joined a long que once, & l’ll never be hungry enough to try it again. It will be a long evening the Minors starting @ 3pm, So I’ll have something proper to eat before I take my seat,!
O Shea and Conroy STARTING. For sure. I,d like to know who is CHF???
Jason doc CHF