Mayos full back line is definetly their weak point. They can be got at, they are not great defenders and its a gaping hole.
And after last years All Ire Final and then watching Donaghy last weekend, the high ball into a Donaghy/O'Gara/Rock.....will kill them

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 27/08/2014 10:28:02    1642811

Cafferkey is awful under the high ball. The 2 corner backs have been pretty good the last few years at covering the space there but if Ger is left 1 on 1 it is dodgy. Although I would expect a response from him, he has been poor all year.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 7885 - 27/08/2014 10:33:22    1642815

I think Cafferky is a good player but maybe a wee bit nice. As Brolly said the other day, if that had been Donegal the other day I think Neil McGee would have put a bit more pressure on Donaghy under those high balls to say the least.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9108 - 27/08/2014 10:41:06    1642825

Was surprised on Sunday that Mayo didn't drop one of the O'Sheas back on to Donaghy when he came on given that the direct ball in on top of him was going to be the obvious play. It seemed the tactic was let Donaghy go up and get the ball then we will deal with him when he comes down but the problem is that Donaghy is a fast thinker and can offload a ball before you can get the tackles in.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 27/08/2014 11:59:28    1642867

My thoughts would have been that when he moved from midfield to full forward that 1 of our midfielders would go inside with him to contest the inevitable high ball that went in to him. One of the other problems with the Kerry goal which i noticed watching it back was Keith Higgins got caught in too minds whether to go in on Donaghy once he land or stick with O'Donoghue, this caused him to delay a half second and before he could do either the ball was in the net.

Stephenite (Mayo) - Posts: 9 - 27/08/2014 12:17:51    1642879

Mayo ful back line is definitely a weakness that can be got at

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 27/08/2014 12:20:09    1642883

Offside_Rule
County: Antrim
Posts: 1554

1642867
Was surprised on Sunday that Mayo didn't drop one of the O'Sheas back on to Donaghy when he came on given that the direct ball in on top of him was going to be the obvious play. It seemed the tactic was let Donaghy go up and get the ball then we will deal with him when he comes down but the problem is that Donaghy is a fast thinker and can offload a ball before you can get the tackles in.

Would agree with what you said, but would maybe have brought Barry Moran on to compete with Donaghy in the air, as he's probably the only Mayo player who could stop him taking clean catches.

Cunniffe and Higgins are fine markers, but the number 3 spot has been a problem for Mayo for quite some time now. The problem is that there isn't really a ready made replacement there, so tactical solutions will have to be sought rather than personnel changes. Will be interesting to see if they start Donaghy or spring him from the bench again.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 27/08/2014 12:35:56    1642892

Liamwalkinstown
County: Dublin
Mayo ful back line is definitely a weakness that can be got at

You have already stated that in your op. I would have sent in big Barry Moran and told him to stick to Donnaghy like glue. Barry would have been well able for that ball that was sent in. I could see Donnaghy catching the ball from my seat in the Hogan just as the ball was kicked in as could everyone else.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11227 - 27/08/2014 12:36:00    1642893

I've been saying all week that i was shocked that an intercounty fullback couldn't deal with a high ball...cafferkey couldn't deal with it all...

skills are defintely going out of football to make way for speed.

freddy2 (Wexford) - Posts: 215 - 27/08/2014 12:36:56    1642894

At long last this has been highlighted, mayo management have sat on their hands for the last 4 years at full back with cafferkey as a definite weak link and the cheerleading media sing his praises and even give him an all star. He refuses to even contest a high ball , is frequently caught out of position and inevitably fouls his opponent when he is faced by him one on one. The 2 corner backs know the problem and have tried with some success to mask the problem , but the problem remains. Until they get a safe pair of hands at full back this year will end like the others, whether its in limerick this saturday or croker in 3 and half weeks time. On sunday joe brolly said he wouldnt get on the crossmaglen junior team, james horan needs to take note and open his eyes!!

jackmeyhoffer (USA) - Posts: 148 - 27/08/2014 12:45:56    1642897

I think we should put maher and donaghy in with o'donahue kind of a second coming of the twin towers , mayo would have to drop two big lads back then to marshal the boys leaving our half forwards to pick off scores from the 40.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 27/08/2014 12:55:14    1642908

Ger was out on his feet when Donaghy moved up and he couldn't get off the ground or move in to tackle quickly enough to prevent the offload. I think the mystery of how to mark a guy like Donaghy was cracked long ago by Tyrone and it doesn't require a defender who's bigger or more athletic than Caff to do it, the problem last day is that Ger was vulnerable at the time and this mistake won't be repeated. I think we'll see a stormer from Caff on Saturday, he's that sort of guy.

The way Mayo play exposes the fb line a bit and only the Dubs take the similar chances. Surprise surprise the line of theirs which has received most criticism over the last few years is their fb line. I don't see either side altering their style to shore this up - we saw what happened to Mayo on Sunday when the team did set up too negatively.

Pericles (Mayo) - Posts: 2521 - 27/08/2014 13:21:49    1642935

Would agree with what you said, but would maybe have brought Barry Moran on to compete with Donaghy in the air, as he's probably the only Mayo player who could stop him taking clean catches.

Absolutely Gleebo - just anyone who would have the presence to compete or at least put Donaghy off. Its not as if Horan should have been surprised when Donaghy headed in to the edge of the square what the tactic was going to be and the inability to deal with him ultimately cost Mayo progression last Sunday given the position they were in coming in to the closing stages.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 27/08/2014 13:22:49    1642937

For the free that Donaghy got, Caff made the right decision to let him go out and not contest the ball. Donaghy caught the ball just outside the 20m had Caff gone with him there was nothing between them and the goal. For the goal when Donaghy got the ball bar the two corner back on their own two men the nearest other Mayo back was about 30M away. High or low, it doesn't matter, the full back line was left massively exposed. Things happen, on any given day you may dominate your man but he may get one ball, doesn't make you a bad player. What happened here was Mayo's naivety in leaving so much space to the full forward line with so little time left. When the goal went in there was 4mins left - seriously where was the corner forwards, hoping to get a few scores and win it by 5 or six points.

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 1799 - 27/08/2014 14:48:56    1643019

I was just talking to a Galway man an hour ago and he told me that enda gilvarry is ready to take over from James horan when ever mayo are knocked out of the championship , AND wait for it he also told me that Galway want horan to manage their senior team, so is this one last hurrah for the gaffer , time will tell I suppose, but I might throw a few quid on it all the same.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 27/08/2014 15:58:34    1643067

A lot of talk here about the two balls Donaghy one. Having played full back all my (modest) career here are my two cents:

Mayo usually play no sweeper exposing the fullback line.
Against Kerry, Cafferky was left one on one, as everyone focused on O Donoghue.
When you are left one on one you have to play from the front inside your on 20m line and from behind outside that.
For the above to work you need a goalkeeper who is will to come out and sweep up behind you and you will give away points outside the 20m line.
If you a full back who is exposed one on one, and has a goalkeeper who wont come out, you are in for a roasting if the opposition can kick in good ball without pressure.
Mayos halfback line are built to attack, so very often they allow good ball be kicked in. In that scenario Cafferky was always going to get caught out.
Cafferky was stretching his calf before the kickout which led to the goal, so he couldn't run and get himself into position in time. His big mistake was not staying down and asking to be taken off (not in his nature) or standing behind Donaghy and breaking it from his hands as he was landing.
I still think Hennelly should have come out and taken "man, ball and all" with him and would have got a free(he was in the square).
In 2011 Kerry spent the first 10 mins testing Cafferky and got no joy because Mayo were ready for it and they will be this Saturday.

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1103 - 27/08/2014 16:10:42    1643077

Must i remind ye of Bernards first goal last year lads???

This is a repetetive thing with the full back line

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 27/08/2014 16:17:15    1643087

A lot of teams have shown how to counter the Donaghy threat so I was surprised that Horan didn't react to this better. For example, when he came on against Dublin for example they dropped Paul Flynn back to help sweep up. Going man to man with Donaghy is very tricky regardless of the form he's in. If the ball into him is good enough you'd need to be a really capable defender to handle him. He's got excellent hands as well to offload when he does catch the ball.

NavyNBlue (Dublin) - Posts: 1357 - 27/08/2014 16:23:45    1643090

There's no defending Caff here if we're honest with ourselves. He's had numerous nightmares under high ball recently. He tends to lose flight of the ball, a prime example being when Brian Geaney won a high ball in the first that dropped over Caff's head.
To be fair, it seems he knows this is the worst part of his game. I remember David Brady telling a story about Caff asking him to stay behind after Ballina training to practice competing for high ball with him. He's one of the best FBs in the country with one (crucial as it may be) weakness. If he keeps working on it he'll get there.

Just to add my tuppence on the Kerry goal. What I thought that needed was an early shout from Robbie (who is better equipped to break off Donaghy) and for Ger to sweep to the goal line for a potential flick on.

killer_88_ (Mayo) - Posts: 2040 - 27/08/2014 16:50:07    1643113

He's a very good full-back, add in Higgins and Cunniffe and you have one of the best full-back lines in the country. He never looked confident isolated against Geaney but there was little damage done there. His calves were gone by the time Donaghy came on.

Mayo rotated sweepers against Donegal last year and the Ulstermen got no joy under the high-ball so it's not true to say that Mayo go man-for-man every time, Dublin don't even do it though they put huge pressure on kickouts, pushing up their wing-backs every time. Horan put all his eggs into one basket, doubling up on O'Donoghue granting the Kingdom's midfield time on the ball to expose Caff's achille's heel.

Why not reintroduce the system that worked so well against Donegal. Let Higgins sweep in front of O'Donoghue, Cunniffe is the better man-marker and play Barrett in front of the square, it would mean O'Loughlin and probably Vaughan dropping back into traditional wing-back positions but Higgins thrives as a sweeper, quickly turning defence into attack.

HighKing81 (Meath) - Posts: 129 - 27/08/2014 17:23:09    1643137