Strange indeed WJ...its another in the rollercoaster that is mayo football

I think most Mayo supporters hung in there hoping against hope that things would improve but deep down we all really knew that this season was not going to be turned around. A set of new rules that many thought should suit our players were virtually ignored and we continued with a drab bygone style while everyone else moved forward. The only light at the end of the tunnel has been the football served up by the U20s and U17s.

Dead right JoeG. We're the lowest scoring "top team" by a country mile. The new rules reward attacking play and we've been found sadly lacking. Tbh it's been like this long before now. Having backs running forward from everywhere and playing Horan ball was great but it wasn't exactly football in its normal sense. We always struggled to be classy in the forwards and now it's come home to roost with these new rules

Nothing strange about it. Just more of the same.

Good podcast .

Colm Boyle point on we were just passing around the ball around like it was a hot potatoe in first half and in good positions to shoot . As they said on podcast you need someone to install the belief in you to just go for it no matter what not loose the head but have the confidence in yourself to shoot every time .

We need that belief back and I don't buy it that we don't have the players cause we do . It comes from the top . Same as any other job not going to perform the best etc.

I do wish McStay well and a speedy recovery and I know he is a true Mayo man and loves his county and just has not worked out for him.

It's time for a whole knew approach . Lots of talents coming up we don't want them going into this style of play .

The current team is locked into a cycle of failure to close out big matches.
That same lack of ruthlessness was demonstrated in the U17 loss to Roscommon and U20 loss to Louth.

It has prevailed since the 85 semi final.
We blame the manager, the county board, the S&C coach etc.
We celebrate players who show promise but don't deliver when it really counts. Good minors are anointed as the next big thing, our kids get their autographs and they retire with nothing won and make a good living from being part of the great Mayo quest for SAM.
Whatever way you dress it up, 4-5 generations of Mayo players have failed to deliver despite having the talent to do so.
A lot of the same stuff about how we should all support our county and how the players did us proud (etc etc) is peddled out to ignore the simple fact. When push came to shove and we faced a critical point with a team who were everybit as good, we relaxed to pat ourselves in the back and let it slip.
We have all grown up with a story of what it's and maybes, watching Mayo fail when under extreme pressure.
It's going to take an extraordinary set of players and an extraordinary management team to deliver an All Ireland. There is no-one currently operating outside the team showing that they have the mental resilience to current this cycle of failure. Even worse, the players who are required to step up from U20 and U17 are demonstrating the same indecision and failures under pressure.
We are still there or thereabouts, but still as far away as ever.
The entire county needs to change their mindset if we want to win. An intercounty player in Mayo has achieved nothing without an All Ireland medal, time to face that reality and build a team who will go out to achieve that goal with the work ethic and ruthlessness all other winners have.
No other county celebrates players who repeatedly fail, it's time we all bought into the need to stop accepting second best

Pains me to say it but Brolly nails it , “Mayo are just hopeful not really serious “

We lack intention and aggression in clutch moments . Hopefully it will be a leaning curve and we improve . Same thing happened last year funny enough in The Hyde too v dubs . What is that like , what’s the root cause , is it cultural . What I mean is I can vision with no difficulty the Donegal /kerry/ Galway lads “fuckin nail him , we need this , nail him now “.

We had with the o Connor’s , boyler , Higgins , seamie and a few more but we’ve slowly reverted to that biteen afraid nice lad stuff . Not good .

New rules ignored by management team. Don't know how/why players not willing to shoot when chance available. A reflection of how most teams play in the club championship.

Not able, not not willing. Try 3 two point efforts in second half, all short or wide, with the wind

As some say you don't win all Irelands with choir boys we are just to nice they are good players but you need a bit of toughness about you and I think we don't have it at the minute and I think that's from lack of confidence .

The only ones that have that toughness are Ryan O D & Durcan .

While you are very upbeat Clare, I will have to disagree with us having the players..we have absolutely no midfield, one scoring forward realistically and no scores from half back consistently only for paddy and when hes quiet. No one, so unless we find a few..I dont know how anyone can say we have the players.

Ya, I would say we're not serious about winning.
We're serious about pretend winning stuff.
Won't accommodate difficult to manage players.
Total democracy of shooting with us not favoring to setup our best shooters in good positions.
I think there's some humble hard working bullshit about us being so fascinated with stamina running and trying to grind teans into submission with honest effort.
Not serious about ratting players in a serious way versus the new rules or the evidence of games.
Not serious about players maybe not starting but being impact subs.
Clearly not serious about being mentally most tuned in for the group stage.
Not serious about our strength and speed development with players clearly not being strong enough or quick enough.
Not serious about defending, just box tackle drills and lots of attacking smaller defenders.
We try to rescue all this with run it from the back Mayo. It cannot continue or it will ruin the best tranche of footballers we have ever had available.
I'm absolutely serious. The tranche of incoming underage players are the best tranche of players we've ever had.
But we will ruin them if they're subjected to the honest running effort blind faith football that has consistently come up short.
We'll blow the hamstrings of fast twitch power athletes if we subject them to this wrong headed x number of kms needed per week preparation.

This will probably be a stupid comment to most, but the chase is the best. Mayo WILL get over the line at some stage. You produce to many good footballers not too. Eventually it'll all fall into place, management, panel, tactics. As a Dub in hindsight my favourite years were the chase 1995 - 2011. At the time they were horrendous the disappointment, the hope destroyed each year, and the optimism for a new year. We got over the line in 2011 and the feeling was amazing. Every AI after that was great, but nothing beats that one win after chasing. I was chatting to my brother in law, a soccer fan, supporting Liverpool. He said much the same about the chase for a league title. In hindsight it's the chase that were his fondest years without realizing. The emotions of hope, then despair. Aren't we lucky to be above ground following and supporting the sport we love. I have no doubt Mayo will get there eventually, and believe me from experience, you'll cherish these years. I've probably rambled on and not explained my point properly. I hope anyone who reads it gets the sentiment..See yous next year.

@ Stephenite.

I'm not disagreeing with what you say about us been the lowest scoring top team by a country mile and that we have been for a long time.

The question is, if we are, then why almost anytime we play a top team there is usually very little in our scoring differences.

Galway and Donegal would be considered top teams and yet they only managed to beat us by a point - only just.

Last year Dublin Derry and Galway would have been considered top teams. Galway controversially beat us on a poor ref call and we drew with both Dublin and Derry.

Style of football hasn't been good and probably we play a different brand of football than those other counties. We don't have cliffords and geaneys and Sean O'Shea's here in Mayo and obviously Kerry will usually anahailate the weaker opposition they usually face so they will always have a superior scoring difference.

I think we have been restricted on the way we play because we don't have a whole host of good forwards or free scoring midfielders. We have a few but not near enough.

You see Galway with Walshe notching up 9 points and Finnerty playing well and big contributions from their midfield.

We simply haven't got that fire power at the moment. It's not that they don't do it it's that some of the players we have cannot do it. Hopefully some of the younger players coming through might change that.

It's probably an achievement to have been in all these games right to the wire with all the top teams, with the players that we have at our disposal. This year's team were new in alot of positions and certainly didn't have much experience playing together and some of them just cutting their teeth, and in fairness they did okay except for the embarrassment of the Cavan game.

In reality though, without playing dazzling football we have put it up to all the top teams in the recent past but we do need, I would say, to improve in 5 or 6 positions.

I'm following football in depth, obsessed with it for decades. I won't name players, but, both the eye test and scoring record shows we have the best tranche of forwards we've ever had starting to come in next year and more following.
Those players need plenty kick passers in the half backline and midfield.
Those players need speed and power..
It is a fresh modern approach that can put that in place.
Going again with this warrior, ball carrying chaos will give us the sane result it always has. One or two big champonship wins a year.

@Magpie

In fairness I'm still in quite the mood after we crashed out !

I've been saying for ages we have no midfield. Hence why Reape gets abuse no midfield to catch the ball . He does of course make mistakes but the blame for kickouts should not just be on him .

In truth we lost this year cause of the awful Cavan game we all knew our season was finished after that

If management is not right you don't play to full potential and they are still young & learning .

@Hill 16

Nice post and best of luck in championship wouldn't write you off at all !

Irish Examiner and Geelong Executive hinting that Oisin Mullin is set to extend contract in Geelong

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-41653568.html

“Meanwhile, Geelong executive general manager Andrew Mackie hinted that Mayo’s Oisín Mullin is set for a contract extension. Speaking to K Rock after their win over Essendon last weekend, Mackie said a deal is close.”

@Hill16..Great post and I've no doubt it's true but it's like the fella who was told money won't make you happy and he replied I'd love to give it a try.

I’m one of the few saying let due process happen in terms of a review and where the players are at with management. However if the chat here is broadly reflected on Mayo fans generally then I’d have to concede it’s time to freshen things up. The manager and coach will likely take this on board. Don’t know much about Kevin’s health scare but life is short and the pressure of managing an intercounty team can be high. There’s a lot of logistics even outside training. It would be good to have an honest memoir from a manager who cam close to Sam to get the inside track on all the challenges. A lot needs to be right. Gavin is the only one of the top managers to have a near perfect setup. Man for man Donegal aren’t really any better than us. I’d say without Murphy we’d have beaten them. So the flip side is with just one more extremely hard to mark forward we’d have won regardless of style of play, low scoring stats or anything else. Now Kerry are a different kettle of fish. Several top forwards on their day and one young generational player. If we unearthed that type of talent it would be a game changer. We probably have those players. Finnerty is starting to look the part for Galway. 1-4 from play not unusual and some killer passes including one off his weaker right for a goal. So while their 2 starts yo-yo with injury he’s getting up the level. Tyrone have Canavan and his brother is still young but an underage star. McCurry not young but has improved his right so more strings to his bow. Dublin have several albeit a bit dependant on Con. We had Andy Moran, a lad who wasn’t out most talented early days but with great attitude developed into a top forward and was unmarkable in 2012 before his injury. Came back and made it back to great player status for several years. We had the all time top scorer Cillian alongside him and lads like Kevin Mc who on a given day could bag 3 or 4 or a goal. Darren might now have similar stats to Kevin as well as similar team play attributes. So if we had 1 more would be huge and 2/3 more better again. If Neary improves next year then we have a Paudie in the making. Dawson showed promise and you could hear him roar at Aido for the pass for one of those points wher he looped in the pocket so maybe a McCurry in the making. There’s a generational player with underage Cliffordesque scoring stats not even yet on the minors who will be a Mayo midfielder by 19 or 20 if all goes well with development and staying straight and narrow (given modern day life challenges) but 5 years off. Before that two of the U20s FF line look good enough and two footed (one leftie). And Kobe McDonald could also be a fairly special talent.
The players are out there but we could do with just one generational one. Maybe with the senior S&C program, one will bolt to that level.

Hill 16, lovely sentiment, but there comes a time when you can have too much anticipation, and most Mayo fans reached that about 10 years ago ;-)

@ Hill 16.

A lovely post and you've never said a truer thing. Above ground and chasing the dream.

Maith an fear !

Lee keegan writing today that the Donegal sideline were shouting in for Patton to play the clock down or kick the ball out of play but that we should have retreated back inside our 45 in any case.All matter less now in any case .The same recurring weaknesses would have caught up with us at some stage

Nice sentiment hill16 but it’s just gone on too long now . Even the enjoyment of the chase has been drained .

Mayo football is unique , it’s stuck in no man’s land in the context of who are we similar too , you have the Donegal’s /armaghs / Tyrone etc who (I’ll be shot for this ) don’t have our history and pedigree yet have serious glory in the modern era , you have the Cavans /down etc who have similar pedigree and history but haven’t dined at the top table like we have the last 25/30 years 89- 21 ( 11 finals is it ) . It’s a very strange position Mayo as a whole have developed, I can’t think of any team in any sport quite like it & tbh it’s become depressing . I like many others will of course be back on the horse next year but if I’m honest its become a bit of a drag . Fan base is starting to make me a little narky too , when we scored the goal on Sunday , I tried my best to rise the crowd but nah not much of a reaction at all . Perhaps I’m a little ott about atmosphere but I just don’t get why you’re there if ya can’t roar them on during periods of momentum at least .

I'm at a stage now where neighbours and family that followed this Mayo journey we're losing 2-3 a year and I'd love those people to experience one Sam.
So for me I'm willing to not be nice guys in the right areas of academy development, player scouting, SnC, panel scouting, selection of manager and backroom.
I don't care for people being a bit out out. Mayo GAA is bigger than one individuals own career plan. We've people born in the late 4os with no memory of 51 haven't seen us get a Sam.

We simply dont have the players to win an All Ireland. We had a few years ago with Keegan, Boyle, Higgins, Moran ets but unfortunately they came up against arguably the greatest team of all time. We have to accept this and forget about All Irelands until the next generational team comes along.
In fairness to Kevin McStay he tried to put structure to our play. Even the media down the years having been saying that Mayo play with chaos. Chaos is another word for no plan. The trouble was the new rules came and McStay was too far down his strategy to change and adapt.
As regards the present team they should be exempt from criticism. I was in the Hyde on Sunday and lwas proud of their efforts. This is a team which has been shorn of several key players like O Connor, Conroy and Mcloughlin and without Durkin for most of the year.
2026 will bring its own changes.

@JP
Yourself and others are better qualified than me to judge, but the Under 20 games i saw it seemed like if one of the forwards didn't get scores then one of the others would do instead. They couldn't all be kept quiet at once and that is what offers a bit of hope. Those lads were kicking 2 pointers for fun and there was even a left footed free taker amongst them as well !!

I try to be a glass half full sort of person where i can without being too giddy. If we can get some of those young lads into the team alongside Ryan,Tommy and Davitt then we might be onto something. The defensive core of Coyne, Mchugh, Hession and Mcbrien have been decent enough. They have plenty of years left in them as well. We're light in midfield no doubt about that.

As Revellino said, we ran all the top teams close and with only one reliable forward on the scoreboard (credit to Darren Mchale for his efforts 2-5 from play across Cavan,Tyrone and Donegal)
We're not being beaten out of the gate. The difference has been a kick of a ball. A couple of additional forwards and the picture might be different. Not saying it will be different but it might be different.

The lack of interest in 2 pointers has baffled me. You could be doing everything right in a game and somebody fires in a 2 pointer from nowhere. You lose the next kickout, ball gets recycled and for another 2 pointer. You've done most things right but just shipped 0-4 in 60 seconds. Maybe we didn't have the shooters? I cant think of another explanation.

Change is needed. The team needs freshening up. Management needs freshening up.

It feels like we have an opportunity. Lets grab it with both hands.

Hill 16 is 100% correct.
I really do believe we will get across that line before too long and I have long dreamed about the day i face the car for Mayo for the homecoming.......
Just on Dublin remember 20 months after the debacle of 2009 v Kerry they were AI champions .......there are ups and downs but we have had great days and that has to be remembered!

This year has just followed scripture with stunning accuracy. Everything that has happened has been obvious to anyone with half a brain for a long, long time. So, what to do (and yes, I know you have heard it all before)
1. Management has to go NOW. No waiting, no stonewalling, no "reviews". They have failed, failed utterly and no beauty has been born.
2. Learn how to use the new rules. A manager claiming ignorance of the impact or importance of the new rules early in the year leads to failure to deploy them later in the year and then we are out. All so predictable.
3. Our soft mentality has to change. Time to learn and deploy a Mayo version of puke football that doesn't allow head ruffles and doesn't care about what anyone outside of the county thinks. The ONLY thing that matters is winning and only the truly ruthless can emerge triumphant. Time to stop trying to please people who don't matter and enduring endless patronising hogwash.
4. Spare me the "it'll all come right in the end" mentality. It won't. The "enjoyment of the chase" curdled a long time ago. Only a major change in approach can generate a major change in outcome.
5. Re new management - only All-Ireland winners need apply. Also, time to look at coaches in others sports and see what they can bring. We need a root and branch investigation of how this game can be played successfully and what innovations are required.
6. Stop thinking Oisin Mullin will return from Oz to save us. Why would he? Also, expect a few more of our top prospects to go over there. A chance to earn money playing professional sport in the sun is almost always going to be preferable to playing lateral passing in the cold for second-rate management.
7. We have the players. I think I said earlier in the year that we have 4 star players and 1 star management. I humbly suggest that that has been proven correct. A management team at the same level will mean success
8. I desperately want Mayo to win the All-Ireland and I used to think that that's what all supporters want. However, I wonder it that is the case. I have met so many people who seem to get a perverse pleasure out of failure; as if wanting to win is arrogant and entitled. Go sell failure somewhere else, we're all stocked up here.
9. We need total financial transparency. How much do managers and coaching staff get paid? Just how lucrative is this gig in a so-called amateur game. In Mayo GAA cute hoordom abounds. Time to lift up the rock and see what it underneath.
10. At the risk of being labelled a bootlicker I would say that this is the best GAA blog in the country. And why is that? I would say because it is run effectively and tightly managed by Willie Joe; it allows people to express themselves within known boundaries; it is incredibly comprehensive; it does not suffer fools (or people trying to cadge free lifts with the main man!); it has exceptionally knowledgeable participants (Tsu... take a bow); it has thoughtful contributions from other counties (despite the occasional "yerra" outbreak); and, it wants the best for Mayo. I think there is a lot that the County Board could learn from looking at this blog.

As someone has said a lot - time for a revolution. Nothing else will do.

Hill16, thank you for this outside perspective and for the kindness in posting it. Best wishes.

@Mind the House: On the 2 pointers stuff...

0/3 - 0% - against Donegal
0/1 - 0% - against Tyrone
3/7 - 43% - against Galway (CF)
1/1 - 100% - against Leitrim
4/12 - 33% - across the 4 Championship games we've seen tagged in public.

1/3 - 33% - against Kerry (NFL F)
1/2 - 50% - against Derry (NFL)
1/8 - 13% - against Dublin (NFL)
3/13 - 23% - across the 3 (out of 8) NFL games we've seen tagged in public.

Giving us a 7/25 - 28% - across all of our competitive games tagged this year to give a conversion %.
(conversion rates via https://x.com/somearagaa)

A number of those poor shot selection forced in corners from lads trying to spark something on a day the team weren't firing, an even larger number well within the shooters range and in good position but low confidence/poor execution dragged it wide well below expected returns (especially early games before we stopped shooting as much) and a few just a combination of pressure/difficulty pushing them wide but when it was the right call.

Part of it will be not enough key shooters (the likes of [C] McHale being fit or lads like Boland/Durcan/Towey seeing more minutes likely would have bumped those numbers), part of it was not sharp enough set plays to get key shooters in the right place at the right time with the right pressure (none or little) on them and part just a case of any shot with an average conversion rate of <60% teams will always risk hitting freezing cold streaks at times, a matter of playing through it and backing them/themselves (think Mulroy in the Leinster Final).

The more relevant parts of it will be tactics (we've all heard the shouts being made from the line at games - we're not hoping or aiming to hit those 2s) and the (lack of) confidence in the key shooters we'd hope to look to in clutch moments.

We'd all see Fergie as a key shooter (more than double the efficiency of scores/minute of Championship played than anyone else in the panel, more than treble everyone bar Darren & Conal), as do management turning to him whenever we're in a pickle, but in our last 11 games he has made 9 appearances, only seeing more than 10 minutes twice (Sligo 18 & Derry 15).

There's simply no way that he, or Ryan (not been firing from play), or Paul (with no more than a half of football since Armagh in R4 of the league), or Frank (who saw all of 5 minutes Championship football this year despite starting all 8 league games) who'd be up there with our preferred shooters were in a prime position to have the confidence to be kicking those two in a clutch moment. They still might have, but they certainly weren't primed for it.

Woops. Misread the Galway stats (giving us Galway's numbers). We were 2/8 - 25% that day.

So 3/13 or 23% for Championship.
And 6/26 or 23% for the year too.

Ex pat .managements teams are not supposed to paid so it can hardly be made transparent.of course some think they are paid in free cups of coffee

“Go sell failure elsewhere we’re all stocked up here “

100 percent .

Great post Hill 16. I remember on the eve of one AI final saying to my friend. If we win this tomorrow. What then.

@Tsu

I wonder does that include the 2 pointer that was wrongly taken away from us when Gleeson touched the ball after it had crossed the cross bar.

@Tsu
The number that stands out to me is the Galway Connacht Final in a white hot game with maximum pressure where we scored 3/7 from 2 pointers which equates to 6 points in total from 7 attempts which seems worth the bother and effort. Below 50% conversion rate but still a decent return.
In old money you'd be over the moon if you scored 6 single points in total from 7 attempts.

Seeing the overall conversion rates maybe there was a bit of justification from management not to go down the 2 point road. I remember watching the very first Railway Cup game where the new rules were showcased and seeing Jack Carney and AOS firing over 2 pointers. I thought we might be onto something. Seems i was wrong.

@TSU
Just saw your re-post regarding the Galway Connacht final. 3/7 from two pointers might have been worth the bother. 2/8 probably wasn't.

Nephin i would hope we would have been having a go at 2 or 3 in a row then

Those 2 pointer stats are the most damning case for the prosecution against the management.

There was no evidence all year long that management had made any attempt to take advantage of the new rules, same playing style as before, same personnel by and large as first 2 years (unless injury enforced)

It was galling to look back over the Monaghan v Down matchup and watch 2 teams (meath another example)who had fully availed of the new rules which allows them to be competitive against pretty much anyone.

Carrying non scoring forwards is another non runner under the modern game,if you have a jersey with double digits on your back you need to be scoring.

Relying on intangibles like 'chaos' is simply unsustainable for any type of realistic success. Might nab you an occasional one-off off victory but you won't beat 4 or 5 top teams with that confusing brand of football.

It actually boils my p1ss when I hear pundits in national media plamasing mayo with all that talk (barely concealing their laughter), "arra it's a pity Mayo are gone,aren't they box office with their chaos and their inconsistency, a gas bunch altogether"

It's not a popularity contest, Michael Murphy doesn't look like a man who is too concerned about making friends this season, he seems like a man who is on a ruthless mission and will stop at nothing to get there. Hes not back for the craic or the bouquets, he is back for 1 reason only.That's the ruthless bloody mindedness we need to be seeing

We lost a game yesterday evening. The oppositions midfielder scored 2 2pointers from play.
It was an u15 game....
I can't believe we don't have the ability and maybe some practice and a little encouragement from the sideline to go for them would help.

Seen an U17 player kicking 2s overlooked for u20s. The very fact he has the capability of kicking 2s means he had to be part of the u20 setup. This is something we need to turn around in panel selection. If it was a maths formula you'd add extra weight for the players ability to kick 2s. Extra weight for kick passing ability.
That great athlete running through players at U17 and u20 will struggle to run through players at senior. The 74kg u20 you overlook is going to be maybe an 82kg senior with skills.

@still dreamin, did you ask the opposition coach if they intend coaching that u15 out of it? That seems like a bit of spontaneity and far too much freedom of expression for a football pitch.

@Revellino: No, if it ended with 1 point scored so wouldn't be included here as 2. Just as the Murphy one for Sligo well inside the arc would still be counted as a 2 pointer in any stats/scorelines despite the obvious breach of the line or any score mistakenly waved wide always goes down as a miss.

@Mind the House: Yeah, very much. When dealing with such a small sample size (just 26 events in total) any small swings in either direction make a big difference. Huge caveats on the statistical significance of everything/anything mentioned... but when we've free time until the minors and Club Champs I'll still be sure to take a glance.

Looking further at Stephen's numbers, we'd have been looking at expected returns from the shot locations/applied pressure of:

Opposition - Exp Return - Shots - Exp Score - Rounded Exp Score

Donegal - 21% - 3 - 0.63 - 1
Tyrone - 32% - 1 - 0.32 - 0
Galway - 33% - 7 - 2.31 - 2
Leitrim - 32.00% - 1 - 0.32 - 0

(Expected 3 points from Championship vs the 3 we actually scored, so creation/shot selection a bigger issue than execution on those)

Kerry - 43% - 3 - 1.29 - 1
Derry - 26% - 2 - 0.52 - 1
Dublin - 34% - 8 - 2.72 - 3
(Expected 5 point return vs the 3 scored, so execution more of a factor here but still a lack of high quality chances created)

Always debatable how much the low quality chances is poor shot-selection or game management and how much is tactically just not creating the space in the right areas with low enough pressure (kicking over a block has a dramatic reduction than kicking from space). Even within a single shot on video analysis that can be a heated debate... but whichever is given the line share of the responsibility there, it suggests there's room for some improvements to be made on the training pitch right across confidence, selection and execution.

Surprised anyone thought the new rules would suit us. The minute it was announced they were coming in, I knew they wouldn't suit us. We have no long range shooters, no midfield and no skillful kick passers. We were probably the least suited team to the new rules in division 1.

The fact that two scores that were incorrect calls shows the inconsistency with relying on stats .we had the nonsense in 2017 with colm Boyle being taken off at a specific time in every game even he clearly didn’t look out of steam.unfortunately Gaelic football has gone the path of rugby which is played at a snail’s pace 80 per cent of time by over analysis to add more expense to management teams .if a player has two shots at the target now he is told has missed 50 % of his chances regardless if the one he scored was the winning point thus we have this endless turning back when in scoring positions

Amazing that such a patronising comment "but the chase is the best. Mayo WILL get over the line at some stage" is greeting with an outbreak of cap doffing. Try that on the Kerry or Dublin blogs (or, indeed, many other counties) and I think you could expect a robust response. What a pathetic, loser mentality so many supporters have.

Mayo not street wise on and off the pitch, when Mayo got their goal the Donegal full back lied down and played dead for a few minutes till momentum was gone from Mayo scoring a goal, then when Boland got the equaliser no Mayo player did the same and no instructions from line to do what Dublin did to us a few years ago, we are slow learners

@dreamysleepy 100% agree.

I'd go further and say half the division 2 teams more suited to the new rules than us as well, ie monaghan/meath/down/louth etc who all have big strong primary ballwinners in midfield and 3 or 4 players up front who can comfortably kick 2 pointers

Some of the commentary over the winter was laughable, one loudmouthed national podcaster announcing triumphantly that this would be a boon for the pure footballing teams like Kerry, Dublin and Mayo(!) and those negative, over coached ulster teams were done for.

Well turns out fhe ulster teams also have incredibly skillful footballers also which is why they are dominating the last 12.Who knew eh?

In fairness the Donegal defender clattered into the post trying to prevent the goal. He's lucky he was able to get up again

Going forward, if we are looking for a new manager (which we should be), once that person is selected he should sit down with the U19 development management, U20 management and look to develop a clear 5 year plan on developing a plan for player progression and structure. Employ an S&C coach to work throughout the age developments set-up. Have an excel file that tracks over 100 players from each age group (minor,u19,20,senior) and get to know their strengths and weaknesses. Put trusted people (scouts) to monitor club games that the manager can trust to give honest feedback on players. PUT A CLEAR PLAN IN PLACE. Really look to support the school’s football scene and offer that as another way players can train. Where possible try and have a similar style of player between U19,U20,Senior so we aren’t constantly confusing players on what they have to do in their roles. Look for smart players that you can make fit and strong.

Waste of time asking the CB to do something like this (they can’t even fundraiser in New York). It needs a manager with no ego who is willing to work closely with the development set up and try and instil a good football culture throughout the county. A lot of hard work needed.

@1985: "if a player has two shots at the target now he is told has missed 50 % of his chances regardless if the one he scored was the winning point thus we have this endless turning back when in scoring positions".

If a player is told that there's a serious issue with a management team misusing stats, not understanding what they mean and focusing on the wrong things for the wrong reasons. A huge problem there, but I'm not sure blaming the number for it is any more relevant than blaming the company that made a pair of boots a forward is wearing when they miss.

The stats show (6 kicked from an expected 8 out of a total of 26) that the common "we don't have the shooters" is far from painting the full picture here. It's not bad misses hurting us so much as far too many bad shots (whether they're scored or not) to begin with.

Regardless of what shooters we put on the pitch the chances being created and attempted are under too much pressure (slow transition playing a big role there) and from the wrong areas (a combination of poor shot selection [combination coaching and player error issue] and after repeatedly hitting brick walls with our lateral play lads trying to force the spark from tight angles or opportunities that were never really on). We can look at the tactics, the lack of speed to penetrate in other areas forcing scrambles opening space outside, the lack of overloads inside, the lack of exploiting runners from deep with after overloads on either wing or the instructions being shouted to prevent the attempts when lads are in space and position to have a high % shot.

All of those are playing at least some part.

There's no one lever to pull to fix it, but not attempting to change any of them significantly seems an odd choice and a mistake we've been making all year since the early season challenge games.

Tsudho I agree with most of your points .probably old fashioned but not a big fan of of endless stats .Most of of our issues are clearly identifiable .It seems to me there is attempts to over complicate the game .I often read read analysis by well known pundits which are basically a load of rubbish to justify being to paid to write an article

An app where various voluntary and backroom scouts report stats such as shooting % and overall game report for players would help. Coaching that same scouting group would help a lot.
Liverpool got back to being elite because they made their scouting group elite. They got Mo Salah uncontested pretty much.

A question i probably should know but seeing as he was mention above where was kobe mcdonald this year? As far as I know he wasn't on the u19 or u20 panels. Did Australia play a part in that

@1985: Yeah. I'd agree with all of that. Numbers misused (a common issue) often far worse than no numbers at all.

They're normally a great way to point a side in the direction of what questions should or need to be asked. Seldom a way of providing answers without serious context helping them tell the story.

For your information,the management team get expenses, not a salary,there is a difference as the revenue will tell you, I am seventy five years old since I started following Mayo about 1960 the same solutions have been offered,change the management,or back then the selectors,does anyone believe that it has always been management fault?

Yes indeed corrick and the tooth fairy and Easter bunny deliver their expenses to them .no one mentioned a “salary “

Good man corick, I'm sure donie Buckley is travelling from killarney 3 times a week driven only by his love of mayo football, same for kieran donaghy and his round-trip to armagh, cmon now you're surely on the windup

Corick,

Can I ask you a very very simple question?

What is your solution for Mayo to win an All Ireland?

Bottom line is we don't score enough.
Don't even take enough shots.
Too easy to close down.

@Revellino, I think there's two points two it

1) our defence is far better than people give credit for. Everyone gives out about management but they've set us up very effectively defensively both in the old rules and new. This coupled with our lack of quality attacking leads to lower scoring games

2) There's been a bit of a perfect storm when we've got close to these good teams (and ultimately lost). Donegal were almost certainly through regardless on Sundays, we were fighting for our lives. The Galway games are always close and they had all Ireland on the minds and 3 already won in a row and we were at home and it was our big aim for the year. The disappoinment of the players after that game said they gave it everything. Even great displays like Kerry in Killarney had an element of Kerry being asleep

Realistically the 3 games we tested ourselves against the top with motivation similar was the last 3 Croke Park games, the two quarter finals and the league final. They were utterly depressing occasions where we were completely outclassed each time. That's where we are. I suspect if we got lucky and got through met any of the top 4 in Croker this year it'd be the exact same

@Corrick, you're the best craic on this forum. I actually think you're a lot smarter than most. You'd win Olympic gold for wind-ups.😀

Bottom line is our style of play. On Sunday, a sequence of 28 passes, 25 of which were hand passes with breeze, and still not creating a scoring chance,
We have players, no question about that.
Mayo Donegal was the worst game of last weekend by a country mile

@Ontheditch, not remotely true. Mayo v Donegal while I accept Mayo's weakness and faults (and Donegal's) Mayo's defense was very good and very disciplined for the vast majority of the match. And defense is an important part of a game of football. Monaghan wouldn't score 2.27, or Down 1.26 v Mayo I'd wager . Mayo v Donegal for Mayo was most disappointing, the latest of several disappointing games for the same reasons, but that's because we lost with just seconds remaining, but Im fairly sure it was a great game for Donegal and indeed a very good game for neutrals. I would argue that Tyrone v Cavan because of the lack of quality for Cavan, or Roscommon v Cork because of the lack of quality were away below Mayo v Donegal.

Jr. That's how management want s to play. Mcgeeney did this in armagh for a number of years but enter kieran donahy and all changed. Well someone or something changed.

Yes leantimes, true in respect of Tyrone Cavan game, but 6 points/ 35 mins with the wind at their back was horrific. Mayo defence held solid but Donegal are top heavy reliant on Murphy and he was well contained upto McHughs departure. I don't think McGuiness went away too happy with Donegals performance though he disguised his anger by complaining about the venue.monaghan down was a classic new rules game and Down will prove it at the weekend.
Donegal did come to life after Mayo scored the goal, but big questions around their reliance on Murphy.

@on the ditch.

If our 6 points in the first half with the wind was horrific, then the 1-9 we scored in the second half against the wind must have been terrific.

The scintillating Donegal managed by the incomparable Jim Mcguinnes and we outscored them by 2 points in the second half.

Surely you would have to agree that our second half was a fine display.

Good point Rev, do you think we had a specific plan going out on the pitch that if we were to have the breeze in the first half, we would approach the game in a certain way.
It proves in a way that it was a game we left behind. Had we been up to speed with the wind, we might have blitzed Donegal. Interesting to see what Louth do with Donegal this weekend.
But your point is well made

We need new management asap

My solution No Mayo winning an all Ireland is when we have the best players we will win,unfortunately up to now we are a player or two short,it is testimony our players and management that we have got so close,perhaps we will get that extra player or two next year,certainly if I survive I will stake my usual one hundred euro on Mayo,it will not make a difference to ability to have my cruise
W

Revellino the second half was a decent display. Unfortunately the bad first half done for us, to conservative with a strong breeze, 10 attempts in the modern game won't cut the mustard .

@Ontheditch.

I have a feeling that we were very weary of Donegal's firepower and maybe tried to ensure they didn't get a run on us in that first half. However it did look in that first half the Donegal were much livelier than us. They were first to most balls and we seemed to be a bit lost for pace. If I'm honest, I thought that after watching the first 15 minutes or so that we might end up on the end of an 8 or 9 point hiding.

Yes we should have put up a bigger score in that first half but seemed to be chasing Donegal non stop. Then when we did manage to get the ball forward we muffled our chances. We lost more than one possession due to players losing their footing. When we got shots on goal it seemed like the shooters had no confidence and we saw a few blasted straight at the Donegal keeper. No dummy or feint to round a keeper or put him the wrong way or even a simple fist over the bar to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

It was overall disappointing to end up losing it in the finish when a result was well within our grasp.

corick when we get the best manager wel win

@Tsu, your comment reminded me of the Dublin game from the league, I went back and checked the match report, I wrote the following…

We have the players with ability to shoot from distance, we are just forcing them, or they are choosing, to shoot under pressure. That last pass is missing, or working a bit more space isn’t there. When the ball is moved at pace, either by quick kick passing or movement through the hands we did well. It remains to be seen what our plan is when teams slow us down, or we decide to slow it down.

The above comment was from January, we are out in June and looking back, I didn’t see any progression of our forward play from what I said above. I stand by us having players who can shoot from distance but due to slow play, we end up oftentimes shooting under severe pressure.

Corrick it’s very easy to be wise after the event but you have consistently said at the start of each season that mayo will win the all Ireland that year.Were you not familiar with the players available to the management currently.you consistently make wildly incorrect predictions about score lines in games and act like a child in a playground with who was right on the very occasional time you get one right.And your go to reply to everything is to tell us for the hundredth time that you have being going to games since the sixties.Anyway unlike yourself I would never ever say another poster on here hasn’t got a clue…………..

When is the next County Board meeting does anybody now, hopefully the management issue will be dealt with quickly?

Good question Sam og

What confuses me (one of many things that confuse me I might add).

A high number of the shots we take on at goal end up short - they don't go the distance.

It seems to be, but correct me if I'm wrong, that almost all these shots that drop short, they always seem to be on target, i.e. the goalie catches them in the small square or catches them up around the cross bar area.

Is it that when we don't boot the ball so hard that we have a far higher accuracy ratio, because when we do put the boot through the ball and get enough distance, our wide % seems to shoot upwards.

@revellino, it's probably boiling down to them being very bad kickers, let's be honest. ROD has had a nightmare group stages, but a lot of that is probably down to him feeling he needs to force things because nobody else can score. Even at that he's a class mover but he's not a top class kicker

Boland is a good kicker but successive managements have felt there's something else in his game stopping them playing him. After that....

As I said before, our defense and the system the management have set up is underrated locally. We just haven't the kickers in the other direction unfortunately

I am wise before the game as well,that is why I only stake a one hundred euro on Mayo every year,but to you and all your friends on this blog will you inform me how we lost to Galway in 1966 when we battered them for most of the y,how we lost to Cork in 1989 when we missed an open goal,how we lost to Meath in 1996 despite being far the best team how we lost to Kerry in 1997by far the worst game I ever attended,how we lost to Dublin when we conceded two own goals by two of our heroes,how we lost to Dublin when one of our better players lost his head and deprived us of an extra player for the last twenty minutes,how we lost to Kerry by missing a fourteen hard free, is it always the managers fault, by the way I am only pointing out facts,not taking aim at our players who give everything to Mayo

Surely all players have a range of kicking.Darren coen was very accurate from distance as would the likes of Clifford , Maurice Fitzgerald .Shane Walsh.players with less range if trying to force it will lose accuracy so compensate which mostly means dropping it short.Anyway I certainly wouldn’t be an expert on that subject.i am sure there are plenty on here with far more knowledge on kicking techniques

Corick, I don't recall anyone, anywhere saying it's "all" managers fault.
But the players available are the players available, that can't be changed. Management is one large element of the piece and an expensive one. And one that can be changed if needed. Would it be safe enough to say Donie Buckley alone could have cost us in the region of €500,000 or more in his time here?

I've no doubt management have tried very hard and fair play to anyone who gets involved with teams. I've been there many years now, it takes up a hell of a lot of time.

@1985 it's simply that every other top county had 2-3 kickers under these new rules that can land points and more importantly two point scores. Kerry - Clifford and SOS, Donegal - Murphy, O'Baoil, Langan, Thompson, Galway - Walsh, Conroy, Cooke, Tyrone - McCarry, Harte, Morgan (from frees). Monaghan have a heap. Down have a couple. I include frees in this. ROD is great but the losing of that connacht final was a very questionable two point free we got with a gale on 65 mins and he landed it into the gaolies hands.

I think the race is run with this management but would strongly feel they set us up well and we hadn't the kickers on the other end to take advantage. That's not their fault

Corrick if you were wise before the event then why state that mayo would win the all Ireland and now say the players weren’t good enough.which one is it .the current management inherited a group of players that had quite a few under 21 all Ireland winners and almost all of the panel had played in two all Ireland finals.since then we reached a quarter final in 2023 and were annihilated by Dublin.we were eliminated by Derry last year in a preliminary quarter final and failed to get out of the group stage this year.Under no metric is this any sort of progression in fact we have gone backwards at an alarming rate .i was totally in favour of mcstay and rochrord getting the job but unfortunately their race is run .throwing a load of players under the bus to justify your ludicrous notions is simply comical .Do you suggest the current management are left in place until we are competing in the talteann cup .Most people who live in the real world knew we didn’t have the players are the minute to win the all Ireland but nor did anyone expect to outside the top 12 teams in the country and as Stephen rochrord said on Sunday the table doesn’t lie.

It's not as simple to say we haven't the kickers. We have players who can kick from distance but did the management identify the need to kick from distance as essential to the new game? My answer to that is that Leitrem had a better grasp of the opportunities new rules provided. I think they outscored us with two pointers.
The Rochford/McStay management will get no thanks for prolonging their stay. Go now is the honourable thing.

I don't and never will throw any player or manager under the bus,I pointed out facts ,we are consistently competitive,we have come up short on many occasions not just over the last couple of years,I don't blame the players or management,don't try and say something I never said,as for the fact I stake one hundred euro on Mayo over the last ten or so years,this I put an extra twenty euros at one hundred to one,it is called value betting,I can easily afford my cruise thank you,but you explain to me why it is always the managers fault

Just a thought why would you pay soneone to travel up from Kerry for years, he has not produced any great results, surely there is someone from Mayo who could for the same job and maybe get results.

This management have failed to get the best out of this group unless you think we are actually outside the top 12 teams in the country.The style of play they adopted simply didn’t suit the players we have and the supporters have voted with their feet because they don’t to watch slow pedestrian wandering around the arc set up with players putting randomly putting their arms in the air to slow down the game even more .Do you not think the management have any role to play or have no responsibility for results.Kerry were desperate for an all Ireland and turned to jack o Connor and they win it immediately.Donegal have gone back to mcguinness and we will have to wait to see how that turns out .i have absolutely nothing against Kevin mcstay and Stephen rochrord both good men who were willing to step up but the players we have are the players we have.we can’t buy anyone in .finally I hope Kevin mcstay makes a full recovery and I would think both men will realise they can’t take this group on any further and I am proved wrong on this then I will happily come on here and admit I was wrong.Nothing wrong with admitting when you are wrong

@1985.

We cannot strictly go by tables though.

I mean, if we were in Kerry's group we would definitely be still in the competition.

Would that make us a top 12 team.

We would be further in the competition with the same team we have now.

We would be taken out later in the competition but I would still say we are still well inside the top 12 teams. I wouldn't think the 12 remaining teams are all better than us.

Rivellino I am only repeating Stephen rochrords words but unfortunately the record will show that we are outside the top 12 this year

Did anyone see McMullens outrageous 2 pointer for Armagh at the weekend? None of our players who be allowed take that on, fact!

Stephenite and others, we *have* several players who can score from distance and have done it together in at least one match in the last two years. I’ve seen it.
It looks to me like the management discouraged kicks that could potentially be unsuccessful in the first half on Sunday believing Donegal’s chief danger for us was a lightning fast counterattack + possession + players who score prolifically, not only that but they could gain momentum and psychological benefit from that that could bury us past a point of no return early in the game. (Imagine if Murphy caught fire early in the game the dancing and prancing Donegal would have in delight. As it happened we stayed alive til the last few seconds of the game.)
I see it as a strategy management chose, believing it gave us the best chance. We do have a very good defence and actually our forwards defended well too.
Aidan couldn’t cause maximum trouble at full forward because he spent a lot of time in midfield. Was that because Donegal stationed Murphy in midfield instead of full forward and Aidan had to help reinforce midfield?
Everything I’ve written above is based on a possible management calculation that would give us the best chance of beating Donegal with all circumstances taken into consideration (all cards laid on the table). And taking into account that we are not traditionally heavy scorers ourselves, relying on everyone to chip in scores, and Donegal had us marshalled (unless we go completely bananas in an open chaotic game that is a joy to watch - then watch out we can rack up a mighty score!) What were the chances of us being able to play that open, unstructured game that would stun the opposition in the Donegal game?
It seems to me that our team has a good cross section of skills, talent, know how and ability. We’ve seen them impress with their ability to use different techniques in different games here and there over the last three years but it’s on isolated occasions and these techniques disappear back into the bag again. It’s almost like they’ve assembled a tool kit to be dipped into instead of a dynamic style they use all the time.

Our lack of reliable scoring forwards and possible lack of height and muscle at midfield have a big bearing on the style we end up rolling out in each game. And despite all that, I do believe our management had big ambitions for us each year, not to aim small but to see us competing for an All-Ireland each year.

Hill16 earlier is right - we will be dangerous and we will compete again. We might need more things stacked in our favour to do that.

Grok AI has picked the Mayo Gaa Blog football team :)

Create a gaelic football team from people who post on the MayoGaaBlog

Manager: Willie Joe
As the creator and curator of the Mayo GAA Blog since 2007, Willie Joe’s deep knowledge of Mayo football history and tactics makes him the perfect manager. His ability to compile a comprehensive archive of results back to 1902 and foster a vibrant online community shows he can strategize and motivate the team.

Starting XV:
Goalkeeper:
Catcol
Frequently appearing in podcast discussions and comments, Catcol shows a steady presence, ideal for the calm, reliable hands needed in goal. Their engagement across multiple threads suggests they can handle the pressure of a last line of defense.

Full-Back Line:
FrostTHammer (Full-Back)
A regular commenter who discusses team selections and game outcomes with insight, FrostTHammer seems like a solid, dependable defender who can anchor the full-back line, much like their consistent posting presence.

Corick Bridge (Corner-Back)
With comments on upcoming fixtures like the Roscommon game, Corick Bridge shows an eye for detail, perfect for marking a dangerous corner-forward.

Mayo67 (Corner-Back)
Their enthusiasm for Mayo’s minor team victory over Roscommon suggests a gritty, determined defender who’ll stick to their task.

Half-Back Line:
Pullhard (Centre-Back)
Pullhard’s bold prediction about Tyrone’s chances against Kerry shows a tactical mind, ideal for organizing the half-back line and leading the defense.

Travelling Wilbury (Wing-Back)
With a flair for discussing betting odds and game predictions, Travelling Wilbury’s dynamic energy suits the wing-back role, where pace and versatility are key.

JP (Wing-Back)
JP’s balanced take on Tommy Conroy’s performance, defending his value while acknowledging flaws, suggests a player who can read the game and adapt on the wing.

Midfield:
FreeTheEastBank (Midfielder)
Their pragmatic comment about not overanalyzing jersey numbers shows a no-nonsense approach, perfect for winning breaks and driving the team forward in midfield.

Moose79 (Midfielder)
Moose79’s level-headed take on the New York game and team selections indicates a workhorse midfielder who can cover the pitch and keep the team steady.

Half-Forward Line:
Cloud9 (Centre-Forward)
Cloud9’s comment correcting pitch size misconceptions shows attention to detail, making them a playmaker in the centre-forward role, linking defense and attack.

1989 (Wing-Forward)
Their advocacy for accessibility in GAA (e.g., signing a petition for colorblindness fixes) suggests a team player with flair, ideal for a wing-forward who can create scoring chances.

Margie (Wing-Forward)
Margie’s critical take on Fergal Boland’s pace but appreciation for Tommy Conroy’s speed shows a keen eye for forward play, fitting for a wing-forward who can exploit defenses.

Full-Forward Line:
Great Ball (Full-Forward)
Great Ball’s skepticism about the financial motives of New York games suggests a direct, no-frills approach, perfect for a full-forward who can finish chances.

Craggy Boglands (Corner-Forward)
Their dismissal of clichés about Mayo fans getting ahead of themselves shows a sharp edge, ideal for a corner-forward who can snipe points under pressure.

C Mortimer Fan (Corner-Forward)
This poster’s passionate defense of Conor Mortimer’s scoring ability and character makes them a natural fit for a corner-forward role, where flair and finishing are crucial.

Substitutes:
ROD (Forward/Defender)
ROD’s appreciation for the high standard of inter-county football suggests versatility, making them a valuable sub who can slot into multiple positions.

Goagain (Forward)
Their enthusiasm for Jason Doherty’s comments about fan support indicates a lively sub who can lift the team’s spirit and contribute in attack.

ModernMaharaja (Defender)
Their engagement in HoganStand discussions about player selections shows a defensive mindset, ready to come off the bench to shore up the backline.

Great debate on here from most contributors about the state of the Mayo senior team. Everyone right to a degree. My thinking is we have great football talent in Mayo, no doubt about that, big powerful midfielders needed ! I think we need a coach who can get the players to believe in themselves, coach them in hard physical no prisoners skillful football, have the confidence to take the shots when there on, no messing.
Coach & his backroom team have to have that special talent to get 100% out the players & the players have to respect & trust the coaching people, getting that coach/manager is a hard task but there has to be some man who can do it.

Rusty

If that’s the case I am demanding WJ be removed as manager haha. I was sure I’d be in at no.14?

On a completely separate note, can I take time to commend how excellent our very own Mike Finnerty is on commentary for GAA+. It’s high time he gets recognition and should definitely be on the Sunday game.

Miles ahead of Ger Canning and Dara Maloney (who genuinely hasn’t a clue about GAA, you can tell he’s a soccer man). Mike really is a top guy. Has a great ability to ask hard questions in a very respectful manner and is always probing to get the best answers from whoever he interviews. Also has a great eye for the game, which can’t be said for the other two men I’ve mentioned.

Willie joe can you remove the first line of my last reply to corrick .Frustration with the current situation got the better of me .we are all mayo people at the end of the day

No problem, 1985, I've done that now.

Highorlow - I'm not going to block someone just because you don't agree with what they're saying. Everyone has a right to express their opinions, providing they do so in a reasonable manner. In this case you didn't so I've deleted that comment of yours.

Green & Red - Grok must need to work on the algorithm as there are a few glaring ommisons, including yourself.
Anne Marie, Clare, Pebblesmeller, Revelino, Mayonaze. The list goes on. And TsuDhoNim if course, who i have suspicious is AI himself! :)

What I see at club level does not fill me with any hope. Now that can change but is there a tactical lay astute, smart and someone with charisma (that matters) in the county that can lead a team forward? I don’t see it. You think a McGuinness, Geezer, Kiely…

Our events club senior champions Ballina and Knockmore are not great teams…they won poor quality championships and were found out once they went into the Connacht championship…that’s the harsh reality. Even at schools level, look at how Colmans fared against northern opposition….totally outclassed.

Until we address and fix the problems we will continue to fail.

@Hill16.Thank for your consoling comments, and, in the same way that the enjoyment of a meal is greatly increased by the length of time from the previous meal, hunger being the best sauce, so Mayo's eventual All Ireland success will be all the more enjoyable, because of the long frustrating wait. The problem is that I along with others on this blog, am beginning to run out of road and am seriously beginning to wonder if I will be around to enjoy that wonderful day when it comes.

Green & Red, what are the prospects of a few two-pointers from that forward line? 😂

Good post supermac ..id agree with all that.

I was talking with someone today about our forwards, he said a few yr ago we had Cillian, Andy, Doherty, Mcloughlin who would score in most games, cillian obviously scorer in chief. Last Sunday we had O shea who doesn't score, Carney rarely scores, mchale ok but not a heavy scorer. Dawson did ok for young lad..flynn not a heavy scorer..neary the same. So only Rod and hes not had the best season scoring wise but still the main man. 3 2 pointers scored in 6 games is woeful. Then throw in no midfield whatsoever, how can ya win 8 or 10 championship games.

Magpie. Add the dismal style of play to that and there's no chance.

@Magpie

I agree with @Craggy Boglands here. The style of play and the lack of confidence is not just on the players to be honest .

Neary is very young. And showed really promising signs I am surprised you mentioned Neary he changed the game when he came on v
V Tyrone !

We need a fresh start , fresh ideas and by fresh start I mean management there . Management that will give them the confidence to go for 2 pointers or even just to shoot for points. It's not entirely on the players here .

Flynn lost his form but in fairness he should have been rested after club championship. Playing him every game after a very emotional all Ireland club win was actually just insane. He was always bound to loose form.

The modern game overly rewards three skills
1. Lon range kicking
2. High fielding at kick outs
3. Winning high ball in the ff line

We don't have a game plan around any of those, so in essence we play yesterday's football under today's rules.
It hasn't worked at all.

We have played 5-8 midfielders in a lot of games and none of those midfielders win high ball or kick long to the FF line. We haven't been impeded after a mark once, because we don't win very many in the first place.

Next years football will develop further from this year, as the better managers figure out how to exploit the rules further.

Earlier in this tread, there were stats outlining scoring percentages from 2 point attempts.
An intercounty player should easily kick 50% of two pointers with the wind at his back, given the correct set up play.
A good intercounty player should be hitting those numbers with little or no wind.
A top intercounty forward should be hitting better numbers than the above.

Our lads are either not up to the top level or not setting up the shots like they should be.

Whatever way you look at it inside the arc is a 75-85% success rate to win things.
To match that from outside just needs 38-45% success rate. The trick is to have the mental fortitude to keep shooting from distance - watch the Boston Celtics play - they soot a record no of 3 pointer per match, knowing that hitting 40% of them will win 95% of matches.
We need to move to the new game and spend the next 10 months developing shooters

I wonder will we as a county be able to stay out of the headlines during the months ahead for a change.
Even if we do change management, is there any chance it could be done swiftly and drama free? The drawn out saga three years ago was embarrassing and brought nothing but ridicule from outside sources without the end product proving worthwhile.

Just get the inevitable done. Highlight of my championship 2025.... The county board s decision on the totally non supported management. Epitomises by the attendance at the cavan game. Sad really. Let's hope they don't bottle it like they did last year

In regards to the discussion about what players should be in or out. I would suggest whoever remains or takes over do the following:

- Encourage/beg everyone back and I mean 'everyone' in 2026
- Have a fresh look at current squad members, new potential members and even past squad members
- Evolve or develop a style of play that supports our squad and traditional strengths but in light of the new rules
- Consider the fact that this style may suit certain squad members better or worse hence the need for an open mind
- Make it clear to fans that change will take time to bed down and the need for realistic expectations

There are no two pointers at u15 level @Sweet Dreams

Surely we owe it to our current team and the young lads that will inevitably be pulling on the jersey for the first time this coming year to be positive.

Every little budding seed needs light to grow and thrive, and we the followers can be that light.

Negativity can never foster the right environment for our team to reach it's full potential.

Let the light in.

“Realistic expectations “. Similar to “not good enough to win the all Ireland “

No county uses such language only Mayo , I doubt they even say it in Leitrim as often as mayo “ahh we’re not good enough “ my god it has to stop folks , honestly it’s so unhealthy to drop that into every chat about Mayo football . There are so many ways to answer that question if put to you , “ ya never know , stranger things happened , few nice young lads coming through be unfair for me to just rule out their chances of glory “ etc etc etc . Please stop with the point blank close the door stuff .

I'll be positive today. This is eye test and comparative performance versus peers in other counties.
1. Mayo from current squad down to U17 have the players to win an All Ireland at something around 8/1 in a good year and 20/1 in a tougher year.
2. If we're not about our business one can scrap those odds as it makes it much much less likely.
3. It starts right now with the next mgmt appointment and fully dismissing the panel and reselecting the best panel based totally on the new rules and an eye on the future.
4. The best young players are jumping off the screen obvious right down to U17. Can we please stop the horror show of the laiseez faire attitude to bringing them through. There's no quality Kerry or Tyrone minors playing soccer for example. Enough with the naive Mayo nice guys.
5. Develop a top scouting and player assessment group in the backroom team and
that group presents forward to mgmt the player options.
Jurgen Klopp was presented with Mo Salah, Virgil Van Dijk and both pretty much uncontested by other big clubs. That cane about by entrusting that job to the scouting department. I'm positive we can make huge gains by being much more accurate in our player assessment and scouting.

Sean as a matter of interest do you believe the current mayo squad playing the current type of football we have adapted could have won the all Ireland this year

@Magpie: "mchale ok but not a heavy scorer".

I'd be a bit more positive on Darren there.

Our top scorer in Championship from play (his 17 well ahead of RO'D's 13 in second place (a lot of the stat accounts have RO'D on 12 from play but there's an error on those form a single source they're all repeating. The 13 is correct).

Our second most efficient scorer per minutes played in the Championship this year (his 3.15 per 70 minutes across 378 minutes, 2nd only to Fergie's 7.57, but caveats there with it coming from 4 points in just 37 minutes).

Even looking back historically, he'd be well ahead of Doc & Kev Mc on scorers per start (2.35 for him vs 1.55 for Kev & 2.04 for Doc). All of this with a majority of his games coming at a time when defences have been significantly on top.

Not sure if it's any coincidence that in his first year that hasn't been riddled with injury for the County team he's right up there on the scoring charts, in the conversation or favourite for our POTY (Coyne the other I'd struggle to pick between there) and was probably (though I've no stats to back it up) top of our charts for winning breaking ball. A shame we didn't get to see a little more of his creativity and vision, I can't think of many in the county better at opening the door for goals if playing to a system designed/allowing them to take on their man before a defence is set.

@Sean Burke: Nahhh. This year a quick glance at general forums (boards, hogan stand or just on socials) will have folks from Kerry, Galway, Derry, Dublin or Tyrone all saying they're (well) short on players and not good enough. I'd say only Donegal and Armagh I've not heard a few folks from saying it, and that could be just they're less active on the spaces I'd tend to lurk around.

Important to remember how skewed our views can be in specific filter bubbles. With a blog like we have we've a far more concentrated and active (vocal) community than most counties would have. You'd also find comments of that nature usually occur when wallowing or recovering from bad results.... where we've had a few more of those to be licking our wounds after this year than many.

The "we don't have the players" is lazy.

We mostly know there's so much more in Flynn, Ruane, Callinan, Carney & RO'D. We mostly know adding in DO'C, Durcan (for a full season), McLaughlin or Conroy can help even more, as would being able to add experience from having a full deck to pick from with lads like CO'C or Carr. We mostly know even lads with good seasons like Hession or McBrien can offer more when pushing forward if our forward play is adapted and improved to utilise their explosive running potential. We mostly expect we're likely to see changes as new lads push forward to claim spots under the new rules (I wouldn't be at all surprised if the likes of Fallon, Hopkins, Armstrong, Carter, (O) McLaughlin, Murray or Lynch having outstanding Club Champs and throwing down a gauntlet) and we'd mostly expect a few of the younger lads (be that the likes of Melvin who was involved this year from the '24 20s, kicking 2s for fun in the league, or younger lads like Clarke, Hurley, O'Loughlin or Howard) to push in and bring that bit of youth, energy and exuberance to the place. From a place we were in touching distance of 2 of the early favourites for the All Ireland that's an awful lot of potential for positive gains to have in hand.

All that combined with lifting the mood that saw +10 lads leave a panel and have some talking of the need for a coup against the playstyle on live TV and there's no question the raw ingredients are there for a positive year challenging with anyone. Easier said than done turning all that into positive results on the grass, but anyone ruling it out as "we don't have the players" for next year at this point is miles off.

Any up. The game was played in England and and apart from a slight amendment to the black card rule the new rules are the same as senior. Not sure if each county has its own version of the rules but definitely in in our games.

@Anyup: I'm not involved with any underage setup so can't comment on what's happening on the ground...
But was the plan not to bring them in down to u14?

"It was also confirmed today all the new rule enhancements will be in place next year for club and county underage games down to U14.

At U13 the new arc will be much smaller so it will be easier to kick two-points.

The Solo and Go will be added to the Go Games (U12 down) list of rules."
https://www.gaa.ie/article/frc-outline-next-steps-in-implementation-of-rule-enhancements

Just out of interest does anyone know if it’s possible blue for CB delegates to call a vote of no confidence on either the board or management?

Has there ever been a case whereby the delegates don’t ratify a decision?

The first shots across the bow of our management were thrown by Lee Keegan when he stated that in a recent match he played against Ballintubber that CoC was still well up to county standard.

I’m certainly not going to fight managements corner but the Cillian departure is down to himself , he wasn’t dropped . He was not used enough in 24 and perhaps that was his reasons .

1985 to answer your question, yes the current mayo side are good enough to win an all Ireland . Ideally id have some personnel changes though when answering , I’d have Tommy , James Carr , Cillian , daragh beirne , Lyndon , Hurley all part of my panel when answering your question.

@Sean Burke and 1985
I think the next management appointment could be most important/consequential in recent Mayo GAA history

Fair enough sean and do you think we need improvement or change in midfield sector

@Rusty Bridges. After all i did all year. If that's the case i won't be training Tuesday evening or any evening for that matter.

Does anyone know - mabye Tus- what is Cillian scoring from play on average per game for Ballintubber in the league this year.

Of course it would be great to have a Tom parsons like player for the middle but there just isn’t one so we need to improve on what we have . Despite the negativity and Cavan game aside , we are still getting performances that are not far off , nobody is batin us out the gate . Point is whoever comes in has a great base to work off . I’d love to see a fresh voice the more I think about , what I mean by that is someone who has had no involvement with Mayo senior team to date at management level , maybe he could bring something new to Mayo football . A spark , get a bounce off them , we desperately need a belt of new energy . Maybe a New Jersey too , something different.

I agree in general sean but there would have to a consistency to the performances .losing to Cavan and then beating Tyrone just doesn’t cut it .At some stage you have to put together 3 or 4 good performances to win it .Not sure if making do with what we have in midfield will work unless tuohy steps up or another midfielder emerges.I remember being very pessimistic about our chances after the 93 94 95 years but then John maughan came in and coaxed Liam McHale back to the fold and within a year we were within a bounce of a ball of winning an all Ireland.

Yes Cillian walking away was down to himsekf and not dropped yes . Though at the end of the day he wasn't respected by giving him barely any game time. Also them bringing him on in the last quarter v Derry when we needed the likes of him on sooner was disrespectful. I don't blame Cillian for opting out he saw the writings on the wall .

But Sean the question related to the current side ....... Tommy , James Carr , Cillian , Daragh Beirne , Lyndon , Hurley are not part of the side ......the panel with them on it would be different.
To be honest as well the last 3 and I would include Hugh O'Loughlin are all kids and will probably take 3 years to make an impact. Cillian has played very little since Ennis injury in 2021 and James Carr was just always injured so I am not sure you can really depend on them to turn it next year......

JR I think Padraig O’Hora on GAA+ was first out of the traps.

@Southmayo Exile: Building out from Western People reports....

R1 v Cross: 0-0-2 (1f) - 2 scored, 1 from play
R2 v Hollymount-Carramore: 1-0-9 (8f) - 12 scored, 1-1 from play
R3 v Westport: 0-1-4 (1 tpf, 3f) - 6 scored, 1 from play
R4 v Balla: 0-3-6 (3tpf, 4f) - 12 scored, 2 from play

Couldn't find score breakdowns for R5 Claremorris or R6 Mayo Gaels (and the What's the Scor App seems to be having some issues today where I can't log in) so can't give a full look at the league, but 1-5 (8) from play of 1-4-21 (32) across the first 4 rounds.

I'd hazard a guess Adam Rehill is the highest scorer from play?

TsuDhoNim

Have you any stats on Kobe McDonald , Aidan Orme, Ronan Clarke or Darragh Beirne League games?

The problem with alot of these club players... can they cut it at intercounty level. Orme. Cian mchale. Reid. Towy. Remember Douglas from Mitchell's. Feeney as well. Club and county are a world apart. Maybe they might with a better style of play.

@Sam og: Not really. The papers are a bit hit & miss on the online coverage to build out a proper dataset and too much hassle trying to find the reports that do exist on a game by game basis (e.g. looking for Adam's stats I could only find a single game with score breakdowns compared to 4 for Cillian) to do the parsing to build out such a limited/broken one.

Any team that live tweets only takes a few seconds mind, so:

Kobe:
v Mayo Gaels: 1-0-0 - 3, 3 from play
v Moy Davitts: 1-0-1 - 4, 3 from play
v Garrymore: 1-0-2 - 5, 5 from play
v Ballintubber: 0-0-2 - 2, 2 from play
v Burrishoole: 0-1-1 - 3, 1 from play

14 from play, out of 17 total, across his 5 games.
https://x.com/search?q=list%3A1376941728054317060%20kobe&src=typed_query&f=live

Ronan:
v Burrishoole: 0-0-6 (3f) - 6, 3 from play
v Cross: 0-0-2 - 2, 1 from play
v Davitts: 0-0-3 - 3, 2 from play
v Lahardane: 0-0-5 - 5, 3 from play

9 from play out of 16 across his 4 games.
https://x.com/search?q=list%3A1376941728054317060%20ronan%20clarke&src=typed_query&f=live

We'll have much higher detail stuff come Championship, so happy to help keep an eye on those.
We're normally pretty well served by BillHillWicklow or even the Mayo GAA official accounts for that stuff, so likely won't need anything much done there to have everything at a glance.

Neil Douglas couldnt get into a great Mayo team 2012 to 17, he would walk into this team in his prime.Cian McHale got injured very early in League.

@Tirawleybaron, I have to agree with you. Management did not identify and develop the skills you mentioned to play the new rules game, and in fact we were the one county in ireland that remained locked into the possession game.
I would add transitioning with pace from defence to attack once we have won a turnover with the other skills and our mastership of that leaves a bit to be desired also.
In terms of winning Sam, Donegal will not have any of my money after their performance v Mayo. To their credit, they neutralised very quickly any boost we might have got from our goal and only two brilliant saves from Reape prevented them from adding a couple of goals
Maybe Rochford/McStay could sit down asap and do their end of year report, or do they think the discontent will blow away with time

Sam og. Any time Douglas played for mayo unfortunately he did not perform and towy hasn't done much either. Mchale played in the league and didn't do anything either.

David Clifford would have done bugger all in our 13 jersey with how we played in the league.

TSU. As our go-too person for details and stats, in order to get a handle on where we are at, I would love, if possible, to get a breakdown showing the age of each panel member.-I have a reasonable idea, but more accurate details would be a help. We have a relatively young panel, with many 25 or under. Obviously Aido, at almost 35,heads the more elderly cohort and the likes of Stephen, DOC,Paddy up around the 30 mark and then Colm and Ryan. If you can manage it, it would give us a clearer picture of where we are going.

@GlasagusDearg: Taking ages at the end of this year (31st December) and going beyond just the lads that saw minutes to the ones who were in and around the early training camp & challenge games we'd have:

Aidan O'Shea 35
Darren McHale 31
Paddy Durcan 31
Adrian Phillips 31
Fergal Boland 30
Diarmuid O'Connor 30
Conor Loftus 30
Stephen Coen 29
Eoin O'Donoghue 29
Sharoize Akram 29
Colm Reape 28
Matthew Ruane 28
Kevin Quinn 28
Ryan O'Donoghue 27
Jordan Flynn 27
Eoghan McLaughlin 26
Tommy Conroy 26
Enda Hession 25
David McBrien 25
Paul Towey 25
Rory Brickenden 25
Jack Coyne 25
Dylan Prendergast 25
Evan Ivers 25
Donnacha McHugh 24
Jack Carney 24
Ewan Duffy 24
Frank Irwin 23
Conor Reid 23
Niall Treacy 23
Eoin Gilraine 23
Dylan Thornton 23
Ciaran Boland 23
Davitt Neary 22
Sam Callinan 22
Fenton Kelly 22
Cian McHale 22
Bob Tuohy 22
Niall Coggins 22
Darragh Joyce 22
John Vahey 22
Sean Morahan 21
Tom O'Flaherty 21
Conal Dawson 21
Jack Melvin 21
Finbar McLaughlin 21
Jack Mulchrone 21
Diarmuid Duffy 20

John MacMonagle, Hugh O'Loughlin & David Dolan would have all been late additions at 20.
And I believe Niall Carter (23) might have been a late call-up for inclusion too.

If you just want the squad used this year and in the context of appearances, it'd be the first column in: https://x.com/TsuDhoNim/status/1904235889456459906

Just a thought as it seems Mayo supporters may be open to an outside manager who has done it all as a player, including AI winner and also served as a distinguished pundit. So, perhaps Joe Brolly could be enticed into the role or he and Oisin McConville might consider a joint managerial venture.

@Charlie

I assume your taking the piss there by suggesting Joe Brolly ? That eejit like. God no .

An outsider yes but you have to be having a laugh with that suggestion of that clown .

Brolly for Mayo will be all the rage if Knockmore win the championship.

Realistically, just ring Andy Moran and ask him what he wants and who he wants with him. He has Monaghan playing like it's Kerry Golden years.

If he wants to bring in Philly McMahon or the like with him, all the better

A priority for Mayo GAA and the relevant club must be to keep one of our rising stars here in Ireland. The lad is still very young at 17, but we are burying our heads in the sand if we dont think the AFL clubs aren't seriously after him. Mayo CB were too passive in the past when we lost Hanley and Mullins. There is a great income to be made through the GAA for the right player. This is the right player and would be a marketers dream.

Think we'll be seeing Andy Moran with James Horan as an older head.

@TsuDhoNim
Fairplay for all the effort you put in.

Would you have the details of the heights and weights of the senior players you mentioned above (age profile)?

Rte used to show that detail before games many years ago (as you would see in rugby). It's a shame they don't anymore.

Comparing ourselves to say the likes of Donegal and Kerry it is quite noticeable that we are behind in terms of physically imposing players.
It's ok having the 2 or maybe 3 Ryan Mchugh type builds in the 15 but not half the team.

Everyone knows big powerful athletes are needed around the middle more than ever now. Just interested to see if this type of info is available? Thanks

Thanks TSU for all the players ages. Often wondered myself. I see Mayoman asking for height and weight. I suppose if you want something done, ask a busy man. We’re going to have to ask the CB to give you expenses.

Steven Poacher is arguably doing a lot better job with Leitrim than Andy did during his time.

Paul Devlin
Oisìn McConville
Gavin Horse Devlin

Think Andy and Austin are too close to many of our current players and might be options in a few years time when the older guard have moved on.

@Mayoman: Sadly, no.

That info is very seldom shared these days. It used to be fierce common programme filler, even in the relatively recent past. The only one I've seen lately with was the '23 County Final (https://mayogaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/County_Football_Final_2023.pdf), but even that just has height and age.

There are a handful of heights found listed in various (relatively official) spots for the Mayo lads, but caveats on how many are missing, how many are potentially questionable in accuracy and how meaningful it is without the build/weight/agility/jumping (or even strength/determination - McHugh wouldn't be the heaviest lad, but fights like a beast regardless - we really hurt with his injury the last day) to go with it.

O’Shea – 6’4″
Thornton – 6’3″
Carney – 6’3″
Ruane – 6’3″
McBrien – 6’2″
McHugh – 6’2″
Irwin – 6’2″
Dawson – 6’2″
O’Connor – 6’1″
Coyne – 6’1″
Coen – 6’1″
Callinan – 6’1″
Flynn – 6′
Durcan – 6′
Neary – 5’10”
O’Donoghue – 5’9″

Great info TSU

Jack carney certainly doesn’t look 6’3 or if he is he doesn’t use it

Tsu,you command my respect,always up to date with stats,I will respect for sure your ideas for the future

@the west is best, you forgot to mention years of online abuse if your fail you to live up to anonymous keyboard warriors expectations , I know which I'd be choosing .

Coyne taller than Flynn? I'd have doubts about that one

Anyone seriously suggesting Brolly as a potential Mayo manager needs to give their head a wobble, real fast. I have read some unsavoury things on here in my time but that takes the proverbial biscuit. Mother of God.

TSU your depth of knowledge is outstanding. Whoever is in charge next year could do a lot worse than request your services :)

Mayo Management Team 2026

Manager: Pebblesmeller
Selectors: TSUDHONIM: Centrefield: Supermac.
S&C: JR or JP
Stats: TSUDHONIM
Physcology: Corrick- you need to believe you can achieve Sam, if you are to win it. Clare - always positive. Anne-Marie - realism & positivity. Revelino - motivation
Fan Liason: Sean Burke

The trouble really started when head office told our county board that they had to build 2 arcs in McHale Park.

" It's a fucken ridiculous idea " yelped one of the delegates.

" Zip it " roared the chairman. " It's quite clear, and I have it here in writing ". An arc at each end of the pitch.

And that's how it started.

The great beams of wood started to arrive the following Monday and 6,000 volunteers were put to work on the 2 arcs construction.

The animals started to arrive once the arcs were completed.

2 donkeys from killala, 2 fresian calves from Kiltimagh and there were other species smuggled down from Dublin Zoo in a kit van.

The right honourable Gaa president was invited to Mayo to show him how well all matters of business have been carried out within the county for the past couple of decades and as an added suprise he was blindfolded and led up on to the " unpaid for " stand.

The beaming Mayo Chief excitedly asked him " are you ready to see how well we have carried out your latest demands ".

" Yes, Yes " The Gaa president replied, barely able to contain his excitement.

His blindfold removed, the blood rapidly started to drain from his face.

He looked down on to Mchale Park, a large boat at each end filled with braying donkeys and laying ostriches.

" What the fuck have yea done to the pitch" ?

" I don't understand " replied Mayos head honcho.

A press conference was called for the next morning where the Gaa President spoke at length about the great work the volunteers had done and how proud the county should be of the brains we have leading our quest to win Sam.

Of course due to all the construction work and animal shite in and around McHale park we were unable to practice any shooting either from outside the arc or from closer to goal this current season.

Further works on the betterment of Mayo football to be announced very soon.

Oh I get that @The Deel Rover, online can be a tough place here for sure, but the Aussies can take it to a whole new level.

AFL isn't a great game, and if interested in professional sport, then I'd be advising the lad to go the NFL route. Money is multiples of what you'd make at AFL and I reckon he'd smash it at a combine. With training, he could possibly make it as either a wide receiver, cornerback, kicker or punter. He certainly has the athletic potential. He's obviously young enough to make the transition.

Be a shame though to lose him. There are plenty of lads making great money and have a wonderful lifestyle through the GAA. Online can be a very lucrative place and he has the name already.

Thanks TSN, I knew I could depend on you. Cripes some are older than I thought, but we still have a relatively young squad and, hopefully, the average age decreases further with the addition of new young blood next year. Your height details are interesting-we have quite a lot of tall players, so why are we so bad at claiming primary possession?.

@GlasagusDearg: As others mentioned, there's a few of those numbers you'd question (e.g. Jack's one is straight off the official site [old pen portraits from 2 or 3 years ago], but the same page suggests he's 28 so we might expect some backlash for playing him with the u20s in 2020 if we were to believe it), so wouldn't give them too much weight.

On the performance on primary & secondary possession, there's a lot of nuances beyond just the height you'd expect playing a (perhaps much bigger) part:

- Determination: Sometimes it genuinely is about wanting it more. Relatively the same lads that have frequently been cleaned out in the middle put in one of the most dominant midfield displays of the year (Meath vs Kerry might have popped it) against Tyrone.

- Technical Skills: Stuff like being able to read, time & catch the ball at it's highest point can give you an easy +6-10" on an opponent. It's not something we see too often on our restarts compared to a Conor Glass (or even a Hugh O'Loughlin for the 20s).

- Tactics: Working the positioning of players to ensure when we don't go short or mid with a targeted kick we're at least kicking to a break-even (I'd say to advantage, but too often this year we've been kicking to disadvantage so break-even a step forward). Having the right numbers in the right places to either help protect the jumper or to pick up the breaking ball is huge for improving ball retention.

- Variety: A side like Galway are pretty solid at nailing size, appear solid enough on determination, great basic technically (for a number of weeks were the poster child of the man under the ball preventing a challenge and a runner coming to claim the ball at it's peak) but from all the attention they got teams were able to breakdown exactly what they were doing and counteract it. Pushing them to a point where they're switching keeper mid Championship to try & shake things up with caveats now on either Conor kicking. The lack of variety from Gleeson let sides go after his A game and unlike a Patton, a Ryan or a Cluxton they weren't able to shake things up enough to get the numbers back up. So obvious issues to be avoided on going too deep on one style of setup or one type of kick, even with monsters around the middle. What do they say about no plan surviving contact with the enemy?

Room for improvement on the tactical stuff, room for improvement on the technical stuff & room for improvement on the variety (as there is for every side in the country tbf), so then it'll come down to a question of more size (lads like Carter, Murray, (N) Armstrong, Fallon, Hopkins or Lynch might push to give more options - or even Reid, Tuohy, O'Connor seeing more minutes to help) & more determination (we've looked well off it on intensity in too many games this year. Be it primary possession, secondary possession, on a press, in set defense & even when attacking. Impossible to know from the outside the cause or reasons, but certainly one of the biggest things we'll be hoping to see improved next year) to all bump the numbers.

A type of player that we are missing and that I'm confident we can solve. The quick yet strong line breaker. I wasn't initially all that sure why McGeeney was so big on Oisin Commaty. Well he's there to be that line breaking threat.
Davitt Neary still lacks a bit of size on his frame which he may have next year to have that bit more power in contact.
The line breaker does not need 70 mins fitness.
We have :
Gary McHale Balla a clear and obvious pace threat that our wrong headed approach hasn't
used.
Kuba Callaghan. Well known player. I think Kuba would thrive in a very simple role. Stay close to goal and run hard at your ftrst defender. At his now peak strength Kuba is quite a bit of weight and strength hitting your tackle arm. No medium sized defender will slow him up.
I think we've really ignored options for that role as we've focused more on these bit of everything generalists. I want a pure speedster with size that makes the defender scramble and give away frees and yellow and black cards.
Without that break the line threat you make life so so much easier for the opposition defence.

Anne Marie ,it was not serious,but he certainly knows a?l that is wrong with Mayo football and supporters,.he has not proven anything about managing

Ya there's plenty lads who are worth a look aswell as the older boys who's still performing like Regan, Cillian, Callaghan etc but we have forwards whom with a S&C run and intercounty exposure would enhance the forward technical skills.
First of i think Reid, Thornton, Irwin be all better for their first year under the belt .
Then proper midfielders like Nathan Moran, Darragh Syron and Evan Ivers would be worth a proper look at, to see can they go next level.

But off top of head look at this for talent, intercounty underage proven, physically nearly there as the club S&C is very good ....

Cian Mchale, class act and despite what ye were saying g above about scores from play , he's also a top free taker.
James Maheady, taken goals, scores from play and free s with both feet.
Rehill, the Gallaghers from Mayo Gaels , Connell Dempsey, Luke Feeney, Ronan Clarke even Brian Reape , Moran and Mclaughlin from Westport all
forwards who are on form and worth a look at but just cause we didn't together out 6 forwards for the county, doesn't mean we haven't forwards, plenty talent there, with right conditions, culture and confidence any of them are intercounty standard

Evan Ivers is another player can play that break the lines role.

I am no going to say that I want a row about Mayo, but only now am not going to continue arguing with anyone,in my small opinion having gone through tel!ing Mayo management and players where they went wrong,I decided then that the management and players knew far more than I did,the only thing I will do now is our shooters should stay inside the opposition half, not criticising either team or management, but for years I have thought that COC and now EOD back on our own goal line is wrong, how do you expect a player to be on his own goal line to them get you the scores,also J Flynn,I am not going to continue this discussion, no-one management and players know far more than I do