Have Kerry peaked, some performance, but need that again. I still think Tyrone are dark horse for all Ireland. But can't be that surprising, as they in a semi final. So glad, as Mayo man living in Galway. Galway have been good over last 2 years, but easier go down from a high peak. Mayo need to get that luck, or bloody mindiness not to lose tight games, had that not that long ago, need to find that again

Galway are 2020s Mayo, even if saying as much will make them feel a bit sad

Great article wj, the vagaries of the footballing season summed up very aptly indeed. Armagh looked thunderstruck in the second half. Twas uplifting to see a Meath team, dismissed by so many, undo the tribesmen. The Dubs will be reeling over Dessie's predictable exit- with no heir apparent to step in. They're staring into an abyss it seems. Kerry did only what they can do and smacked the arses of the footballing intelligentsia.
How many county teams will be placing ads in the vacancy section?

I think Kerry will take care of business having superior firepower and the new rules mean you can't just clog up all the space to beat them.

Very interesting WJ especially about all teams in “Group of Desth “ being eliminated. The next thing to the Group of Death was our group. Only Cavan supposedly made it ‘easier’ . Well we all know what happened there. Possibly the supposedly easiest group have thrown up 2 semi finalists in Kerry and Meath . And of course our group has done likewise and we have shown ourselves to be as good as Tyrone and Donegal. Anyway my hope is that Jimmy keeps winning matches but I expect the kingdom to ultimately receive the crown

Ever the optimist.
I wonder will the Dubs be looking to either of the Brennan’s. Ger or Robbie. Just glad our neighbours won’t have the cup for the winter. They were sailing to close to the wind all year and eventually they ran out of luck.

Living in Dublin nigh on forty yrs Nephin, surrounded by them, including the Mrs and in-laws etc, and not one of them thinks either Brennan will touch the gig. The county board, for the first time in ages, has no natural successor. Nobody involved at underage has had any success. Kilkenny (and others) will be seeking new horizons IMO.

To slightly misquote Morrissey 'Meath is Murder' for Galway folk this evening...

Looking back over the championship, galway always flattered to deceive....played a decent first half v mayo, Mayo took over in 2nd half and only for the brainfart of a fu ck up black card they beat mayo. They were unlucky to lost dubs game, but against both derry and armagh they gave up 8 or 10 point leads. Signs were there they weren't going well, having to claw back those big leads can and did sap their energy..u can only do that so often. In all their games they drifted out of it only to wake up again. So, while yes they are a good side, there isn't as much between galway and mayo as we think...both counties could now be looking for a new manager for 2026...all to play for in connought next year. Let's get out sh it together pronto n plough on...

I'm surprised Galway shipped so many scores this year. Youd have thought they had a decent defence but looked vulnerable enough. We'd have beaten them ourselves in Castlebar if we hadnt kept missing in the last 15 minutes
I thought Jordan Morris was brilliant for Meath. Lovely player to watch.

Fair play to Kerry today. To put up 0-14 unanswered points in 15 minutes takes some doing but against the AI champions in a Quarter Final. Wow.

These new rules have been brilliant. The game used to be slow paced with the odd injection of pace. It's the other way round now.

I'd love to see Mayo, under new management, win a Connacht title in the near future.. They're not far off it..

Ever the optimist.
I actually met Ger last night in a pub in Maynooth and half joking said, you’re going to be back in with the Dubs next year. He just said, ah no, but I assumed it was just the stock answer.

Donegal and Kerry the two stand outs after the weekend. Two statement performances from them. 1-26 and 0-32 are incredible scores. At the start of the year and many times since I said this it's wide open but it's not really, Kerry and Donegal have been the two early favorites and they are clearly ahead of the pack now. Hard to look past Kerry with the two Cliffords and O'Shea but maybe Jimmy will have a plan!

Have we a Rian O Neal/Connaty or Sean O Shea/ Clifford's to give us leadership up front, who are our two point shooters, have we fielders to win ball in the middle of the field, because that's how far we are away from being competitive at the highest level. We need to put away those green and red glasses and acknowledge that there's work to be done, catch up....

Right Nephin. Had he said, that would be an ecumenical matter, I'd have said he's a cert.. 😂

Who’s showing well at club level in Mayo currently during the league.

I'm going with a Donegal v Tyrone final.

Disappointed with both results today, was surrounded by Meath and Kerry supporters, and while both rightly enjoyed their teams performances, I just find them hard to take. Indeed, Meath have had three standout results in the championship and are fully entitled to be in the semi finals.
Should be two good semi finals Donegal and Kerry favourites, Kerry looked very good but Armagh collapsed in the midfield, Sean O'Shea had real purple patches and Paudie C looked good but hoping that someone else steps up to win.

Kerry looked good but Armagh did just collapse after a certain point. They weren't even putting in tackles or contesting at midfield or around the breaking ball. Kerry had the time and space to kick whatever they liked. They should have too much for Tyrone who I think aren't quite the finished article yet, but would be interested to see them v Donegal, who I was very impressed by. Not every game can be smooth with everything going your way, and I think Donegal are handling in-game adversity pretty well right now. Never got the impression they were panicked against us, and they were ruthless in landing us out of the competition when they didn't have to be. And again against Monaghan, they were very composed even when it wasn't going their way. They don't panic or rush things if a team has a purple patch. Tremendous patience.

Has anyone an idea of what the underage grades in Mayo is like for 2 pointers?
Could we get clubs underage coaches to commit more time in training sessions towards shooting and kicking and not all towards S and C.
Maybe to encourage coaches to give young lads a bag of O'Neills or a football each between training sessions and games
Start identifying special forward talents early and give them special training sessions with former and current County forwards.
The CB could setup a top scorers or most 2 pointers award with prize money for the Under 14 , 16 and Minor championships to entice lads to become better at shooting.
We seriously need to address the coaching of kicking and shooting in the County if we are to compete with Kerry into the future, skills pay the bills at the end of the day, Kerry beat the most well conditioned panel in the Country with there sublime kicking and shooting in the 3rd quarter.

Back home now folks, a hard day, we didnt show up for large periods of the game, Joyce has probably had his last game in charge so all big three in Connacht will need new management. We were not going well this year but sheer effort say us claw back almost certain defeats but it was a bridge too far today but small margins, if Conroy had hit the two pointer near the end we could have snuck a win but would be found out in the semi final. There isnt much between Galway and Mayo, ye are sometimes fierce hard on yer lads when its clear enough that they need a fresh management team much like ourselves. We will need to reset and go at it again next year, Joyce has built a fine squad much like Anthony did for the hurlers but couldnt get over the line but as ye know in Mayo is very hard to get over the line, the competition is fierce. I think the final will be contested by Donegal and Kerry and its hard to say who would win it. Best wishes to ye all for another year, life goes on.

As for the Kerry vs Armagh it was surprising to see Armagh run out of energy and ideas in a roasting hot Croke Park. Im not sure if the "group of death" left Dublin, Galway and Armagh spent but im sure a case could be made for it. The way Kerry took over the game from 5 down to win by 8 suggests they will be hard to stop now.

With the Dublin position open and having worked with many of the Dublin players, if he is well regarded or rated by them Dublin you would think may consider Austin.

Tyrone always seems to get over Kerry. It’s a Tyrone v Donegal final for me. Hopefully the Mayo lads will take a hard look at it and say we won’t be far off it come this time next year

@Cheaneychet.

I knew yea were in bother this year when I saw the Galway management jumping on each other in wild celebration after the Connacht final.

A sure sign that your management didn't have the mental fortitude to go the whole way.

After winning the Connacht final for x amount of years running, an accomplishment, which now a day's means sweet fanny Adams in the real scheme of things, I knew there and then that Galway's goose was cooked.

Kerry look to have the bit between the teeth, or at least they did today.

We'll have to wait and see if there is another twist in the plot but it looks like Kerry are in pole position now.

The happier man today is Jimmy mcguinness. 2 big rivals gone. A decent semi. It's all stacking up. Looking at the matches today. God our management must be the worst at coming to terms with the new rules. We never even went for 2 points really. Anyway that's history now. Hopefully a decent appointment shortly.

what a difference a year can make. Meath were hammered by Dublin & Kerry last year. This year, they beat both & Galway to boot. So for anyone who says management don’t make a difference, then please explain that one..they have good players, but crucially since Brennan came in, they are getting off a huge amount of shots. No coincidence that they are doing well under the new rules. They embraced them with open arms

Galway were a bit exposed like us. They played a lot with the handbrake on. Gets you nowhere

I understand ,from a former County Manager that Meath brought fitness levels to a new high today.

@Craggy Boglands

Yeah but honestly think Kerry will beat Donegal easily enough the way they showed up today fair play to them . I've been one to be harsh on them still not a massive fan of them but they answered the call today and did the talking on the pitch.

Meath as others said what a difference a year can make for sure . They showed great character today . I still think there's hope for us for next year we are not far off but the tactics, and right management need to be there it makes a huge difference as we've seen. Oisin McConville is the man for me Andy Moran needs more time but would love him to be manager some day in the future !

We will be marching behind the artane boys band next year clare. I've no doubt.

Is that Meath the same County that met us in '96 with a big sign on the 'hill' which read " you took our land..You won't
take Sam" ?

I'd donate my back garden to them tonight @Citóg... I'll demand it back in 2 weeks time though.

Talk is Get Brennan to Dublin and McConville to Louth.
I may be wrong

I said it yesterday and I'll repeat it again. Most of the top teams have completely embraced the new rules and are playing a totally different game to what we were playing. The new rules offer more space and, more or less, sound the death knell(TG) of the dreadful blanket defence, which was often our downfall. The new game rewards direct play, pace and adventure and we just did not take advantage of this. The main reason for our poor overall performances over the last 3 years is the style of play-this is decided by and put into practice by the management and so they must take full responsibility and, as a result, they did not realise the full potential of the players available. To make matters worse, they did not embrace the new rules and continued to play the same boring lateral stuff that was terrible to watch and probably not very enjoyable to play. Management make a huge difference and, if anyone doubts that, just look at the recent transformation of Down, Louth, Donegal, Monaghan and, most especially, Meath. Hopefully our new management will bring about a similar transformation for Mayo.

Jr Robbie Brennan referenced that Meath could run all day and mentioned the work done by s and c coaches David Drake and Phil Campbell.
Is that David Drake the former Mayo player does anyone know

No idea, away next week but will ask.

It is not the same David Drake.

To the person up the page who asked if Mayo have a Sean O'Shea or Clifford's to provide leadership. I think the answer is an overwhelming No we don't.
They were high quality players from minor onwards and where in Mayo is there anyone that will ever be in that class.

In reference to mayo.. everyone talks about the infamous cavan game. Have they forgotten the dismal sligo and lietrim performance s too.

Interesting day. Galway I am still convinced still have the best panel in the country but their tactics were baffling today, down the centre every time and bottled up or stonewall refusing to take a handy shot on. Conroy/walsh/comer could be as good as gone after that I'm afraid but little sympathy

Id honestly say that Kerry's 2nd half performance was best I've seen from living memory, they were relentless. But at the same time Donegal have perfect matchups for the 2 Clifford's and SOS if they meet in final even though I think Donegal a bit overhyped if that makes sense.

As someone mentioned a few comments back, the riches we had at midfield now compared to a few years ago is depressing, we saw today in that 2nd half of Kerry game that's its pivotal with the new rules, O Connor was unbelievable. We have Hugh o loughlin coming through and I'm struggling to think of anyone else, for new management that's the main area of focus before forwards

@Craggy boglands

Yeah the writing was on the wall all year really. Scraping past Leitrim and Sligo the Cavan defeat was coming . Things were not good all year . Cillian going was just a huge one . Yes he's had a lot of injuries, yes he's getting older but christ look at Murphy back. I honestly think he will make himself available next year with right managenent .

He's not a starter anymore but should be given more respect then under 15 min v Derry that time time when we needed someone like him most . He's a leader like Durcan is on /off the pitch .

Eyesontheball - Meath also held midfield against Galway and it was the winning of the game for them. The new rules reward big, mobile midfielders and the team that has the best personnel and performance in that area will win the All Ireland. We have been cleaned out at midfield multiple times over the last number of years against various opposition, including the 2021 final where the midfield pairing were thoroughly exposed. We will not be contesting finals until we have a functional midfield and I don't know where we intend to find the players.

Before today I thought we weren't too far off but have readjutend my thinking. I agree we couldn't get near the 1-26 or 0-32 (Kerry against top opposition). While our defence is quite good attack doesn't have enough threats. We have lads who were excellent in the past (Flynn), Diarmaid but need at least one sharp shooter in the half forwards, ideally also a bigger man as we have two smaller lads with good shots who have yielded mixed success in various heat of championship games. For midfield, it's more about strategy and breaking ball than big fielders, there are very few clean catches. Shane Ryan avoided Armagh's giants because he was told to do so. We did well against Tryone there and not bad against Donegal there either. It's true we have no natural fielders like a Fenton, Glass etc. apart from AOS who's deemed unsuitable for the role in the modern era since the 2013 AI final when Cluxton ran the legs off him and Seamie with his brilliant kickouts to the wings (similar by Ryan / Kerry today).
As for Galway, they were the joint best panel (along with Kerry but accuracy today in the 30s % compared to Meath in the 70s).

As for the SF's, on paper it should be easy to call. Dubs had way more chances than Tyrone and left far too many behind, some of them very scoreable even under pressure. So on paper Kerry with maybe 6 to spare.
In the other SF, it's the same, Meath had very high accuracy stats vs Galway but can that be repeated. The altitude keeps getting higher so would have to bet on Donegal who seem to have a knack of winning under Jimmy.
If they met in the final would have to bet on Kerry but not by much.
However, the new rules make the whole game more of a lottery. Great for the neutrals, frustrating for fans who can't understand their teams inefficiency.
So on paper means nothing if Tryone pull out a 2021 and tackle anything that moves. Equally, had that last kickout vs Donegal gone to us we could have won in the Hyde so we know they're beatable and Tyrone did.
Tyrone are the team most likely to dominate the future with their talent pool but it's possible 2025 is too soon for those so it's dependant on extracting more blood out of the old warriors and springing the new. And something must have been wrong with Paudie when he didn't start. What would happen to Kerry confidence if he pulled up early in the semi? Will Geaney be back? they could need him as some fringe players who did well cannot be relied upon to repeat..
I expect 3/4 teams will bring their A games to the semis. The jury is out on Meath because of inexperience and the altitude sickness they might get if the game drifts from them.
And the new era is hugely dependent on kickouts and 2 pointers.
PS the refs rode a few of the teams over the weekend. Several times I saw blatant fouls in the tackle and the team getting the turnover racing up for a score. Some teams suffered a good bit more than their opponents from this poor reffing. It's just not good enough at this level.

Just as I thought Galway are a decent side and can cause problems on their day, but they have been leaking scores all year, and it finally has caught up to them. Mayo definitely left that Connacht final behind them. Kerry loss to Meath was the kick in the arse they needed to turn on the afterburners like we all know they have and destroy teams. I still am of the view ‘twas a soft All Ireland, Armagh won last year. I do like where Meath are going, not sure they quite have enough for this year, but it would remind you of those Meath sides in the 90s. What was surprising when you think Kerry scored no goal today. It could have been far worse. Best 15mins of pure football I watched so far this year. 0-15, they were unstoppable. I honestly feel like Kerry & Donegal will fight it out for the big prize. I feel bad for our lads they gotta be thinking what the hell happened against Cavan. Cause I still put us right up there in the top five, but there is a hell of a lot of improvement needed if we are to be seriously challenging for honors next year. Positives from this year we played two semi Finalists. We gave a good beating to Tyrone and Donegal just squeezed by us. Looking back now really that Donegal lad should have been taken completely out of it at the end of the game and take the hit on a professional foul given. Hopefully new management will help us find another gear or two. Or a new forward and O Shea and COC come back next year. Still think there is life in them lads yet. Time for a complete rebuild. Money is on the Kerry lads if they make it!!!!

There's an All Ireland in that young Meath team, so soft talk of Robbie Brennan going anywhere is just that. Credit to O'Rourke and Boylan must be given as Captain Americas don't happen overnight in football. Tyrone might have a bit of a hoodoo over Kerry, but if Sean O'Shea is on song they won't beat them- no chance. Ironically, I remember hearing Kevin McStay referencing O'Shea as Kerry's lynchpin a few yrs back.
I'm like a broken record but it's still Donegal's IMO. However, Meath have nothing to lose and present a serious challenge to the running game McGuiness loves. Meath will be winning Sam in the near future from what I've seen, just not this year. Malachy O'Rourke has the toughest task of all but Tyrone love playing Kerry.
Fantastic football this year and the teams who listened to HQ and embraced the rules are in the semis.
On a side note, I wonder if Con regrets not switching to his first love last year. They might have had a chance if he was playing against Cork.

All 4 have beaten us in finals we've probably all attended in recent years....so who to shout for now?
No need to shout atall I suppose!

Those asking about 2 pointers, start following the club game, plenty of current and ex panel members scoring 2 pointers in club matches so have no fear the ability is there

A lot of head scratching after watching the four games and indeed some of the previous weeks pqfs. Whereas I accept a lot of the outcomes are down to how some teams have embraced the new rules better than others I think the absurd and unfair scheduling has as much impact.
Kerry looked sensational yesterday but a stroll through Munster and a group that should be stroll meant just as in the old days they didn't have to peak until the latter stages. I know they lost to Meath but they wouldn't have been expecting a strong challenge and so weren't anywhere near their peak as it wasn't knockout and they were aiming for the quarter final weekend. Some of the other big hitters looked jaded by comparison and it showed with teams in the "group of death" killing each other.
Kerry's to lose now.

Revillino made a good point about Galway celebrating after CF......I thought the same about Kerry yesterday after winning a QF ......they were OTT I thought......nothing won yet as they say.....

@FreeTheEastBank

Totally agree there about the CF if Thatcham us yesterday after celebrating the way Galway did we would be called absolute bottlers .

It's hard to tell how far Meath or Kerry will go . I still think Sam is kerrys to loose though .

That pic with Oisin McConville and Cillian will definetly spark rumours! I really hope we get him . Am outsider , sharp man who knows his stuff to .

There will be some scramble for new management teams and backroom teams since the weekend. the Mayo County Board better hit the phones quick!.

With these new rules are we in hurling, basketball or cricket score territory.

Really so much comes down to the forwards. Galway’s accuracy in front of posts yesterday was in the 30%s while Meath in the 70%s. Kerry have lethal forwards in the 2 Clifford’s and O Shea. Monaghan rampant in first half but when forwards started panicking Donegal steamrolled them. Very little between Tyrone and Dublin but while the Dubs misfired up front, Tyrone had the forwards to close out the game. We all know which part of the field costs us most. Ryan is very good for us but we do not have the absolutely top class forwards other teams have. If you don’t rack up big scores you have to be excellent defensively. In fairness our backs have done well but we didn’t see them in action in Croke Park championship game where extra questions would be asked of them. Big task ahead for incoming management but also lots of good raw material to work with. Hopefully our CO championship will be of a higher standard this year with clubs embracing the new rules. The ability to kick 2 pointers is becoming more and more important with each game I see. Tyrone 2 pointers in first half kept them in the game. Kerry negatived Armaghs goal with O Sheas 2 pointers in first so quickly.

What did Seanie end up with yesterday? 10 or 12 pts?
Kerry down by five at the break and Paudie comes on, settles and Kerry get 15 pts in 14 minutes.

In relation to new management do we still not have the famous operations manual, whereby there is NO headhunting of any type and the only way a person can be considered for the mayo job is if they put in a formal application? If memory serves me right, Mickey Harte was interested in the role 3 years ago but didn’t think it was necessary to go through a 3 hour interview process and present on a power point! If that’s still the case, I’m not sure to many proven outside men will bother applying for the job, especially if they have to prove their credentials to our county board.

@Green&Red The Mayo job is still attractive for a number of reason but I would be making the process as easy as possible in the current environment. Might not be that easy to get good managers, it's a massive commitment as we know. Lets hope Mayo Country Board has a good plan in place.

It’s only right that if there’s more than 1 applicant each team has to present their plan.
On Kerry, yes O Sea got 12 but not sure how many after frees or in old money that amounted to. However his 3rd 2 pointer was off his left, a skill few have. They treated this like an AI by the tone of the interview, sleep affected, speaking of love for the group. Their backs were to the wall and they showed a killer instinct. Be interesting if they fall 6 or more behind in any future game will they be as clinical or will mistakes creep in. Can only go by yesterday and that makes them favourites. 4-6 better than the others if let.

Clare - Sam is Kerrys to lose... Last week we couldn't win according to you.

Please keep backing against us.

Joking aside, Not many including myself saw that performance coming.

I think it put 2 arguments to bed.

1 - we are a one man team.
2 - We cannot beat Northern teams.

Simply the best 2nd half i can recall, 14 points in 14 minutes.

32 points is a fair haul.

Anyway feet need to come down to earth fairly lively.

Nearly had to leave the Cusack yesterday, such was the heat. Cloudy in the first half, then the cloud cleared and the sun burned, and burned. I wonder if Armagh were affected by it? I can’t put my finger on their collapse. They seemed in complete control. Two pointers brought Kerry right back, but then Armagh dudnt handle a ball for the next fifteen minutes. Tiernan Kelly was a liability and McGeeney dithered for too long before replacing him.

That match was the main event and watching it, I felt the Galway/Meath clash was an under card. The handling, the movement, the physicality, all seemed at a different level. All that said, I thought Meath were terrific. Morris of course was electrifying, but the full back, and Costello the no. 26 did a lot of damage. Morris hit three wides before recovering composure.

Delighted they followed my advice at the end! I turned to my pal when they got the sideline ball and said they should kick it wide. Don’t be daft he said. About 20 seconds I think remained, and delaying a little, by the time the ball was recovered, the hooter went.

Nice to see James McNeive remembered. Well done to his family and friends, Fergal Boland, and everyone involved in fund raising. Climbing the 5 peaks was a great event to keep his memory alive and bring peace to his friends who miss him.
Puts football issues into perspective

Following on from the weekends results and draw there are some interesting points to note.

Meath were in a similar situation to Mayo last year. Like Mayo and Mcstay they had a high profile manager who similarly didnt deliver and parted ways. Meath county board similarly had no confidence in O Rourke and they parted ways. Interestingly Meath got a club manager with a proven track record and within a year are in an All Ireland semi final. Kudos to their county board.

Likewise Donegal are too and a changing of the guard was all that was required.

Our management team had to go no doubt about it but now getting the right man is key. This year proves with the right man on sideline a semi final was reachable. Instead we went with an average to poor management team especially the two that came back in and had failed before.

Don't tell me we don't have the players. Is club football in Meath or Donegal that far ahead of Mayos? There are 25 quality players in Mayo. Get the right man to pick them and let them then play football.

@Catcol: Yeah. Young Sean Rafferty (Meath full back) is one of the emerging stars of the season.

I'd have Ruairi Kinsella (11) right up there with the lads you mentioned too. Does ferocious work around the middle and then so dangerous off both feet when he pushes forward.

Notable they were without Ronan Jones, Jack Flynn (probably their starting midfield pairing if 100%), Jack Kinlough (half-forward), Brian O’Halloran (corner-back) and James Conlon (corner-forward - who has been electric at times this year giving them the touch of magic while Morris was out injured) who'd all be very likely starters for them at anywhere near full fitness.

They've quietly built a bit of depth to the panel without folks really noticing. Amazing turn around from Robbie Brennan. I'd say most folks had them written off as basket cases when the two coaches walked away.

It's saying something when managerial candidates are the talk of the summer. In my gaff (vernacular) it's a two-way conversation.
@West Kerry, a magnificent display by your lads yesterday. Congrats and I truly hope ye stick it to Tyrone, in the friendliest possible fashion, of course.👍

Rory Beggan kicked a score from over 50 metres against Donegal. And he easily had 10+ metres to spare.

He has trained specifically on long distance kicking.

Mayo should be looking at training 4 or 5 such kickers.

@West Kerry ye were awesome yesterday. I agree I don't recall a 15 minutes like that in the recent past.
Even more so considering the opposition, all Ireland champions and them going well too.

32 points! thought I was watching hurling (or even cricket). Also cant remember a score like that ever in an All Ireland quarter final (again against opposition like an Armagh!).

I always thought you were on yer way after seeing you in the league final against us. Ye were a different animal when ye got to Croker.

One of the most exciting thing about the new rules is games and too and fro at the blink of an eye. Armagh start the second half in style, go 5 points up and 15 mins later, they are on their knees.
I feel Donegal will take the pace out of game and try knock Meath out of kilter.
Possession from kickouts went totally astray for Armagh, unlikely to happen Tyrone.

The managerial next appointment is crucial but so too are the team around them. When Jack O Connor came back to kerry his first job was the tighten defence. He did tge unthinkable and brought in a man from enemy territory and Kerry didn't concede a goal for most of the year and won the All-ireland. Joyce did the same with O 'Neill and Galway tightened up and there are other examples.
A name that hasn't been mentioned as a back room member who has done it all as a player and management team across various sports is Jason Sherlock. I know that made some eyes roll but he has worked in some fantastic set ups and is a proven motivator and winner.
I am not proposing him as manager but would be a fantastic addition. I personally would go outside the county as I think the whole thing has become all too clicky and intense. Try it. Change the script. We are doing the same thing over and over.

@shuffly, O'Shea's performance was superb. All 2-pointers from play, one off his left was outstanding. He scored two one-point frees, that's 7 from play and 2 frees in old money. As I said, superb. Mayo don't have anyone close to O'Shea or David Clifford. But then again, no team does.

@Clare, it's all opinions and all that but please God Mayo don't go near McConville. In my opinion, he hasn't a clue. I think he's a below average pundit and he has done nothing of note as a coach that would tell me he is the manager to deliver Sam to Mayo.

The new rules are an absolute resounding success. Midfield is absolutely wild now! It's all breaking ball and a lot of luck. Having a good kick-out still helps.

Final thought, Eoghan McElholme is going to be a star. Better than Darragh Canavan, in my opinion. Electric pace, courage, aggressive, good shooter. Tyrone should start him in the game v Kerry.

@GBXI

Yeah fair enough I don't know hard to know who would be good for the Mayo job Austin O 'Malley has he done enough for the Mayo job yes club all Ireland but different ball game at county level .

There will be a scramble now for managers wonder will PJ stay or go .

Yes TsuDhoNim, Kinsella was terrific, should have mentioned him. I think O’Halloran came on for Rafferty late on.

All that said, Galway weren’t that far away. Walsh’s two pointer brought them back. Anticipating the hooter they might have got a quick away and then who knows? These last plays are so vital, and the range of possibilities so varied, that managers have to work overtime to cover them.

@GBXI, yep Eoghan McElhome is magic and already is a star, but it’ll be interesting to see what Tyrone do to hold onto him as AFL are sniffing around him the past 12 months. They pulled out all the stops to keep Cathal McShane and we all know how successful that proved in ‘21.

Pity in Mayo we continue to ship off our most promising and too many ‘supporters’ wish them well.

https://x.com/mortimermurphy1/status/1939400147105910940?s=46&t=aqMUJpcK5J4cjW0mvGXNfQ

Have to say I love this from Jack O’Conner, something we shouldn’t forget here

McElholm could have helped make Ciaran Kilkenny's mind up, should he stay or should he go.... McElholm ghosted round him for that final point, time catches up with the best.

Have to say I feel sorry for Comer. Finally gets back fit enough to play a few minutes and his team goes out. Was noticeable that when he came on he got the old GAA welcome but when a new guy came on to mark him he just shook his hand. Despite looking ferocious I think he's a lot more sporting than he normally gets credit for. Played really well too.

@Catcol: Yeah. You'd imagine he could be starting again for the semi.

It was he who came on for Rafferty when they were 6 up, Rafferty seemed to be feeling him hammer at the time. Galway went on to close the gap and push 3 clear, at which point Meath were able to bring Rafferty back on for someone else (looked to be moving well by the time he came back), and the rest is history with them pushing on from there. Nothing like a little absence to help realise what you've lost. That few minute burst for Galway without him probably pushing Rafferty towards an all star as much as his brilliant hour playing at the weekend.

Was brilliant seeing the Meath management telling them to put that last free wide on the near side so no risk of it coming off a post or dropping short to give Galway a last play. Nothing to gain from going 2 up with the hooter about to blow, but plenty to risk. Definitely the right call IMHO (though I'd have hit it with a little more venom on the hope it'd rebound back into play and help kill even more time). Vague memories of something similar in the league and someone taking the point. Couldn't get my head around accepting any risk in that situation, so nice to see I wasn't alone in thinking "just get it dead".

That bit from Jack O'Connor should ring in the ears of alot of so called Mayo supporters who never volunteer with there local Gaa club or national and secondary schools football teams but yet will go out and hammer our management and best players online or the street and local pub . If there was as much volunteering a d coaching done as talking and bitching in Mayo we would have dozen All Irelands by now.

Cora staunton should be brought in as a forwards coach. It could be the move that could make all the difference

With all the the management changes coming for ourselves and other Counties i am thinking that the number 2 is even more important than the manager. Galway way were better and more dangerous with Cian O'Neill as are Kerry now and he didn't do bad with us either. Paul Kinnerk with Limerick is another example. Kevin McStay went with Stephen Rochford and the style of play didn't work and in hindsight i think Liam McHale would have had us playing more positive football. So regardless of who becomes Mayo manager his or her number 2 is critical and their style of play or philosophy has to be right for us and our players and to embrace the new rules and the likes of Andy or Cora as a forwards coach would be good too.

A Tyrone v Donegal final will have us all eating humble pie considering how well Mayo did against them
The players will hopefully realise they had an all Ireland semi in their grasp if they had tried a leg a leg against Cavan.and come back with a real will to win next year.

Noticeable how McEllholm is getting a run for Tyrone - a scoring forward is valuable in this new game regardless of his age and physical size. Even just for 20 minutes at the when scores are vital.

Meath early threw away a 6 point lead
Monaghan lost a 6 point lead
Armagh got walloped after being 6 points up
Tyrone pulled away when Dublin couldn't take their chances

You really need to hammer home your advantage when your on top, because if you don't the opposition will

A six point lead is nothing anymore

Tirawleybaron The only thing I can think about Donegal and it sickens me is that we must have brilliant players if we can run Donegal to a point with Rochford and when he was in Donegal they wouldn't kick snow off a rope.

Kerry's 2nd half performance in Croker yesterday was a footballing clinic, what a pleasure to watch. David Clifford and Seanie O Shea kicking over 2 pointers like they were easy 20m shots.     

No team does Vengeance like Kerry!
Beat the defending All Ireland champions into submission. 31 points, No other 2025 Division 1 teams (or even top 2 from Div 2) concededthis much in 1 game in this year's championship. 31 points and no goals contributing to this total - outrageous. Tyrone were very impressive against the Dubs but beating this Kerry team will be a whole different ball game. Whether Kerry gets a few more back or not it's hard to imagine them losing the next day even if they do regress slightly on yesterday's performance.

Meath has had a great year. The way they have responded after the Louth loss is a credit to them. They showed great character to come back from conceding 9 unanswered points. Most division 2 teams over the years would have crumbled in this situation.One would imagine they will keep Donegal honest but the reality is Donegal will have them at arm's length by 45-55 mins and then close the game out in a professional manner.
Kerry vs Donegal Final - be a nice way to win Sam, taking down the 3 best Ulster teams one by one.  
 The realistic contenders at the start of the year were - Kerry, Donegal, Armagh, Tyrone, Dublin and Galway.

 Mayo were completely ruled out and that was proven to be a very accurate assessment. The basis for this being that we had the worst 2 pointer stats compared to every other team in Div 1,  Unfortunately we just didn't have the players this year to return an acceptable conversion rate on 2 point shots (Realistically ROD and Boland were the only two players that you would give license to keep taking on 2 point shots but unfortunately one gets marked very well (special treatment) and the other isn't deemed good enough to make the starting 15 most days).  
Considering our lack of 2 point threats,  I believe this is why management placed more of an emphasis in getting into the high percentage 1 point shooting zones instead. This is why our 2 pointer stats for the championship were shockingly bad.Fairplay though we redeemed ourselves and restored pride after the Cavan game. Looking ahead we really need the likes of Tom Lydon, Hurley, Beirne to hit the ground running, it's some pressure though putting on a Mayo jersey. It would be good to have Cillian back even just for the sake of the u20s coming into the dressing room and learning from him. 
Galway have seriously underachieved this year considering some of the talented players they have, for a team that were credited (and rightly so) for their defensive setup last year, this year's defending was so poor and dysfunctional. Dylan McHugh was player of the year contender last year and this year Joyce was having to pull him off on multiple occasions. Saying all that, I think Joyce will be given the 1 year left on his contract.
Austin O'Malley seems to be the frontrunner for the Mayo job. I'd go for him or Oisin MCConville, I think Horan has had his chances, time to give someone new a crack at it. 

@ tirawley & Sticks the difference with Tryone and Donegal is they know when to show up and not to show up.

In the group stages there was only 1 game we had to win to progress and we picked the wrong one to loose and the wrong one to win.

Everyone can have a bad day for sure but with Tryone, in particular, they seem to know when it's OK to have a bad day or not as the case may be.

@2027, did we not have 2 point shooters (like Leitrem) or did management fail to identify the significance of the two point plays.
Ruane Carney Flynn Brickenden Dawson can all kick from distance but did the practice practice practice

Oisin McConville now the bookies favourite
The other 2 in the reckoning are Andy Moran and
Austin O'Malley. Agree with Green and Red about holding interviews and their knowledge of PowerPoint. More of the bull shit bingo. They know about all the candidates so it should be up to the CB to approach them. It's not like going for a job in the commercial world.

MikeOMatic, I'm inclined to agree with you on Comer. It must be so frustrating for him to have been so dogged by injuries down the years.

Putting aside obvious rivalries, as a football fan I feel it's a real shame we've never really got to witness him really go at it at full tilt, fully fit and on form for a whole season while Galway have been competing for Sam. I think if that had been the case, he'd be in the conversation alongside some of the all-time greats like Fitzgerald, McDonald, McCarthy etc al.

Still a bit shook by the demeanour of Kerry's resurgence, but more shook by the way Armagh capitulated in the second half when they looked like an entirely different team. Remember the very recent days where we all pointed to Kerry's midfield as an area of vulnerability? When Rafferty lost his nerve, the whole thing fell apart for Armagh but their intensity also deserted them when they needed it most. It's a hard one to figure out. Not having Stefan Campbell was a real loss to them, I felt, but given the severity of their collapse, even he might not have made the difference. Credit to Kerry for channeling their inner Donegal. And to Tommy Rooney and Oisin McConville for no doubt providing them with some extra motivation. Sean O'Shea was like a man possessed yesterday. He was insatiable. He also had that kind of crazed look of hunger in his eyes that we have been missing in Mayo for far too long, and one with which we could badly do in the centre of the field.

The question now is, which Tyrone will turn up the next day?

As regards the Mayo job, there is only one certainty about the whole thing. No matter who is selected and why and how they are selected, you can guarantee there will be plenty of giving out about it.

Has an AI final been won?

Teams have got to a semi-final, something we did in our sleep for over a decade. Three of those four are going to feel pretty sore in three weeks or so and QF performances are not going to mean much at that stage. Kerry are up there to be shot at now. Tyrone will be loving that.

@Ontheditch,
look at this courtesy of TsuDhoNim
https://x.com/TsuDhoNim/status/1934578252628267163

Clear evidence that the plan all year was to get into high percentage shooting 1 point shooting positions.

1 (one) 2 pointer every 2nd game and this is considering we played Leitrim, Sligo (at home perfect conditions) and Cavan (at home perfect conditions) and ok Donegal (different animal) but we had wind in first half and rarely even tried to create a 2 pointer, Carney had a perfect position for a right foot attempt and he passed the ball across instead, Durkan showed for the ball in attacking positions but he never looked to work a 2 point shoot. We didn't invest in 2 point shooting this year. Saying otherwise would be bizarre.

Ruane Carney Flynn Brickenden Dawson can all kick from distance ?

Yep they can for sure. Almost every midfield/forward intercounty footballer should be able kick a ball over the bar from 40m unopposed with a decent conversion rate. It's when you have to manufacture a shot under pressure and stick it, that's when you really find out who is able to consistently deliver a good return on 2 point shots.
Matty Ruane kicked one of the best 2 pointers of the championship against Galway, took the ball with his back to goal and spun around and bang. Rarely seen him take a punt since that so I just think they put most of the chips on high percentage shooting.

It could still be a Donegal v Tyrone final. Wouldn't write Tyrone of at all .

I feel Meath have every chance of beating Donegal in semi. They'll have the athleticism to track the runners and they also have a combative defensive style which will will make life very difficult for Donegal's shooters. Meath v Kerry final for me with hopefully Kerry going on to lift sam.

There is something majestic when you see Kerry in full flow. Of course team play, and kicking skills is what's instilled in all their young players. Killarney is the only place to holiday this July and what an occasion it will be when sam comes home.

And finally, what ambassadors the two Cliffords are for the game.

Comer has had his good days but he’s not shown up in the two finals Galway have played in.

@Clare, completely agree. Tyrone love upsetting the odds. Nobody knows how this will play out. I wouldn't be surprised if Meath won it outright. Malachy O'Rourke will have his homework done for the Kerry test. Yesterday's win seemed like a statement one from Kerry. It only gets tougher now.

Message for the person who has twice today attempted to post under the handle "To win just once" - please note that this handle has been in use here by someone else for, by my reckoning, at least 12 years at this stage so you'll need to come up with a different, original one. Please also note that, regardless of what handle you use, comments containing unsubstantiated rumours about players won't be allowed up on the blog. So - read the house rules on posting comments (here) and have another think about what handle you might want to post under if that's still of interest.

Martin Walsh - I've deleted yet another comment from you where, once again, you make reference to Mayo playing London next year. Everyone is already well aware of this fixture so please stop causing annoyance by continually posting the same message over and over again.

I wonder what happens with the team in Armagh now?
Could Star be tempted west?

Oisin McConville has not done anything super as a manager to make me think he is the man to manage Mayo . Likewise Austin O Malley won the All Ireland Club but he had by far the best squad of club players in the country Same as Stephen Rochford with Corrofin. Micky Heart is too old and too far away. Andy Moran maybe in the future. We went for an outside with Jack O Shea and that did not work out too well. The manager needs to be living within travelling distance. A manager living in Dublin will have at least 6 hours of travelling time to attend training .matches etc and therefore can't give the optimum commitment to what is required. We are better with a home grown manager like Kerry with Jack O Connor . Just listen to Jack when he talks he is 100% devoted to Kerry and you can't get that type of commitment with an outside manager.

I found the whole weekend’s football depressing, because all it did is highlight just how bad we are. And reading the piece in the IT about Dessie Farrell’s achievements put the icing on it all.

OSULLIVAN
Who do you think should get the job?.
You seem to have ruled out a few candidates there....and your points are well made but there are very few homegrown candidates available...and I don't think any club manager can ho for it with the club season just starting....

When will the CB throw so.e light on the road ahead I wonder.....what is the next step now...I am sure they will want to get moving quickly

Clare I think you probably have covered every possible option of finalists at this stage.I wonder would Martin Walsh have some sort of coded message embedded in his comments

Laughing at the coded message thing 1985...was thinking it was clever marketing by ryanair myself.

CT saying McEntee No.1 choice of the board...still think we need a fresh face with no disrespect to previous managers and selectors..
https://www.con-telegraph.ie/2025/06/30/tony-mcentee-the-preferred-choice-to-guide-mayo-gaa-into-new-era/

Was in croker for the double header.
Most enjoyable day out with 2 games both very entertaining for different reasons.

I find Galway so hard to fathom, what a frustrating bunch, some of the slopinness they showed in that first half was hard to believe, dont know how Dylan mchugh didn't get hooked at halftime as he was having a nightmare. Having said that when silke got the goal and with comer causing problems i could only see Galway winning from there. Meath were full
value for the win, so impressed with them ,if there goalie hadnt had such a mare on frees they would have been out of sight. Meath are the real deal, they are here to stay. Great age profile, lethal forwards and size and pace.

In the second game, don't think I've ever seen such a high quality blitz of football then what kerry produced in the 15 mins after halftime it was incredible, the skill level, the 2 footedness, the shooting. Paudie pulling the strings and o shea and d clifford. Armagh were chasing shadows, can't quote work out what triggered it all but it was incredible

The new game with new rules is rewarding the best,most skillful footballers and shooters

Again eamon fitzmaurise alluded to brickenden s black card and what he should have done. Another example of how far removed from the new rules that the x mayo management were. The process of finding a new manager is not easy but whoever it is if they get out of the group s they will be doing better than this year

@Joe Clarke, Mayo are not as far away as you may think, Yes there needs to be a midfield plan and the old flaw one or two forwards that will actually shoot on sight of the goals, no fear of management or missing the shot.

I would like to see a few more names on the list for the new management position, the current list I have seen doesn't excite me.

It was absolutely baffling the way Armagh continued with the same kick out plan when it clearly wasn't working.
Meath brook a lot of ball to great effect.
Galways back line exposed under the new rules.
No substitute for energy and leadership on the field, just look at Kerry.

@willie joe

Why am I into moderation? apolagies for any offence caused .

Armagh were the authors of their own downfall. Five points up after 5 mins of second half. Failure to retain possession from kickouts and Kerry exploded.
Might not happen against Tyrone who will match kerry for two point shooters. It's not over yet.
If it ends up a Tyrone Donegal final, it won't change the facts, we finished bottom of our group and didn't make the cut for pqfs.
2026 we will be tactically different but where is the Cliffords/Seanie/ Graham / Gavin leadership going to come from? Only when we have that level of leadership will we be contenders.

I don't think midfield/kick outs will be as big a lottery next year.
The coach that develops a go to 100% kick out to break momentum will be a successful coach next year.

Armagh literally couldn't keep the ball kicked out to Kerry for 13 min and conceded 14 points in a row. Badly needed a go to move to break up the field and relieve the pressure.

Having a Patton/Beggan/Cluxton long range kick out makes life a lot easier.

Reape is going to need a proper kicking coach to get to that level

I think when goalie is under pressure he should kick it straight down the middle as far as he can and let his teammates scrap for it.

Great question Ontheditch. I'ld say next management team need to look for more onfield leadership from ROD, Aido, Carney, Flynn next year. And as you say, a big part of the leadership required is taking the responsibility to shoot and score.

Knockout football and group stage football are like comparing chalk and cheese. It’s important to bear this in mind when assessing Mayo’s performance in 2025. Sure, we played well in Omagh. I was there. You could really see the difference compared to the games v Cavan and Sligo/Leitrim for anyone also at those. But Tyrone were a pale shadow of themselves in the first half after a massive physical and psychological battle in Ballybofey 7 days earlier (they knew a win v Cavan would likely see them top the group). They were much better in 3rd quarter but the penalty finished them off. Donegal were already qualified when they played us. They went in at HT 3 up having played against a stiff wind and had a player less for 12 mins. They knew coming back out after HT that they’d be out the following weekend. It wasn’t so or die for them. It is was for us and we still couldn’t beat them. That was really poor. Significant enough changes required.

I do think there’s some hope for the coming years. While we’ve failed to win any All Irl underage now in a decade (which is very disappointing), there does appear to be a degree of talent coming through. I certainly wouldn’t be hyping it up but with the right coaching and environment (I think we definitely need new faces at u20 management level -Seán Deane is an obvious man the CB should be approaching) there’s no reason why Mayo can’t be back competing for All Irelands at a senior level in the not too distant future.

Clare - you entered a different email address so that identified you as a new contributor and routed you to moderation because of this.

Aw ok my apolagies and sorry if I over commentdated @1985.

@Maumtrasna…On on-field leadership, ROD does a lot but it’s frustrating for him when he’s often a one man show up front. Aido shows great leadership at times, but in more recent years it’s more often than not during the league. Age is against him too in playing minutes. We need to look to the future. That being said, he certainly still has a role to play. Carney?? He’ll need to up his game to be playing, never mind leading. Flynn has shown leadership but management made a big error by bringing him back far, far too soon after Crossmolina’s club campaign. It was inevitable that he’d burn out. His form and energy dropped just when we needed him most.

Paddy will lead. Mcbrien looks to have it. I’ve heard Hession’s name mentioned in this regard too and Stevie C is a solid leader too. He just lacks pace.

It’d be great to see some new blood step up in the league next year. I don’t care if we get relegated provided new management really do give new lads or previously peripheral lads a chance and try out new strategies. The league is a testing ground. McStay & Co didn’t see it as such. Another big mistake by them in 2024 & 25.

I hope looking at the forwards doing well this year there might be scope for a couple of our younger lads to break through earlier than we'd normally expect. With that bit more room it's really about speed and skill now rather than having to bed down some serious S&C before playing senior ball. Thinking of someone like Micheal Burns who Kerry brought back this year. Really need 3-4 new forward options next year. As for midfield hopefully there is a bolter or two that could surprise us.

Clare that’s not what I meant.it’s not up to me to make that call .just saying you have covered all angles.no offence intended

@1985 Fair enough ! : )

I still think it would be great to get Cillian back next year . Yes not a starter anymore but he would bring more leadership.

Armagh really collapsed hard to do back to backs .

Mayonaze, I couldn’t disagree with one word you said.

@Craggy the group stages are gone for 2026. A new format will be in place, more akin to the old qualifier system.

Re Tyrone: they haven't made a semi since they won the all Ireland in 2021..they've been a joke to be honest, probably even worse than us. Kerry beat them out the gate in 2023. They lost to Roscommon last year in a prelim. But they were contenders at start of 2025? All that changed was a new manager came in & a good one at that. And of course they do have serious talent coming through.

Meath are being described as the real deal now & here to stay. Again, a new manager has come in & empowered the players & embraced the rules.

If we get this appointment right, we can contend. Our defence is more than decent. Midfield is a lottery in most games, it's about hunger, smarts, having a plan.....just being big isn't the answer.

And christ almighty let the lads shoot.. no more head down lateral shite. Plenty lads in Mayo can hit from distance. Did our World class outgoing management hold any trials for long range Kickers who had a good S&C baseline? I highly doubt it..

So so many people on this blog posted late last year that the team who adapted best to the new rules would win Sam & here we are. Every one of the quarter finalists had embraced the rules more than us (Dublin an exception perhaps). Absolute embarrassment of a year all told.

But but but. With a fresh approach, we could & should be in the mix

Craggyboglands Eamon Fitzmaurice also alluded to the error made by the corner back of Kerry in not playing the ball inside the arc. That would have been just a free. Instead by him not playing the ball Kerry conceded a goal. Are you suggesting Jack o Connor and the Kerry management are also unaware of the rules or are you just having another go at the ex Mayo management. Dublin conceded 3 points v Armagh for 3 infractions of the 3 man up rule at all times. Were Dessie and the Dublin management unaware of the new rules. Galway were penalised for a similar infraction in Connacht final against us. Was PJ unaware of the rules. Or is it simply player error in high pressure situations which leads to such mistakes.

Clare, Sorry to give you the bad news, but we won't be seeing Cillian in a Mayo jersey ever again.
Unless with the over 40s in a few years time.

After listening to Nigel Reape I think he’s right about an outside manager from Ulster that is straight talker no bullshit, Tony McEntee fits the bill for me.This article before 2017 All Ireland Final by Oisin McConville gives a real insight into his character.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport-columnists/arid-20459062.html

@paddyjoejohntom

Maybe your right . Maybe time to bring up some of the under 20s lots of talents there . Go with the youth .

New pod up on Patreon - Rob and Mike chatting with Billy Joe Padden and Nigel Reape about how things could and should go from here. A taster of this pod is available for free but there's an hour more chat after that which is only available to Patreon club members.

@willie joe sorry I didn’t realise with the name and did not mean to break rules. Re my first comment, it is not a rumour. He announced it at work and has contacted the county chairperson and ex management to let them know. It is only a matter of
Time before it out in the paper. Again sorry for any rule break

That's fine, Mayo now and forever, but until such time as it's reported in the local or national media it remains an unsubstantiated rumour. In any event, strictly speaking there's no county panel at all at the moment and, with new management coming in, you'd expect there to be changes on the playing side for next year.

@Clare: Galway have funked it again and again in recent years. As you rightly say, we’d get hammered for such a succession of close defeats in national finals, but they are media darlings and thus get away with it. Such is life.

The winner of the All-Ireland will come from the Kerry v. Tyrone game.

I’d be hopeful that with a new management team and an infusion of some young players, that we can get a kick next year and hopefully stop Galway doing five in a row in Connacht.

To win just once. Let me know how many 2 pointers we got in the championship with the enterprise management. I rest my case. Results speak for themselves.

I’m not so sure wearing black jersey and black shorts on a hot day was a good move by Armagh. I know the sun wasn’t exactly out but it would still soak through the clouds into black. Insufferable. Energy sapping.

@Sinead37

That's a good point . It was so humid and energy sapping in Dublin that day . Black absorbs the heat for sure.. still shocked at Armaghs collapse.

Actually it's a very valid point. Hard to otherwise explain how Armagh collapsed, aside from their keeper struggling with kickouts.

Poor Monaghan can't even use THAT excuse... 😂

Privileged to have been in Croke Park on Sunday to witness some of the greatest performances of all time. RTE have something special in their hands with the broadcast rights for these games. They could and should do a far better job of promoting them.