This. They need to be attacked and put under pressure and have no respect shown to them. When this happens cracks can start to appear.
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But last year also showed that Mayo have the players to stop Dublin. Keith Higginsâ role has become much more defined as the season has worn on and heâs much more suited to a free role in defence than Kevin McLoughlin was last year.
Playing nine matches this summer gives Rochford huge knowledge of what can work and what wonât.
With Jack McCaffrey back and the addition of Con OâCallaghan, I think Dublin probably do bring a greater range of attacking options this year than last, although John Small did make a significant attacking contribution in last yearâs finals in McCaffreyâs absence.
Then again, Diarmuid Connolly may or may not start. You donât strengthen a team by leaving out Connolly.
I think it would be fair comment to say both teams are probably better than last year, but Iâd be more confident in saying that about Mayo.
Again I go back to the 2005 comparison. Kerry looked very strong going into that final, and they were, but Tyrone had fought the battles and were supremely battle hardened.
Dublin look very strong, but if it becomes a war, as thereâs every chance it will, how will they react against a team which has had much more practice of fighting and coming out the right side of such wars this summer?
This was the question many, including myself, believed would be posed of Dublin against Tyrone, but it turned out Tyrone had not been battle hardened at all and folded meekly. The same cannot be said of Mayo. The same question may well be posed this time, just a game later than expected.
That was a strange year. A load of forwards were outstanding and i think they were afraid to give Cork too many
No. 2010 was a joke alright
So your list so is just fellas who performed well over the age of 30 
good man
Lads way over thinking the merits of Mayo and forgetting their flaws. Dublin have better starting forwards. And way better finishing forwards. McCaffrey and McCarthy are the equals of Keegan and Boyle for attacking. Dublin defence is easily as strong as Mayoâs. Dublinvs team ethic is superb as is their bottle. Canât see how they lose. Dublin by more than usual for me.
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Em, obviously. It was designed to show that the cliche that Gaelic football is a young manâs game is proving increasingly erroneous, as around half those included are likely to be in the actual All-Star team itself.
What a strange thing to laugh at.
Sean Murphy (Carlow) instead of Colm Cavanagh (Tyrone) at midfield.
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It seems the mind games have already begun ahead of the All-Ireland SFC final on September 17 with Mayo manager Stephen Rochford calling for the appointment of a strong referee.
The referee is expected to be named on Monday and Rochford is hoping the âbest man for the job gets itâ. The failure of Maurice Deegan to dismiss John Small and then send off Lee Keegan on a black card in last yearâs replay between Mayo and Dublin still rankles with Mayo supporters, with many believing those two decisions cost them the All-Ireland.
âI suppose youâre expecting somebody who will be able to take control of a really big game, gets the calls right, an experienced referee,â Rochford is quoted as saying in the Irish Daily Mirror.
âItâs something thatâs outside our control so you donât tend to give it much attention. But look, it is important that the best man for the job gets it.
âI know that when it comes down to very tight games, a decision can have a big effect on how the game can be played out and, you know, we saw that in a case last year even.â
Rochford elaborated: "Some calls went against us that I think definitely shaped that game.
"Maurice Deegan came out afterwards to say that he missed the blatant hand trip with John Small, which had an effect on Dublin being able to still use a substitute when Cian OâSullivan pulled his hamstring with six / seven minutes to go.
"It would have been interesting to see would their bench have been able to replace [him] in a game of such tight margins. Theyâre big calls, Lee Keeganâs black card last year. Itâs still a difficult one to deal with on the back of the publicity (former Dublin players were accused of trying to influence the referee in the media) in the lead-up to that game.
"In the days after the All-Ireland final replay last year I said I did feel that it was concerted effort. Itâs something that we have moved on from and we just look forward to getting on with it on the field.â
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Lee Keegan being black carded for a push in the back was disgraceful in fairness.
Fair play to Maurice, takes a big man to admit he made a mistake. Referees need more help, and not be undermined by tramps like Wheelie Bin in the media.
Where are the respective Former Player Media Pressure Panels (FPMPPs) gathering this weekend to discuss their strategies for the next two weeks?
Journalist Kieran Cunningham mentioned that the Dublin one would be meeting in the Sunnybank on Thursday but Iâm told that meeting did not in fact happen.
Its funny Stephen didnât mention Cillian O Connor diviing to get James McCarthy black carded in the drawn game. A party trick Gillian has repeated several times since.
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Not that funny
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Generally though we look at recent history and games.
And while you may be prived correct there is nothing really tgere to support this view.
Boyles performance the last day was one of the most dynamic i can ever remember. Now McCaffery was superb, but it was not as hard for him. He was accelerating oast static tyrone players already wrong footed by 3 hand passes in triangles.
Keegan has veen distinctly average the last 2 games. Going forward yes McCarthy and McCaffery are his equal in many ways although he can score goals. But his overall physique and game is superior to both.
Dublin have better and more forwards. I do not think you will get much disagreement there. However Mayos attack is not solely about their forwards. I also cannot emphasize enough how much better their forward play has got under Rochford. Its night and day.
Mayo wonât play the game on Dublins terms like Tyrone did. The kickout strategy alone would be a firing offence for Harte were it professional sport. There is no logic to that.
I looked at the 2013 final last night. I had forgotten just how dominant Mayo were in the first half of that match. They should have been at least six or seven points up at half-time. Lee Keegan, great as he is, has a real tendency to drop shots short just below the crossbar.
Andy Moran was decent in that final but he wasnât playing as well and making as big an all round contribution as he is now. Cillian OConnor wasnât a force from play in that match at all - I think heâs improved steadily as this season has worn on, while Jason Doherty was only brought on after 68 minutes.
Thatâs certainly two big improvements in terms of the âscoringâ forwards and arguably even three.
Kevin McLoughlin and Alan Dillon also had stinkers in that final. And yet Mayo still only lost by a point.
Add that to the 2012 semi-final in which Mayo were totally dominant for 50 minutes, the 2015 replay in which Mayo were the better team for 55 minutes, the 2016 draw in which Mayo were the better team for 77 minutes and the replay in which it could be argued Mayo were very marginally the better team overall on the play, and thereâs a real pattern there that Mayo do unsettle Dublin a huge amount when theyâre playing well.
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Ya and if you want to simplify it, its because of ohysicality.
But to the Dubs credit, the wins they did have, came down to a slightly better and more blanket skillset.
The lack of aggression and physicality is the primary reason I was so disappointed with Tyrone against Dublin and why Iâm loathe to read too much into that result - obviously Dublin proved themselves to be significantly better but Tyrone failed to bring the one thing you must bring as your basic starting point if you want to have a chance of beating Dublin.
For me the main difference between the two semi-finals last weekend was that Mayo made Kerry play badly primarily through physical dominance, whereas Tyrone handed Dublin the game on a plate almost from the word go, as a result of their shocking physical meekness.
Dublin are obviously a brilliant team but I wouldnât be reading a whole pile on the semi-final in terms of formlines going into the final. They did what they had to do but Tyrone were stunningly inept.
Fair enough. I would read into it that Tyrone were ready but struggled to lay a glove on Dublin because they were shithot and negated any areas where Tyrone could swallow them up. I think itâll be a totally different game plan for Mayo. Added to that I think the Dubâs have laid themselves out for the championship this year. And that the massive difference between the teams was indicative of just how good Dublin are now. No messing. No shite. Youâre good but youâre dropped. Weâll see.