I ASKED MY mother afterwards was it as bad as 1983, and she said it was.
So we can call it then – yesterday was a very bad day indeed to be a Galway supporter.
You can try and weigh up what’s worse, losing an All-Ireland to a team with 12 players, or getting humiliated 4-16 to 0-11 at home to your biggest rivals.
But you wait all winter for one game, and then after 30 minutes, you want it all to end. That was yesterday in a nut-shell.
Mayo came ready to play championship football yesterday. Alan Dillon took up his position at left corner forward for the start of the game and dumped Jonny Duane on his arse before the ball was thrown in.
They looked tuned in, confident. Galway looked like they didn’t know themselves how they were going to go. And when things went wrong, they didn’t have anyone to rally around.
Senior inter-county football is vicious now – tough, cynical, oppressive… a place where it takes a very specific, perhaps not very likeable, type of man to thrive. At every other level of football, Galway is thriving. But when it gets nasty, when you’re required to do something you’d be a little ashamed of, we don’t have the stomach for it. That’s harsh, but that’s the reality of it.
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James Horan spoke during the week about how he didn’t really subscribe to all this ‘form-guide goes out the window’ talk around derbies. Mayo were playing in Division 1, Galway were mid-table in Division 2.
He fully expected his team to win, and he didn’t really give a damn how many All-Ireland’s Galway had won in the last 129 years (9 to Mayo’s 3 – just by the way! You’ll allow me that on this of all mornings, surely). And why should he?
I wrote last year about Donegal and how great teams show composure on the ball – you couldn’t say that about even one Galway player yesterday. They are good players but they are fragile mentally, and haven’t had a win to hang their coat on in years. We haven’t won a real championship game, a dogfight, in so long that it’s starting to feel like we’ll never win one.
You see countless teams do hand-passing drills nowadays in their warm-ups, describing delicate parabolas as they weave in and out of each other’s way. It’s at high-speed, and the ball whizzes from hand to hand.
Compare the speed at which that drill is done even by ordinary club players to how Galway handpassed the ball yesterday – like a father handing his newborn over to a friend who has a few pints on board. There was no conviction in how they transferred the ball to each other, no confidence that they were capable of playing their way out of trouble.
The couple of early scores that came directly from that lack of assurance in the Galway backline were really damaging. But Mayo were there with their foot on Galway’s throat immediately. They were merciless, and they took considerable joy in turning the screw. That’s what senior championship football is all about. And it is a mentality that Galway have to try and sign up to.
People have this image of Galway fans throwing their head back snootily at the modern game and all of its cynicism and defensiveness. That is utter crap – Galway can still play attacking, fluent football, and be relevant in the game as we now know it. Look at the scoring rate in Division 1 this year – you’ll have to be capable of putting up big scores to win the All-Ireland this September.
Deliberate tactical snobbery is not the problem with Galway. The problem is a lack of mean bastards in the team. Cocky, arrogant, ignorant players that are a mild disgrace to their families with their carry-on. Galway are in dire need of some of them right now. And getting two players sent off isn’t what I’m talking about here – that’s just frustration. I’m talking about sustained, controlled aggression.
You hear rugby players talking about leadership groups in teams – a group of the 5 or 6 big characters in the team that meet regularly to decide with the management the team’s style of play, and set the standards for the squad as a whole. Who’s in that group for Galway at the moment?
8 members of the 2011 All-Ireland under-21 winning team started yesterday, and the other seven were the players that Galway people were looking to for leadership. Two of those seven were sent off, with three more taken off.
And that’s the big problem for Alan Mulholland now. That older group failed him, and all of Galway is just going to have to wear this one for a long time to come. Redemption is available through the qualifiers, if Galway have the stomach for it.
This Week Murph was – on the verge of hating Andy Moran for what he did to us in the last minute in Salthill yesterday. But goddamnit, he’s just so bloody likeable. After careful consideration, he will be relieved to know that he’s still in my good books.
Mayo’s Andy Moran celebrates with Cillian O’Connor after scoring a goal
Pic: INPHO/Cathal Noonan
@john no johnny boy, small deck but it constantly wet, needs a day to dry out before painting can commence (free tip of day). as well as having a shite football team in galway we also haven’t had two dry days in a row since march I’d say!!
Nothing like a good thrashing by your fiercest rivals to put a spring in your step at the next training session. If this isn’t the kick up the backside the players need and instills a desire and hunger for revenge then Galway football is completely broken and a total clear out is needed. A lot of teams gets thrashed now and again. Its how you respond to it that defines you as a Team.
Murph… I was at the game and i am afraid you have tried to put down the Mayo sucess to being physical and ruthless… I am afraid it was more basic than that… Mayo have better players than Galway… MAybe 4/5 of the Galway team would make Mayo panel… Simply as that… I am not from Mayo btw.. Westmeath in fact..
Nearly all that Galway team are used to beating Mayo all through the age grades. They just don’t turn into superstars once they hit senior. What we saw yesterday was a seasoned mature well-coached well-conditioned Mayo team hammering a raw inexperienced (in the main) Galway team that physically is not at the level of their opponents yet and also did not look very well coached or prepared to play modern Gaelic football. Alan Mulholland may have been a great underage coach but underage football is almost devoid of tactics or negativity. Some of the goals Galway conceded yesterday you would not see in U-12 football. Especially Mayo’s 3rd which was laughably bad defending.
The satisfaction of knowing we’re better than the Dubs. Since we’re a terrible team you can’t beat, what does that make you? You’re insulting your own team! I genuinely can’t believe I had to spell that one out to you, genius.
Murph as a Mayo man who has experienced football humiliation on several occasions I feel your pain. yet your article honest and accurate is a sad reflection of where our game is leading.. The numerous illegal cynical ways (ie tackle) a opponent can be disposessed is ultimately going to destroy the finer element of Gaelic football.. Galway have talented footballers. the modern game regretfully requires more.. ‘ Off the Ball ‘ should probably be the Theme of modern day coaching.. lol Tommie
Galway should’ nt have won 2011 All-Ireland u-21 title they were very very lucky to beat a fancied Cork side in Ennis in the semi with injuries for Cork before and during the game,and also with Poor refreeing decisions against Cork on the night and went on to beat a happless cavan side in the final and thats a fact.
Surly the Galway players were not the best in the county.The Galway player who was given a red card for punching an opponent should be dropped from the squad,if not his punishment should be made public .
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If your a Galway and Eurovision supporter you had some weekend.
At least I don’t support Spurs. Or the eurovision.
I’m a galway supporter and spurs supporter AND turned 31 today AND need two dry days in a row to paint the decking……. Tough times I tells ye
It’s true what they say, theres always someone worse off.
Two days to paint the decking?! Do you live on one of them tall ships!?
@john no johnny boy, small deck but it constantly wet, needs a day to dry out before painting can commence (free tip of day). as well as having a shite football team in galway we also haven’t had two dry days in a row since march I’d say!!
Nothing like a good thrashing by your fiercest rivals to put a spring in your step at the next training session. If this isn’t the kick up the backside the players need and instills a desire and hunger for revenge then Galway football is completely broken and a total clear out is needed. A lot of teams gets thrashed now and again. Its how you respond to it that defines you as a Team.
Aww Murph. I just read all that in my head with your “Country Pages” voice. If that makes me wierd, then so be it.
Great article, on the money with your observations. Men vs boys as some would say!!! Up mayo!!!
Murph… I was at the game and i am afraid you have tried to put down the Mayo sucess to being physical and ruthless… I am afraid it was more basic than that… Mayo have better players than Galway… MAybe 4/5 of the Galway team would make Mayo panel… Simply as that… I am not from Mayo btw.. Westmeath in fact..
Nearly all that Galway team are used to beating Mayo all through the age grades. They just don’t turn into superstars once they hit senior. What we saw yesterday was a seasoned mature well-coached well-conditioned Mayo team hammering a raw inexperienced (in the main) Galway team that physically is not at the level of their opponents yet and also did not look very well coached or prepared to play modern Gaelic football. Alan Mulholland may have been a great underage coach but underage football is almost devoid of tactics or negativity. Some of the goals Galway conceded yesterday you would not see in U-12 football. Especially Mayo’s 3rd which was laughably bad defending.
Thought Andy Morans goal celebration at the end was terrible. Like a clown at a bull fight, stabbing the dead animal and claiming Victory.
The lad is just back from a bad knee injury… and he scored a goal, give him a break…
Send out the Monica looley coached ahascragh minors next time. Theyd perform better against mayo.
@doo you my friend are a moron. That was just the relief of the last nine months
Just as we’ll they weren’t playing a good team.
You’re right, terrible teams make All-Irelands finals all the time. Are you living in your own attic??
Yes with your wife.
Delighted to see the Jackeens aren’t over their embarrassment of losing to such a terrible team last year anyway
And what have you to show for it.
The satisfaction of knowing we’re better than the Dubs. Since we’re a terrible team you can’t beat, what does that make you? You’re insulting your own team! I genuinely can’t believe I had to spell that one out to you, genius.
How many times have the dubs bet you this year?mayo always the bridesmaid never the bride.
At least when the dubs get to a final,they put on a good show.Mayo are just a laughing stock.
Murph as a Mayo man who has experienced football humiliation on several occasions I feel your pain. yet your article honest and accurate is a sad reflection of where our game is leading.. The numerous illegal cynical ways (ie tackle) a opponent can be disposessed is ultimately going to destroy the finer element of Gaelic football.. Galway have talented footballers. the modern game regretfully requires more.. ‘ Off the Ball ‘ should probably be the Theme of modern day coaching.. lol Tommie
Doo — you are talking Doo Doo!!
Doo – you’re talking Doo Doo!
Galway should’ nt have won 2011 All-Ireland u-21 title they were very very lucky to beat a fancied Cork side in Ennis in the semi with injuries for Cork before and during the game,and also with Poor refreeing decisions against Cork on the night and went on to beat a happless cavan side in the final and thats a fact.
Surly the Galway players were not the best in the county.The Galway player who was given a red card for punching an opponent should be dropped from the squad,if not his punishment should be made public .