Mayo continue to thrive
It’s difficult to imagine how the Kevin McStay era could have made a better start.
Rather than laments over the absence of Lee Keegan and Oisin Mullin, commentary around Mayo is now focused on the swagger with which they are playing.
David McBrien and Enda Hession are striking the right balance between fulfilling their defensive duties and providing threats moving forward.
Conor Loftus and Jordan Flynn have taken significant strides this term, while McStay is getting the best out of Aidan O’Shea.
The return of Tommy Conroy off the bench capped a hugely satisfying Saturday evening as they proved too strong for Tyrone in Castlebar.
What is going wrong with Tyrone?
The Red Hands have lacked a spark thus far in the year.
The 2021 All-Ireland champions scored just 0-5 from play in a 4-10 to 0-12 defeat at MacHale Park, and they are struggling to get a kick out of many of their protagonists. Cathal McShane in particular has been far from his best.
They lacked urgency on Saturday evening, and were defensively suspect. The manner in which the rearguard parted for Diarmuid O’Connor to score Mayo’s fourth goal will be of particular concern to Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher.
After three defeats in four games, Tyrone know they must arrest this decline before the visit of Kerry in round five.
Relegation race to go down to the wire
It is difficult to predict the two teams that will drop out of the top tier.
Roscommon opening with three wins removed them from the conversation for now, while obituaries have been written for the Division 1 status of both Monaghan and Donegal in recent weeks.
Tyrone are the latest team that find themselves rooted to the bottom of the table.
With all teams picking up points, it could go down to the wire. And no team is safe just yet. Cork were demoted from Division 1 in 2016 despite amassing six points, showing how high the bar can be.
No real daylight separates the teams in the bottom half of the table at present, and several teams could find themselves dragged into a relegation scrap over the coming weeks.
Kildare struggles
The Lilywhites were tipped as the biggest threats to consensus favourites Dublin and Derry for the promotion spots at the start of the Division 2 campaign.
But dreadful home form has ended such aspirations, and now they have a battle on their hands to ensure Sam Maguire Cup status for later in the year.
In 2022, they went unbeaten at St Conleth’s Park through their Division 1 campaign, with wins over Dublin and Monaghan, and a draw with Kerry.
In contrast this year, Cork and Derry have left Newbridge with 13 and 14-point victories respectively.
Glenn Ryan’s charges are badly struggling at present, and they are one of only two teams across all four divisions not to have scored a goal in this year’s Allianz League.
If Kildare fail to arrest this decline, they could find themselves mired in a relegation scrap in the coming weeks.
Cork warming up nicely
Failure to back up big performances has been all too common for Cork in recent years. But their 6-18 to 0-12 defeat of Limerick on Sunday afternoon was the perfect response to the heartache of last week’s loss to Dublin.
Promotion may be out of reach for the Rebels, given how the Dubs and Derry have flown out of the traps. But the Leesiders are nonetheless building nicely for the summer.
Conor Corbett and Chris Óg Jones have both made significant strides this term, while Brian Hurley has been given a new lease of life in the inside forward line.
There was significant Cork representation on UCC’s Sigerson Cup-winning team, and that experience will be of real benefit to the likes of Mark Cronin who is looking to make an impact on the inter-county scene.
John Cleary’s side will be feeling quite good about life after their 24-point drubbing of the Treaty, and travel to Clare next weekend with a pep in their step.
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Robbie Keane has nothing to prove.
Has been a flat track bully over the last half-a-dozen years.
We won’t be playing Faroe Islands in June.
Add Darron Gibson to that list….. Can’t even make the Everton bench now others are back from injury. (Unlike many others who seem to think he got better while injured), dont think he’s good enough to start for us, but would like to see him back playing regular club football.
If – and it’s a big if – Gibson can secure first team football between now and June he deserves to go. He’s a proven commodity at this level unlike Arter.
Everton were in fantastic form when he got a run of games.
Yeah to be honest (and I don’t like saying this because I had high hopes) I’m not sure he is proven at international level – not sure he was ever massively convincing for us. We always had that hope that ‘once he got a run of games’ he’d be better for us, but when they did come (I) it was down to others being injured and (2) he got injured playing for us before he could show anything. It’s a real pity. Arter has been playing first team football, when fit, for two seasons now and has impressed in a way I’m not sure Gibson ever did. I’d take him if it’s between the two.
Rob Elliot has to start in goal, Newcastle No.1 playing week in week out and playing really well, pulled off some top saves against Arsenal at the weekend. No brainier for me.
Couple of those saves were because of strange decisions to punch rather than catch though – ended up leading to further chances (that he admittedly saved). Give him a chance, but Randolph inspires more confidence for me.
Arter and judge are far better options than mcgeady.
I want to know what Keiran Westwood has to do to be considered, the best goalkeeper in the championship last year and consistently starting games every week
He fell out with MON at Sunderland.
What else does Robbie Keane have to do?
Score against teams that aren’t bottom seeds and contribute in overall play like Murphy, Long and Walters do?
I wouldn’t worry about anything Ronny Delia says about McGeady.. Delia is one bad result away from the sack.. O’Neill and Dermot Desmond are good mates, guaranteed McGeady will be a Celtic player come the end of January..
Are related to MON or DD which used be known as Double Diamond years ago ? ?.Some of the comments on articles are so amusing
Sorry Nick could you write that in English please?
The problem is that Deila isn’t one game away from the sack! Celtic are still persisting with him even though the team gets worse every week.
Anyway, to McGeady. The most naturally gifted player we have in the squad but his confidence is shot to feck. McGeady is too inconsistent, he’ll pop up with a piece of brilliance then will be complete muck for the next 5 games.
McGeadys big problem is that he is not a winger but ever since MON brought him through at Celtic that’s where he has played. McGeady was a number 10 through his entire youth. Unfortunately MON didn’t really understand how to use a creative midfielder at Celtic so he was shunted to the wing and has pretty much been there ever since. He doesn’t have the attributes to be a winger other than being able to dribble. Can’t cross and isn’t particularly quick.
McGeady has the same issues he had a 18, glimpses of class but with no end product. I’d love O’Neill to give him a run in midfield but O’Neill has the same issue he had at Celtic he doesn’t know how to effectively use a creative midfielder.
Point taken ! As I belong to a category of the population that is now officially known as “Seniors” I tend to get my fingers crossed, not my wires dare I say, from time on the “ould” smartphone. I also might have been intertupted by one of the grand kids wishing to engage in a blast of Trivial Pursuits.I suppose one could say thats what Im doing right now as I have a little free time on my hands !! What triggered my original post I cannot really recall right now – It obviously didnt engage my brain very well ! Again apologies for the misuse and the abuse of the “ould” English. Its very remiss of me particularly since I used it, albeit in a more cliched format,very extensively in a previous life. I better quit now a I am an avuncular kind of individual prone to a little causticism ! To quote the old Hill Street Blues (before your time I reckon) Bí Curamach out there Níoclás PS; At the risk of being a name dropper I did meet the main man from Kilrea on a few occasions
Keane should not be selected. Huge fan of his, but his time is over.
I am not sure Randolph or Keane have anything to prove. They will make the squad unless injured. The other lads are probably more at risk or have less chance of a call up anyway.
Darren Randolph has nothing to prove. Less of the hate
Darren Randolph has nothing to prove. Stop hating on him