No mojo, no freshness, no real unshakable belief.
In the All-Ireland quarter-final on Saturday, Lee Keegan was running riot. It would’ve been a massacre if the bloodbath he left behind him wasn’t just necessary self-defence but, come the second half, he had to man the edge of the Mayo square when he was destroying all around him out the field.
They couldn’t afford to keep him at midfield anymore, not when Enda Smith was in at full forward for Roscommon, because they didn’t tryst anyone else for the job.
Even after six championship games, there are serious questions over the team and what way they should set up. Keith Higgins was left as sweeper the last day and, when Keegan had to go back deeper, they lost that drive.
It could all be answered with Donal Vaughan.
Vaughan could fill that centre back slot seamlessly for Mayo. He could act as the sweeper and offer real urgency and power to launch attacks. What he’d also do is force Higgins back to man-mark like he does so lethally and maybe even have Boyle or Keegan dropping back as they have to.
It would tighten up the full back line and keep the same dynamism on the 45′.
Rochford’s subs are frustrating many fans but, on The GAA Hour, a simple solution was offered by Colm Parkinson, Steven McDonnell and Conán Doherty.
Conán: Why is Rochford doing this? Is it because he’s afraid just to say to Donal Vaughan, ‘right, you’re dropped’?
Stevie: I would start Vaughan.
Conán: So would I. I would start him at 6.
Stevie: I would start him at 6.
Wooly: I would too.
Stevie: Mayo, if they had Boyle and Lee Keegan at either side of Vaughan… what a half back line. That’s a real good starting point for your team to attack. Whilst Donal Vaughan isn’t the most comfortable-looking footballer in the world, he’s very, very effective when he plays for Mayo at number 6.
Wooly: The gas thing about Vaughan playing centre half back – that was a weakness for Mayo under James Horan because he’s such a free spirit that he just takes off up the pitch. But now most teams are giving sides like Mayo a sweeper and Keith Higgins was the sweeper against Roscommon. Just let Vaughan do that – let him do what he used to do because Mayo have lost their mojo breaking forward from that half back line.
Stevie: I would always have him in my starting 15.
