clondalkindub
The Master as you said "Donegal deserved to win last years final" now can you leave it at that for the love of god.

A point was raised about that game and I addressed it. I dont see why it is the response you take issue with as opposed to the initial, inaccurate claim. Also, if you dont have interest in the subject of mayo and donegal then by all means find another thread that does interest you.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 31/07/2013 11:38:48    1448544

It will only be clear on Sunday whether the lack of competitive games has had a negative affect on Mayo. Donegal need a massive improvement, on present form you'd have to fancy Mayo to win this, Donegal look to be struggling and this is a huge chance for the Connacht Champs.

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8771 - 31/07/2013 11:44:49    1448556

Hardly horans fault the press keep asking him questions

MayoMark (Mayo) - Posts: 332 - 31/07/2013 11:45:18    1448557

realdub
County: Dublin
Posts: 1739

1448556 It will only be clear on Sunday whether the lack of competitive games has had a negative affect on Mayo. Donegal need a massive improvement, on present form you'd have to fancy Mayo to win this, Donegal look to be struggling and this is a huge chance for the Connacht Champs.

Spot on. Great chance for Mayo to prove that they are well capable of winning the All-Ireland. In fact I would go so far as to say that if they did'nt beat us on Sunday it would be a disaster for them!

DLlegends (Donegal) - Posts: 503 - 31/07/2013 11:51:48    1448567

Hardly horans fault the press keep asking him questions

That tends to happen when your holding press conferences

johnterry (Galway) - Posts: 582 - 31/07/2013 11:54:39    1448572

does anyone think appointing an ulster ref for a match involving an ulster and non ulster team is strange?surely there was a munster or leinster ref available?

kavvie (Clare) - Posts: 505 - 31/07/2013 11:55:55    1448575

If we were at full strength DLlegends then I would agree, but we actually have more injury concerns than donegal do. We wont be at full tilt so it probably wouldnt be a disaster for them if they did lose. It would just have been an unlucky draw for us, between injuries and matches coming early etc. You need a bit of luck to win sam - things out of your control to go for you etc. Donegal got it last year, they arent this year, neither are we up to this point. The teams you would say are getting it are dublin and kerry, and even tyrone are getting a bit of it lately.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 31/07/2013 12:02:21    1448583

johnterry
County: Galway
Posts: 103

That tends to happen when your holding press conferences

It is common that every county holds a press night before big games now. Are you suggesting Mayo pull the plug and don't offer any media comments?

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11634 - 31/07/2013 12:07:24    1448590

MuckrossHead
County: Donegal
I enjoy it GateKeeper just as I enjoy jousting with 95% of the lads on here. It's a bit of fun about our favourite obsession & at the same time points get debated & not a day goes by when I don't learn something. What more could a man ask for?



Fair enough muckross, but there are better teachers than themaster! ;)

TheGateKeeper (Tyrone) - Posts: 2843 - 31/07/2013 12:09:01    1448595

Not sure how this game will go to be honest. Monaghan have shown that if you set yourself up right you can overcome Donegal but whether or not Mayo can is another question. Given the run-in Mayo have got to be at the 1/4 final stage then its hard to guage where they are at. I was at the Connacht final a couple of weekends back and the scoreline flattered Mayo a bit in my opinion and their defence were dodgy to say the least. Now before you Mayoites all start jumping down my throat regarding the number of wides Mayo hit etc you have to remember that London had a perfectly good goal disallowed themselves, had a penalty turned down when the Mayo keeper flattened the London forward and also London had a shocking amount of wides themselves. What would worry me if I was Mayo supporter was the way that London were afforded so much room in the Mayo half of the field - the fact that they didn't know what to do with the ball when they got in to 3 on 1 situations a number of times in the second half is another story. Now, whether or not the above points regarding Mayo were down to complacency given the opposition in the Final (and indeed the whole Connacht Championship) I don't know but if you allow complacency to creep in to games which you know you will/should win then it can become a bit of a habit. I always believe if you are beating a team by 15 points at Half Time you should aim to beat them by at least 30 come full time.

Regarding Donegal then again its hard to know how they will play (or be allowed to play) and if they have a plan B if Mayo play a similar game to Monaghan did. I seen Monaghan against ourselves in the first round of Ulster and honestly thought the team would go no further than the next round as if we had a manager with more cahoonas we could have come out victors that day. Little did I realise that the same team would beat the All Ireland champions by a larger margin that ourselves in the Ulster Final.

Anyway, as I said, hard to predict how this one will go which is why on the 1/4 final prediction thread I opted to sit on the fence and go for a draw.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 31/07/2013 12:09:16    1448596

MayoMark
County: Mayo
Posts: 215

1448557
Hardly horans fault the press keep asking him questions

Same could be said about McGuinness.
Part of the game nowadays & media will spice it up to sell papers

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 31/07/2013 12:14:20    1448602

Indeed yewtree. In fact, mayo deliberately hold them very early in the week so they will have as little effect as possible come the game. I thought horan diffused the situation quite well actually

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 31/07/2013 12:18:02    1448609

Watch and learn TheGateKeeper watch and learn!!! :)

Mancirish (UK) - Posts: 2200 - 31/07/2013 12:20:28    1448616

This thread is gone to sh*te lads. Why cant we discuss a game without it becoming a 14 page bitchathon between 3 or 4 lads? Far too many on here take someones honest opinion as an insult. Chill out boys.

Safe travelling to all this weekend. Se ye in Coppers Saturday night.

killer_88_ (Mayo) - Posts: 2040 - 31/07/2013 12:26:49    1448622

johnterry
County: Galway
Posts: 103

That tends to happen when your holding press conferences

It is common that every county holds a press night before big games now. Are you suggesting Mayo pull the plug and don't offer any media comments?

OK, fair enough. But my points still valid. Kerry and Dublin are playing this weekend and are the 2 most successful counties to ever play the game and im listening to what Jim Gavin and Eamon Fitzmaurice think about the modern game every day I pick up a newspaper.

johnterry (Galway) - Posts: 582 - 31/07/2013 12:34:19    1448633

typo, "NOT" listening

johnterry (Galway) - Posts: 582 - 31/07/2013 12:39:32    1448644

I was gutted when I heard the draw, Donegal and Mayo against each other again It was so weird last year in the final, I've got me mums Donegal in 1 corner and me dads Mayo in the other. Your happy and sad with every point, it was the strangest feeling in Croke Park last September.

The best team won the day and they were deserved Champions over the year as they shone like a beacon all season in the Championship 2012. I celebrated the win but felt for Mayo who again fell at the final hurdle.

But this year I just have this feeling that it is going to be Mayo's year and who could begrudge them that?

Both teams have struggled with injuries, but it is clear Mayo have coped the better. The big question where they are concerned is how they will cope against a top team?

As for Donegal it is so hard to retain Sam, the edge and hunger just isn't the same in some people once you have climbed the hill…. That sharpness just hasn't been there this year. Only Kerry has retained it in recent times, not even Mickey Harte's great Tyrone team could do it when they were in their prime.

I'm over for the match but again will struggle to enjoy it…. I'll go for a Mayo win by 2 or 3pts and Mayo to beat Monaghan and then Dublin come 3rd week in September!!!

Mancirish (UK) - Posts: 2200 - 31/07/2013 13:01:17    1448674

Your prediction might not be too far wrong Mancirish.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9793 - 31/07/2013 13:16:19    1448693

Yeah master your right.You do need a bit of luck to win Sam and we had our fair share last year. I actually think you are in a better position this year and playing better football. I know the likes of Clark and Moran are injured but S O' Shea is playing extremley well in the middle of the park at the minute. I think he is better suited to play against a team like Donegal than B. Moran. Also A O' Shea is hitting good form and will look to break lines to create space for others.

The form of your three main defenders Caff, Higgns and Boyle is another a big plus and the latter two will try to use their speed against the Donegal half back line from time to time. Mayo also have the infleuncial A. Moran back and wheather he plays a full or only the last 25 he could have a major bearing on the game. Cillian wasnt out that long although he will need to try and keep his cool as he can be got at sometimes. I saw a young lad by the name of Carolan I think in the league and he is another who reallly impressed me. (His tackle for the goal ye scored in the league I think?).

In contast three of our most important players from last year Gallagher, Mc Hugh and Lacey are no-where near full fitness. Frank Mc Glynn showed some of the level of last year against Laois but he too is not 100% yet. The Donegal team are spluttering along somewhat and are beginning to remind me of the Dubs last year. I will be hoping that the lads can raise their performance and that 2 outta 3 of our inside forwards can can catch fire and do ther business.

All things taken into consideration I think you are favourites and rightly so. If you were to be put out at the quater-final stage by the first decent team you met (no disrespect to Galway, Ross or London), then in my eyes it would be a disaster for your lads mentally.

DLlegends (Donegal) - Posts: 503 - 31/07/2013 13:42:43    1448736

I'll be putting my money on Mayo as I think they are fresher and have a bit more quality in the team and on the bench than Donegal.

OntheWhiteSide (Kildare) - Posts: 452 - 31/07/2013 13:51:03    1448744