2017 All Ireland Senior Football Championship

[Blake]

I wouldn’t take him off them, but Doherty can bang them over no bother

[Sidney]

O’Connor’s longer range frees both from the hand and off the ground have declined significantly this year. That doesn’t mean I’d take him off them.

[Julio_Geordio]

@Blake

I wouldn’t take him off them, but Doherty can bang them over no bother

Doherty looks (to me) a much better freetaker.

[myboyblue]

@Blake

I wouldn’t take him off them, but Doherty can bang them over no bother

He can, but COC’s record isn’t like he needs to be taken off them surely? Also do you really want to put that extra onto Doherty just as he’s becoming an important player for Mayo? Seems like change for changes sake.

[Sidney]

@Julio_Geordio

It’s difficult to know how good Dublin are after that Tyrone game, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a performance like it, fluid tactically, brilliant in defence (the tackling was superb) and awesome at taking scores. I can’t see Mayo beating them, but if they go more defensively as Jim suggests they haven’t a prayer.

I don’t think McGuinness was really suggesting that Mayo use this as a full blown tactic. It’s the type of thing that you could employ maybe twice or three times in a match at strategic stages. As a full blown 70 minute tactic it would be suicide.

Part of Mayo’s running threat comes from having a genuine full forward line. And their running threat has always been a more individualistic thing where one of Higgins or Boyle or Keegan or Durcan or Vaughan spots a gap and goes off the shoulder rather than a systemic thing like Donegal where three or four players ran forward simultaneously in straight lines because there was was little else on up front.

Asking Mayo to play this tactic changes the dynamic of their running game to a much more punishing one, and changes their whole attacking game, really.

[Sidney]

@glasagusban

I’d put Keegan on kilkenny either way.

It would be a physical mismatch in Mayo’s favour.

[Spidey]

You just can’t help yourself fella. Well aware it’s Mayo they’re playing but Jim was alluding to the fact they may struggle to adapt from their possession based game (which they typically only play v blanket defences). Go man on man on them and they will blow you away too.

I have watched COC all year and he’s actually improved his showing for the ball in places but he’s not tracking back into his own defence to be able to play the tactics McGuinness wants. He’s also a poor tackler.

[Sidney]

One thing Mayo haven’t tried against Dublin since the drawn 2015 semi-final when it was an obvious, repeated but wrong headed tactic is the high ball into the square to Aodhan O’Se.

In the semi-final replay, O’Se alternated at full back with Donal Vaughan.

There’s nothing to say he can’t alternate at full forward in this game.

The big difference between now and 2015 is that Dublin don’t have Rory O’Carroll who was excellent under a high ball.

Alternate O’Se regularly, particularly early on, and throw in a couple of good David Moran-style high balls under the crossbar or into the square and you could create chaos. And unsettle Stephen Cluxton.

It’s one more string to Mayo’s attacking bow that they should use - they need to vary things attacking-wise and keep Dublin guessing as much as possible.

[Spidey]

Philly marked O’Shea that day with O’Sullivan sweeping/first responder. O’Caroll was on O’Connor and got busted with a sneaky elbow and had to come off early. Dubs will be well able for it.

[Sidney]

Sorry, how could I forget.

The main problem with that tactic was the predictability of it and the static and isolated nature of O’Se’s positioning.

If you use it more sparingly and unexpectedly, or if O’Se ghosts in late, it becomes more difficult to defend against if the ball is good.

Actually I think they may have used it a couple of times late on in the replay last year? Didn’t O’Se have a penalty shout turned down?

[Blake]

I agree, COC deserves a good bit of leash and an All Ireland Final is no place for a lad to have his first championship game on the frees. Doc has the ability though.

[myboyblue]

It could be detrimental in two ways, in that it may knock COC and a bad start on them could knock JD. Not sure the gains are worth the risk. Not even for a proven risk taker like Rochford.

[Massey]

I notice you left kerry out of that list.Anyways we’ll see Sunday.Mayo by 2.

[glasagusban]

AOS was rode rotten that day. If he can get one on one with any of the Dublin full back line for a high ball it will cause havoc. If the ref actually calls fouls committed against him Dublin will be in serious trouble.

[Little_Lord_Fauntleroy]

Took my son to his first GGA game this weekend, he was enthralled by the sights the sounds and the excitement of match day, reminded me of how I was when my old man took me back in the day, its a gift I have given him for life just like my old man gave me this great gift, makes all the hard slog of training the u7s & u8s throughout the winter worth it, I guess its what makes us great gaels

[myboyblue]

I’m giving that a like.

[caoimhaoin]

It was a ridiculously dumb post that makes no sense.

COC is a deliberate fouler, a few of the Mayo lads rotate that role. In some areas of the putch he is actually very good. Which leads me to believe it is really tactical with him.

[Spidey]

Ok so he’ll use his deliberate fouling techniques in his own half of the field then, allowing Dean Rock a potential shot at goal. Makes sense.

[caoimhaoin]

You are looking even dumber now and not reading whats being said.

Lig out of tfk and come back later. Its AI week and your team are in the final. I get it. Chill out. Analyze properly

[johnnysachs]

Thats Fior Gael stuff right there. A higher echelon of Gaeldom. Maithú.