Colm O'Rourke believes Mayo's problems will continue unless they can unearth a player like Ryan McHugh to break the gain line.

Last Sunday's shock home defeat to Cavan has left Mayo in the Division 1 relegation dogfight and writing in the Sunday Independent, O'Rourke feels they are going backwards rather than forward. 

"They have invented even worse habits as they go along in this campaign. Their constant passing over and back along the 45-metre line indicates a team which has not learned much recently, or indeed at any time. Unless they get the sort of pace that Ryan McHugh brings to Donegal they are going to regress further," the Meath legend states.

"It seems to me that the full-forward line is drifting out to midfield looking for easy ball and there is no one inside to kick it to. Cillian O'Connor must stay inside and contest long ball and they need Lee Keegan, Patrick Durkan and Keith Higgins playing around midfield with instructions to attack the massed defences that form along the 45-metre line. Otherwise it is back to prayers - and they have not exactly worked before.

"The O'Shea brothers may return but that will bring power and not the pace and subtlety that breaks the outer defensive line and wins big games. Cavan set Mayo the same puzzle as they have experienced on many occasions in the past. Perhaps Mayo will be better in summer and maybe this is part of some long-term strategy, but the code is hard to decipher."

O'Rourke added: "If I was picking the Mayo team there would be several positional changes but all the tea in India could not pay someone to run this team and I admire Stephen Rochford who must want to lash out in frustration but keeps his counsel very well. The continuing Mayo saga will fill many column inches this year. Oh, for an end to this play which is now rolling close to 60 acts. When are the heroes going to appear?"

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