CORK MANAGER BRIAN CUTHBERT has stressed the need for the importance of a strong refereeing display in Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC quarter-final against a ‘streetwise’ Mayo side.
The Rebels go into the last-eight clash against the Connacht champions as underdogs and, while Cuthbert has belief that his side can win, he feels that authority from the man in the middle – who has yet to be announced – will be key.
“Absolutely, I think the referee’s going to be very important in this game,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to paint our fellas as naive young fellas, but certainly they’re up against a team that’s extremely streetwise — every manager wants their team to be like that.
They’re a very streetwise team, they’ve been around the block and they know how to play the game. I think they’re very sure of how they want to play and they’re a difficult team to play against, to be honest.”
“This year teams have caused them problems and I’d be hopeful that if we can get enough ball we can cause them some problems as well.”
Full deck
While midfielder Andrew O’Sullivan has left the Cork panel — ‘his call’, in Cuthbert’s words — the manager is in the pleasing position of having effectively a full squad to choose from.
“We’re fine [regarding injuries],” he said, “we have a very good medical team, very good strength and conditioning coach, we’ve gone through the season largely, with everybody.
“Donncha [O'Connor] had a hamstring injury last week, he was going very well but he picked up an injury last Sunday week. We hope he’ll be fine this week. Apart from that there’s only Kevin Crowley, who has a serious injury and who’s out of bounds.”
Can’t criticise Mayo’s sporting qualities. If they were more streetwise they would have an All Ireland by now. Cork bit too nice at times as well.
Mayo streetwise, It is Mayo and not Germany!
Mayo for salad
They’re brilliant throughout the making of the salad but mess it up at the end.
Sounds like he’s making excuses already!
Trying to influence the referee more like and smacks of desperation
Not the first time this has been, rather unfairly, levelled at Mayo. Similar accusations were made before last years final though of course everybody conveniently forgets that Dublin spent the last ten minutes of that game hauling down Mayo men to scrape over the line. Mayo need to stand up to this rhetoric and take some control of the rhetoric, referees are only human after all.
Mayo did the exact same thing in the 2012 semi final against Dublin too, hauling down players and time wasting, just to clarify that Mayo are no saints either. But lets try to stick to Cork v Mayo this Sunday without trying to bring Dublin into it.
Semi-Final match-ups: Dublin vs Donegal, Mayo vs Kerry
All-Ireland Final: Mayo vs Dublin……..Mayo to end the Curse and beat Dublin by three points :)……..you heard it hear first
Since the new format was introduced, 11 times out of 13 the team that won the All-Ireland was either Kerry or the team that knocked them out.
Making excuses already! Hope mayo hammer them now.
Mind games! Mind games! You’re fooling no – one.
This is the funniest thing I’ve ever read. Where’s my violin?!
Cuthbert is right them Mayo shores are gettho hardened, look at Edna for example, a right gurrier
Why has Andrew osullivan left the panel? Played slot in the league and impressed to be honest. If we get with in an asses roar of mayo I’ll be happy enough. Don’t think cutbert is the man to take us forward tho.
Hahaha this has to be a joke, what happened to battle hardened cork teams. Mayo to make final again but expect same result as always
Final it’s there’s Sunday
We could sneak an unfancied win if we could sort out our Midfield
Midfield will be damage control for Cork, Mayo have the strongest midfield in the championship when it comes to fielding our own kickouts. Cork don’t have a Cluxton to nullify that.
Mayo 4 Sam 2014. This is our year. Mark my words.. !!!
Mayo have not peaked yet for a reason and never took the League serious, .. Learned from mistakes last year of showing they’re hand too early . Mark my words Mayo will bulldoze Dublin in this years final !!!!
http://youtu.be/2G_hmuU2PEc. Up the dubs you have no chance
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz