With two rounds still to play in the league, Mayo can consider themselves to be in the perfect storm, others may suggest it's a bit of a dilemma because of the proximity of the league final and the start of the Connacht Championship.
The beauty of the situation is fairly straight forward, Mayo have earned the right to do whatever they see fit for the last two league games safe in the knowledge their status in division one is secure for 2024.
It's their prerogative to do what they like, they have put themselves in that position because of their unbeaten run in this years national league. Ironically Mayo's last two games are against Donegal and Monaghan who currently fill the bottom two places in the division, so you're basically competing against teams that are fighting for their division one lives.
As it happens, every other division one team is doing the same apart from Mayo. Roscommon, Armagh, Galway, Tyrone and Kerry will all be hoping Kevin McStay fields strong teams against Donegal this weekend and then against Monaghan the following weekend to keep those two rooted to the bottom.
The hope for all those managers is that Mayo go out with a clear intention of winning. There really is a lot to play for in the last two rounds for all the Division 1 teams. Listening to Kevin McStay before the Roscommon game you get a vibe that he wants momentum to continue and that he wants his team to keep getting positive results from every game they play.
Truth be told, a manager is never going to go out and tell his players to lose a game intentionally anyway, that just doesn't happen. Every player in that Mayo set up is playing for their inter-county lives and for a place in the championship squad, so they know, failure to deliver in either of these last two league games could come at a very costly price.
So this begs the question, do Mayo want to be in a league final? It seems to be an emphatic yes from the outside looking in. The only way a manager can have a bearing on whether he weakens his teams chances of winning is by the selection ofhis team or by training the team exceptionally hard a day or two out from a big game, so it will beinteresting to see who lines out on Sunday in Ballybofey.
For me its a perfect scenario for Mayo, you can get a bit of game time into a few players who haven't seen much competitive action safe in the knowledge that if it doesn't work out there are really no disastrous consequences. For those of us who care to forget and need reminding not to get too carried away with ourselves lest we forget what happened in 2022.
Mayo were flying high on the crest of a wave, top of the table on seven points after four rounds of the league before being schooled in a league final by Kerry and then subsequently losing to Galway in the Connacht championship before losing badly to Kerry again in an All-Ireland quarter final.
A year that promised so much early on ended up being a total disappointment. It's a grim reminder of how a season and expectations can turn so fast. Mayo are taking on a Donegal team who are struggling, despite a first round victory over Kerry and a draw against Galway in their last home game on February 26.
They are not coping without a whole host of injured players and of course a certain Michael Murphy who was their spiritual leader forthe last decade. Donegal always looked like they were capable of winning matches with Murphy in the team, without him they look a lot more vulnerable and beatable.
Donegal have taken a couple of hidings on the road this year losing 1-20 to 0-15 to Monaghan and by double scores to Tyrone -that game finishing at 0-16 to 0-8 but yet they have a very proud record at home and know they will have to maintain that record on Sunday to have a chance of staying up.
In Caolan MacColgan they seem to have unearthed another gem, he was superb against Kerry scoring four points from play from wing back but Donegal have been without several experienced players- the likes of Ryan McHugh, Paul Brennan and Odran McFadden Ferry are huge losses, players that Donegal will struggle without.
They have started and competed well in all their games but have fallen away in the second half of all their away games I have no doubt there would have been stern words in the Mayo dressing room about the concession of the two late goals against Roscommon and coughing up that late chance that was brilliantly blocked by Diarmuid O'Connor.
Along with the concession of five late points against Armagh — almost losing that game from a commanding position is a gentle reminder that Mayo are far from the finished article.
These are the little tweaks that McStay and his management will be looking to iron out, closing out games that they are in control of is a huge priority. One thing you can sense from the stands is that the players are happy, you can sense a real camaraderie amongst them on the field which in turn transports to the supporters, and long may that continue.
