Great to see the crowd back for our biggest game of the year (so far !). How or what will transpire on Sunday who knows. In any case Its squeaky bum time (cant remember who coined that praise) but seems appropriate as someone mentioned constipated football yesterday - a term I hadn't heard used before in a football sense but am still laughing, anyway I hope the laxatives have done there job before Sunday and its fiery and free flowing (football that is)...

Alex ferguson I believed used that line first....

Squeaky bum might've been attributed to Alex Ferguson.. not sure if it was actually himself who said it though. Quite a few fans from a variety of counties looking at the aforementioned loose bowels over the weekend.
I'm going for Galway, Derry, Tyrone and (mea culpa) Donegal to win. I'm hoping I'm eating my words come Sunday night.

Yes indeed it was ....apologies for the typo phrase not praise !

Mayo will beat Donegal

They will.

Rochford will have them well fired up for Sunday. They will win and they will have serious momentum behind them heading into Croker for the quarter final

Ever the optimist, you need to take a long hard look at your username after that ;-)

@Robe Green and Red

Totally agree Rochford will have them fired up for sure !

It really helps that we are totally written off by many outside the county . I've a good feeling about this !

Think Donegal will get quite the surprise come Sunday !

Si true Ann Marie

Probably right Anne Marie, but I'm not optimistic about it at all. I'm sure it'll be a dogfight either way. Nothing I'd love more to be wrong.

Just trying to be helpful here. Google.

The phrase "squeaky bum time" originated in 2003 and is attributed to Sir Alex Ferguson, the former manager of Manchester United. It refers to the intense, pressure-filled final stages of a soccer match or competition, particularly when a team is clinging to a lead with little time remaining.
Here's a breakdown of the phrase:
Origin:
Sir Alex Ferguson coined the phrase during a media conference in 2003. He was referencing the feeling of tension and nervousness experienced by players and fans during the final moments of a game when the outcome is uncertain.
Meaning:
"Squeaky bum time" describes a situation where a team is facing a high-stakes, nerve-wracking situation, often with a slim lead and the clock ticking down.
Why the name?
The phrase is believed to have originated from the sound made when someone shifts restlessly in a plastic seat, like a squirming motion, while experiencing pressure and tension. It humorously evokes the feeling of clenching your buttocks under stress, a common reaction to high-pressure situations.
Usage:
The term is widely used in soccer commentary and fan discussions to describe those crucial final moments of a match.

Sometimes you're better off without the detail. 😫

Has been any word on who will be managing the team on Sunday? Will McStay be back in charge, or will Rochford continue where he left off against Tyrone?

Hugh O'Loughlin and Darragh Beirne named in the Under 20 team of the year.
Well done lads.

It is a joint enterprise between Stephen and Kevin,we will win and onward and upwards,no need to worry about Sunday,MAyo by six

@Anne - Marie

You still looking for stand tickets ?

I've 2 spare stand tickets for Sunday as sadly can't go anymore !

Will give them for free to genuine Mayo fans....

Donegal ones will have to pay :p Haha

That's a kind gesture Clare!

@ 2 hops

Aw thanks the more Mayo ones there the better !

Work commitments in Dublin so can't make it but will be cheering them on as ever think we will do it !

Sundays game just means that knockout football comes a week earlier for us.

Yes, a very kind gesture from Clare.

I am looking for 2 stand tickets Clare but will only take them if Ann Marie doesnt need them and I will pay you for them as you didnt get them free yourself

@Glorydays

I can send them to you aw no way they are for free no need for payment and mayo for the win !

My email is Ckclarekennedy@gmail.com

I can forward them on there !

Loving the optimism. Mayo need to bring the heat all over the field, and indeed on the stands and terraces too!

Donegal are big favs but its likely that they will be facing into a prelim 1/4 final win lose or draw. Topping the group would require an unlikely favour from Cavan. Im hoping news filters through that Tyrone are well ahead and our greater need gives us the edge down the stretch

We're always looking forward and never back but the talk of Tyrone being flats a bit unfair on us so let's let loose and go again v Donegal.
I will be overfilled with enthusiasm if Diarmuid and Eoghan are togged .
We need those athletes on the final straight and be massive boost to crowd to see the.coming on .

Does anyone not think that Mayo need to just go buck ape mad from the start on Sunday. Throw all structures out the window and just let loose!! If we try to.play to a system we are goosed i think and will lose by 5 or 6. Just let runners go from everywhere and get the crowd going mad and lift the Hyde with a wave of momentum of the red and green machine. If we go chaos mode we have a brilliant chance and it will be the game of the weekend.

By the way, nice gesture Clare. You're a good soul and I always love your optimistic view no matter how dreary the situation may be on this blog.

Chaos is great and suits us by nature imo but it still has to be controlled chaos otherwise you could just get killed on the counter by Donegal . They can be absolutely devastating breaking at speed from a simple turnover that would take most teams a while to get up the pitch through a running game , Donegal are so dynamic and powerful at it .

I thought the capacity of the Hyde was currently 25k but maybe it’s less than that. It’ll be great to have a full house. There will be a big Mayo crowd at this one - the performance against Tyrone and the fact that’s it’s a short trip for many supporters will definitely help. However, I would still expect Donegal supporters to make up at least half the crowd.

Should be a brilliant atmosphere on Sunday and I really believe we can get the win. No doubt a lot of things will have to go our way but I don’t think our season will end this weekend. I’m also encouraged by the stat from Rob on yesterday’s podcast, that we have only lost one game against Donegal in the twelve league and championship games we’ve played them since the 2012 All Ireland Final.

Eoghan Mc would be a huge addition to the match day panel for Sunday. The pace and tackling skills are lacking in most of the team.

Clare thank you so much for thinking of me - I got sorted thanks to another lovely poster on here. So Glorydays, they are all yours. See ye above!

Mayo people are a generous bunch as proven by your wonderful gesture Clare.
When we win on Sunday where will we stand going forward. Kerry favourites, Armagh second favourites(if they beat Galway) and Mayo third favourites. Obviously Galway will go to second favourites if they beat Armagh but it still leaves us third or fourth at worst. Would you agree? A win on Sunday would be a huge boost to our chances.

@Tubberman Rochford said after the Tyrone game that he hoped Kevin McStay would be back on the sideline for the Donegal game. Can imagine he'll be in attendance anyway as he lives beside the Hyde after all.

Donegal clear favourites which is due as much to the media hype over McGuinness as to genuine formlines. Don't get me wrong because I think that they're a good team but they are not full of supermen and they have plenty of weaknesses too. If sport and particularly team sports was so cut and dried and predictable nobody would watch it. We can do this!
Clare. That was a lovely gesture and I'm sure everyone on here is sad for you missing the game.

@clare. Well done. Great to come across genuine folk now and again.

My aunt has a free car park space in Roscommon
Safe area F42 XN51
Just off the tulsk road
Bit of a walk to Hyde but when leaving you will be out in no time with traffic

Hi Im on the look out for 1 adult and 1 juvenile stand tickets for Sunday. Thanks in advance if any one can help out.

This is what championship is about in my opinion. Everything on the day. I think we are up against it tbh, however a win on Sunday could kick-start this team to new heights. A bit like the win V Cork in 2011. Future looking bright as well with some of the forwards coming through from this year's u20s and the 2 rising Crossmolina stars

@GBXI I agree with you on your point that Eoin MCs pace would be a great addition for Sunday but disagree on his tackling skills. I think he gives away far too many frees that Murphy/ McBrearty can and will punish. Overall tho yes he offers a good option where his pace gets us up the field and creates overlaps so I hope he makes it too.

A lot of rubbish being talked here and overconfident. Where is this coming from?

“Donegal clear favourites which is due as much to the media hype over McGuinness as to genuine formlines.”

Donegal are clear favourites because they are Ulster champions and yes McGuinness does improve them absolutely as he would any team. Mayo in comparison are having a terrible season, playing it fits and starts, Tyrone game aside what the hell have we done?

Donegal absolutely are clear favourites. Can Mayo win? Yes we can but it will take an almighty performance and a lot to go our way. However all form points to a Donegal victory.

@yewtree. What form are you talking about. Tyrone beat Donegal and we beat Tyrone. There is no form throughout this championship other than Armagh and Kerry. Kerry are playing second rate teams and we have no idea how good they are. Galway should not have beaten us in the Connaught final and are a disaster since then. Donegal should not be Ulster champions. There is no form in this championship and we have every right to fancy our chances on Sunday.

But Galway did beat us…we couldn’t push on yet again. The condensed nature of the championship means teams are having flat performances.

Aw thanks everyone just want to them go to a good home !

@Anne - Marie glad you got sorted !

@No doubt & @Joe G ah thanks I will be at the quarter finals haha

@Glorydays the stand tickets are yours feel free to email me and I will send them on !

What have Donegal done though outside of Ulster . I get McGuiness is a great manager but it's fair enough we have confidence back in our guys after the Tyrone performance !

Weather or not we can put in 2 great performances back to back that's unknown but j think we can and will.

Donegal are good but not as good as media ate hyping them up to be .

Still Mayo by 3 and Durcan or Ryan o D for man of the match !

For Fathers day this year I have asked my kids can you organise Mayo to bate Donegal!!
Will be very interested to see the team sheet for this one, quietly optimistic as why not be. We lose and we go off into the sunset for another year. There is still a bite in the Mayo Hound, and despite the odds we have to dream.
Hon Cavan and Hup Maigheo.
@Clare, a wonderful gesture with the tickets, Fair play.

An early goal might change the complexion of the game. I'd expect McGuiness to mix it up on a grand scale, probably starting off cagily to draw Mayo into taking early shots. Mayo will need goals on Sunday, there's no escaping that. Rochford might've known Donegal's playing style well in the past but, this is a different game entirely with the rules shake-up. It's their bench that tips it their way IMO. Alongside Armagh, they've serious squad depth. A high scoring match is on the cards but there's no figuring how it'll pan out. I've said it all year, they'll be hard to beat and are fancied for Sam for a reason. They've had their glitch in Ballybofey.. here's hoping they have another shitty day on Sunday.

Thanks Ann Marie, ive sent you a message Clare thanks again kevevo6@hotmail.com in case you didnt get my message

@Glorydays

Will you email soon : )

Any update on Tommy Conroy's fitness?

Did you get sorted for a ticket James Fleming?

Has to be Donegal despite optimism on here. Also I fear Tyrone will beat Cavan well. Our team is learning and young and I hope to see an inventive approach next year in line with new rules.
Honestly dont think Kevin or Stephen are the answer but they did their best and are proud Mayomen.Hope Aido can keep his form up for a couple more years.We owe him big time in my view.

After thinking about this one all week, on paper Donegal should beat us between their starting XV and their bench packing a punch. But that's what championship is all about, these are the games these lads train for .

I've listened to numerous podcasts and radio clips over the last few days and haven't heard anyone give us a decent chance. That's what we want, and if history is anything to go by, you should never back against the underdog! In a jeopardy game like this, playbooks often go out the window, hopefully we can bring controlled chaos and intensity that Donegal can't live with. Think we will need a couple of goals to win it. Up Mayo!

Hard to see us toppling Donegal on recent form, I just think that they have too much firepower, particularly outside the arc. But what I’d like to see is us really shaking off the shackles and having a proper cut off them. We’ve had a lot of the “structure beats chaos” mantra in recent years but I’m not convinced that it’s true of us generally. We are usually at our best when driving at teams, and I’d be more sure of us being able to play that sort of game if we get a full game out of Paddy D and a cameo from Tommy C, if possible.

At some point, football also has to be entertaining, as well as a results driven business. I suspect (from afar) that the fall off in support has partly been because we have been so flat to watch, in addition to factors outside of football, the inflation crisis and whatnot. Watching Mayo used to be a rollercoaster ride of emotion, irrespective of the final score line. Not so much in recent years, with meek surrenders in several championship games.

Hopefully we have a big crowd as expected, and our support brings the atmosphere that has fallen away in recent years. The sixteenth man.

Mayo games are about the only times that I wish I was back in Ireland.

All Ireland is on Sunday the 27th July.

6 weeks from next Sunday.

No panic

James o donaghue and paddy andrews certainly don’t give us much hope citing that we don’t deserve to go through after losing to Cavan which is unfortunately the result that will ultimately put us out .was the Tyrone performance as good as we thought or are we more at the level we saw against Sligo and Leitrim and the first half of Connacht final.still alot of unanswered questions about this mayo set up .extraordinary to think that Galway have been absolutely rubbish so far in group stages but could still get through.I actually have no idea how Sunday will go and wouldn’t even attempt to predict the outcome.we almost certainly won’t dominate the midfield sector as we did against Tyrone so can we get sufficient scores with less possession.paddy durcan will almost certainly be given special treatment as they know his importance to our game plan.Anyway I would certainly be more hopeful than confident

Here's a fun fact: twenty years ago, our Championship campaign got underway on 19th June at Dr Hyde Park, with a win over the Rossies. This year we've what could well be our final Championship match of the year at the same venue four days earlier in June. Or not, if we get the result we need on Sunday ...

I am 85% convinced that Mayo can outsmart Jim McGuinness. 85% is a high certainty rate, by the way. I couldn’t take it higher as just couldn’t get the final 15% conviction.
I believe McGuinness is a great man for the strategy but we’re not total eejits over on this side either. I mean we can use our own wits to counteract their plans.
Listening to the Mayo GAA podcast and reading Lee Keegan’s article on the RTE website it’s clear Donegal have a multitude of threats, that are real, and not imaginary.
Let’s try to avoid being caught on their counter attack.
I’d try to be alive to them wanting to slow the game to quicksand. I’d try to keep it pacy.
I think it’s an ace if we can prevent them getting comfortable by going into a lead, for example.
Mayo must rattle them so they’re jittery as a bag of bones. And then Jim’s strategy and their threats become less sure.
For me, it is massive that this is potentially our last game of the season and that the management team must know their own position will be commented on too. Mayo will not go into this game meekly. This should be blood and thunder stuff (please God no injures). I underline that we also have a long pedigree as competitors - taking the view back to 2011 and Aidan and Paddy D and even Jordan, Mattie and Ryan connect us to that lived tradition. Things have not worked out for us these last two years but we have the memory of eking out wins, having massive neck and guile in tight games and fighting tooth and nail when we need the win. Does Donegal have that? I don’t think so. That’s not a negative comment on them in any sense, by the way. I just notice that we have lived as a team in those high stakes spaces over a long time and we learned how to ‘handle ourselves’, desire to win, and to believe in ourselves. Let’s see.

We are up against a formidable outfit. Maybe we are a compact, smart little fighter and we’re prevail.

I also have a memory of the Derry game last year. Therefore,
Let’s start well.
We are in the Hyde so we will not be pinned in, as in MacHale Park, thank God.

Pundits change their mind with the wind.
Donegal have a tendency to shoot wides in the latter part of games as against Galway last year.
We are just in knock out football a week early.

That's a mad statement by James o donaghue and paddy andrews saying we don't deserve to go through after loosing to Cavan . What nonsense.

Yes it was embaressing v Cavan not denying that but to say we don't deserve to go through after loosing to them is just stupid .

Agree totally with that, Clare.

Clare I wouldn’t be a huge fan of either of those two lads but I suppose their point is if we couldn’t beat Cavan at home do we realistically have a chance of an all Ireland.Tyrone always knew they had this game against Cavan to go through after beating Donegal

@1985

Yeah I get what you mean . I don't think we realistically have a chance at the all Ireland no .. But still doesn't mean we don't deserve to go through sure only 1 team wins sam anyways. So we deserve to go through if we do get through same as any other team.

We were like a different team v Tyrone and I still don't think Tyrone were as flat as some peole say either.

I'd say the Rossies will get through and they've a much easier group then us but they don't have a realistic chance at winning Sam either.

@Swallow swoops

Yeah .
Still think it's a ridiculous statement from the pair of them .

1985 re Galway, if they do manage to go all the way, it arguably will have hinged on that sideline ball they were wrongly awarded v Derry that directly led to the goal. Could be a real sliding doors moment for them. You wouldn't bet against them (well, given their recent history of losing big games, maybe you'd bet against them just a little).

Re Paddy and James, neither has made any secret of their disdain or lack of respect for Mayo down the years, so as entertaining and indeed knowledgeable as they undoubtedly are, I'd not be worrying too much about them. But it's my dearest wish that we would eventually just win an All-Ireland to put all that kind of stuff to bed.

Swallow Swoops, blood and thunder is exactly what's needed, and given the history between the teams you'd imagine there should be no shortage of enthusiasm from our lads to get stuck in. And we need goals. They'll likely be prioritising two-pointers and shooting them for fun, so in the event that we manage to create goal chances, we really, really need to be taking them.

The more time that passes, the more hopeful I'm feeling, and not just because everyone has us written off.

Pundits know no more or less than the man on the street. How many tipped Armagh last year. None that I recall.
Going by the weather today, it could affect the ground conditions Sunday. We are Underdogs and this is Championship, we are either good enough Sunday or we will go again next year, perhaps with a different setup and mindset. Dublin, Derry, Galway and the Rossies are in pretty much the same boat as us, so we will be in good company at least. Maigheo Abu

James O'Donoghue came out with some bs about players having shots blocked is proof that they aren't skillful after one of our games. A few weeks later he was on duty when David Clifford had several shots blocked down against Cork but not a peep out of him. Most pundits are average to poor I'm afraid with Peter Canavan being a notable excellent one.

Canavan, Boyler and Joe Brolly with Conor Moore doing the voice of Michael Lester would be my ideal RTE punditry line-up for Sunday. Expertise and a bit of craic to boot. Super Sub Eamon Fitzmaurice, great insight and a voice that could make you fall asleep by the fire .

The thing about pundits is if they are ex county players some with multiple all Ireland medals then you would expect them to have more knowledge than the ordinary man on the street.Any game can be turned on it’s head by one single incident as Ann Marie said a wrongly awarded sideline ball for instance.Remember a sideline ball against Meath in 2009 which was clearly given the wrong way leading to a Meath goal.Anyway it will be fascinating to see what happens on Sunday.Can rochford outfox the mystical mcguiness

How does the logic work that Mayo will do better if they are written off

Mayo are always written off in big matches for a reason.
Because they are inconsistent and haven't hammered anyone in 11 years.

Does anyone really think that Mayo will beat Donegal because the players are listening to podcasts and reading papers, making themselves angry?

It will be won and lost on Mayos ability to slow Donegals counter attack.
In every match Mayo have beaten Donegal in (including the last 60mins of the 2012 final), Donegal didn't hit Mayo on the break very much.

Mayo need to sit deep and draw Donegal onto them - a game Donegal don't like to play

If Mayo plow forward and lose ball on turn overs - it will be over at half time

Lets hope that we are at our maverick best on Sunday.
I hope we produce one of those 5 or 10 minute spells where we turn into world beaters. The most recent being like the last 10 minutes in Castlebar v Kerry in March. Arms and legs everywhere, madness, chaos, pandemonium,

We should be foaming at the mouth. If we are to go down then let us go down swinging.

Mayo by 1.

Clare I sent you email regarding tickets

@James Fleming

I already gave them to Glorydays .

Okay Claire sorry for the doubling up

Not yet High or Low

@ James Fleming, tickets still available on Ticketmaster just checked there now.

This ticket situation is in the realms of Martin Walsh .when are the London 2026 tickets available

Jim McGuiness is about as mystical as a side line flag.
I just don't get the guru, aura stuff at all.
Solid, proven county manager but I'm not buying the parapsychological concept blather.
Nope.

It needs to be chaos, house on fire stuff from the start from us as then potentially Donegal will know their fate at half time as they are effectively playing for either a second or third spot. Not saying they will ease up as such but the game a week later may come into focus a lot quicker so may effect the attitude etc..

I am still off the belief there is only a few points between 6 or 7 teams, this championship will be similar to last year and anyone of those could win it. Big added advantage to the 4 teams topping the group has to be said to.

Yew Tree, we wouldn't be getting carried away with you around anyway! I don't get people saying that Tyrone were flat a week after playing Donegal. They had 4 weeks to prepare for that game after being knocked out of Ulster, there's no reason why they would have been flat for the Mayo game, I think they would most likely have been going into that game with a spring in their step after the great win away to Donegal. This is why I think Mayo should be given huge credit for going up there and beating them fairly comfortably. The challenge for Mayo now is if they can back that excellent performance up with an even better one on Sunday!

Joet1480, I’m laughing over here.

Three things are life are guaranteed - death, taxes and James Fleming looking for free tickets when they come up on the mayo gaa blog

The mystical term was used more in sarcasm but in fairness a record in 5 seasons of all Ireland winner 2 finals and 4 semifinal appearances isn’t bad so far

Not going over old ground but agree Deel Rover, I said it before the game but Tyrone were always going to suit us better than the likes of Armagh.
Tyrone do play slower and tend to turn back, a direct fast athletic team can destroy us by kicking over halfbackline, we were being tagged far too easy but again Tyrone, halfback sat that bit deeper but attack ball with great enthusiasm and bite.
Paddy back made a world.of a difference and everyone's performances was up 20% but we got a better handle of midfield and the breaking ball and AOS provided an attacking platform from the 11 and then inside platforms.
Neary also provided dash and cutting edge which we hadn't v cavan, so opposition suited us best to express ourselves, we had a point to prove , pride was on the line and it worked , not Tyrone rolling over and allowing us to stroke their tummy's.
They got done by a better Mayo than the team that played Cavan.
For whatever reason, we can discuss till cows come home but these are amateur players, cut them some slack.

Onto Donegal on paper they shouldn't suit us but if we choke and spoil midfield and win higher % of breaking ball, then it's in our own hands and up to forwards to tag on the scores . Hopefully they will , that's the difference between us and the elite , we haven't the top top , consistent forward like prime Cillian or Andy and with that comes an unknown quantity but once we don't lack heart and effort then it's good enough for me , but I'm optimistic that we can beat Donegal and with Eoghan and Diarmuid returning, then maybe another addition or two like Conor or Tommy or Mchale , it would be a superior squad to present but let's get over this weekend and see where we are

These comments by ex Dubs and ex Kerry pundits should be considered as statements of fear that Mayo might get a real run going and upset whatever little apple cart they have planned for themselves.That’s what I take from them anyway.These are the same people who claim no one”deserves” an All Ireland(true) but somehow a team with varying levels of performance don’t deserve to progress to the next round.Inside their heads is not a pretty place.

If an illegal or an illogical (or even logical) Alien, or even Artificial Intelligence (AI)was trying to learn, stumbled onto this site and read all those comments about Mayo being flat, or Donegal being flat and went to have a look at Google Earth, and seen the Bluestack mountains, Errigal, Nephin, Maumtrasna, and lovely Croagh Patrick high in the sky. I'm afraid there would be some confusion. Now if the Rossies were to play Kildare and posters were talking about either or both counties being flat they might think they were getting a handle on what we were talking about !...

@Food4thought

Good comment there fully agree with that !

Yes, Andrews and O'Donoghue are haters for sure.

Haters I dunno , wind up merchants yes and a smirk as regards discussing Mayo football too . Galway won the all Ireland in 2001 but lost to Roscommon , are they considered undeserving winners ? O donoghue talks some shite and constantly gets stuff wrong , he owes a great debt to Cormac Reilly for his medal , lest we forget .

Thanks bonnie Boyler got sorted

I just watched that piece on Off The Ball and it is infuriating. I dearly hope that Mayo wins that game on Sunday, sticks it to the very sure pundits and right royally upsets the apple cart. It also infuriates me that there is a broad agreement that McGuinness's Donegal are 'the real deal' and far ahead of mere mortal other teams. McGuinness is only back one year - this is his second year managing the team. They looked good but yet one-dimensional in their play in the quarter final and semi-final last year.
Yes, McGuinness's Donegal have won Ulster titles in both years he has been back as manager.
I went online to Wikipedia to check that and I notice that Donegal has been an Ulster finalist *in most years* since 2011 - yes, you read that right!! It seems that Donegal are no strangers whatsoever to the Ulster Final.
Anyway, let's see what Mayo can do on Sunday. I think they have it in them to pull off one of their signature surprises and get a win. Mayo to prevail, for me!

I am looking for a juvenile ticket for my young fellow for the stand, if anyone on here has already bought one, but doesn't need it now. He is a bit too young for the terraces. I don't think he would be able to see much. I should be able to get an adult stand one for myself in the next two days. Will pay of course.
Ideally, if someone has an adult stand ticket and juvenile stand ticket, then even better.

@Swallow swoops

Great post !

I couldn't bring myself to listen to that off the ball piece.

It's so infuriating but sure let them at it they've always been like that talking about mayo especially James O ' donoghue .

I'd love if we went out and beat Donegal and wiped that smug smile off his face and I think we will.

Also this idea that McGuiness is back will bring Donegal sam is something else. Yes he's a great manager but you need the players to . For me Armagh are far stronger team and favourites ahead of Donegal I think .

I'm glad we are so written off for this . It's when we are so written off we throw a surprise sometimes and I think that will be the case come Sunday !

Lads I don't know why ye waste your time listening to these podcasts and worse still getting worked up over what is said on them. It doesn't matter a damn what these lads say and it will have no bearing on the game Sunday.
I guarantee you there are a lot of contributors on here who know a lot more about Mayo football than the likes of James o Donoghue. These lads are only trying to make a name for themselves to earn a few euros.

What do O'Donohue and Andrews reckon Dublin deserve after losing to meath? I'd have cavan and meath on the same level so maybe Dublin shouldn't go through.

Andrews a right sickener I agree. O Donoghue not much better. Andrews was an average enough player too, he had great team around him so I wouldn't take too much heed of what he'd say.

I guess everyone has an opinion..just because you won a few all irelands with a great team dont make you a good pundit, I would say Eamon Fitzmaurice and his mate tomas o se as good as what's out there along with McConville and Canavan. The rest, middling enough .

I suppose the context of the two lads comment was we basically had a home game against Cavan to almost guarantee some form of progress through the group as I would expect Tyrone like Donegal to beat Cavan comfortably enough..wouldn’t be a big fan of either of those lads but I’m not sure you can call a lad with 7 all Ireland medals an average player .Of course the two lads could also be having a sly dig who knows

40% take us to lose.Maybe we are not that naive after all.

@Padraig O Neill Ok

You also have 46% voting for a win .

It's not naivety to say you think mayo will win come Sunday . Doesn't have to be all doom & gloom all the time you know.

We have momentum behind us but get your view is well . Though as I said just cause you think Mayo might win Sunday doesn't make you naive .

Well, opinions are for arseholes....every1 has got 1....

I'd kinda forgotten Andrews has 7 all ireland medals. Wow.. That means himself, O'Donohue and myself have 8 all ireland medals bet us.

Between us

Just a contrary opinion,

The pundits aren't saying anything that different than posters here have said over the past few months. ( Not the fans who think Mayo will win no matter what ) But supporters who are objective.

Mayo like Dublin have lacked any consistency all year and nobody here can honestly say with any confidence what version of Mayo will show up on Sunday.

I'm not a fan of Jim McGuinness but let's be real here they are the favourites and they have the form.

Mayo need 8/9 out of ten performances from their key players if they are to win.

I'm afraid from the outside I don't see Mayo having enough threats to hurt Donegal.
Donegal have the size advantage around the middle 8 and more threats infront of goal.

The one thing that may swing this is if Patton is out then that gives Mayo a greater chance.

I hope I'm wrong as I've no love for Jim McGuinness and id hope your still in the championship come Sunday evening.

I’m always amused when people get upset by what pundits and podcasts say etc. Do ye want them all to be falling over themselves praising us and saying what great lads we are? Fact is Omagh aside we have don’t nothing to merit such praise.

We even even struggled past Leitrim ffs. I sincerely hope we do win on Sunday but going on evidence so far I can’t see it and in fairness that’s what the pundits are going on. Even Leeroy thinks we will loose.

The pundits are of course saying things that are different then what's been posted here as of late !

They said we don't deserve to go through cause we lost to Cavan not one person on hers said that after our performance v Tyrone !! What utter nonsense..

We are being real here we have just as much chance to beat Donegal as they have to beat us .

Always from the outside of course ones don't see us winning .. that didn't stop us in killarney in 23 ( yes we didn't go far either that year but we were totally written off )

Didn't stop us going up to Omagh again totally written off .

The pundits are the pundits as others said looking for the click bate and the euros !

Those pair as others said never hid their distain or disrespect for Mayo . Especially James O Donhue !!

We've had Donegals number over the last few years .

I stand by what I said they've nothing so far outside of Ulster to prove that they will beat us out the gate as many outside of our own say !

Mayo by 3 .

There is no form in our group stage going into Sundays match. Everyone is on two points and everyone has to win or draw to progress. If you were to follow logic of A is to B and B is to C then A is to C.Therefore Cavan beat Mayo, Mayo beat Tyrone and so Cavan will beat Tyrone. We know that will not happen. So explain to me what form are we following. There is no form. Everyone is playing for survival. Any pundit saying Mayo will lose is talking thru his arse. There is just the desire to win and who wants it the most. I think Mayo have the desire and passion to win.

Absolutely nothing wrong with what Andrews & O Donoghue said. Said we were a better team than Cavan & took our eye off the ball & if we go out because of that, then we Absolutely deserve to go out. How is there anything wrong with that? It's 100% true. We destroyed our season. Unless we come up with a result on Sunday, that is

I dunno 1985. Would you call Davy Byrne an average player, I Would and he has 8 All Irelands. And MD McCauley, I know he was effective, how he won player of the year in 13, il never know. He always reminded me of a horse running with blinkers on. Absolutely woeful kicker off a ball hence why he didn't do much..not a likeable player at all.

I would agree on McCauley.I always thought he looked more like a rugby centre than a Gaelic footballer

“Donegal have the size advantage around the middle 8 “ lot of people saying this

TSU if you’ve time I’d love to see what that actually means in real terms , are they taller , more muscle , heavier ? Galway seemed a lot bigger than our bucks too but I didn’t think we did too bad in that department of middle 8 , anyone got the stats from the Connacht final ?

I suppose my point is even in peak years a lot of middle 8 ball was won by smaller players layers like Kev Mcgloughlin , Jason doc wasn’t that big either .

Pundits cover themselves every way they always add a “but “ , the podcasts are notorious for it , it does make me laugh when they come on the following week “I told ya I told ya “ oh aye good man you could also say it if they lost haha . Look at west Kerry’s post above , very sure of a Donegal win then adds a “but “ if Patton doesn’t tog .

Anyway for what it’s worth I’m predicting a comfortable Mayo win , I firmly believe people in general have not a clue of the potential of this Mayo team including themselves unfortunately.

I reckon we're just protective of our buckeens( to use @seanBurke word). It's alright for us to slate them at times but it just seems patronising at times when pundits have a go even though they might be talking the truth sometimes. Sure even the great @westkerry doesn't take long to take offence to remarks about his/her county folk on here.

Off the ball is a good listen, its a bit of craic if nothing else. I would just take their opinions like anyone else's, with a pinch of salt.

Bring the noise.

Bring the grit.

LBring the menace and ruthlessness on and off the field.

We love the chaos.

We are the chaos.

Do or die.

Mayo by 2

@Rusty bridges I agree with you I don’t see anything wrong with what they said about the Cavan game. No need to take what these “experts” say so seriously it’s a bit of crack and they call it how they see and obviously sometimes get it wrong. Hopefully Sunday is one of those times.

There's defending your own and then there's leaving any objectivity out of the debate.

Getting angry at what a Kerry or Dublin lad thinks on a podcast is shooting the messenger and ignoring the message.

Like it or not Mayo have been poor this year and Cavan beating them is a prime example and Donegal have been the form team in the country from day 1.

Can Mayo win on Sunday, Ofcourse they can but on the balance of what we've seen so far its a big ask.

I hope you do it because the championship is a poorer place without Mayo.

I listened to the Football Pod and honestly couldn’t really take offence at anything they said.

They strongly fancy Donegal to have too much for us - that’s fair enough on the balance of what we’ve seen this year.

Does that mean we’re completely without hope? Of course not. But you’d have to be extremely optimistic to be in any way confident about Sunday.

We can’t take grave offence at someone expressing an objective opinion about our prospects in a given game.

I hope they’re caught out badly, but there’s no doubt the odds are firmly against us.

Patton in for Donegal; team named

@Sean Burke: "TSU if you’ve time I’d love to see what that actually means in real terms , are they taller , more muscle , heavier ?".

The question there is data rather than time. It sadly doesn't exist in any public consistent format so not a whole lot to offer analysing that (with huge caveats on the very rough numbers mentioned below to the point I wouldn't waste time analysing them for specific matchups or averages, just ends up too many unknowns and data you couldn't stand over [pun intended]).

You could do a subjective call on things like height or weight, but it's all meaningless enough. Height only matters in so much as it helps in winning aerial battles, but without taking into account the relative intangibles here of jumping ability, determination or ability to read a ball in the air it's of limited value on its own (e.g. Ryan one of our best fielders despite his lack of height).

Having said all that (& using Google's best estimates, so serious question marks on accuracy):

Murphy - 6'2"
Langan - 6'2"
McFadden - 6'2"
Thompson - 6'1"
McGonagle - 6'1"
Moore - 6'
Gallen - 6'
McMenamin - 6'
McBrearty - 6'
C O'Donnell - 6'
S O'Donnell - 5'11"
McHugh - 5'9"
(struggling to find a number I'd trust for Gallagher, Doherty, Ó'Baoill, Roarty, McCole or Mogan - but none would be extremes at either end of the scale)

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"
(similar struggles for Tuohy, Brick (both 6'2 or 6'3"ish), Hession & McHale - but again ignores stuff like McHale winning the most breaks for Mayo this year, by a margin, by work-rate & determination alone despite being outsized by bigger lads)

I'd be the first to say a few of those Donegal numbers look a little understated, and a few of the Mayo ones might have been stretching their neck (or the truth) at the time.

Thanks TSU , appreciate the effort you put in to posting

Some of those heights definitely look wrong, I need to start considering myself about 6'2 from now on

@No doubt fully agree there !

It's not ignoring the message of what the kerry or Dublin lad said . Your entitled to be annoyed at them saying you don't deserve to go through after loosing to Cavan . Guarantee if the tables where turned Kerry would be giving out to the high heavens same as when they give out when McMahon gives a dig at kerry sure same thing !

But it's click bait . . And as others say we should take it with a pinch of salt !

Mayo were poor v Cavan because we were so deflated after loosing connacht 4 years in a row .. no exsuce but we were a different team v Tyrone in terms of performance . I think we can pull it off v Donegal to .

Donegal the in form team? Hmm after Tyrone beat them to . We shall see come Sunday sure. It's Armagh the in form team and they will win sam again I'd say .

Let's see how kerry do after not being tested in the round robin and a really easy round robin group for how many years in a row !