The Master it's completely different kettle of fish between playing Dublin and Donegal , against Donegal you can afford to drop players back and help out your full back cause Donegal only play with 2 up front most of the time against Dublin it will be completely different cause it will be man on man we play all our 6 forwards in there positions so there's no cover there that you can afford when your playing Donegal , like there's no way Barry Moran will be sweeper again against us not a hope in hell. EOG is a massive loss to us cause it would be one on one (as I've said) football and Mayo haven't anyone whose able for him.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 10/08/2015 15:00:16    1767324

This was posted as a new thread but has been incorporated here as it is the same subject matter.

Dublin Liamwalkinstown
Posts: 6169
Dublin 11/08/2015 12:45

Should we play MDMA at 11 V Mayo

I dont think JG will do this, i would be pretty sure he wont...but.... Mayo could potentially clean us out at MF. MDMA cant start this game, not in MF anyways. We need Bastick and Fenton in mf if we are to have any chance of breaking even But....MDMA on form, and thats a big if, but if he is on form, breaking forward from 11 could be the place for him as i think he could drag the Mayo backs all over the shop. Of course the problem there is that means you have to lose a forward, most likely Andrews/McMenamin And the other problem is, if we are talking about playing a sweeper in front of AOS, this means sacrificing a second position on the pitch.... lads, i am not confident ahead of this game atall :(

Administrator (None) - Posts: 2275 - 11/08/2015 12:58:20    1767992

mccauley played chf in 2012 against mayo
and it was only when gilroy put him midifeld and went to a straight 6 forwards in attack that
we almost recovered and won the game from 10 points down with 15 mins to go

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 11/08/2015 13:05:09    1768000

First 10 -15 min will be key if Dublin get 4 or 5 early scores mayo will have to change tactics and all out attack which they love in that scenario i can see it turning into a shoot out with the dubs winning.... However best case for mayo is the sweeper tactic works again keep it tight for first 15 20 mins dublin are not comfortable in this scenario and they have struggled against lesser opposition than mayo for me If the first qtr is tight Dublin will get frustrated mayo will play the game on their terms and grind out a victory

rossy15 (Roscommon) - Posts: 662 - 11/08/2015 13:07:42    1768001

My predictions have been spot on this summer : I even said Tyrone by 3 ( unlucky )

This is hard to call . Dublin are a super side however from their point of view they simply ain't been tested . Mayo might lord the middle third but then again didn't Dublin dominate there in 2013 ?

People say it's a massive time for this Mayo side but isn't it equally as huge for Jim Gavin ? Given the team and resources at his disposal , nothing short of AIs would be failure .

That all said , I think Dublin may have more scoring threats and players like Flynn will need to improve .

Dublin by 3 .

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 11/08/2015 13:10:50    1768006

I am interested to see what Mayo will do to the Cluxton kick out. Dublin's back men movement is key, as well as an accurate pass. If Mayo stay with their men & intercept a few will that affect the team's confidence in the kick outs?

Should be a mouth watering clash.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6484 - 11/08/2015 13:15:58    1768013

I agree, MDMA at 11. No harm to mix it up at times, throw the opposition

HenryHill16 (Dublin) - Posts: 249 - 11/08/2015 13:16:51    1768014

Has the making of a great game and I really hope it is, I honestly don't no what to make of mayo yet, In fairness to them the have kept very quite all year and have taken care of business comfortably on all occasions in the championship thus far. Aidan O'Shea has been on fire and in McLoughlin and in particular Doherty they have another two very good forwards, Cillian seems to be not fully over his injury from end of the league or is he like many claim a very average player but brilliant free taker? I would be of the opinion he is what people claim and very average. Defensively Mayo seem stronger than last few years they handled Donegal with ease but Donegal have only one very good forward and that's Murphy the dubs have A lot more up front. I expect the dubs will certainly not be taking anything for granted like the did at this stage last year. The dubs haven't been tested yet and although on there day they are exceptional mayo are a different animal to what they have faced so far. The Midfield battle will be key to outcome of game and Mayo Midfield is better imo.I fancy mayo by two

Pingcity (Longford) - Posts: 568 - 11/08/2015 14:23:57    1768055

@clondalkindub
You believe Dublin will play all 6 forwards up front?
Do you not think O'Shea will be double tagged?

BlastCalyle (Mayo) - Posts: 216 - 11/08/2015 14:35:16    1768068

Dublin are untested every year up to semi final stage. The summer starts on 30 august. Hopefully it wont end that day either :)

Jackeen (Dublin) - Posts: 4097 - 11/08/2015 14:40:04    1768076

Would have to agree therightstuff. Despite all the huffing and puffing about not winning an all Ireland, at the end of the day Mayo are a top 4 side and we have reached the last 4. Even if we lost the next day out, bar taking an awful pasting or something, the team will have done themselves justice and it will have been a good first year with the new management. But for Dublin it's different. They are a bit like man city or real Madrid in the soccer. They can put so much more in, that when it isn't enough to win out, there is a case to answer, with generally the manager taking the spotlight. Their game-changing players in Connolly, Flynn, brogan etc are at the peak of their careers. The reality for them is, anything less than a win against not only mayo, but Kerry/tyrone also, would be a failure. And two failed years in a row isn't really acceptable for that group. If they lost, I wouldn't be surprised if gavin was gone.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 11/08/2015 14:42:28    1768079

Of course if we don't win its failure but its failure for every team in the semi including Mayo that doesn't win Sam , Blast I promise you we will not be double marking Aidan O Shea it will be man on man from us and I think Mayo will go man on man as well.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 11/08/2015 15:10:35    1768115

Mayo will win it because Cluxton's kickouts will not dominate proceedings and Mayo will push up on the short kickouts in huge contrast to Donegal for example. As a Galway native I hope Mayo advance to the final sincerely.

maroondiesel (Mayo) - Posts: 1236 - 11/08/2015 15:38:17    1768163

I think this will be the man on man line ups;

Cooper v Andy Moran
Roc v O Shea
McMahon v O Conor
McCarthy v D O Conor
O Sullivan v Dohery
McCaffery v McLoughlin
MDMA v S O Shea
Fenton v Parsons
Flynn v Boyle
Kilkenny v Vaughan
Connelly v Keegan
Brogan v Higgins
Andrews v Cafferky
Rock v Barrett

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 11/08/2015 16:02:20    1768187

TheMaster
County: Mayo
Despite all the huffing and puffing about not winning an all Ireland, at the end of the day Mayo are a top 4 side and we have reached the last 4. Even if we lost the next day out, bar taking an awful pasting or something, the team will have done themselves justice and it will have been a good first year with the new management.

I can disagree there Master but would it not be just the time to go and win the bloddy thing? One suspects the players themselves will see it as failure if they don't land the big one. We won't have a team this good forever. I don't want to be looking back in a few years at another lost generation of Mayo players having failed to win an All Ireland. Top 4 will be cold comfort then.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11684 - 11/08/2015 16:11:09    1768198

Master, all of the top 4 teams left have won at least 1 sam recently bar Mayo. How you can say that the mayo team will have done themselves justice by reaching the top four is a joke. What good is being a top four team? If you're not first you're nowhere. All teams left will consider their year a failure if they dont win sam. Mayo are no different.

Jackeen (Dublin) - Posts: 4097 - 11/08/2015 16:26:59    1768212

Not a chance MDMA will be moved to 11. That half forward line won't change bar injuries. MDMA is unique and works best in the middle running players ragged and using the open space for a burst of pace.

I don't see Mayo going man for man, I think they showed their hand against Donegal, a game earlier than they liked. They will start with a forward place being reverted to sweeper - it worked so well for them against Donegal, why change?

If they do that it frees up an extra defender aka Philly. Question is, do we use him as the free man as all year or double up on AOS. AOS is 100% going to try drag ROC out to the wings and the middle so the safer option would be to double up on him.

Going to be fascinating to see what way both teams match up. It is the one thing I love about the new style of football, there are so many tactics over the last 15 years, it is great to debate how teams will line out as there is no such thing as 15 on 15 anymore.

AthCliath87 (Dublin) - Posts: 345 - 11/08/2015 16:50:55    1768241

Jackeen
Master, all of the top 4 teams left have won at least 1 sam recently bar Mayo. How you can say that the mayo team will have done themselves justice by reaching the top four is a joke. What good is being a top four team? If you're not first you're nowhere. All teams left will consider their year a failure if they dont win sam. Mayo are no different.

Well of course we can hope to win it, and do everything in our power to do so. We have a decent chance too. My point is a team ranked 3rd/4th who finish the year 3rd/4th have had a decent year, you couldn't say it is a failure because they reached their potential. Now of course we as fans want to win, but what you want and what you can reasonably expect are not the same. The fact that mayo haven't won sam in a long time or the fact that opponents have won it has no bearing on it at all. It wont make them faster or stronger will it? It doesn't make mayo a better team than kerry or Dublin does it? So then how is it relevant? You ask what good is it being a top 4 team, well none at all, I never said it was a good thing, but everyone cant be the best team either can they?

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 11/08/2015 17:02:55    1768253

I reckon JG might play Mickey Fitz to help back up ROC. Philly likes to wander about the park but Mickey Fitz will sit back, he prefers man marking does Mickey.

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 11/08/2015 17:05:50    1768261

McMahon will keep his place. Id be of the thinking that Dublin will use Paul Flynn to double up on o'shea.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 11/08/2015 17:35:36    1768276