1. Kicking kings
It hardly needs to be said that Stephen Cluxton’s kickouts are one of the key weapons in Dublin’s arsenal. His dead-eye accuracy and the clever and varied movement of the outfield players turn what would otherwise be a 50/50 contest for possession into a solid attacking platform.
You don’t need to look far for proof. According to Don’t Foul’s analysis, Dublin won 100% of their own kickouts against Westmeath in the Leinster final; in the quarter-final win over Fermanagh, they went short almost two-thirds of the time and scored 1-10 from the resulting possessions.
Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes would be foolish to arrive in Croke Park without a plan to counter Cluxton, and they won’t.
But writing in the Irish Times this week, Darragh Ó Sé made an important point: it’s one thing to talk about pushing up on Dublin’s kickouts to disrupt their rhythm; it’s another to do it consistently at the frenetic pace of a championship clash.
2. The middle ground
No matter where you turn, the matchups are tantalising. Aidan O’Shea versus Rory O’Carroll; Mayo’s half-back line of Keegan, Barrett and Boyle versus the Dublin half-forwards Flynn, Connolly and Kilkenny.
And then there’s midfield, so often the battleground for the winning and losing of a tight contest.
Jim Gavin has alternated between Michael Darragh MacAuley, Brian Fenton and Denis Bastick in midfield without settling on a preferred duo.
At the same time, Mayo’s midfield has been a model of consistency. Seamus O’Shea is on the brink of his first Allstar while Tom Parsons has been a revelation this season.
It’s an area where Mayo have the slightest edge.
3. Dublin’s fab five
There’s no bushel big enough to hide Dublin’s dazzling attack. In four championship games the Dubs have scored an ominous 13-79, winning by an average margin of more than 14 points.
Of course there’s an argument to be made about the quality of opposition they have faced but it is still worth noting the spread of scorers that contributed to that haul. Bernard Brogan has blazed a trail with 5-16 but Dean Rock (2-19), Diarmuid Connolly (3-8), and Ciaran Kilkenny (0-13) have also racked up huge tallies while Paul Flynn has managed 2-4 despite not hitting top gear.
With so many scoring options to contain, the Mayo defence will have their hands full.
4. Sweeping up appearances
Mayo’s decision to deploy “Big Bird” Barry Moran as a sweeper against Donegal proved to be one of the best-kept secrets of championship 2015, and it was a masterstroke by the Connacht champions.
But Moran himself was the first to admit that there is no one-size-fits-all approach in modern football. Dublin’s agile and fluid forward line are a very different prospect to the Donegal attack anchored around the powerhouse that is Michael Murphy, and so Mayo must go back to the drawing board.
Moran wears #13 on Sunday but don’t expect to see him anywhere near the full-forward line. Wherever he finds his home, he should prove to be an asset in contesting any long Dublin kick-outs.
As far as Dublin are concerned, Cian O’Sullivan will be more than comfortable sitting in front of the full-back line and helping O’Carroll to deal with O’Shea if that’s what’s asked of him.
5. Someone’s O has got to go
The championship landscape changed utterly with Aidan O’Shea’s reimagination as a full-forward. There was plenty of pre-summer scepticism about Mayo’s prospects in Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes’s first season but the Breaffy bulldozer quickly set the record straight with his performances.
A few weeks back, Philly McMahon said he was yet to watch O’Shea in action this summer but Jim Gavin pulled no punches, labelling him as the form player of the championship.
He has scored 4-5 in three championship games but on top of that, he has been a vital piece of the puzzle in many more Mayo scores.
Fortunately for Gavin and the Dubs, Rory O’Carroll is one of the top full-backs in the country but if O’Shea was able to physically bully Neil McGee, then nobody is safe.
It’s set to be unmissable viewing.
To say his career in management has been ‘largely unsuccessful’ is incorrect.He did have success at Sunderland.
That’s why I said ‘largely unsuccessful’ rather than ‘entirely unsuccessful’ Eamonn.
To call his management ‘largely unsuccessful ‘ is unfair Paul. He took Sunderland from bottom of the table to win the championship. Success.Then he kept them in the Prem. more success.
Already sick of the Roy Keane stories. I’ve read sweet f**k all about Martin O’Neill who last time I checked, was actually appointed boss, not Keane.
By the way I hope that O’Neill does not start tiptoeing around d**kheads like Stephen Ireland and Darron Gibson, begging them to come play for Ireland. If he puts 11 men out there who replicate the pride, commitment and passion shown by the likes of the Clare and Cork hurlers last month, in every game they play then ill be happy enough. You can’t ask for more than that. Leave the primadonnas at home.
Agreed. Had to laugh at Stephen Ireland being interviewed and saying he’s going to give some consideration to coming back. He hasn’t done anything to merit it since he was playing for City.
Last month, Roy helped his old Forest mate Gary Charles with some coaching at a University of Nottingham football match. I talked to some of the boys – after they got over the shock of Keane walking into their dressing room unannounced, they said he was articulate, obviously enthusiastic about what they were doing, and helpful in his critique. This is just one example of what he’s been doing the last three years; from helping some university players to observing training at Barcelona – he hasn’t just been walking the dogs and working for ITV. He’s been serious about trying to improve his skill set and I suspect he’s had a good old think about where he’s gone wrong in the past in his management style.
Since when does coaching come into international football??? Coaching is done at your club.
Tactics & the motivation are the only thing an international manager (that’s Martin O Neill everyone not Keane, just try remember that) gets to do with the short amount of time with the players……
Good work journo, another nonsense story
Lets take them across the water. Gerrard and Lampard could never play well together as they’ve only ever played one style of football and basically only predominantly for one club.
Coaching them at international level was the only way to get them to change their style of playing. Unfortunately for England it didn’t work. Possibly a good coach may have made it work.
A coach is essential at all levels.
A hotshot…. In precious few days that you have the players, how can you coach them?? Team organisation, tactics & mentally preparing them for an international match should be just scrapped for coaching grown men???
Kids get coached, precessionals listen to tactics
@Kevin: Maybe the lack of success was because they were trying to coach these two top players into a style of football they were both uncomfortable with, rather than having the tactical fluency to play them as they would wish to be played.
People seem to forget Martin O Neill is the manager not Roy Keane
I think your article is very misleading Paul. You are damning his coaching ability by criticising his man management skills. From what I gather he is an intelligent and innovative coach on the training ground whose management career was stifled by issues with the man management rather than the coaching.
I meant ‘coaching style’ in the broader sense of the word, Joseph. Man management can be considered a part of coaching.
Id disagree, man management is part of management, coaching can be a part of management too but would be more widely considered, in the context of British football at any rate, as the work done with players on the training pitch.
Sorry to say that while your articles are normally good I’m afraid you should have given this one a miss, it smacks of Sun type journalism.
FACT: Martin O’Neill is ROI manager
FACT:Roy Keane is his assistant and no doubt part of his coaching staff.
Why is all the talk about Roy and not what Martin brings to the job. From reports I have read, I have no idea one way or the other, O’Neill can be quite tough when he wants to be. So less of the jumping on the Dunphy bandwagon please.