As a Galway man I'm very happy the way things have gone for us so far but still find it strange and baffling how around this time every year people are very quick to write off mayo .
Going back the last few years going into the final weekend of league football mayo have been on the brink of relegation and this year has been no different and yet people say the same things ,I for one will never write them off because you can't and once there is playing like they can they are still the only team in the country that can put it up to the dubs ,my Galway team have taken things very seriously even going back to the fbd games ,what mayo players of note played fbd? When did the mayo players get back into training after their team holiday ? Mayo had big big players missing from the league campaign not just fringe players but starting players like Harrison,Vaughan,Higgins,Barrett and players like O'Connor ,parsons,seamie O'Shea,Keegan,Durkan who missed bug chunks of the league and were no where near fit when played ,I am hoping and I also expect Galway to beat mayo on may 13th coz gakway preparations are a lot more ahead of mayo at this stage but mayo will still get further in the championship and would not be one but surprised if Dublin v mayo do battle once again for Sam ,this mayo team are warriors that never give up so write them off at your peril and my fellow Galway folks don't be getting too far ahead of ourselves because of a league campaign that we took more serious than everyone else,remember what happened Roscommon after their brilliant league campaign ,this team we have is a team that can achieve great things I just don't think its their time just yet

Galwayjoe86 (Galway) - Posts: 258 - 28/03/2018 10:56:42    2088959

I think this year is a bit different given their injury trouble and don't forget they played 10 games last year which in legs that already have plenty of miles on them it is a big ask to come back again this year. I know they've proved doubters wrong continually as that is simply what they do but I sense something different this year. A very bold statement but I for one wouldn't be overly surprised to see Mayo miss out on the Super 8s altogether. Lose to Galway and get a tricky qualifier tie (traditionally they've struggled in these) and I fear last year's exertions combined with injuries could eventually catch up on them. They have been unbelievable over the past number of years, getting the result they needed in Donegal last week was huge but I feel it papers over the cracks and they may well run out of steam early doors this year. Happy for them to prove me wrong as the latter stages of the championship would be a lesser spectacle without them.

TrueBlue35 (Dublin) - Posts: 206 - 28/03/2018 11:12:40    2088967

Ya that is a good point about running out of steam but also another way to look at it is that when the players like Harrison Vaughan Higgins Barrett and the other players thd likes of O'Connor seamie o Shea parsons Durkan get to full fitness which they are all expected to some championship time they will have plenty in the tank as they have played very little league and no fbd but will see because it probably has to happen at some point but just find it a but odd how every year the same is said and every year they have shut everyone up

Galwayjoe86 (Galway) - Posts: 258 - 28/03/2018 11:19:29    2088969

While I acknowledge that mayo have not been at full strength during the league, with the exception of Galway and possibly Monaghan, everyone else has not been either. Bearing this in mind, consider the Kerry game and the Donegal game as yardsticks for the rest of the year. Kerry fielded an experimental young side at the beginning of Feb and beat Mayo by 4 or 5 points in Castlebar. When you look at the game in Ballybofey, Donegal had older players back, who lacked match fitness, and we were missing Ryan McHugh as well as Mcbrearty's injury. Any other Mayo team over the years would have hockied us after going 4 or 5 points up. I watched Aidan O'Shea and Seamus O'shea during the game and they absolutely struggled. Andi Moran also faded very noticeably. The big question is can these lads get themselves right for the Galway game and thereafter? I think that because the year is a month shorter this year, fitness levels should be coming out in the wash earlier. Tyrone, Monaghan and Galway are the teams that are showing they are at championship levels now, on the back of their last 3 outings. Dublin obviously have cards to play with their panel. I am not sure about Kerry, although they had nothing to play for on Sunday against Tyrone, it wouldn't be unlike them to be staying under the radar. They do have a pool of players to draw down on too, but I think that they too perhaps are a year early in their development.

But I don't feel that Mayo were trying to stay under the radar on Sunday. They were facing relegation and they survived by proxy of weaker opposition. And it took a last gasp point by a Donegal error, to draw the game.

I get the feeling that if you are going to be lucky year in year out through the back door, you face being unlucky all of a sudden. Last year Mayo did have some luck as well as character for sure. But This year if I were to call it, I think that they are going to struggle against the top teams. This doesn't mean they cant progress to the semis if they get their run going and fall back on experience. But all of a sudden, I think that Mayo will face an existential footballing crisis this summer, all in one afternoon.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 28/03/2018 14:21:59    2089051

festinog (Galway) - Posts: 3097 - 28/03/2018 18:24:42    2089126

Wouldn't be writing them off just yet, but how many more lives has this cat got?

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8596 - 28/03/2018 18:52:27    2089132

There is a lot of miles on this team but watching the Donegal game I feel that Mayo have blooded three new players.They really stood up when needed,Conor Loftus,Stephen Coen and Eoin O Donoghue.Loftus and Coen have been in the panel the last couple of years brought in from the under 21 panel.I was very impressed with them,not an easy place to get a result.Loftus didn't put a foot wrong with his frees.Coen was solid in defense.O Donoghue took that point like a veteran.Don't know if that's enough but they keep proving us wrong.Time will tell.

johndsands (Galway) - Posts: 8 - 28/03/2018 20:17:43    2089150

I have a lot of mayo friends who know their football and everyone of them think that mayo won't do well this year and the rise of Galway will eventually lead to an All Ireland for the tribesmen.

I do however think that mayo and Galway championship match this year will be decided by which ever team is disciplined and able to to keep their 15 players on the field

heartbroken (Galway) - Posts: 370 - 28/03/2018 20:56:42    2089161

Llaw_Gyffes (Mayo) - Posts: 1113 - 28/03/2018 21:28:10    2089173

Toney (Meath) - Posts: 298 - 28/03/2018 21:35:57    2089177

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11236 - 28/03/2018 21:46:23    2089182

If any other team were performing like Mayo at the moment, no-one would get them a hope in hell of winning anything.

However because it is Mayo and they have proven to be a top table team after disastrous leagues every analyst I have heard is giving them a punchers chance.

So who exactly is writing them off?????

Mayonman (Galway) - Posts: 1835 - 28/03/2018 22:52:50    2089207

centerfield (Mayo) - Posts: 360 - 28/03/2018 23:10:59    2089213

Llaw_Gyffes (Mayo) - Posts: 1113 - 28/03/2018 23:41:36    2089221

centerfield (Mayo) - Posts: 360 - 29/03/2018 00:13:59    2089224

heartbroken (Galway) - Posts: 370 - 29/03/2018 06:44:52    2089232

kiloughter (Galway) - Posts: 1947 - 29/03/2018 08:39:15    2089243

Mayonman (Galway) - Posts: 1835 - 29/03/2018 08:44:36    2089245

kiloughter (Galway) - Posts: 1947 - 29/03/2018 09:24:11    2089256

Belclare1 (Galway) - Posts: 1626 - 29/03/2018 10:07:29    2089263