Midweek update

I'm up to my mammaries at the minute so this'll have to be a quick one. Nothing much to report, in any event, apart from the usual comprehensive coverage of recent happenings in the Mayo News. In case you haven't yet perused this wonderful weekly, here's what they're saying on football issues esta semana.

First, there's a piece by Mike Finnerty on the team's preparation for the Cavan match, which includes what we already know about Ronan and Super Mac. There's also a few quotes from Johnno, where he says that "it's not an easy draw but it could have been worse." (He's really warming to this bullshit politics-speak, isn't he? Come off it, Johnno, it's as easy a draw as we could have hoped for!) He goes on: "Getting a home draw was vital". Was it? If the aim is to slither unconvincingly into the quarter-finals (in which case, can we please have the winners of the Limerick/Louth match next followed by Sligo after that?), I can see where he's coming from. If, however, we want to find out at the earliest opportunity if we're any bloody good this year, then, in my view, the School of Hard Knocks is where we want to be. As Four Goal McGee said recently on this humble site, Meath in Navan would have been a nice draw to get and, had this happened, we'd certainly have learned a thing or two about ourselves on July 7th. As things stand, I'm not sure we'll be much the wiser after our joust with Cavan Bucks.

In the same article, it's also confirmed that David Kilcullen, Tom Cunniffe and Mark Ronaldson have all played a part in recent challenge matches. It's beginning to look as if Kilcullen might well line out at CHB against Cavan but the other two are more likely to be on the bench. BJ seems to have been reconverted back into a forward and may even play at full-forward against Cavan. That would make a great table quiz question, wouldn't it - which Mayo player lined out at full-back in one championship match and full-forward the next? (Though not, admittedly, as good as this one: "Q. Who played for Kerry and Dublin in the same All-Ireland? A. The Artane Boys Band. Boom! Boom!")

Kevin McStay reckons that the draw against Cavan was as soft as we could have hoped for (see what I mean, Johnno?) and he's still bubbling with enthusiasm about our prospects for the Summer, saying that "recent results and performances and, more importantly, the enthusiasm levels, indicate that O’Mahony is going to try and repeat his 2001 heroics." But then he goes on to spoil it all by bigging the Dubs - again. Just wait till the likes of Tyrone get their hands on those soft-centred metropolitans, Kev, and watch them kicking their over-hyped holes all round Jones Road.

Kev also talks about the disappointing demise of the minors, where he chillingly (pardon the pun - you'll see why in a minute) notes that, while all is going well for us at U16 and U21 level, at minor we "have hit a long and dangerous patch of ice". Brrr! If you want to read more on the minors, here's Edwin McGreal's match report and here's Ray Dempsey's take on the defeat.

Bugger! I didn't mean to take so long with this one. Now I'm rightly in it . . .