Is Horan following Gilroy path to glory?

Tomorrow may tell another tale about their teams but lines can be drawn between supporters of Dublin last September and Mayo this month.

Compare and fail to contrast quotes from Pat Gilroy and James Horan these 12 months apart.

Gilroy: “I think one of the things I’ve noticed — and some of the players have commented on — is that people are leaving them alone at the moment. Maybe it’s more down to the fact that people maybe have suffocated players in the past and it didn’t really work out well for the team. By just giving us a bit of space, certainly the mood is calm and relaxed.”

Horan: “The Mayo public has the benefit of having the experience of All-Ireland finals so I think they are very clued into preparing for a big match. I think there is a lot of composure and calm around the county. I think, along with the team this year, they have developed and learned to be quite calm. I know there is a lot of energy and excitement out there which is brilliant but I think it’s in a fairly controlled manner.”

Uncanny? You could go one further and point to how both Gilroy and Horan wheeled out injured captains, Paul Griffin and Andy Moran, on their respective press nights.

But, yes, like Dublin, Mayo appear to be a county that have learned the error of their ways. The long-running #nohypeplease hashtag on Twitter finally appears to have been accepted.

Mayo journalist Austin Garvin has noticed a sea change in people’s attitude to tomorrow’s final.

“It’s been unbelievably low key. I think we’ve learned from past experiences. People have gone through this before, know the outcome and don’t want to tempt fate.

“They’re not pessimistic. It’s what I would call guarded optimism. On Mid West Radio this week, there were people complaining that there weren’t enough Mayo flags out in Westport, a town that have two players on the team.”

The Mayo people, Garvin believes, have taken their lead from the level-headedness and quiet optimism of manager Horan.

“In the past, the very fact we were in the final seemed to be enough for some people. I’m not saying it got through to the players but it wouldn’t have helped.

“I think Horan has cosseted them this year. They didn’t do anything daft last week. They played an A v B game in Brigids in Kiltoom without anyone there. For me, it’s like it’s an All-Ireland final in one county, a match in another.”