Who is the best freetaker in the county. Was a farce yesterday with everyone having a pop.

It's a crazy situation alright... JH needs to pick one and get someone (Mo Sheridan?) in to work with him - there are 4 or 5 points a game going abegging. As things stand opposition defenders know they'll pay a cheap price for fouling...

mark ronaldson should be on the team very evident yesterday that he was needed. I think Kevin O Neill should be brought into the backroom team to tell/show them a thing or 10!!!!

Agreed! Mark Ronaldson would be a very good free taker to have! Don't see why alan durkan of breaffy isnt given a chance! very reliable free taker!

Why is everybody worrying about our free taker?
Surely this should be the last of our worries, personally, the fact we have no full back line, no number six, no midfield and forwards who can kick NINETEEN wides is slightly more worrying.

Surely this should be the last of our worries, personally, the fact we have no full back line, no number six, no midfield and forwards who can kick NINETEEN wides is slightly more worrying.

Granted Enda, the free-taker would have to be a very good one! But on a more sober note, we know we have loads of other problems, but the lack of a confident free-taker since the Mort got injured smacks of poor attention to detail by the management. We know they're on a learning curve and will be given latitude by most supporters on that basis, but the London game isn't the first one where the 'anyone fancy a pop' approach to frees has been seen. At the very least we should have someone to take frees from the left, someone else to take them from the right and if neither fancy longer range, some other player (and Rob Hennelly may not be on the pitch for the Galway match) to take 45's etc. There should be no confusion... it can actually effect a team's confidence by making them look and feel like they don't know what they're supposed to be doing (I didn't want to use the words amateur or professionalism for obvious reasons.)

I still think we'll beat Galway on the 26th...

The Role of a free taker is massive and can never be overlooked...

you take 96' for example, we came within a kick (bounce) of a ball from winning an AI without any natural scoring forwards (some could argue Horan) but it was M Sheridan that we looked to. A man in my opinion who was terrible from general play but you would always read 0-6 or 0-7 in brackets after his name in the paper the following day.

Mayo don't have that type of player at the moment. Some would argue that C Mortimer is at the same level but he is not, don't get me wrong CM is very consistent from the right/centre but only from a short distance out. With Sheridan however, if Mayo won frees from ANYWHERE inside the 45' or slightly outside it you could pencil them down straight away.

Even at club level and from outside Mayo, teams that win trophies always have a solid and consistent free taker. (ie) ColmCorkery for Nemo Rangers, Peter Canavan Tyrone, Charlie Redmond Dublin, O Mc Conville Crosmeglen Rangers, Trevor Giles Meath. I could type here forever...

Freetaker is vital to EVERY successful team and those who sayin it is not important dont know football. if you have a fella who is a cool customer and acurate when taking frees he is worth carrying on the team even if his overall contribution to the game isnt great.

name a team who won an all ireland without a good freetaker???

6 different mayo players took aimless shots at goal on sunday and even the goalie tried.

there was a Walsh lad great minor a couple years back, good free taker where is he gone ?

In my opinion Alan Dillon would be the best free taker, when he went off against London tho there was knowone else to take the frees. Andy Moran after Dillon then. But I don't know who could take them from the right.

Where are all the Conor Mortimer haters now????

We're still here!!!

What about Robert Hennelly. He has a serious kick from the ground as we saw against London when he scored that 45

Hennelly's grand for 45's, but you can't be serious suggesting that he take the free's too?
it's a bad sign when you have to look to your goalie for knocking a few points over the bar.

just unbelievable that since last September, management have not found a free taker or two in the county. to end up on the first championship match having 7 different free takers. look at armagh, even donegal who were in worst position than us have themselves organised

theace
County: Monaghan
Posts: 165

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just unbelievable that since last September, management have not found a free taker or two in the county. to end up on the first championship match having 7 different free takers. look at armagh, even donegal who were in worst position than us have themselves organised.


They have found one but they decided to drop him after the National League. Correction. Mark Ronaldson was already an established Mayo player before JH was at the helm. I'd imagine Horan didn't sleep to well Sunday night, and you can bet that the Shrule/Glencorrib man crossed his mind as stressed about the London game. The Guy had a fantastic FBD League campaign from both free's and play but was very hard done by after a couple of bad performances early in the National League, never got the chance to redeem himself.

Alan Dillon's free taking duties from the left are being overlooked for some reason, not sure why because he has been first choice from that side since 2004 (remember his QF display against Tyrone). Can't believe that so much experimentation on the matter is happening this time of year considering the circumstances.

Does anybody else think that this is very bizarre? Or is our captain lacking confidence and passing the responsibility on...

look your dealing with a manager who only views the game with rose tinted glasses in regards to his players. Granted ballintubber are county champions but there are lads from that club in the panel who do not deserve their place. They are simply not good enough.as is the case with a few others. In fairness to horan he has tried to change the old guard and it is to be commended but his selection of replacement is biased towards west mayo, simple as.

My rant may be over but the long and the short of this thread is that mayo do not have an out and out freetaker on the panel. They are a dying breed in gaelic football, maurice sheridan was carried on those mayo teams of the past but you could afford to do it since he contributed so much from frees. dillon is fine from the right hand side but on the panel we are lacking a left footed freetaker plus a man who can strike a ball from distance off the ground. the only fella who suits this criteria is jimmy killeen from garymore. One of the top scorers in senior club championship year after year but never got a fair run with mayo.

In relation to one poster re ronaldson, his freetaking was shocking against down...if a fella wants to be a freetaker then he really cannot afford to have off days. the size of the goals and the size of the ball never changes.

I remember reading years ago about Sheridan that he would wait back for an hour or so after training taking frees, he would also go round to different pitches with a bag of balls and practice frees. I wonder are our seven new freetakers all putting in this effort.

I find it very strange none of the existing forwards have made the decision that they are going to be the next Maurice Sheridan and practice with the same dedication as mentioned above. They have proven skill levels as footballers, good freetaking is developed by practice and is like the golfer with a good swing our a rugby outhalf. A good freetaker is vital to any team and a good freetaker will almost guarantee himself a place on the starting 15. Does the absence of one on the mayo team point to a lack of desire to put in the hours of pactice required

^^ well said! It can, and usually is in mayos case the difference between a win/loss. Horan, and mayo selectors have always been biased with their selection towards the bigger clubs..