All i am hearing is "Two best teams in ireland - Dublin and Kerry" or "Only 2 teams can win Sam" or "The 2 best teams in the country meeting in league final" etc etc etc

Lads, what did I miss? When did Kerry over take Mayo by so much as to be seemingly so far ahead in the pecking order?
last i checked, Mayo came a lot closer to beating the Dubs last year than Kerry did?

i would in no way say Kerry are a better team than Mayo, id say they are just as good as each other?

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 13/04/2016 13:26:15    1845137

A bit of recency bias I think Liam.

Kerry are doing better than Mayo right now so people think that Mayo have fallen behind them despite the evidence of last summer where Mayo came so very close to beating Dublin.

Also the whole fall out from the management issue has people assuming that Mayo will be worse this year for some reason I don't understand. I mean if they were so close last year with a management team that they didn't like then why would they be any further away this year?

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13707 - 13/04/2016 13:38:56    1845142

League form simple as

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 13/04/2016 13:42:59    1845149

While mesamis is correct, we have to acknowledge that we haven't looked great this year to date. Not to mention some senior guys who seem more interested in being media personalities than footballers. Maybe win something before you start talking?

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 13/04/2016 13:46:22    1845152

watching Mayo in the league, while the results wouldnt make u sit up, in all the games I saw, they had spells where they looked outstanding.
This Mayo team is not too far away, They need to stop dicking around with AOS tho, and they need Cillian and the brother to have a fit summer.
They will prob meet one of the "big 2" in the final where they will be fresher and less rattled from a killer semi final, unless Donegal come good, which of course they easily could!
But people not even mentioning Mayo as contenders, and saying its a 2 horse race like as if Dublin and Kerry are miles ahead ala the 70's is utter claptrap.

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 13/04/2016 13:46:42    1845153

I wouldn't say that there would be much in it if both counties had their full sides out later in the championship, possibly Kerry have a stronger squad than Mayo. I think the fact that Mayo had such a slow start under Rochford is responsible for us dropping off the radar a bit, which is no bad thing IMO. A few Mayo players appear in the media a bit too much for my liking, which is not generally something that you'd associate with Kerry (current squad members, that is).

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 13/04/2016 13:46:51    1845154

Kerry have better forwards, no doubt. But Mayo have a far stronger defence, especially half backs.

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 13/04/2016 13:52:59    1845160

the love is still there !! ...we've just learned to keep quite ...for now !!!!!!!!!!!!!

HurlerOnTheFenc (Mayo) - Posts: 282 - 13/04/2016 14:01:19    1845165

Mayo haven't got the forward options like Dublin and Kerry.Not by a long shot.Dublin have 9 top quality forwards,all capable of scoring regularly.Kerry have five or six.Mayo have how many?It really is not rocket science.Mayo's problem has not gone away.They will struggle to keep up with Dublin this year should we meet.I would be very confident of giving Mayo a bit of a trimming this year.Yes,we've had some great battles in recent years but like Donegal in their two recent league beatings i don't believe Mayo fully believe they can beat Dublin in Croke Park now.That's how i see it anyway.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 13/04/2016 14:13:45    1845175

Kerry have better forwards on paper perhaps but if they carry this blanket defence style into the championship then Cooper, O'Sullivan, Walsh are going to have to be super fit to carry the mileage. Mayo have the O'Connors, AOS, McLoughlin, Moran etc who I believe are just as good as the Kerry forwards but I don't think they have the bench. So all in all pretty even I would say.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 13/04/2016 14:15:46    1845176

Whats up with HS , Mayo no love and Dubs missing Meath , worlds messed up or is it the phoney war

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 13/04/2016 14:17:10    1845178

our defence is vastly improved the stats prove it 2nd best defence after Dublin conceded 5 goals in 8 games (2 against Dublin first game) I would take our fullback line over mayos anyday their halfbacks are better tho

coopersleftfoot (Kerry) - Posts: 91 - 13/04/2016 14:29:01    1845189

Kerry & Dublin do look the best 2 teams in the land right now. Mayo & Tyrone are next in the pecking order (both All-Ireland semifinalists last year) & then comes Cork, Donegal & Monaghan. Nothing has changed since last year really except Roscommon did well in the early rounds of the league.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 13/04/2016 15:31:57    1845227

I think mayo are in a perfect position going into the championship

dave1988 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1055 - 13/04/2016 15:47:59    1845240

Id put Kerry just about as main rivals simply due to the fact they have more recent success and the history etc etc
but man for man, Mayo are better for me, just about
The current Mayo team have more marquee players than the current Kerry panel for me

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 13/04/2016 15:49:32    1845241

Don't see how Tyrone are above Donegal considering we have beaten them four years on the trot but anyway I digress .

I think Mayo are in a really nice position this year . Usually Connacht is a cake walk bar the odd scare .

This year Mayo will have two sterner tests but they will defo win Connacht ; there is no question about that . When push comes to shove , Mayo will beat who's in front of them out west .

They are deadly from 5-9. I think if Evan Regan becomes a regular contributor of 3-4 points a game - I could see them winning it.

Think they are just behind Dublin and Kerry and just ahead of Donegal, Tyrone and Monaghan .

One thing is for certain though : they won't have an issue in Connacht and will be in the shake up .

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 13/04/2016 16:07:11    1845253

I think people are unsure about new management and the League didn't really tell us anything. We were brutal against Cork and Kerry, okay against Donegal and Dublin and good against Roscommon and Monaghan. Their stated aim was to stay in Division 1 and they have achieved that. There has been no noticeable change in their style of play and maybe that is a decision by management not to show their hand. Hopefully they are working hard behind closed doors on a radical plan that will result in world domination. I think any such plan will have to include putting Aido in at full forward and keeping him there even if it means tying him to the goalpost. I think they might try Higgins again in the forward line, maybe at centre forward. They have plenty of cover at the back with the arrival of Harrison and Nally but their full back line is a little bit small and I think Clarke is a better option in goal to add a bit of presence. After two final and two semi final defeats it's hard to know how often they can keep coming back. Anyway being out of the limelight is not a bad thing, at least we are not getting any abuse. That only comes when we start winning.

Llaw_Gyffes (Mayo) - Posts: 1113 - 13/04/2016 16:23:35    1845270

The right stuff I would be of the same thought as you but replace Cork with Monaghan.

woops (Kerry) - Posts: 2073 - 13/04/2016 16:25:35    1845271

Low enough build up so far with a pour enough league but when push came to shove done enough to stay in Div1.
I wish a certain player (you know who) would stay away from the media interviews and keep his head down though as has already been mentioned.

The doubt will remain until we eventually do win an All Ireland like with any team looking to bridge a long gap. The only thing that matters is the belief in the squad itself.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11230 - 13/04/2016 16:48:40    1845284

You must be trolling Liamo? Or just having a laugh?
Picture this ,there are 10 minted left in an Al Ireland Final and the game is there for the taking who would you rather be up against?
Kerry or Mayo?
Thought so.

Condorman (Dublin) - Posts: 983 - 13/04/2016 16:52:39    1845286