Passive and structured Mayo look like overthinking it in the new-rules order
The one saving grace for
Mayo
might be that almost nobody saw their defeat to
Cavan
on Sunday. It wasn't on RTÉ, it wasn't on GAA+, the official attendance at Castlebar was just 7,387 – a miserable crowd, in every sense of the word. And plenty of them were gone before the final whistle.
That's not how it works though. Particularly not in Mayo. Nick Hornby's contention in his classic book Fever Pitch rings 100 per cent true here – listening to your team play on the radio always makes things worse in your imagination than it is in reality.
It's one thing
Mayo losing to Cavan for the first time since 1948
and for the first time at home. It's another when your people are already predisposed to think the worst anyway.
Mayo people will tell anyone who'll listen that this has been coming. The casual observer will point to the fact that they've been in the final of the league and the Connacht Championship this season already. And when the casual observer does so within earshot of the Mayo supporter, the casual observer will be told to get stuffed. Sure they made the league final by accident. Sure they struggled to beat Leitrim in the Connacht semi-final.
READ MORE
No, whatever about Kevin McStay and his management team's hold over the actual Mayo dressingroom – and to be fair, there has been no suggestion of unrest or unhappiness there – the wider dressingroom within the county has gradually been ebbing away over the past three years. Even allowing for the slightly unglamorous fixture, getting less than 8,000 into MacHale Park for the opening game of the All-Ireland series tells its own story.
On specifics, there are a few main problems. For one, at a brass tacks level, Mayo don't score enough. If this was a problem that might not necessarily have been fatal under the old rules, it's going to catch up with you eventually under the new ones.
There had to be a limited future in the fact that Mayo finished top of Division One in the league despite being the lowest scorers in it. They got to the Connacht final without kicking a single two-pointer. They tried for eight of them against Galway in Castlebar a fortnight ago but only landed two.
There's an old NFL maxim – you're either coaching it or you're allowing it. Whatever work Mayo have done behind closed doors on creating and taking two-point chances, it hasn't translated to the arena. They have played four games in this championship so far and in none of them have they raised more orange flags than the opposition. Only one of those games was against Division One opposition.
Which leads neatly on to the second major grumble Mayo people have about their team, that they're altogether too passive and too careful in possession. The contrast between their steady, sensible build-up play on Sunday and the flying support running of Cavan in transition was stark.
Aidan O`Shea of Mayo in action against Cavan. Photograph: ©INPHO/James Lawlor
Ray Galligan deserves major credit for lighting a fire under his charges after they limped meekly out of Ulster against Tyrone. Funny enough, maybe the only Sam Maguire county whose support base was as down in the mouth about their own prospects as Mayo was Cavan. But they came to Castlebar to play at championship pace, full of direct running and at least some element of risk-taking.
Mayo, as has been their way for long stretches this season, were far more methodical and one-paced. For whatever reason, they often look like they haven't fully embraced the new game. For a county that thrived in creating chaos within the suffocating strictures of the old rules, they look hesitant to submit to any form of it now.
That needn't be fatal, of course. As the weeks go by, more and more teams are finding ways to keep the ball for longer and longer. Everyone is so conditioned to possession football by now and Mayo don't owe you exciting transitions and glorious kick-passes into the big man on the edge of the square any more than Donegal or Armagh or Louth do.
But the thing that made Mayo special over the past decade and a half was always that feeling that when the needle went into the red, they could go to places where other teams would simply wilt. If a game was going a million miles an hour, it was the other crowd who tried to slow it down and gain some measure of control over the whole thing. Now it is Mayo who do that.
Which would be fine – if they were winning. McStay and his brains trust look to have decided that all the years of chaos and carnival were ultimately not the answer and that if they are going to reach the top of the mountain, they'll have to do it in a much steadier, more structured manner.
It makes some logical sense, certainly. But when you're losing at home in front of a tiny crowd to a lower division team, it smacks of overthinking.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
43 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Joe Canning: Limerick's unrivalled big-match experience gives them edge over Cork in Munster final
In some ways, last month's Limerick-Cork game was a throwback to the old knockout championships where teams had to wait a year to right a wrong. Limerick spent a long winter stewing on their loss to Cork in Croke Park last July and you could see that emotion and that hurt in their performance. Whatever tactical adjustments they made to shut Cork down, they also brought a level of aggression and intensity that Cork couldn't live with. Limerick had 10 months to work themselves into that state. Cork have had three weeks to figure out what went wrong in the Gaelic Grounds and come back with answers in the Munster hurling final, like they're sitting a repeat exam. Against Limerick, everyone knows the questions. Cork manager Pat Ryan said last week that he didn't have his players revved up enough, or they weren't on edge enough. He inherited an inconsistent team, but he may have felt he had knocked that out of them – that Cork's bad days wouldn't be destructive anymore. Then they performed like they did against Limerick, where they didn't land a blow. For a lot of my career with Galway, we had a reputation for not being able to back up a good performance with another good performance – or at least people never knew whether we would or not. We weren't successful until we got on top of that. In 2017, '18 and '19 we lost just two championship matches. In those years we won an All-Ireland, two Leinster titles, a National League and reached another All-Ireland final. READ MORE Limerick have had that level of consistency for much longer than we had it, but this Cork team haven't reached that point yet. They won a couple of massive do-or-die games against Limerick last year, which made everybody think they had crossed a threshold. Winning the league this year, when it was obviously their intention to do so, was seen as another step in their development. But three weeks ago, it was clear that Cork aren't the finished article. Since Limerick emerged as a force in 2018, their standards have never fallen to the extent Cork's did that day. Cork's response will be fascinating. Ryan said that they made a mistake starting players who weren't fully fit. He made it clear last week that if Robert Downey, Niall O'Leary and Declan Dalton didn't take a full part in training last Saturday, they wouldn't be under consideration for a starting spot this Saturday. With Ger Millerick ruled out through injury, Cork's options in defence are thin. I think this could be more like the game we thought we were going to get three weeks ago Limerick don't have any of those worries. During the league it was starting to look as if Cork had the deepest panel in the country, but the reality is that Limerick still have more players who can make an impact off the bench than any other county. With Kyle Hayes at centre back, Limerick are structurally better than they were last year. Adam English has brought a lot of pace and class to centre field. Cian Lynch's form is much better than it was last summer. His hurling IQ is incredible. Cork's game is very dependant on runners and players coming off the shoulder, but Limerick didn't allow them that freedom the last day. There were little bits of physicality and runners being blocked all over the place, just to stop Cork getting into any rhythm with their running game. Limerick's Diarmaid Byrnes closes in on Alan Connolly of Cork during last month's match at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho But I think this could be more like the game we thought we were going to get three weeks ago. I expect a lot of physicality. Thomas Walsh is a good referee for a game like that because he tries to let the game flow. A lot of stuff could go on in the first couple of minutes and the referee needs to be the coolest head in the Gaelic Grounds. Limerick have an edge because they have managed games like this one so many times before. About two-thirds of the Cork team have never played in a Munster final, even though they've been in two of the last four All-Ireland finals. What Limerick have in these situations is an extra bit of ruthlessness. They have vast experience of winning tight matches. Most teams work with sports psychologists now and Limerick have put a lot of emphasis on that under John Kiely, but you have to experience what big games are like. Nobody can tell you. For a game like this, Limerick have that comfort and I think it will be the difference. Galway's Jack Grealish tackles Eoin Cody of Kilkenny during the counties' Leinster SHC match in Nowlan Park in April. Photograph: Leah Scholes/Inpho Different stuff is at play in the Leinster final. Winning six provincial titles in a row would be a great achievement for Kilkenny, but 2025 will only be deemed a success if they win the All-Ireland. That's just how it is in Kilkenny. When you break it down, their full-back line is up there with Limerick's as the best in the country. They also have a brilliant goalkeeper and an outstanding forward line. They have good hurlers and big athletes in their half-back line and Cian Kenny is having a great year at centre field. Kilkenny have a decent shot of winning the All-Ireland. [ Seán Moran: Leinster hurling final and the battle for relevance Opens in new window ] [ Cork may be willing to lose the Munster battle to win the All-Ireland war Opens in new window ] The qualities I have mentioned make them hot favourites for this game, plus it's only seven weeks since they destroyed Galway in Nowlan Park. I'm certain that Galway have improved since then. The question is whether they have improved enough. My concern for Galway is that they don't score enough goals. They drew a blank against Kilkenny and Dublin, scored just one against Wexford and two against Offaly. The six they scored against Antrim was an outlier. I can't see them winning the Leinster final without goals. Galway can't afford another performance like Nowlan Park, and I don't think we'll see that. The reality, though, is that Kilkenny are further down the road.
Irish Times
43 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Galway's Cathal Mannion only too aware of Kilkenny's extra-time threat
The last thing Cathal Mannion needs any reminding about is what happened the last time Galway played Kilkenny in a Leinster hurling final. Which is perfectly understandable, because if Galway are to win this Sunday, then Mannion knows it won't be over even as the fat lady is clearing her throat. Conceding an injury-time goal, with no hope of recovery, can happen to any team. Not just against Kilkenny. And while Mannion wasn't directly involved in that unforgettably chaotic endgame in Croke Park two years ago, his older brother Pádraic was. Here's the scene again. Five minutes of injury time are almost up, the clock on 75:05. Galway are two points up, and jaded players from both teams are scrambling for the last grip on possession, where the Hogan Stand meets the Canal End. Clear the sliotar, anywhere at all, and it's Galway's Leinster title. READ MORE When it eventually pops out in front of Pádraic, now without his hurl, he simply boots it away, assuming that will be enough – just not realising Kilkenny's Cillian Buckley is waiting for one last pounce. A quick shimmy and then his deftly aimed shot rocks the Galway net, Mannion a split second too late in his despairing dive to stop it. It happens. Kilkenny, remember, were treated to the same fate in the Leinster semi-final in 2004, when Wexford's Michael Jacob hit them with a last-minute goal, ending their championship interest in the process. 'It was a difficult day, disappointing obviously, the way we lost it,' says Cathal, without putting any blame whatsoever on Pádraic. 'You can say the goal at the end [lost it], but how many things were thrown at him [Pádraic]? [ Galway's Pádraic Mannion not beating himself up over his part in Kilkenny's late winner Opens in new window ] 'Anyone that knows Kilkenny knows it'll go to 73, 74 minutes, and there'll be no difference this Sunday. If we want to win on Sunday, you have to perform to your best. We moved on from the game fairly quickly. It's two years ago, it's a different team, different players to a certain extent.' Indeed, while Pádraic is now a pillar in the Galway full-back line, Cathal is playing a different role among the forwards, including as chief free-taker. He's Galway's top scorer in this Leinster campaign, hitting 2-43 (28 from frees) in their five games to date. Galway's Cathal Mannion celebrates after scoring a goal against Offaly at O'Connor Park in Tullamore on April 26th. Photograph: Andrew Paton/Inpho 'Whatever you're asked to do, you'll do it,' Mannion says, admitting the conversation with Galway manager Micheál Donoghue about taking over the frees was short and sweet. 'They just said, 'Will you take them?' and I said, 'I would.' I started to practice them a lot and just started putting more time into them. 'Even for my club [Ahascragh-Fohenagh] I didn't take too many frees, an odd time here and there, sometimes. Frees are obviously important and, particularly as the season goes on, you need to be scoring the frees.' A secondary school teacher in his home parish, Mannion (30) is two years younger than Pádraic, and credits his return to more consistent form this season to a clear run from injury, especially a nagging problem with his Achilles tendon. 'My Achilles was at me for three years, probably. Then, as a result, I was pulling hamstrings and so on. You couldn't get a run, and you'd feel you're coming back, and then get another setback and whatever. 'Obviously, as a player, it's hugely frustrating when you can't get a run, so I had probably two years there of just on and off injuries. I got a bit of procedure done in the winter, and it's definitely helped, cleared it up.' Another thing Mannion doesn't need reminding about is Galway's recent Leinster record against Kilkenny. In their opening round-robin game back in April, Galway lost by 12 points and haven't beaten the Cats in Leinster since their round-robin game in 2022 – losing the final to the same side a few weeks later. [ Joe Canning: Galway are growing in confidence and if they beat Kilkenny, the crowds will follow Opens in new window ] Since joining Leinster in 2009, they've won three finals, beating Kilkenny in 2012 and 2018 (after a replay), and Wexford in 2017. Kilkenny have beaten them in the finals of 2010, '15, '16, '20, '22, and '23 – and are going for six-in-a-row on Sunday. 'Obviously, we had a poor performance, didn't perform as well as we wanted to against Kilkenny the first day,' says Mannion. 'We'd Offaly the week after, which was probably a good thing. The games come in fairly quick, and we got a few wins, obviously, and it gives you a bit of momentum.' Galway manager Micheál Donoghue during the Leinster SHC game between Dublin and Galway at Parnell Park on May 25th. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho Mannion also reckons Donoghue's liberal use of the panel during the league, which touched on 40 different players, is paying dividends now. It also helps that players such as Daithí and David Burke and Conor Whelan are finding their groove again. 'Definitely. I suppose in our group now, you have younger players coming in, and you have a few experienced players. Since the league, the panel has been trimmed. Micheál and the management team, that was what they set out to do when they came in, to get a look at as many players as they could. 'As the league goes on, you mightn't be seeing the results that you want, but when you look at the bigger picture, there's loads of players getting games, which is definitely a huge positive. There's huge competition there now, which is very good.' Win or lose on Sunday, by injury-time goal or otherwise, Mannion also knows there is ultimately a bigger prize on offer. 'Obviously, you have a prize of a Leinster final, but you also have a prize going forward to an All-Ireland semi-final. When you finish up, of course you'd want to have a second or a third or as many All-Ireland medals as you can. It's something we'd love to get back to.'
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Hell for Leather: How we made RTÉ's epic new GAA series
Colm O'Callaghan, RTÉ's Head of Specialist Factual Content, introduces Hell for Leather, an epic new 5-part RTÉ One series, delving into the role of Gaelic football in the sporting, cultural and social history of modern Ireland. RTÉ's history of hurling series The Game was first broadcast in May 2018. Made by Crossing the Line Productions and directed by Gerry Nelson, it was a cinematic and wide-ranging undertaking that, in its style, execution and ambition, resonated quickly. I've written previously here about why we commissioned it. As soon as the curtain came down on that series, our thoughts turned quickly to an obvious next step: a similar strand about Gaelic football. The seven years its taken to finally get that five-parter - Hell for Leather - to air, is worthy of a drama serial in itself and there were times when I felt we were never going to see it home at all. Needless to say, I'm glad we stayed the journey. As tends to be case with large-scale commissioned projects, I took many meetings and did an awful lot of talking before even formally asking RTÉ to consider supporting it. The primary issue was with what had just gone before it and with how effectively The Game had landed. Should we even bother, I asked the creative team at Crossing the Line, to attempt something similar with a sport often regarded by purists as the less aesthetic and less skilful of the family of national games? Any misgivings I had were quickly put to bed by a couple of trusted friends and regular sounding boards. Michael Moynihan and Diarmuid O'Donovan are fellow clubmen of mine from the fabled Glen Rovers on the northside of Cork city, even if Diarmuid is arguably better known for his involvement with the football side of that club, Saint Nicholas, and his work in a variety of roles at county level. Sharp, serious men both, they sketched out a provisional list of potential themes, topics, chapters and cast members for the team to chew over and flesh out. They didn't so much ease my mind as bend it in a variety of directions and, by doing so, turned much of what I'd ever thought about Gaelic football on its head. The game in Ulster, industry and All-Ireland success in the midlands, the eventual dawning of the women's game, Kerry's eternal majesty, the Jacks and the Culchies, Dulchies, Heffernan, Dwyer, the mighty men from Down, the mighty women of Cork. Seán Boylan, Mick O'Connell, the golden age of wireless, Sister Pauline Gibbons, Jim McGuinness and Jim Gavin. Bringing boardroom thinking to breeze-blocked dressing rooms. Renaissance, reformation, age of empires, true leaders and the days of our lives: it was up to director Gerry Nelson to shape the mine of history, some of it happening before him in real time, into tangible blocks. Sport is often seen as a reflection of life and, in this regard, its possible to trace the development of modern Ireland since way before independence through the prism of Gaelic football. Stitching this editorial thread into the heart of Hell for Leather was always a tall order but one that producers John Murray, Jessica McGurk and Siobhán Ward managed with typical elan. So in as much as the series tracks the evolution and history of the game as comprehensively as time allows, it also tells a story of Ireland. With The Game already under the belts of the production team – as well as 2020's one-off, Christy Ring: Man and Ball – the doors opened far more easily this time around. Jarlath Burns, who has since become the most recent Uachtarán of Cumann Lúthchleas Gael, was an enthusiastic voice from early on and helped unlock a variety of editorial lines. In every club and parish that we approached during the long gestation of this series – and there were many – the welcome was fierce and the humour was always good. So, what kept us? When we first discussed the potential for a series, I'm not sure if any of us expected the production period to endure for so long. But then neither could we have foreseen Covid, an All-Ireland final played during a lockdown and the consequences for sport, film-making and life in general during that time. Projects of this scale also require multiple funding and finance strands too and, to this end, we're grateful to Coimisiún na Meán, the Department of Finance, the Gaelic Athletic Association and to Collen, our generous sponsors, without whom the project could never have taken flight. And then there's the more mundane and practical stuff. Many of those featured in the series are proud, fabled former players for whom modesty has long prevented them from opening up about their own heroics and the scale of their achievements. The likes of Mick O'Connell, Seán O'Neill, Jimmy Gray and Seán Murphy are among many who decorate this production but for whom numerous site visits and no little persuasion was necessary. Others, despite our best and enduring efforts, just couldn't or wouldn't commit. All history is contestable, of course, and this too is the case with Hell for Leather. How can one realistically do justice to such a varied and complicated past in just 250 minutes of airtime? It is, therefore, to the credit of Gerry Nelson and series editor Andrew Hearne that the series delivers far more than the sum of its parts and still stays true to its purpose as agreed way back at the start. Gaelic football, flush with its recent re-enhancements, is enjoying a renewed sense of freedom, and talk of its latest existential crisis has abated, at least for now. As the former Kerry captain, Dara Ó Cinnéide told Nelson, "at the end of the day it's a game … but it's this bloody game we love so much". As a reminder about why Gaelic football's well-being matters, Hell for Leather is as good a starting point as any.
