I think Donegal's formation and style are far more set than Mayo's, so they're unlikely to spring anything radical, just to try to improve on what they did against the Munster boys. Mayo, on the otherhand, mainly due to injuries, defections, more injuries (even during games) have had to adapt as they've gone along, so something new can't be ruled out going into this game - while it'd be great to know Mayo's best 15, like Donegal seem to do, a truely adaptable panel can offer some advantages in terms of coping with potential adversity on the day... the key is the reaction of the sideline, which I thought was slow in relation to the difficulties Donal Vaughan was having in the air in the first half against MDMc (no switch made) and when AOS ran out of gas with 20 mins to go, his brother needed to be brought in quicker. I think these lessons will have been learned (I don't see how AOS could have a full 70+ in him, with a 4 month training layoff up to July, so he'll need to be more decisively substituted again the next day, maybe at a fixed time, unless he's still playing out of his skin and showing no signs of blowout). If the weather is going to be poor for quick football, I think Mayo might opt for an extra midfielder at the expense of one of the forwards, to try to ensure that the game is played mainly in the Donegal half - we have more options in that area than we do up front, with Alan Freeman our only championship experienced option on the bench the last day out. It's not impossible that one of the younger lads could end up playing their first championship match off the bench for Mayo on the 23rd... the management wouldn't shy away from that sort of decision... they haven't so far.

Will Mayo win..? Based on what I've seen, and provided the weather doesn't turn things into a bit of a lottery for both sides, Donegal will have to stop Mayo getting their hands on a lot of ball around the middle in order to beat Mayo. I don't agree with Dara O'Shea's suggestion about the teams needing to ease their way into the game - Kerry never did this, and we tried it in '06 and it (along with some mismatches) blew up in our faces. I think we need to start at a high tempo, and if we make mistakes, recover them, like we did against the Dubs. We don't want to be scratching our heads after 15 mins wondering if the lads had taken horlicks before leaving the dressing room! If we tear into the game, keep them under pressure and make the changes needed to sustain the effort, I can see us getting over the line... whether by 2/3 or 10/12 points should make no difference... we need to just keep going for next score on every kickout. Both teams will be hungry, so the work rate all over the pitch will be immense... then it'll all be down to tactics, leadership and if our forwards maintain a positive attitude, even if the odd thing doesn't work out, the talent is there to land the scores needed to swing the result our way.

Pericles (Mayo) - Posts: 2521 - 15/09/2012 13:03:13    1266596

Good analysis Pericles & I agree with a lot of what you say.
The truth of the matter is though tha none of us has a clue what's going to happen on the big day .
When I look back at some of the pronouncements made here before previous games all you can do is laugh.
I just hope for good weather, a close exciting game played in a good spirit & let the result look after itself.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 15/09/2012 13:28:16    1266609

wfkerry
County: USA
Posts: 574

1266586
I have no Doubt in my mind Mayo are going to win the AI everyone is talking
about Donegal that they are going to do this that and the other to Mayo let me
tell you they will be all talking about Mayo at 5pm on Sun Sept 23rd


The above post is very interesting considering you posted the following on this very thread last July

wfkerry
County: USA
Posts: 574

1224802
Mayo will be gone at the qf

And they say mayo hype themselves up.after this charade I'll be taking everything you say from now on with a pinch of salt.

jono (Mayo) - Posts: 350 - 15/09/2012 14:25:46    1266631

the best team doesent always win the allireland , there was years when my own county kerry stuttered in to finals and won, and other years we blazed through to the final an were beat. also donegal might have had their eye on playing dublin in the final and they might think their task is easier now that they are playing mayo which could go against them.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 15/09/2012 14:39:19    1266633

jono
County: Mayo
Posts: 293

1266631 wfkerry
County: USA
Posts: 574

1266586
I have no Doubt in my mind Mayo are going to win the AI everyone is talking
about Donegal that they are going to do this that and the other to Mayo let me
tell you they will be all talking about Mayo at 5pm on Sun Sept 23rd


The above post is very interesting considering you posted the following on this very thread last July

wfkerry
County: USA
Posts: 574

1224802
Mayo will be gone at the qf

And they say mayo hype themselves up.after this charade I'll be taking everything you say from now on with a pinch of salt.

Jonjo you should do yourself a favour and go back and read some of the predicting that was going on on this forum all summer. Our good friend wfkerry was not the only offender. There were fellas on here speaking with such authority you'd swear Moses was backing them up.
Anyone with any sense knows that there is no such thing as a sure thing in a two horse race, but sense is a rare commodity these days.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 15/09/2012 18:46:52    1266724

I have no doubt that there are other offenders who have made bad predictions in the past but that happens.what I can't stand is someone totally changing their opinion within a few matches.they were written off before the qf and now they're shoo ins for the all Ireland!please,it's hard to listen such bs.maybe he's a WUM as its the only plausible explanation for such a u turn in my eyes.I'm sure there are plenty more,this just happened to be the one that I picked up on.

jono (Mayo) - Posts: 350 - 16/09/2012 09:12:10    1266845

I dont know jono. The Mayo/Sligo game Mayo looked brutal and yes if they came up against stronger opposition in the QF I felt they would be beaten too. When they drew down I knew they would win. However I then thought that Dublin would beat ye if they performed at all. I honestly think Mayo surprised everyone in that match and are now in my eyes just behind Donegal, not like the bookies are maintaining.
So Im one of the people whose opinions have changed about mayo but you should take that as a complement and stop giving out.

I still think donegal will win if they played to potential but Mayo are waiting in the wings and can score goals so have a good chance too.

dstuction (Donegal) - Posts: 1209 - 16/09/2012 10:44:07    1266861

For sure Muckross, it'll all be on the day and let's hope the ref has a good one for both sides... Mo Deegan tends to try to let a game flow, and he seems to be consistent in that approach. It'd be a pity if a mistake or a harsh sending off turns the game, but these things happen... hopefully not on the 23rd.

Jono, up to the Dubs game even some national journalists were making name mistakes and making sweeping non-factual statements about Mayo players and even whole lines (I think one expected our hb line would be done for pace by the Dubs hf line... honestly!), so it'd be fair to say that if the pros couldn't get it right, you can't be too harsh on posters in here. The truth is, even compared with last year, Mayo have introduced or reintroduced a lot of different faces. so the likes of Kevin Keane, Lee Keegan, Com Boyle, Barry Moran (to a lesser extent) Mickey Conroy and Enda Varley would have had no profile outside of Mayo (even our neighbours would know sfa about them). On the bench against the Dubs there were even one or two players whose names I know, but because I live away, I've never seen them in a Mayo shirt that I can recall. The performances of these lesser known players have been pretty fantastic over the course of the season, but professsionals and posters are only beginning to take notice of them now. This info gap also means that Donegal will probably get a bit more press focus, as the known quantity, which is also a big factor with our friends the bookies.

Pericles (Mayo) - Posts: 2521 - 16/09/2012 11:53:55    1266890

Muckrosshead. I never expected Mayo and Donegal to be in the final my pick
was Cork and Kildare but both teams are there on merit now its a 2 horse race
and im going for Mayo to get over the line if Donegal win i will be one of the first
people on her to offer my congrats it will go down to the wire like the hurling final
Its a great felling when your county win the AI and not a great felling when you lose
ive had the privelage to celeberate on 15 occassions and drown my sorrows on
11 occassions its going to be a great day enjoy it

wfkerry (USA) - Posts: 933 - 16/09/2012 12:32:10    1266913

wfkerry
County: USA
Posts: 575

1266913 Muckrosshead. I never expected Mayo and Donegal to be in the final my pick
was Cork and Kildare but both teams are there on merit now its a 2 horse race
and im going for Mayo to get over the line if Donegal win i will be one of the first
people on her to offer my congrats it will go down to the wire like the hurling final
Its a great felling when your county win the AI and not a great felling when you lose
ive had the privelage to celeberate on 15 occassions and drown my sorrows on
11 occassions its going to be a great day enjoy it

Well said wfkerry

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 16/09/2012 13:28:22    1266950

it all depends on who turns up on the day..

dubbydave. (Dublin) - Posts: 3927 - 16/09/2012 16:17:38    1267044