The O’shea experiment simply can’t be repeated

I DEALT in a fairly in-depth fashion with the Mayo and Kerry game in Wednesday’s column but what a start to the weekend it will be, coming before the Mcgregor fight and the other All-ireland semi-final.

Both Stephen Rochford and Eamonn Fitzmaurice are under pressure but if Mayo lose everyone will remember Rochford’s (below) decision not to push Aidan O’shea up and go for broke when Kieran Donaghy came off last weekend.

And his decision to play O’shea at full-back in the first place, like the call to replace David Clarke in goal for last year’s All-ireland final replay, will stay with him if Mayo don’t get over the line.

O’shea can start there again but it must only be a decoy move for a few minutes before he’s pushed up.

But he can’t be dumped into the forward line where he would clog up the breathtaking movement and free scoring that we saw last Sunday.

For that reason he must play in midfield. That’s where they need him driving them on – and Seamus O’shea or Donal Vaughan can be deployed to mark Donaghy.

Getting the sweeper system right will be Fitzmaurice’s most important move if his side are to reach another All-ireland final.

He defended his decision not to use one last week and listening to snippets from Mayo’s management, they also believe the O’shea experiment also worked, which is crazy.

If they go with him there, they won’t win.

TITANIC TUSSLE Kieran Donaghy and Aidan O’shea face off last week