Andy Moran has backed Mayo boss James Horan to unnerve Dublin in this evening’s All-Ireland final.
The six-in-a-row chasing Dubs have cruised to the final with an average winning margin of 17 points from their four outings though a new-look Mayo side is expected to pose their biggest challenge yet.
There are just seven common starters from Mayo’s semi-final win over Tipperary to their last final appearance against Dublin in 2017 and former star Moran said: “I think we just need to let them play, let them perform in front of no crowd with no pressure and just let them in there and get in Dublin’s faces, get them under pressure, get them feeling uncomfortable and just see where it takes us.
“I think there’s no better manager I think in the country to make another team uncomfortable, particularly a favourite, as James Horan and James Horan will have these guys prepped to the last.
“You will see physicality from the minute they go in. I think we’re going to be in for a nice battle.
“What are we hoping for? Dublin should win. They should win. But is there a chance that Mayo could win? There most certainly is and that chance is giving the Mayo supporters hope.”
Expectations in Mayo aren’t as high as when they contested four finals between 2012 and ‘17, says Moran, who added: “We’re not looking for too much off them. It’s not like where we went before and we thought, ‘This is a 50-50 rivalry against Dublin’.
“We’re not there but we’re there with hope, we hope that they perform and, hopefully, just on the once-off chance that they perform to the best of their ability maybe, just maybe, they can come out with a victory.”
