Really looking forward to Sunday and a win if the Donegal narrative is correct. There is a good chance that one of Galway or Dublin will lose because both Kerry and Tyrone will need the points. It would be ironic if we ended up in the final and Galway didn't or even better still if we clashed in the final. I must give big kudos to Jim Gavin and how he engineered putting the limiter on the goalies and low and behold Cluxton appears out of the woodwork. All the talk in the media was about the goalies shouldn't be coming out the field. The oldest trick in the book is to get your hacks in the media to plant the idea and it will grow. Spin it like a top. Nice one Jim look after your own. Any chance you would run for the Dail the next time Ireland needs you.

Has the makings to be a very strange game. There is no way Donegal want a league final - especially with a game against a wounded Derry shortly after. The question is , does mcstay and mayo? I note the consensus is pretty much 50/50 here on the blog - some so let’s go all in, some saying steer clear. Very hard to know what the mayo mgmt will want though. A league final high intensity action packed battle against Galway or dublin in croke park. Sounds amazing but I’d prefer not, not in 2 weeks. We all know in the end it won’t matter a damn, we’re past that now. It’s all about the championship for mayo. That’s my opinion anyways.

I agree. I think we could beat Dublin or Galway the next time we play them.

Let’s play that card in the Championship.

Any other year and I would'nt want Mayo in the league final, but I think that it might be beneficial this year. An extra competitive game to get more accustomed to the new rules, fine tune etc, and also get game time for players returning after injury, Paddy, Tommy and DOC and get them comfortable with the new rules. In any case, because of the threat of relegation, we need to go and win the game and whatever happens, happens.

I came across some article online where McGuiness was vaguely attempting to backtrack on never deliberately sending out a team to lose, but it's just spin at this juncture.
I can't figure out if Joyce wants this title or not and Farrell has also underplayed the significance of it to his plans. Tyrone have no choice but to go for a win so there's is the only team I can see going all out. It's fascinating and makes for an exciting finale.
Mayo to win....but to remain injury free is paramount.

Using an extra game to get more familiar with the new rules, and get injured players back quicker would be a good use of the extra game. I suppose we will have to go for a win to ensure we are not relegated.
Kerry are more at risk of relegation than us so they have to go for it against Galway, which could be a cracker of a game.

Whatever your thoughts are about the new rules, it is a great final day of the league with all games kicking off at the same time.

I'd say we will beat Donegal espcially since Mcguiness is more concerned with facing Derry who will be hurt after we relegated them. Donegal will play their B team or make a lot of changes anyways.

I still think PJ wants the league title they have been going for it from the start.

If we make the final so be it I just hope it doesn't end up like 22 the week after!

Yes Clare, Donegal will field a weakened team but McGuiness has built up a ferocious squad in the last year. They're as big and powerful as Galway all over the park and will still test this Mayo team. McGee junior (Neil), has the defence in tip top shape. It'll take some outfit to stop them in the summer, but I'd fancy Mayo in this particular battle alright.
Walsh looked like he took a knock the other day so Kerry to win that one and Armagh to beat Derry. If Tyrone turn up I'd back them in Omagh. Think O'Rourke has his sights on winning Ulster for this year.

Cons outweigh the pros for getting to a league final, while Mayo are playing well, an injury or two to important players would be huge blow at this point, and also Sligo game will be tougher than what some are making out.
I think ideally go full strength against Donegal, what ever team Donegal have it will still be a good game, and then a weekend off before Sligo. Players know the new rules now, the players around the middle have more running for doing so an extra game is tough on the bodies and even more so if its a final in Croke park. The new rules are different game in Croke Park with the extra space, a few Galway players went off Sat evening with what looked like muscle injuries, so Mayo don't need that at this point.
Sligo had a slow start but have come good in last few games, similar to Mayo, so Mayo need to be careful and no one should be looking past this game. Never mind this talk about Mayo in a Connacht final, Sligo are decent and have nothing to lose.

Not much talk lately from the people that were saying the players wanted McStay and others out and that there is trouble in the dressing room..

I don't think we/Mayo have any option other than go all out to win on Sunday. We cant relay on other permutations to do it for us!. At the start of the league I didn't care if we were relegated provided we blooded new players and tried some now things. I think we did that and now we have the chance to be in D1 again next year - so go for it. If we reach a league final no harm. At very least its an extra game and a chance for newer players to get more experience in HQ and at best a league title. We can't disrespect Sligo however but I think we have a good panel which should be able to handle two games in 2 weeks.

@Ever the Optimist not saying it will be walkover at all with Donegal even if they field a weakened team..but we have shown the last 3 matches when we play our best fast pace game no lateral boring stuff we can beat any team out there. We should definetly be beating a weakened Donegal team if we have any real aspirations for the big stuff in summer football to be honest!

Was in Croker for the 2019 League final win against Kerry, it was mighty. I think on balance another game would suit us this year. No need to risk players and give some of the rest of the panel a run in Croker on a big day out.
I find it bizarre that the reward for the second biggest national trophy is a booby prize. This needs to be fixed at this stage with a reward such as a bye straight through to QF / SF spot for SAM.

Lets not underestimate Sligo - look at last year versus Galway and look what Coolera Strandhill did to Ballina.

We could use the league final to give game time to Paddy D, DOC, Tommy C and under fringe players.
Get over Sligo and we could use the Leitrim game to give game time to give guys game time also.

Not sure if lack of competitive games at that stage of the season would be great preparation for a tilt at Sam either @Bonni...an extra week off would probably suffice.
Something we'd need to work on in next few games imo is making more and better use of the long early ball. As exciting as our running game is,it can only be part of the way we play,if we intend to have a long interest in championship .
Mattie won't be able/allowed to kick 6 from coming from deep.
Good early ball to speedy corner men and an accurate supply to Aido will reap dividends and allow rest periods for mid 8 players who have an extra workload with the new rules.
So let the Mayo way of playing keep the opposition guessing,in the we vary our means of attacking, would be my hope.
.

Difficult to decide on this one, make a league final and win it would be great but I'd only be happy if we came away injury free from it. Would be great experience for the new lads on the panel to.

I didn't hear any of the McStay interviews after the game the last day - did he give an update on Tommy, Paddy or Diarmuid ?

@ 2hops definitely agree on the kicking game and varying our play. Yes a break would also be beneficial for the players. We have learned the hard way in the past on the merits of a league final. I'm 51% for getting to one, maybe because I would like to see Mayo pick up some silverware and have a day out! I'm hoping Tommy Conroy can slot in at some stage and cause havoc with the extra space and who in Mayo doesn't want to see Durcan marauding forward. Its a good spot to be in for Mc Stay as we are unlikely to face the drop and if we end up in a League Final so be it.

@InExile.the thing is it's 2 games in one week (Sunday to Sunday) and taking derry, Donegal, league final and sligo it's 4 games in 3 weeks.. Can anyone tell why we haven't heard from the fixture makers to explain the disrespect shown to the league. It's not like a set time Christmas, Easter etc some group is making the fixture and it's time to call them out.

I've gone for the draw because it could suit both sides.
However, this is an ideal opportunity for McStay to further introducing fringe and new players to competitive football. To start with I'd switch keepers to give Vahey a run out. I feel he has a much better kick out to begin with and regardless we need a backup keeper who has minutes under his belt going into championship. I'd also go back to Eoin O'Donoghue as I feel he is a better corner back than Coyne. Coyne got skinned more than once last weekend, a very loose marker and still some way off what we need. O'Donoghue did nothing wrong in his games this season so assuming he isn't injured I'd run him out there again. I'd also continue with Fenton Kelly, start Morahan and McLaughlin and get minutes into them. Stick with Reid, Neary and Irwin, and look again at Cian McHale. We also need to start seeing DOC, Conroy and Durcan, otherwise it will be too late for them.
It might look a little "patchwork" but for me anyway, the league was always about deepening our squad, giving McStay options in each position and trialing new faces. Even if we were to lose while experimenting with newer players, it wouldn't be by the 10 points we'd have to lose by, allied to all other results goin against us, so relegation isn't really a likelihood. The bigger picture is about getting a fit, battle ready panel for Galway in the Connaught final. Nothing else matters.

Agree with Bonnie Boyler above. That 2019 final was one of our great days out in Croker and I'd love another one this year!
With regards to style of play. I'm not sure if some teams are keeping a bit under their hats for the championship especially now with the new rules fixed in place. However, all the games I watched last weekend had a lot more kicking involved. Dublin and Kerry especially kicked way more ball in and it's very hard to defend. If Aidan has room he could make hay this summer. It doesn't even have to be a high ball. He's such a big man he can keep a single defender at bay easily and then feed our strong runners from deep. I'm not even sure you could afford to double team up as some one else will be wide open.

2022 league final and first round c/ship does contain a lesson for us but it is also a very different landscape now. Two older lads gave it everything that day and were drained and targeted by Rossies a week later.
Most especially, we are now armed with a very new team, a bunch of guys building good confident in themselves, coming from winning games against the best teams out there and under the guidance of a now well learned management team. So pulling the handbrake, tripping up perhaps and falling into relegation trouble could present a bigger headache than making a league final. Win and plan from there, Kerry will likely win and also make league final. In reality there are only two older wise heads/leaders on the team at moment in AOS and ROD and their position in a league final if one makes it that far is simple, on the bench and only utilise if circumstances dictate.

Paddy and Tommy will be really suited to the new rules to with their pace and a little extra space

Some our shooting can be very bad, watch match again, could have had 2-5 more. Not expecting everything to go over, but missing point from 20meters in front of goal. This will catch up to us, soon. If we hit 65% shooting accuracies, say we beat nearly all in front of us. Very few 2 pointers, think ROD free, only one, that a worry. Regarding League final, be happy to win against donegal, and both Galway and Dublin to play in league final. That be perfect way to end league for me, that and getting Paddy or Tommy some game time, next day. Regarding DOC, Tommy and Paddy, are we going to hear from management on were they are regarding returning from injury,

@Mayotillidie - I hear you, but 65% success of more shots is better than 100% of few shots. I like to see them having a go even if they miss. Key is winning the associated kick out's or turning the ball over. As long as you are getting 50% of those should work out ok.

Interesting line in the Examiner today.

Mayo have conceded the lowest number of shots on goal from the 6 league games so far.
Long may that continue. We just need to reduce the number of 2 pointers we are giving up.

Mayotillidie. McStay said that DOC played for the club at the weekend.

Mind the House, that's an interesting stat and one that confirms what the eye has being seeing.
I think from a defensive point of view we have stepped up our game, individually and collectively. Our one-on-one marking and tackling has been improving throughout the league and our defensive shape has also, with much better communication on field between the players. The amount of times we stood up and turned over Tyrone and Kerry forwards was very encouraging, allied to 4 or 5 blocks in those 2 games shows an appetite for defending and an appetite for hard work.
Another encouraging sign from the weekend was just how pissed off Mattie Ruane and Stephen Coen seemed in their interviews. They were annoyed at the way they closed out the game and focused more on that than the win. That too shows to me that their "eye is in" and the focus is there.

@Pebbles Yes we have improved but we still have that tendency to get stuck for a quick goal at the start of a match - like Derry on Sunday (bad memories of the Dubs doing the same to us in finals which cost us badly). Not sure of the reason, maybe its a set play or something. We recovered well on Sunday but no need to put ourselves under that kind of pressure early on if we get focused from the 1st second.

It's a choice really of league final or relegation, has to be final, plenty of that panel need a tough game in Croker, Aiden, Matty, Ryan and a few more can be left on line till last 15 minutes and then have full team for last quarter, with about 6 points down and see if we can win game from well behind with full out attack for last quarter

Was a little worried last day, AOS, ROD, playing whole match, was thinking need to be carefully with these players. If we don't manage load of players, be afraid of injury to key players. And maybe with how large leads been eroded away quickly, need to play our best player throughout full games. But not sure we be able to cope with injuries as easily as a Galway panel for example

We won’t really know for sure till comer and Walsh are comin at us

Think kerry will beat Galway they will do everything to stay up in division 1 and Galway are not that as desperate as them. Kerry have a real chance of going down if they loose.

If Galway loose is it a Mayo v Dubs final? Mad stuff considering where we were at the start.

For anyone interested in betting patterns , Mayo were 2/7 to beat ros this evening gone out to 2/5 . More interesting though is Leitrim were 4/1 this morning to beat Galway and are now into 5/2 .

Probably very small stakes would swing odds for an under 20 game , you’d imagine maybe a few hundred quid has been thrown on Leitrim down in carrick by a coupe of punters who believe there’s a bit of value in the lovelies .

I wouldn't worry about Comer and Walshe Sean they can have off days

A lot of people seem to be dismissing the possibility of relegation-it is a very real possibility. There is a strong chance that Tyrone and Armagh will get to 7 points, a stronger Tyrone now, at home, need the points, and already have a better points difference. Armagh, at home against a deflated disinterested Derry, can easily overturn the 6 points difference, so we need to beat Donegal to be sure and deal with the final, if it happens. I not all that sure either that McGuinness will field a much weakened team, as he rested many big guns last week and may want to regain momentum. Of course Kerry may also need to beat Galway.

Ahh of course James but that’s where the real first test will come , be it Galway or Ros in the Connacht final , assuming we get there which I’m willing to assume by considering the probability.

@Glass agus derg don't think anyone is dismissing that we could get relegated we could for sure all to play for.

Though as others said the big test is in Connacht and we need to win it this year.

Clare Mattie Ruane is on fire I can see him been our main scoring threat this year No fear of Galway or Roscommon in a Connaught final

@sean... betting patterns? Christ, you'd need a PhD in game theory and connivery to figure them out. You're probably too young but I'm thinking Charlie Haughey meets Machiavelli at a crossroads etc.

So true Ever the optimist

I watched the Derry game back and was not as impressed as watching live, we still have plenty room for improvement. Difficult to predict how this game goes, but on the basis of Donegal not starting a full strength team, the we should shade it.
I would be OK with reaching a league final if this were to come to pass, I would not fear Galway or the Dubs and good experience for younger players in particular. There is two weeks then to the Sligo match which should be OK. Prefer that than losing to Donegal and ending up in Division 2.

I wouldn’t fear Galway in the final as they may have an injury or 2. Be more concerned about the Dubs as they have home turf and an easy Leinster. They want it plenty. Bugler is a serious player. They’ve no injuries as far as I’m aware.
Re Donegal, all McGuinness has to do is train them hard with their championship game in mind. Good to hear Doc back for the club. That’s 1/3 ready, would be giving him game time. I see us making the final on the basis of us winning and Galway losing.
Re Sligo, there’s 7 days from the final. I’d be using the full compliment of subs in good time in both games should this come to pass. An untested Galway beat a rested Dublin last year, the rest is normally worth 4/5 points apart from the momentum shift a Kerry or a Dublin get when a gap is opened. If an untested team hangs in and gets to the later stages without having too much to do, they have a decent chance. Against Ros in 22 they played puke football in 1st half to contain us and gained confidence when things started going their way. The key with Sligo is not to allow their tails up, establish a half decent lead as soon as possible or at least don’t allow a momentum shift like that Ros game. If we could be 5 or 6 up by 50 mins and bring on fresh subs hungry for a starting jersey.

Reading between the lines from twitter accounts usually not far away it seems paddy is nearer than Tommy , I also noticed Tommy is not coming up in conversations. Don’t want to speculate I’m just getting the vibe that he might not be back for a while if at all this year . Longer something goes on like this & because the season is so quick it’s hard to see any player slot back in . It’s not like the old format where there’s weeks upon weeks between big games . If you’re not bedding in against Sligo, odds are stacked against you coming in cold for a Connacht final 3/4 weeks after is my guess .

I get the same feeling about Tommy C no word on what kind of injury but hope he recovers well whatever it is.

Great to hear about Durcan. Good to hear Diarmuid O connor back at club to.

Think any team will struggle with Comer , he could have had 3 goals v the Dubs.
@ Clare was there an update on Paddy Durcan?

Yes Comer will be a handful.
Surprised Joyce played him before championship, plenty of challenge games to keep him fresh.
I think we will see a lot more kicking into the forwards as pitches improve.

Great to hear DOC back, he be an addition if back to form of 2/3 years ago. But that an big if, didn't do a whole lot on sub appearance so far in league. But massive fan of him, and run of games, with no injuries, sure he still inside top 15 players in county.

Regarding comer, really rate him highly, if there was a transfer market, have him before Walsh every day of week. Imagine him and AOS as two man full forward line, with old rules.

@Bonni Boyler saw a previous comment on here saying Durcan is close to coming back..

I know he won't be 100% but I think with his character & ressiliance he will bounce back and could well have the best years still ahead of him!

Would it not be better in the long run to give doc a couple more weeks to rest. He has played so much football over the past couple of seasons. Wouldn’t it be better to save him until leitrim (if we beat sligo of course) and let him get a full 70 there. Same with durcan.

Hope to see a lot of the panel get game time this weekend and if we make a final.
The turnaround in our play since the Galway game is great and all credit to the players and management but it really is all about championship.
We seem to be building a nice large panel which is great.Competition for places is always good.
If we can add diarmuid paddy and tommy for the summer even as impact subs it would be fantastic.