Cork are due to name their team tonight but it’ll be tomorrow lunchtime before we reciprocate so that leaves a bit of time before minds start to zero right in on those details. In the meantime, there’s more press coverage to cast your eyes over.
Keith Duggan in the Irish Times has a good interview piece with James Horan, while Terry Reilly has a similar article on the boss in the Irish Examiner. The same paper has a feature with Cork’s John Hayes and it also has a piece on the ‘streetwise’ issue in which David Brady describes Cork’s claim as “naive” and “desperate” . You said it, Big Lad.
Back to the Irish Times where Darragh Ó Sé reckons that Kerry and ourselves will prevail on Sunday. I’m not sure I’m wholly in agreement with him where he points to a lack of strength on our bench – has he looked at our 26-man match-day teamsheet lately, I wonder?
Martin Breheny aims a dig at us in the Irish Independent with yet another of those pointless articles that are his stock-in-trade, this one pointing out how rare it is for two-times defeated All-Ireland finalists to come back and win out the following year. The piece does, though, have some interesting quotes from Cork’s Tony Davis, who of course was a member of the only third-time-lucky team (beating us in the final, need we be reminded).
The GAA website has a feature with Robbie Hennelly and The Score has a piece with James Horan, which is in the same vein as the two articles in the nationals.
That’s your lot for now. Back later on with details of the Cork team once it’s announced.
Anyone know why Martin Breheny always loves to write about Mayo past failures and pointing out the obvious?
because he hates mayo as wellas being alazy joournalist
Where is Breheny native of might be the answer
Don’t worry what those clowns say about us we have a panel of players who are more than capable of taking care of Cork and they know it and they should be ashamed of themselves playing those mind games about our so called cynical players. As regards Brehony dont even give him a thought.I’d prefer to listen to Dara O Shea any day who tells it like it is.
My team would read the same as the last day in the backs and goal .S O Shea and Jason CF.Half forwards the same.FF line Cillian Barry Moran Alan Freeman.I think this lineout should take care of those whingers
If Breheny’s logic was taken on board as correct then he is saying we would have a better chance of winning Sam this year if we got knocked out in the backdoor or somewhere else other than the final last year?
It will be interesting if he maintains his logic for the year and if we get to the final will he produce a similar article?
The Fact is if we were to get to a final this year (i’m in no doubt that we will) we would be a team among a chosen two others, where teams have got to the final 3 years in a row and only managed to win on the 3rd attempt. That would be us, Cork and Wexford. We would a have gone were someone succeeded!
Here we are again at the first of the three steps, which we are about to take to achieve
the ultimate prize. It’s a great tribute to James Horan and the players alike; who despite
all the setbacks, have never given up their quest to win the All-Ireland Title. Cork will
be a major test for us, especially for our defense. This is where the game will be won or
lost. The middle must not be left open to allow the Cork forwards to run at our backs.
In all areas we must get rid of the ball faster, avoid running into tackles, and cut down
on the turnovers. We also need to provide more support to the player going forward with the ball. If Cork employs the blanket defense, like Roscommon did, we may have some
problems in this area. I hope to see S. O’Shea & J. Gibbons at midfield. The HFL stays
the same. In order to circumvent the blanket defense. We must get the ball in fast to a
FFL which I would like to see starting: O’Connor, B. Moran, & Freeman. We need the
height in this area. The Sligo FFL were well beaten because of a lack of a big man inside. If things are not going well for us in the first half. We need to make substitutions
in a timely manner. Best of luck to both teams on Sunday. Up Mayo!
The day Breheny writes anything remotely positive about Mayo is the day that I will look out the window and see pigs flying around being chased by crows. McGee is hard enough to put up with but at least he has the experience and success of football management to back it up but Breheny just comes across as a vindictive poisoned little man with a major axe to grind. When he was growing up in Galway as a little buck in shorts maybe his headmaster was a Mayo man and took the rule to him once too often! He is an insignificant little nuisance, kind of like dog shit on your shoe. He has NO BEARING on Sunday, absolutely none, therefore his sniping jabbing comments should be ignored totally. He can make them from the safety of behind his keyboard where he can continue to live in the past and dredge up bullshit nonsensical irrelevant stats about games of yore.
Hey guys, cut Breheny a bit of slack – he’s not the worst of them. And it’s good to have someone reminding us about failure – it can motivate.
The O’shea piece was interesting about how the set up including supporters has become professional. Don’t agree about the bench – in fact this has been under the radar and we have yet to unleash Mikey Sweeney or Conroy fully.
@CATCOL like weneed reminding
I think Breheny is more lazy than anything else
He brings up stats with no point to them
If a team hasn’t beaten another team in forty years for example, so what?
If only one team out of ten has won an AI after losing two in a row over 100 years, so what?
Harking back to games that this panel never played in is pointless
He had a piece on our marks out of ten in different departments a few weeks ago and it was drivel.
He doesn’t do the interviews so he has to find something to write about each week
Agree Pebblesmeller, normal dribble from Brehony. Ray Silke is cut from the same cloth with his smug ‘ Regarding winning AI, that ship has sailed for Mayo’ line that he churns out.
As Joe Connolly said about neighbouring clubs when Castlegar were winning AI ‘they’d be cheering you on but deep down they’d be hoping you’d lose’
Don’t have a lot of time for Breheny but wouldn’t pay as much attention to him as others. He has a right to give pointless statistics if he wants but I get little from his articles.
Hoping Barry Moran gets start and Freeman also but happy to leave it in the hands of management.Think Dillon could be dark horse. I don’t think he has done much lately but would not be surprised if he had a blinder Sunday either as sub or starting.
Don’t see Sweeney ,Conor O Shea or Diarmuid O Connor having much of a say . Experience garnered over the last few years has to count.
Lads and ladies untwist your knickers. Breheny only quoted fact today. He is from outside Tuam and doesn’t have time for Mayo. Ray Silke is only giving his opinion. Many are writing off Cork, and correctly wrote off Galway here. They are only opinions. You may not agree with them, but until we get over the finish line and have Sam on James’ mantlepiece for the winter they have a point!
The most thing I’m looking forward to on Sunday is the look on Kerrigans face after his first encounter with Cunniffe.
Better still will be his face, 2 minutes later when he is introduced to boyler.
For something a little more controversial. Cafferky is not having his best of years. Whilst there is no doubting his qualities as a defender, sometimes I think he lacks a little physicality. Would cunniffe be better in this role, as he would have a forward looking over his shoulder a little more.
Maybe even a switch of positions for the 2 players.
Just my thoughts!!
Easy on the arrogance (Cunniffe, Kerrigan piece) tonyk
Is Cunniffe definitely fit and available for selection?
Balancedview – don’t agree that experience is what it’s made out to be in the modern game – just look at Dublin.
I do however value the residual strength and conditioning built up for the last three years, which is a key reason why we progress against those who haven’t it in the tank.
In my reckoning, there are two additional factors essential to win Sam. We should have the first – hunger/will to win.
The second essential for winning the big one is a good and effective game plan that ll the team buy in to. That cannot also be achieved without having your best team out.
And I believe that sadly our dreams will not be fulfilled by starting Andy or Alan because their top-gear pace isn’t there anymore. They could and probable would be effective as impact subs as the opposition back tire. No place for loyalty before form with the likes of Cork, Kerry, Dublin or Donegal on the horizon! It’s real knock-out football now and JH owes it to the players, the fans, and himself to get it right!
We need to build on Cillian and Kevin Mc’s great form. Hopefully Doc will do this on Sunday. We need Freezer, Feeney and Sweeney too in there giving us balance and an edge.
Best of luck to the Minors too !
Hon Mayo!!
Glad to hear that Cork will name their team shortly, i thought they might cede the match.
Anyhow a few tips for the Cork team as they head to Croker.
– The match will be finished at 5.30 so you will be home before it gets dark.
– The Mayo supporters are loud but relax as our bark is worse than our bite unlike the ….
– Emergency exits available though Donegal failed to find them at half time last year.
– If you get a bang on the head and think u are seeing things when you spot St. Patrick sitting in the stand near a 5’9 parrot both dressed in red and green (they exist).
– Run in the opposite direction if you see Boiler approaching.
Oh and have a nice day.
Come on the red and green
Face the ball.
No fun allowed???
Besides, im only stating what i think will happen on sunday. Against sligo kerrigan was allowed to run through wide open spaces and casually fist the ball over the bar. Ive no doubt our lads will let him know early in the game that it will not happen in croke park.
I love Tonycs comment re cunniffe and boyler. That’s the attitude we need Let them know we’re no pushovers. Can anyone deny that boylers shoulder against Galway player in connaght final did not send shivers of pride down our spines. Can anyone explain why he was penalised for fair shoulder. Refs often blow it up these days. Even though the bollix of a ref gave a free against us we gained more out of the incident. It reminded me of a Roy Keane tackle against holland yrs ago which told the opposition ” were here and were going nowhere”. We won that game to progress to World Cup. I got a tackle like that in the 60 s against ardnaree That was the end of my football. I took up athletics instead. Up mayo forever
I hope Cork supporters are not looking at this blog, some cock sure comments appearing now (Olive and tonyk), Plenty of ammo for them. Some people have very short memories.
Fair play to ya Olive, me sides are sore from laughing here!! 🙂
No comment face the ball.
🙂
The Cork team has been named:
The Cork management have opted to make no changes to the starting fifteen ahead of the quarter-final. Donncha O’Connor returns to the squad following an injury lay-off, while John Hayes is also available having served a one-match ban following his sending off in the Munster Final.
Ok – no point in holding it back any longer.
In fairness the Connacht final was no real indicator of where our team is at. Colm Boyle’s shoulder on Comer shook the rest of the Galway forwards as well. But at the same time it should be noted that Galway came into that match very much an already beaten team.
Everyone was talking during the buildup to that match about Galway trying their best to stay with us and not get humiliated and I think that this made it’s way very much into the Galway lads heads. Poor management by Mulholland on his behalf as he ended up sending out an already beaten team solely with the goal of damage limitation.
Cork on the other hand will have no fear of us. They have hammered us enough in the past years (convincingly in enough of those League finals) and many of the present team are still part of that group.
Kerrigan for one will not be intimidated by the likes of any of the Mayo backs. The guy is a proven forward who has inter-county blood in his veins. He needs to be watched big time. Make no mistake this game is no gimme. Having fun is all well and good but handing the opposition ammunition by openly poking fun of them is hardly the best approach to take.
Remember we are no superstars ourselves and it’s a little hypocritical of people giving out about the likes of journos or other broadcasters and what they say and then coming on here and laughing openly at the opposition or their supporters and the standards they bring to the game.
Major over reaction guys…
i cannot comment on this particular string again. Olive, meet u in the hogan and we will go ENJOY the game.
Agree with JPM.
Come on Mayo…just go out and f&ckin’ do it on Sunday. I’m sick of waiting…time to turn the screw once and for all this year and win it out.
Start by beating Cork on Sunday.
To all fans going on Sunday…let’s roar them on. No excuses. When the game is in the balance that’s when we are needed most!
Kerrigan doesnt need to be afraid of our backs .If he doesn’t get ball he can he will come deep which I expect our lads will force him to do. You would have to imagine that we will dominate midfield and put a huge amount of pressure on their back line and I don’t think their back line will hold up to the intensity .
All teams left have a chance.We have no divine right to win anything.Totally irrelevant what fans say or do.What is relevant is that team and management have to perform,and keep performance going until All Ireland is won.Some posters talk about if we are not good enough we will seek to improve.Well now is the time and excuses are the habitat of losers.
Seize the day….we can do it.
Hope people support minors also…come a little earlier.Young people more likely to be lifted by support.
If we have all our players fit as seems to be the case then this will be a fascinating selection because it should show for the first time in ages who JH considers his best 15. Indeed it will interesting to see who makes the 26 and who doesn’t! It’s a moment of truth. James Horan will be making some big calls and it is going to be tough for a few of the lads and that’s for sure.
Who’d want to be a manager?
You’d know the nerves were starting to kick in, reading this thread …. 🙂
Olive, I laughed, and TonyK, I laughed. Nothing being said here that isn’t being thrown out in every other GAA forum across the land. Are we that insecure in ourselves that we can’t have a bit of a laugh and be a bit bolshie about our chances? Are we that crippled by the fear of failure that we can’t allow ourselves to crack a few jokes?
At the end of the day, folks, it matters not one jot what any of us write on a forum like this, when it comes to them being used against us. Do you think Brian Cuthbert or Eamon Fitmaurice are trawling through fan sites pinning quotes to the wall? Well, they’re not.
Don’t take your opposition for granted, but don’t be afraid to enjoy the craic that comes with the build-up to days like these.
And for the love of god, if you do want to do something that has a positive effect, start making yourself heard as a supporter. Get into Croke Park early, support our minors, and if during the senior game someone is brave enough to start a Mayo chant, JOIN IN!
Crowd is going to look awful in general , four teams and i reckon you wont have even 30k there, Mayo will bring the most but the crowd will be well down on last year.
Of ten people i know who nearly always go, seven of them are sitting this one out.
Can’t understand why anyone would sit out a quarter final on the bank holiday weekend. The term ‘real supporter’ is rolled out a little too often but it’s probably applicable on this occasion.
My absolute favourite weekend of the year!
Come on Mayo!
Yeah I know a lot of people who can’t make this for one reason or another too which is a shame but sometimes life gets in the way and people have to prioritise I guess. I don’t really think it makes them any less of a ‘real supporter, and you can be sure some of them will be gritting their teeth and crossing their fingers elsewhere on the day. It just means those of us who are there have to make more of an effort to be heard …
This is my third favourite weekend of the year! God, I just cannot wait for Sunday. Connacht is special, but now it feels like we’re really getting down to business.