|
|
Post by Mickmack on Aug 16, 2017 21:57:34 GMT
Darragh Ó Sé: Kerry have more room to improve than Mayo
I feel there are a bunch of Kerry lads who are sore about their form against Galway
You can’t talk about Kerry and Mayo playing in an All-Ireland semi-final without going back to Limerick in 2014. Anyone who was there will take it to their grave. Everything about it was memorable, from it being in Limerick in the first place to the Mayo supporter bulling onto the pitch at the end and needing half the GAA men in Limerick to hold him back.
I was there early to do TV work hours before the stands started to fill up. When you get there that far in advance there’s a lot of standing around, looking like you know you’re supposed to be looking busy. So at one stage, I decided I’d go and measure the field. Not with a tape measure or anything – I wasn’t that bored – just walking the length and width of it to see how it would compare to Croke Park.
I wasn’t the only genius looking for something to be at either. On my travels I met Colm O’Rourke, who was out doing the same thing. So we walked around together, chatting away, hopping ball. We weren’t gone far before a couple of the local stewards started shouting a bit of abuse at me. “Well, Darragh – is it good enough for you? Not a whole pile wrong with it, is there?”
In the week running up to the game I had been critical of the GAA’s call to have it in Limerick at all. All the Mayo people thought it was a big advantage to Kerry, but if you were down in Tralee or Killarney the week of that game, you wouldn’t have found any enthusiasm for going up to Limerick. Not for an All-Ireland semi-final. We were more annoyed than the Mayo people, and I said a few things to that effect in the build-up.
So this was obviously my payback. I decided not to mention the bumps and hollows down at the city end of the field and I took my beating. And in fairness, when it came right down to it, the occasion was far better than anything that could have been served up in Croke Park.
All kinds of drama
We got an epic for our troubles – extra-time, all kinds of drama, all sorts of decisions, players arriving from all angles, injuries, goals, fouls, cards, everything.
It was Kerry’s best performance of the last number of years, definitely the best under Eamonn Fitzmaurice.
And it had to be because by that stage Mayo were a different proposition to Kerry than what they had been before.
I played Mayo loads of times, and I have Mayo friends and people I do business with up there. And all the time their attitude to me when I would say something complimentary about them was, “are you taking the piss here or what?”
They always suspected I wasn’t being serious, or that I was trying to be nice.
And’ in all honesty, some of the time that was true. Mayo were just always a team we could get past when it mattered. But what sort of bad-mannered article would I be if I lorded it over them? I was brought up better than that.
Yet by the time that game came around in 2014, something had definitely changed.
When you gave Mayo a compliment, you didn’t have Mayo people telling you to quit the plámás. They had a serious team and they knew it. And Kerry knew it. And Kerry people knew it.
Mayo should have won the first game that day, when they were five points up with four minutes to go. And even though they lost the replay, it was such a wild game that there was no shame in it for them.
Three years later, the one legacy from that game that I think still has some relevance is that it was an epic that Mayo didn’t win. In Kerry we always say an epic is a game that we didn’t win, but this has been the killer for Mayo over the past four seasons. They always seem to be involved in the game of the year, but how many of them have they won? And what good are epics to a team anyway? Very little when it comes right down to it.
Easy game
The only thing Mayo got out of the Roscommon replay was an easy game. Good for them! I wouldn’t knock it. Sometimes it’s the best thing for you.
People say they learned nothing; my attitude would be “so what?” They gave a team a hammering in Croke Park – isn’t that plenty? Whenever Kerry were lucky enough to do that I never spent much of the journey home worrying about what we had and hadn’t learned.
We overcomplicate these things sometimes. We try to pick apart patterns and form lines, and read way more into things than are actually there.
We like to make out that every team wants to be battle-hardened, that they want to get to the next stage having scrapped for every ball and clawed their way through. As if they’re sadomasochists about the thing.
It’s pure nonsense. Mayo were on the bus home after the Roscommon game delighted that it had been so handy. And delighted that they had made it so handy.
It’s like when you go back to play a club game, and you’re that bit fitter and stronger and better than the rest of them, and you realise why you’re on the county team in the first place. It’s a reminder that you’re a step above the average.
It doesn’t mean that you’ll waltz through the next big game for the county but it helps your psyche to click into gear. ‘I’m good at this. Let’s go and do it now.’
Goal chances
Kerry haven’t had that game yet. They got past Galway, and a lot of their guys didn’t play well. James O’Donoghue and Paul Geaney weren’t great up front. Fionn Fitzgerald, Peter Crowley and Mark Griffin all got caught for scores at the back. Galway weren’t great opposition, but they still got in for a heap of goal chances.
That can now go one way or the other. Do they all recover to right the ship against Mayo? Or are they all standing there after 20 minutes on Sunday with their first couple of involvements in the game gone astray, wondering how they’re going to get their form back?
My hunch would be that inside Kerry training over the past few weeks there would have been a lot of cranky heads. I say it’s a hunch because that’s all we have to go on down here these days. I was with a few former Kerry players this week and we were all feeling each other out to see had anyone heard anything from anyone. But it’s easier to get gossip out of Jim Gavin above in North Korea than it is out of the Kerry camp.
All the same, my feeling would be that you’re talking about a bunch of lads who are sore about their own form. That can be turned around, but you have to go and do it. You have to reassess what your approach has been. Why were you poor against Galway? What didn’t you do before that game? What are you going to do now?
Opposition’s shoes
I always felt you couldn’t ask yourself enough questions before a game in Croke Park. My way of approaching a big game was to put myself in the opposition’s shoes. What does my man think of me? What does he think I’m good at or bad at? What is he expecting me to do? How can I surprise him?
The one thing you don’t want to be in the middle of a big game in Croke Park is surprised. By the time you’re surprised, it’s already too late.
I was watching the hurling on Sunday, and I thought Waterford pulled off a masterstroke sending Brick Walsh over onto young Mark Coleman. Cork didn’t expect that, nobody did. On the face of it, it is a big gamble, putting your oldest player up against one of the best young players in the country. But it turned out to be inspired.
Young Coleman was taken totally off-guard. He got dragged out of position for the first goal and he got bullied under high balls all day.
I don’t care how many weights you’ve done as a 19-year-old, if you’re playing against somebody who has done 15 years of it more than you, the physical gap between you and him is going to shock you to your core. Especially if you have no hint that it’s coming.
So that’s what Kerry have to be doing ahead of this game. I don’t just mean in terms of the game plan, I mean individually.
If you’re going to be up against Lee Keegan, how are you going to get him playing in areas of the pitch he doesn’t want to be?
Are you going to let Aidan O’Shea dominate every hop ball as if he’s playing against minors? How are you going to surprise them?
On top of all that, there’s another motivation for Kerry.
You’re talking about a group who don’t want to be the ones who let Mayo in through the door. Kerry, Dublin and Mayo have been more or less equal over the past five years in terms of general play. But in terms of winning, Kerry and Dublin have always come out in the end.
You do not want to be on the Kerry team when that run ends. You just don’t.
Songs for Mayo
Let everybody else write songs for Mayo and wish them all the best. But not at your expense. In that dressing room in Killarney, that would be driven home all week. “Look lads, they’re going to win eventually. Not against us, right? Not against us.”
Whether that’s enough or not, only Sunday will tell. As a Kerryman the hope would be that the likes of Geaney and O’Donoghue will be so annoyed by the last day that they will force themselves into a performance.
On what they’ve done in the past, I have a suspicion that there’s more margin for improvement in Kerry than in Mayo. I can’t see there being a whole pile between them, but I’ll go with Kerry on that basis.
|
|
|
|
Post by MrRasherstoyou on Aug 16, 2017 22:09:41 GMT
Good piece. No detail though. Not sure about "songs" and they're going to win one eventually, this isn't the final.
|
|
fitz
Fanatical Member
Red sky at night get off my land
Posts: 1,735
|
Post by fitz on Aug 16, 2017 22:31:23 GMT
No I wasn't. If you can highlight instances of his pace please highlight. One will do. 39.56 on the clock Barry comes from centre field to put Kilkenny off the hand pass. I remember thinking at the time that it was a great bit of covering back Will that one do Fitzwop? Don't see it Mick, half time. Is the time you noted correct? |
|
|
|
Post by Mickmack on Aug 16, 2017 22:35:01 GMT
39.56 on the clock Barry comes from centre field to put Kilkenny off the hand pass. I remember thinking at the time that it was a great bit of covering back Will that one do Fitzwop? Don't see it Mick, half time. Is the time you noted correct? Look at the match time and not the video time |
|
|
|
Post by Mickmack on Aug 16, 2017 22:40:31 GMT
Calling on
Rashers, Skybluezone, Blue Panther, Dermot, De Lorean. Dubaroo, Donegalman, yourholiness plus any other neutrals i have forgotten...
who do ye expect to win between Kerry and Mayo and why?
|
|
|
|
Post by yourholiness on Aug 16, 2017 22:55:29 GMT
Calling on Rashers, Skybluezone, Blue Panther, Dermot, De Lorean. Dubaroo, Donegalman, yourholiness plus any other neutrals i have forgotten... who do ye expect to win between Kerry and Mayo and why? Personally I'm really looking forward to it as only a neutral can . I can't see Mayo capitulating and they are grizzled and worn . This match will be the making of a number of the Younger Kerry players if they get to the pitch of it quickly . If I was a kerryman I'd be worried about mayo's hard running from deep and the physicality of this Mayo team . If I was a Mayo man I would worry about the fact that Kerry have the very ingredient that has precluded them from winning an All Ireland . Natural forwards . But on the basis of Kerry not having as many natural forwards as in other years and the absence of the Gooch I am going to put my head on the block and say Mayo. |
|
|
|
Post by MrRasherstoyou on Aug 17, 2017 3:13:14 GMT
Calling on Rashers, Skybluezone, Blue Panther, Dermot, De Lorean. Dubaroo, Donegalman, yourholiness plus any other neutrals i have forgotten... who do ye expect to win between Kerry and Mayo and why? I can't wait for it, just hope it lives up to my expectations. Last time I looked forward to a game so much as a neutral was Kerry-Tyrone on 2015, and that was more about history than expectation. Tyrone-Mayo last year had great potential but was a let-down. This game has two sides who have been in the last 6 All-I finals between them. Strangely enough never meeting in the final. But we all know it's something of a 'final' showdown in some ways for the two. More especially for Mayo. I've posted in detail above what I think may happen. If Mayo bring the right intensity and if they aren't fatigued after all the games so far this summer then I think only Kerry's very best will win it. I suspect neither side will produce their very best so it could well just be tight and come down to a great score (most likely Kerry) or a controversial score/decision for either side. I can't see Kerry not producing a full-on intensity of performance. With that in mind Mayo will have to get everything right so the nod goes to Kerry. |
|
|
|
Post by Annascaultilidie on Aug 17, 2017 5:23:18 GMT
I wonder will RTE wheel out John Maughan's old army buddie, Tom 'Tommy' Carr for Sunday. His unbiased co-commentary would probably be top notch as usual. If they can't sell all the tix, the GAA should announce he is on RTÉ. |
|
kerryexile
Fanatical Member
Whether you believe that you can, or that you can't, you are right anyway.
Posts: 1,222
|
Post by kerryexile on Aug 17, 2017 8:42:43 GMT
Here is a more realistic if slightly humorous take by Ciarán Murphy in the Irish Times
Kieran Donaghy’s star still burning as brightly as ever
Three years after he appeared set to retire, Donaghy still tormenting opposition defences
Three years ago, as you perused your All-Ireland football semi-final match programme, a name might have caught your eye on the Kerry subs’ bench. Number 22, Kieran Donaghy. If that name did jump out at you, you would most likely have wondered for how long more was he going to keep plugging away at this inter-county lark.
Kerry had beaten Galway at their leisure in their quarter-final win a few weeks earlier and Donaghy hadn’t seen a single minute of action. As happens to all players, time marches on. It was a pity in some ways that Donaghy hadn’t retired the winter before and spared himself the humiliation of picking splinters out of his ass for the summer.
Maybe you went looking elsewhere in the programme for his age, saw that he was only 31 and thought ‘well, you’d hardly retire at 31’. But there it was in black and white, displayed as obviously as you like - Donaghy on the scrapheap. If he was surplus to requirements against Galway, he was only going to be filling a jersey. If he was anywhere in the plans, surely he’d have been given 10 minutes.
Three years later, the question that was first posed 11 years ago is being posed again - how do you stop the force of nature that is Kieran Donaghy?
Outrageous
After all the outrageous dramatics of the 2014 All-Ireland semi-final drawn game and replay between Mayo and Kerry, the fact remains that if Donaghy had not plucked that one ball out of the skies and set up the goal for James O’Donoghue that rescued the draw for his team, the course of recent footballing history, not just the 2014 season, might have been rather different.
Kieran Donaghy celebrates scoring a goal against Mayo in the 2014 semi-final replay. Photograph: Cathal Noonan
If Ger Cafferkey had won that one ball, Mayo would have won the game, and would have been a good bet (sort of) to beat Donegal in the final. And how would we view Eamonn Fitzmaurice as a coach, without the All-Ireland winning imprimatur of that season? Would they be where they are now without that All-Ireland tucked away in their back pocket, or would Dublin have streaked off even further into the distance with no-one to challenge their dominance?
In this era of football, it might be the most intriguing sliding doors moment of them all. Donegal might have two All-Irelands. Andy Moran might be lying on a beach somewhere right now with his All-Ireland medal. And it’s a racing certainty that Kerry wouldn’t have Donaghy to unleash on teams because he would surely have walked away.
The old F Scott Fitzgerald quote about there being no second acts in American life is also usually applicable to sport. There’s a career arc that more often than not is followed. After the highs, must come the lows. Time catches up with everyone. But that one fetch opened the door for one of the more outrageous late-career revivals in Irish sporting history.
Mayhem
He got a goal and caused untold mayhem in the sprawling epic that unfurled itself in Limerick six days after the drawn game. In the All-Ireland final, he got the goal that broke the game open in the second half. He ended up on the All Star team. And he’s still causing palpitations.
We’ve had another week of mad-cap schemes and hair-brained plans to stop Donaghy. Play Aidan O’Shea on him. Bring back Barry Moran. Convince Liam MacHale (or Tim Duncan) out of retirement and stick him in on Donaghy, see how he likes having another ‘big’ in the paint with him.
He creates this kind of hysteria because, at root, there is something emasculating about the idea of Donaghy. If James O’Donoghue skins a corner-back it’s seen as part of the game. If O’Donoghue, or Conor McManus, or Bernard Brogan, are on form, that’s going to happen. But if Donaghy pushes your full-back around, bullies him, catches ball over his head - it’s embarrassing.
Kieran Donaghy scores his side’s opening goal against Galway in the quarter-finals. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Watching Galway try to decide how best to handle him three weeks ago put you in mind of that old Tom Waits line - two dead-ends, and you’ve still got to choose.
That’s why Kerry people love him so much. That’s why fans of so many other counties love to hate him. It shouldn’t happen. He shouldn’t be allowed to catch the ball that cleanly. It’s the sword of Damocles over your head - no matter how far ahead you are, if they give him one good ball, they could be back in this.
Mayo might turn to Donal Vaughan on Sunday, with Keith Higgins posted in front of him to get physical once he lands. Maybe it’s where Lee Keegan will end up on his return to the team, a combustible combination if ever there was one. Either way, three years after Mayo had a chance to kill him off forever, Donaghy is still around - still relevant, and still causing mayhem. You’d need a heart of stone not to admire him for it.
|
|
|
|
Post by buck02 on Aug 17, 2017 9:22:02 GMT
The last time the teams met in Croke Park seems to have been largely forgotten with the exception of the Donaghy impact as the subsequent drama in Limerick 6 days later became the focus of the tie.
I watched the entire game last night and what I took from it was that Mayo went from 0-5 to 0-10 down to 1-15 to 0-13 up in the space of 25 minutes of the second half with 14 men. All but three of Mayos scores in this period came from hard running down the middle channel. They never played in from the wings. It was a combination of brute force, athleticism and speed that they managed to do it. They only kicked 3 balls into the FF line resulting in scores, 2 to Andy Moran.
Given Kerrys well publicised failings in this regard against Cork and Galway its hard to see Mayo not to try target this route as their way of winning on Sunday.
I never noted it at the time but Declan Sullivan had an absolute stinker when he came on after 20 minutes. He tried to play a role similar to what he had played in the Munster Final but his knees had got a lot worse at that stage and he simply could not keep up with Mayo players flying past him. Maher, Johnny and Moran all failed to stop the runners during the phase of the game when Mayo came back into it.
Donnchadh got caught overcarrying twice in the first half and Mayo's backs seemed to have his number when it came to swarming and tackling him.
If Mayo get a run on Kerry on Sunday then somebody needs to take the sting out of them by either grabbing the game by the throat or slowing the game down by whatever means. Mayo, similar to Dublin, thrive on the wave of euphoria that is created by their supporters when they sense blood. This will have a huge impact on the winning and losing of the game.
|
|
|
|
Post by delorean on Aug 17, 2017 9:58:10 GMT
Calling on Rashers, Skybluezone, Blue Panther, Dermot, De Lorean. Dubaroo, Donegalman, yourholiness plus any other neutrals i have forgotten... who do ye expect to win between Kerry and Mayo and why? I was convinced Mayo would blow Kerry away in 2014, so I'm a lot more hesitant this time around. Mayo's second half, shackle-free, performance in the drawn game in 2014 was what I had expected from the off. I'm not sure things have changed that much since then overall. Like Cork-Waterford last Sunday, I genuinely see it as a 50/50 game, despite the bookies suggesting a clear favourite. There are so many variables that it's difficult to gauge, particularly in relation to Kerry I feel. I'm never too sure what David Moran will show, or even James O'Donoghue to a lesser extent. When they play well, Kerry seem to tick all over. For all the talk of stopping Donaghy, Mayo really need to target those two and limit their influence as much as possible. Finding a suitable marker for Donaghy is obviously important, but making sure they have the bodies in place to contest the area in front of him is paramount. Barry Moran hasn't played much football but if he's available I think he's their best bet to compete with Donaghy. He tall and rangy enough to prevent him catching it cleanly, it's up to others to mop up after that. Talk of Keegan or Vaughan taking on the role would seriously worry me if I was a Mayo supporter. Neither are tall enough to really compete and their absence would be felt elsewhere. On the face of it Harrison & Higgins on Geaney & O'Donoghue seem like decent match-ups and might be able to limit their damage more than most. Overall I think Mayo are very strong where Kerry are potentially weak. Shane Enright and Paul Murphy are the most consistent of Kerry's six backs, but I think the rest can be exposed. Killian Young hasn't played much football it seems but will presumably come in for Fitzgerald. Crowley is as strong as a horse but can't seem to get close enough to stop the runners coming through, he seems to have gone backwards since 2014. Morley looks a fine prospect but is still relatively unproven, but then so were a lot of the 2014 crop. The kick-outs will be fascinating. I'm sure there will be periods when both teams push up so what a midfield battle we have to look forward to. With so few big GAA games passing without controversy now the balance is often tipped by a refereeing decision, hopefully that won't be the case. Hopefully both teams can finish with their full complement also. I think power and penetration might win the day, so I'll give a hesitant nod to Mayo. |
|
keane
Fanatical Member
Posts: 1,274
|
Post by keane on Aug 17, 2017 10:08:33 GMT
People are reading too much into JOD's performance against Galway IMO, when the dogs in the street knew all week he was injured. In a competitive game where we were under pressure and down a man he was class in Ennis, and he was imperious against Cork as well.
If he is fit and Higgins marks him he will hack up. If he's fit he will hack up whoever is marking him for that matter, but he would decorate Higgins like he did in '14 when Higgins was far better than he is now.
Mayo's backs are good going forward but every criticism that is applied to Kerry's defence applies to Mayo as much if not more. We hear all about how Kerry were exposed at the back against Cork and Galway, but it's Mayo that couldn't beat either of them. We beat both of them out the gate. Mayo actually conceded goals against Cork, Kerry didn't.
|
|
|
|
Post by Annascaultilidie on Aug 17, 2017 10:14:20 GMT
I never noted it at the time but Declan Sullivan had an absolute stinker when he came on after 20 minutes. He tried to play a role similar to what he had played in the Munster Final but his knees had got a lot worse at that stage and he simply could not keep up with Mayo players flying past him. He was very good in extra time of the drawn game (watched that extra time this morning). |
|
|
|
Post by playitfair on Aug 17, 2017 10:53:03 GMT
A fitting finale. Declan O'Sullivan was my favorite footballer of that era. A real warrior.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kingdomson on Aug 17, 2017 11:28:20 GMT
The Kerryman is tipping Mayo. Apparently cos they could and should have beaten Kerry in 2014 and they have been to hell and back over the summer. If they get the chance again they wont blow it. I don't have any problem with The Kerryman tipping Mayo - give me some honest opinion rather than just propaganda any time. This Mayo team may not have won their All Ireland yet but they've won plenty semi-finals. Moreover, The Kerryman tip just reflects the genuine nervousness that's around the place about this fixture. I'm not buying any keyboard bravado either, with people declaring certain victory, it doesn’t reassure me. Kerry will be ready for Mayo but I also think there is actually little enough between the sides. Like Kerry in 2009, who many thought were running on empty before exploding in their quarter final, Mayo are well road tested with serious character and bloody good footballers on board. Do I think Mayo can win on Sunday? Yes, I do, and it would be no surprise if they finally did beat Kerry. However, I’m not certain of the result either way so put me in the nervous but hopeful camp. |
|
|
|
Post by royalkerryfan on Aug 17, 2017 11:50:43 GMT
The Kerryman is tipping Mayo. Apparently cos they could and should have beaten Kerry in 2014 and they have been to hell and back over the summer. If they get the chance again they wont blow it. I don't have any problem with The Kerryman tipping Mayo - give me some honest opinion rather than just propaganda any time. This Mayo team may not have won their All Ireland yet but they've won plenty semi-finals. Moreover, The Kerryman tip just reflects the genuine nervousness that's around the place about this fixture. I'm not buying any keyboard bravado either, with people declaring certain victory, it doesn’t reassure me. Kerry will be ready for Mayo but I also think there is actually little enough between the sides. Like Kerry in 2009, who many thought were running on empty before exploding in their quarter final, Mayo are well road tested with serious character and bloody good footballers on board. Do I think Mayo can win on Sunday? Yes, I do, and it would be no surprise if they finally did beat Kerry. However, I’m not certain of the result either way so put me in the nervous but hopeful camp. I must fall into the keyboard bravado group so. I called it as I saw it before the cork game and was told the same then.. I was foolish to write off cork etc. Ever wonder why we get have the cute hoorisim tag? Kerry have better forwards than Mayo I don't think anyone would dispute that. We have a better midfield. Our defense is much maligned but actually the stats for goals conceded is good. I think we will win based on the above, not bravado rather looking at both teams and normally the team with the better forwards wins the day. |
|
|
|
Post by playitfair on Aug 17, 2017 12:08:53 GMT
Simply, I also agree.
|
|
|
|
Post by buck02 on Aug 17, 2017 12:13:36 GMT
The Kerryman is tipping Mayo. Apparently cos they could and should have beaten Kerry in 2014 and they have been to hell and back over the summer. If they get the chance again they wont blow it. I don't have any problem with The Kerryman tipping Mayo - give me some honest opinion rather than just propaganda any time. This Mayo team may not have won their All Ireland yet but they've won plenty semi-finals. Moreover, The Kerryman tip just reflects the genuine nervousness that's around the place about this fixture. I'm not buying any keyboard bravado either, with people declaring certain victory, it doesn’t reassure me. Kerry will be ready for Mayo but I also think there is actually little enough between the sides. Like Kerry in 2009, who many thought were running on empty before exploding in their quarter final, Mayo are well road tested with serious character and bloody good footballers on board. Do I think Mayo can win on Sunday? Yes, I do, and it would be no surprise if they finally did beat Kerry. However, I’m not certain of the result either way so put me in the nervous but hopeful camp. I have no problem with the Kerryman tipping Mayo either. My comment was more on the piece itself rather than who they tipped to win the game. You should read it to see what I mean. The basis of the argument for Mayo to win is that they fought against Clare, Derry and Cork and that Clare, Cork and Galway had over 10 goal chances against Kerry. |
|
|
|
Post by Kingdomson on Aug 17, 2017 12:42:05 GMT
I don't have any problem with The Kerryman tipping Mayo - give me some honest opinion rather than just propaganda any time. This Mayo team may not have won their All Ireland yet but they've won plenty semi-finals. Moreover, The Kerryman tip just reflects the genuine nervousness that's around the place about this fixture. I'm not buying any keyboard bravado either, with people declaring certain victory, it doesn’t reassure me. Kerry will be ready for Mayo but I also think there is actually little enough between the sides. Like Kerry in 2009, who many thought were running on empty before exploding in their quarter final, Mayo are well road tested with serious character and bloody good footballers on board. Do I think Mayo can win on Sunday? Yes, I do, and it would be no surprise if they finally did beat Kerry. However, I’m not certain of the result either way so put me in the nervous but hopeful camp. I have no problem with the Kerryman tipping Mayo either. My comment was more on the piece itself rather than who they tipped to win the game. You should read it to see what I mean. The basis of the argument for Mayo to win is that they fought against Clare, Derry and Cork and that Clare, Cork and Galway had over 10 goal chances against Kerry. Will do! |
|
|
|
Post by skybluezone on Aug 17, 2017 15:59:27 GMT
Calling on Rashers, Skybluezone, Blue Panther, Dermot, De Lorean. Dubaroo, Donegalman, yourholiness plus any other neutrals i have forgotten... who do ye expect to win between Kerry and Mayo and why? Kerry always turn up and give a performance in Croke Park. You can set your watch by them. Maybe final in 2015 is the only recent example of that not happening in the last god knows how many years. With Mayo, who knows. Maybe the fact that they are not favs will mean the shackles are off and they will play with wild abandon. But I doubt it, their formline this year is woeful. If I treat the Roscommon replay as an outlier (talked about this in an earlier post) then Kerry could be out the gate by half time. A la 04 and 06. Think Kerry will at least break even at midfield. Kerry inside line could embarrass Mayo fb line. Mayo's hb line by far their strongest, if Kerry get the worker bee half forwards to cancel out this line then they are almost home. Will Enright go man to man on COC? Capable of neutralising him from play anyway. I'm giving a confident vote to Kerry, 5+. |
|
|
|
Post by greengold35 on Aug 17, 2017 17:30:47 GMT
Mayo's midfield is probably their worst line - Seamus O'Shea not playing to inter county standard at the moment and while Parsons has had his moments think they will struggle here, that is unless they employ Aidan O'Shea there along with possibly Keegan - all this will work to our advantage as it will weaken their other lines if O'Shea and Keegan have to play in the middle; I expect Vaughan on Star with a sweeper in front of him,possibly McLoughlin who has played in this role previously, if not Higgins - this represents a lot of change and not all for the better for the Westerners. Mayo in reality have 2 forwards ( O'Connor & Moran) who can hurt you but that should not be enough to beat you - I expect a Kerry onslaught from the beginning with all our forwards pushing up on their men to ensure Clarke's options are limited - Kerry for me, hopefully by 5/6 points.
|
|
|
|
Post by southward on Aug 17, 2017 17:31:38 GMT
People are reading too much into JOD's performance against Galway IMO, when the dogs in the street knew all week he was injured. In a competitive game where we were under pressure and down a man he was class in Ennis, and he was imperious against Cork as well. If he is fit and Higgins marks him he will hack up. If he's fit he will hack up whoever is marking him for that matter, but he would decorate Higgins like he did in '14 when Higgins was far better than he is now.Mayo's backs are good going forward but every criticism that is applied to Kerry's defence applies to Mayo as much if not more. We hear all about how Kerry were exposed at the back against Cork and Galway, but it's Mayo that couldn't beat either of them. We beat both of them out the gate. Mayo actually conceded goals against Cork, Kerry didn't. Not entirely fair to Higgins, that. In my opinion both players were outstanding that evening and it's rarely you could say that about any duel. James was on fire for sure but Higgins made some wonderful challenges also. Another defender could have been taken for 3-10 that game. It was wonderful contest between them. Also, Higgins may have been a greater force then, but could you not say the same about James? |
|
keane
Fanatical Member
Posts: 1,274
|
Post by keane on Aug 17, 2017 19:04:33 GMT
People are reading too much into JOD's performance against Galway IMO, when the dogs in the street knew all week he was injured. In a competitive game where we were under pressure and down a man he was class in Ennis, and he was imperious against Cork as well. If he is fit and Higgins marks him he will hack up. If he's fit he will hack up whoever is marking him for that matter, but he would decorate Higgins like he did in '14 when Higgins was far better than he is now.Mayo's backs are good going forward but every criticism that is applied to Kerry's defence applies to Mayo as much if not more. We hear all about how Kerry were exposed at the back against Cork and Galway, but it's Mayo that couldn't beat either of them. We beat both of them out the gate. Mayo actually conceded goals against Cork, Kerry didn't. Not entirely fair to Higgins, that. In my opinion both players were outstanding that evening and it's rarely you could say that about any duel. James was on fire for sure but Higgins made some wonderful challenges also. Another defender could have been taken for 3-10 that game. It was wonderful contest between them. Also, Higgins may have been a greater force then, but could you not say the same about James? 3-9 across two games is a roasting for my money, notwithstanding the fact that James didn't score every single time he got the ball. He also left about another easy 1-3 after him over the two games so far as I remember. James looked at the peak of his powers in the first two games. If he lines out fully fit I expect to see the best of him. |
|
fitz
Fanatical Member
Red sky at night get off my land
Posts: 1,735
|
Post by fitz on Aug 17, 2017 19:33:40 GMT
Not entirely fair to Higgins, that. In my opinion both players were outstanding that evening and it's rarely you could say that about any duel. James was on fire for sure but Higgins made some wonderful challenges also. Another defender could have been taken for 3-10 that game. It was wonderful contest between them. Also, Higgins may have been a greater force then, but could you not say the same about James? 3-9 across two games is a roasting for my money, notwithstanding the fact that James didn't score every single time he got the ball. He also left about another easy 1-3 after him over the two games so far as I remember. James looked at the peak of his powers in the first two games. If he lines out fully fit I expect to see the best of him. Two goals from penalties. Higgins is a class footballer. I didn't think he got roasted or anything like it. It was a great duel between two great players. Both emerged with significant credit. Indeed the quality of the duel was commented on by a couple of pundits, most notable being our own Tomas. Higgins would be up near top of my transfer target list if such a fantasy existed |
|
keane
Fanatical Member
Posts: 1,274
|
Post by keane on Aug 17, 2017 19:44:39 GMT
He won both penalties. I wouldn't be too fussed what pundits have to say to be honest, most of them are useless, have an agenda or both.
|
|
keane
Fanatical Member
Posts: 1,274
|
Post by keane on Aug 17, 2017 19:56:02 GMT
We won't fall out over it anyway. I'd take a return like either 2014 games from James on Sunday, we'll be well on our way in that case.
|
|
|
|
Post by misteallaigh abú on Aug 17, 2017 21:12:18 GMT
A lot of people seem to be spooked by the prospect of playing Mayo this time around. A lot of comparison with 2014 but that's 3 years ago. A lot of opinions seem to be based on their performance against Roscommon. Why did people not make the same assumptions about Galway after their annihilation of a division 1 team in Donegal? Mayo aren't as good as they were against Roscommon in the replay. We're not as bad as we showed against Galway in the quarter final.
For Mayo, they will give it everything and they won't step down like Mayo sides of the past. However,if we pick our forwards to keep their half back line busy then we are halfway to another all ireland final. For me, Stephen O Brien has to start ahead of Mikey Geaney.
I would like to see Anthony Maher start with Moran and bring Jack Barry's pace in with 25 minutes to go.
Kerry will be well aware of Aidan O Shea's ability to win "frees", likewise Cillian O Connor. It's important that our defending is top drawer, we need big games from Crowley, Morley and Murphy.
In our full forward line, Mayo are still spooked by the thoughts of facing the Star again. Even if he does nothing, his presence alone will have them flapping like chickens running from the fox. An ideal opportunity for the deadly Paul Geaney to confirm himself as the best inside forward in the game and also an opportunity for Jameso to re-ignite the classy form he showed in June and July.
Yes, Mayo have a huge threat but it's not as if we're stumbling blind into things and we don't know where the threat is coming from on Sunday. They played their cards against Roscommon, we have had time to plan and prepare. I believe that, on paper, we have the better panel and therefore, I think we will win by 3 or 4 points.
|
|
|
|
Post by rahoonsean on Aug 17, 2017 21:32:46 GMT
I have just registered because I wanted to reply to Keane's comment re JOD - "he won both penalties " - to win a penalty is foul play, you are devising the officials , to be awarded a penalty you have been infringed, simple as....but then while I was registering misteallaigh abú posted some real condensing sh**. Show some respect man, yes he are the greatest, but Mayo next Sunday can rock ye, confidence is admirable but *e talk is I'll becoming.
|
|
|
|
Post by misteallaigh abú on Aug 17, 2017 21:39:07 GMT
I have just registered because I wanted to reply to Keane's comment re JOD - "he won both penalties " - to win a penalty is foul play, you are devising the officials , to be awarded a penalty you have been infringed, simple as....but then while I was registering misteallaigh abú posted some real condensing sh**. Show some respect man, yes he are the greatest, but Mayo next Sunday can rock ye, confidence is admirable but *e talk is I'll becoming. Good man, get some salt for those chips. |
|
|
|
Post by Mickmack on Aug 17, 2017 21:53:17 GMT
When is the team being announced
|
|
