National Forum

Mayo GAA Thread

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Replying To yew_tree:  "I think the reality is we are a top 8 team but a long way off the elite level. We've played the two top teams in Kerry and Donegal and been hammered in both. People often go on about Mayo forward and scoring power but that's the lazy soundbite analysis. The reality is defensively we are in big trouble."
I agree with this completely. Didn't agree with the narrative at all that the issue against Kerry was with the forwards. They weren't great, but they weren't the main issue.
The lazy analysis compared the scoring efficiency of both teams. What it neglected to analyse was the huge difference in levels of pressure on both teams when taking their shots. Kerry have some excellent forwards, but it was like a training session for them on Saturday.
Any time a team puts up a huge score like that, with only one wide or whatever it was, is an indication of the lack of pressure further out.
Mayo have racked up huge scores in some of the earlier games, with pretty much the same forwards. Kerry struggled to score from play against Donegal due to being starved of possession as well put under massive pressure when on the ball.
It's not just the backs that were culpable from Mayo, but the team as a whole defensively. They were well off it from a physical point of view. If you give a team like Kerry that much space and light touch defending, they'll go to town.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2743 - 19/03/2026 17:06:34    2661844

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "Kerry will dish out a clipping to any team who picks 3 forwards in defence and kicks 14 wides.
A big lesson for Mayo if they have the smarts to learn from it.

Silverware will be for Kerry and Donegal to divy up.

Mayo have it all to do to stop Galway wining a 5 in a row in Connacht - (including beating Roscommon).
To do that we would have to recapture the sort of consistency we haven't seen since for 8/10 years. Getting Mayo back to playing hard and kicking 50% from play with 85% form frees every day they go out would be a good achievement."
Who were the 3 forwards in defence? Diarmuid fair enough but Dawson has probably played the majority of his football at wing back.. dunno who the third one is?

8-10 years ago we weren't beating Galway in connacht either BTW..

It will be a challenge to win connacht of course but we've been very close the last couple of years so it's certainly achievable.

MayoDan (Mayo) - Posts: 523 - 19/03/2026 17:54:33    2661851

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