The Official GAA thread

Unlucky from Monaghan losing 2 finals by such small margins in 2 days

 

Deserved the draw Monaghan if only for their keepers efforts..

Celtic looking for a keeper that can play from the back, Rory Beggan is our man

 

A little better from Dublin today in the Leinster Final against Kildare. Comfortable really all day for the most part although again nothing special at all about the performance.

 

You just always feel they have another level, though. Wouldn’t be at all surprised to see them beat Mayo by 6+ points.

 

I’m the same tbh. My dad’s convinced that Mayo will beat them and that Dublin haven’t been AS impressive this year. But how many times have we said that before about this EXACT fixture?


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Exactly. My gut now says Dublin will turn up for this, dominate with their bench and put Mayo in their place.

I do still fancy Kerry, though.

 

They look most vulnerable last year and this year. Last year beating Mayo in the final was more of a gimme than a semi against Cavan.

They would be favorites to win it but anybody can be beaten.

 

I think if it were Tyrone or Kerry playing them in the semi they’d be beat but when they play one of them in the final they’ll win. The final is their territory, they just have that psychological edge. Psychology is also the reason I can see Mayo * the bed again. It’s beyond infuriating now. Mayo have had the capability to beat Dublin for years now but for years their bottle has let them down.


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I think this is harsh. Mayo can match Dublin for 60/65 minutes. The difference is the bench. Dublin just have a greater depth of quality.

 

I don’t think it’s harsh at all. It’s just proven to be the case over the last, what, 6/7 years?


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I think we will play better against Mayo but there is no hiding the fact that this is the end of an incredible era for Dublin with so many retiring or stepping away the team is clearly not the unstoppable juggernaut of most of the last decade. The unreal strength in depth for me was such a big factor in Dublin's unreal success this past decade and now that largely is gone. Does this Dublin team still have enough to win this All Ireland yes it could happen but I expect Mayo to beat us finally in the semi-final. Naturally I hope I am wrong and Dublin can squeeze one more All Ireland out of this run but the performances would suggest that is not going to happen.

 

I agree. The Mayo side that came so close a few times there in the middle of this Dublin run were a top draw side which would have won All Irelands in any other era. They just unfortunately for them got stuck having to deal with the greatest GAA football team of all time. It had nothing to do with bottle. Dublin were simply that good that no matter what Mayo did Dublin always had that bit more. As you rightly say too the strength in depth of Dublin during this era has been literally unstoppable for the most part.

 

A very good Mayo team just happened to come up against the greatest GAA team of all time. Bottle had nothing to do with it. Dublin always had all the answers again and again and that is why Mayo lost and while this era is coming to a close now this Dublin team is without doubt the greatest GAA football team the game has seen.

 

It would be foolish to think that psychology hasn’t also played a part in their failure (that’s what it is, let’s not beat around the bush) to win an AI out of all the finals they’ve been in since 2012. (You could, at a stretch include the 2004/2006 finals too).

I would love nothing better than for Mayo to beat Dublin and ultimately win Sam I just simply can’t see it happening. It’s just my opinion.


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I am only talking about the run where they have been continually Dublin's closest challenger so not talking about 04-06. Bottom line is this Dublin team is the greatest team of all time and that includes on the psychology side too which of course is part of the game for everyone. This Dublin team were a brick wall psychology wise as well as ability and talent wise. Mayo did not bottle anything they just could not beat the greatest GAA football team of all time period. Again and again during this run against Mayo in particular it looked like Dublin were going to lose but always Dublin had an answer and came away with the win and that is why this Dublin team is the greatest of all time and Mayo just like Kerry suffered the same fate every time they looked like they might win Dublin would find a way.

 

So Hennelly making a clanger in 2016 and Cillian O’Connor (one of the best free takers in Ireland and the leading scorer of that championship) missing a fairly standard free in 2017 weren’t key moments in any way influenced by psychology. Dublin (as much as I love to hate them) are serial winners. This Mayo side have not proven to be winners for the best part of a decade under a few different managers now and I think that’s something that weighs heavy on their key players’ minds in this big games.


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Accounting for 21 points out of a total of 30 and not winning could only be achieved by a Mayo all Ireland final team.

 

Read my post above I said psychology IS part of the game no question and when it mattered in crunch time and on the occasions when they were in trouble Dublin always had the answer as they were rock solid and better then Mayo and everyone else in all aspects of the game be it talent be it athleticism be it psychology. Mayo did not lose simply because they bottled it or choked. They were a really good team whom IMHO would have won All Irelands in any other era. They just happened to be around at the same time as the greatest team in GAA football history and just could not beat them no matter what just like everyone else. Mayo lost to Dublin again and again because Dublin were the greatest team of all time in all areas of the game including psychological.

 

Fair enough, I take your point. In another era they might have one a lock of All Ireland’s. But then that starts to sound like Armagh fans who b*tch and moan that they deserved more all Irelands in the naughties but for Tyrone to ‘rob’ them of them haha.


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Hey at least Armagh won at least one All Ireland so they can whine all they want