Replying To Crashingwaves:  "Interesting points. Your last sentence is revealing, ye're still the enemy " - I think both counties, especially Mayo this year, put too much emphasis on beating the other and both counties got beaten the next day as a result. Not being from the Galway/ Mayo border area I would never regard Mayo as an enemy, a huge rival in footballing terms but one that we always respected."

Replying To GreenandRed:  "You think, during the league match on Brigids weekend, that we were putting emphasis on beating Galway?"

Replying To yew_tree:  "I think the consensus was this Mayo team at this particular stage of their development needed a Connacht title. I think beating Galway would have been a morale booster but that for me is down to more the fact Galway are a top team rather than getting one over on ye (The Galway border is 8mins down the road from me).

A bit like back the years when Galway beat us in Connacht but we were getting to semi finals and finals. Roles have revered in recent years. It's all swings and roundabouts though.

I'll ping a question back, do Galway need to win it this year? Will Joyce stay on regardless of what happens? Feels like a sliding doors year for Galway. Mayo couldn't do it and every final loss accumulated the pressure. Ye have every chance and I honestly can't pick the winner from 5-6 teams."

Replying To Crashingwaves:  "I think PJ will go either way. Obviously the more finals a team loses the harder it gets, we had that experience with the hurlers until '17. I'm not confident tbh with all the travel and injuries. Tomorrow should reveal more about the state of play. When they up the gears and deliver fast ball to the forwards they are very good but seem weak defensively under the new rules."

Replying To tirawleybaron:  "Lets look at it factually - on a results based history.

2017 - the last great effort of the team of the 2010's - narrowly lost to Dublin after producing the best ever scoring efficiency rate in an All ireland final, only for Dublin to beat them with an even better rate.
2018 - tamely exited championship in Kildare, look like the end of that team
2019 - Horan returns to bring the old stagers for one last Hurrah, Win the league only to be filleted by Dublin in the All ireland semi. Introduces Fergal Boland, James Carr, Ciaran Treacy and Fionn McDonagh play big roles
2020 - Mayo go into rebuild mode, making the All ireland final in the COVID year with a fairly new team
2021 - THe rebuild continues and Mayo finally top Dublin only to lose a final they should have won - feels like the end but actually should have been the start. Team had the following new players (who hadnt played 2011-2018)
Pádraig O'Hora, Michael Plunkett, Oisín Mullin, Matthew Ruane, Bryan Walsh, Tommy Conroy, Ryan O'Donoghue
Substitutes: Rory Byrne, Enda Hession, Rory Brickenden, Jordan Flynn, Aidan Orme, James Carr
2022 - Mayo flop against Kerry - a team riddled with injuries all season demonstrating that Horanball is not possible in the split season. New players Eoghan McLaughlin, Paul Towey and Jack Carney added to panel
2023 - McStay arrives with great optimism, a full squad of players (except Lee Keegan and Oisin Mullin) and do so well in the league they can play two separate 15's in the last few matches and still top the table with ease. Win the league but flop against Roscommon a week later. Regroup to beat Kerry well in Killarney (Kerrys first loss in KIllarney for 20 years) only to throw a game away against Cork and end up in a prelim quarter final away to Galway. A rousing win in Salthill follows only to face a rested Dublin a week later in Croke Park and give up in the 2nd half to suffer a 12 point hammering not seen since 2006 and making an all star out of Colm Basquel.
2024 - McStay promises to have learned from the previous year - focuses on winning Connacht only to throw it away in injury time (due to David Gough's self admitted bad refereeing). Regroup for a rattle at Dublin only to draw a match they should have won. A home draw v Derry (who were no longer playing for their manager) produces a terrible performance and lost on penalties after losing a lead in injury time along the way.
2025 - Cillian O'Connor, Padraig O'Hora, James Carr, Aiden Orme, Michael Plunkett and Rory Byrne all "step away" from the panel but don't retire from intercounty football.
End up in league final and don't even try a leg. Ongoing trend of losing tight games continues against Galway and Donegal. Another howler of a performance at home to Cavan results in group stage elimination. Mayo score lowest total of 2 pointers in entire season.

In 3 years Mayo have gone from one of the most exiting teams to watch to the most boring team in the Sam Maguire this year. They don't concede early soft goals anymore, but don't score very much either.

In the last 3 years, they have finished outside the top 2 in the group stages of the all ireland series consistently. Placing them between 9 and 12 in the rankings. This with 16 of the 26 who togged out for the 21 final available (although 5 of the 16 refuse to play for McStay).
Based on talent in the county - Mayo are still a top 8 team. Based on performances over 3 years they are not. Indeed, McStay has allowed galway achieve a 4 in a row for the first time in 60 years - something even the worst Mayo teams of the 70's never allowed happen.

If you are not getting the performances from the talent in the county, you are underachieving. The alternative is that Horan massively overachieved from 2019 - 2022 and McStay just brought them back to the level John O Mahony got to from 2007-2010.

Regardless, we are better trying to find a manager who can overachieve, rather than sticking with one who just makes the average. If your going to die, at least die trying to achieve something extraordinary."

Replying To yew_tree:  "If ye bring yer A game then Galway have too much for Meath. Anyway off it and you could be in trouble…Meath are coming no doubt about it. All about getting over this weekend and getting the two week break to a semi final. All the best."

Replying To tirawleybaron:  "Lets look at it factually - on a results based history.

2017 - the last great effort of the team of the 2010's - narrowly lost to Dublin after producing the best ever scoring efficiency rate in an All ireland final, only for Dublin to beat them with an even better rate.
2018 - tamely exited championship in Kildare, look like the end of that team
2019 - Horan returns to bring the old stagers for one last Hurrah, Win the league only to be filleted by Dublin in the All ireland semi. Introduces Fergal Boland, James Carr, Ciaran Treacy and Fionn McDonagh play big roles
2020 - Mayo go into rebuild mode, making the All ireland final in the COVID year with a fairly new team
2021 - THe rebuild continues and Mayo finally top Dublin only to lose a final they should have won - feels like the end but actually should have been the start. Team had the following new players (who hadnt played 2011-2018)
Pádraig O'Hora, Michael Plunkett, Oisín Mullin, Matthew Ruane, Bryan Walsh, Tommy Conroy, Ryan O'Donoghue
Substitutes: Rory Byrne, Enda Hession, Rory Brickenden, Jordan Flynn, Aidan Orme, James Carr
2022 - Mayo flop against Kerry - a team riddled with injuries all season demonstrating that Horanball is not possible in the split season. New players Eoghan McLaughlin, Paul Towey and Jack Carney added to panel
2023 - McStay arrives with great optimism, a full squad of players (except Lee Keegan and Oisin Mullin) and do so well in the league they can play two separate 15's in the last few matches and still top the table with ease. Win the league but flop against Roscommon a week later. Regroup to beat Kerry well in Killarney (Kerrys first loss in KIllarney for 20 years) only to throw a game away against Cork and end up in a prelim quarter final away to Galway. A rousing win in Salthill follows only to face a rested Dublin a week later in Croke Park and give up in the 2nd half to suffer a 12 point hammering not seen since 2006 and making an all star out of Colm Basquel.
2024 - McStay promises to have learned from the previous year - focuses on winning Connacht only to throw it away in injury time (due to David Gough's self admitted bad refereeing). Regroup for a rattle at Dublin only to draw a match they should have won. A home draw v Derry (who were no longer playing for their manager) produces a terrible performance and lost on penalties after losing a lead in injury time along the way.
2025 - Cillian O'Connor, Padraig O'Hora, James Carr, Aiden Orme, Michael Plunkett and Rory Byrne all "step away" from the panel but don't retire from intercounty football.
End up in league final and don't even try a leg. Ongoing trend of losing tight games continues against Galway and Donegal. Another howler of a performance at home to Cavan results in group stage elimination. Mayo score lowest total of 2 pointers in entire season.

In 3 years Mayo have gone from one of the most exiting teams to watch to the most boring team in the Sam Maguire this year. They don't concede early soft goals anymore, but don't score very much either.

In the last 3 years, they have finished outside the top 2 in the group stages of the all ireland series consistently. Placing them between 9 and 12 in the rankings. This with 16 of the 26 who togged out for the 21 final available (although 5 of the 16 refuse to play for McStay).
Based on talent in the county - Mayo are still a top 8 team. Based on performances over 3 years they are not. Indeed, McStay has allowed galway achieve a 4 in a row for the first time in 60 years - something even the worst Mayo teams of the 70's never allowed happen.

If you are not getting the performances from the talent in the county, you are underachieving. The alternative is that Horan massively overachieved from 2019 - 2022 and McStay just brought them back to the level John O Mahony got to from 2007-2010.

Regardless, we are better trying to find a manager who can overachieve, rather than sticking with one who just makes the average. If your going to die, at least die trying to achieve something extraordinary."

Replying To The_DOC:  "Genuine Question - and I promise Im not pulling the you know what.

Do Mayo supporters think that McStay et al underachieved? Or is it an honest reflection of where that team is at? Would/Will another manager and backroom team get a better tune would of that team?

Im asking (and trying to be un-biased, listen Im a Galwegian at the end of the day!) but when Mayo had their run of successive Connachts, I think most of us said, "yeah fair enough unfortunatley thats where we are at right now.""

Replying To PressureKick:  "A lot going on here

Mayo were almost certainly not one of the most exciting teams in the country to watch 3 years ago. Mayo games were entertaining because of chaos and mad things would happen. Horan ball is not entertaining. No kicking, defenders running from everywhere is not football in its traditional sense. Mayo have kept up the same old football with the new rules, contrary to what you're saying, only with worse players. It's been shown up as turgid in the new rules. If you want to be exciting then kick the ball and have inventive forward play. That's not been Mayo in living memory

The Covid period is not worth a jot or worth talking about. The 2020 year was played like a child's blitz in terms of intensity and Mayo beat Tipperary to reach a final and then got comfortably beaten. Means absolutely nothing. The 2021 season, which was another pedestrian straight knockout year, included a win over Dublin which was emotional but in reality Mayo didn't play a fraction as well as they played in years previous such as 2017. In a terrible game they outlasted a beaten docket. Then beaten well in the final. The Covid years papered over cracks and shouldn't be relied upon. Weird years with no crowds and different motivations

I don't understand how you say 2021 was "a final we should have won". Surely the years since have proven that Tyrone simply had much better players that year? They won comfortably. Daragh Canavan and Cathal McShane didn't even start for Tyrone that day, two players who would've been Mayos best forward over the last 5 years"

Replying To MayoDan:  "Any comments this morning?

You've loads to say here, on gaaboard and on the Mayo blog when Galway are going well. Presume you'll go into hiding now for the next 6 months.

Galway were involved in the 'seagull' all Ireland final last year in case you've forgotten. So they have never been that exciting to watch."

Replying To GreenandRed:  "You mustn't have watched them in John O'Mahony's time in charge."

Replying To CTGAA10:  "I've been reading the posts here for last few weeks..the wording from county board was dreadful but going by other reports on finance shouldn't be any great surprise,
I'd be interested to know if ye want an inside or outside manager?
What will success be for Mayo,winning the Connacht title?
Wining the all Ireland very obvious but has that door closed?a lot of players are now older and best days probably behind them.
Is getting to all Ireland semi going to be a success if it happens??"

Replying To CTGAA10:  "I've been reading the posts here for last few weeks..the wording from county board was dreadful but going by other reports on finance shouldn't be any great surprise,
I'd be interested to know if ye want an inside or outside manager?
What will success be for Mayo,winning the Connacht title?
Wining the all Ireland very obvious but has that door closed?a lot of players are now older and best days probably behind them.
Is getting to all Ireland semi going to be a success if it happens??"

Replying To MayoDan:  "I wouldn't call a semi final success but it's obviously progress after the last few years.

Apart from Aidan O'Shea the current Mayo panel is not old. I think three of them are 30 and everyone else is younger again.

There's a rush to retire people in the GAA. Look across all counties and you'll see key players in their 30s

Michael Murphy
Ryan McHugh
McBrearty
McFadden

Conroy
Walsh
Comer
Silke

Peter Harte
Mattie Donnelly
Darren McCurry
Hampsey
McGeary

Menton
Keoghan

Paul geaney and Paul Murphy still involved with Kerry.

Dublin had about 6 over 30s in their starting team.

Armagh still have a core from their 09 minor team."