Half full or half empty? The answer will tell you which way you are leaning for Saturday’s All-Ireland final replay, which simply cannot come quickly enough for football supporters.

The Dubs are definitely half-full merchants. They were blessed to come out of Croke Park with a draw a fortnight ago after what was probably their worst championship performance in five years. Meanwhile, out west, the realisation that Mayo were by far the better team in the drawn game began dawning on supporters before they got to the M50. They might be half empty as a result.

Body language immediately after drawn matches is always important and Mayo’s was a little crestfallen. The Dubs, on the other hand, scampered for the dressing room and sanctuary. They just wanted to be off the pitch; Mayo were prepared to linger, and wistfully at that.

So, on that basis it looks straightforward: the Dubs are the happiest camp and they will take that attitude into the replay and all will be right with their world, while Mayo have blown their chance.

I don’t actually believe that is the case, even if once again pundits are rebuilding Dublin up. Mayo will still just be a composed, accurate and lucky last five or 10 minutes away from winning the All-Ireland this weekend. Of that I am convinced.

A couple of factors bring me to this but the most relevant might be timing and the two weeks between draw and replay. Had the final been on last Sunday, I would have strongly fancied Dublin. But time can be Mayo’s friend. This second week can be very useful to the squad, with the first week a decent enough interval for disappointment to be replaced by determination to finish the job these last few days.

The green and red will not need reminding that they were far better than Dublin in nearly every aspect of the 77 minutes. What they might need reminding about is their response to the various crises they endured: the two own goals and the soft three points coughed up near the end. They answered those alarm bells with character and clinical football. The five points after half-time and the three they saw the game out with – that’s this Mayo team.

If Mayo’s luck was truly out last Sunday week then they would not be getting a second chance because a team that offers up two own goals and then goes three points behind heading into injury time can consider themselves very fortunate to be getting another crack at Sam. That’s what they have to be talking about this week.

Dublin conversations might be getting awkward as they head into a second week of retrospection. One week is enough for that; two weeks could very well take the edge off the anger they were feeling in the immediate aftermath of last Sunday week. When you feel you played poorly, you want to go straight back out and rectify that. Some of those same players mightn’t get the chance and how will that affect morale?

Let’s not forget that a couple of them are awaiting the bad news from Jim Gavin on Friday night or Saturday morning. The defending champions have to make changes. There is little doubt but that some household names will be on the substitutes’ bench.

Necessity dictates that at least one if not two or three of Bernard Brogan, Kevin McManamon, Michael Daragh MacAuley and Paul Flynn will make way for either/or Paddy Andrews, Paul Mannion, Eoghan O’Gara and Denis Bastick.

The consensus that Dublin have more scope for improvement is widespread but it implies that about eight players will turn their game around in the space of two weeks. That’s half the team. It’s a lot to ask for all of that to smoothly click back into place, considering so much malfunctioned a mere two weeks ago.

(Mayo will feel the same of the O’Sheas and one or two more. If the Dubs can turn it around – why can’t they?)

Of course, it was always going to be very difficult for Dublin to hit the highs of the Kerry semi-final performance but it was stunning how quickly their confidence in front of goal evaporated in the drawn contest. Well before half-time, their forwards were abdicating responsibility and started shovelling the ball sideways.

With a chance to kick the insurance point in the dying seconds, they played pass the parcel before Diarmuid Connolly kicked a selfish sideline wide that gifted Mayo their last opportunity. Decision-making at its poorest. If the Dubs can fix that mental aberration and rediscover their confidence, then Mayo will be in trouble. For Mayo to prevent that happening, then no encouragement can be offered in the first half. They simply have to suffocate the Dubs from the start. The first half needs to be low-scoring and stop-start for Mayo to win. How many times can we say it? Start well, don’t let Dublin back into their cocky stride because they feed on teams that do.

We won’t see two own goals but we might see some physical fireworks. The Dubs were out-muscled in the drawn match and teams who suffer that tend to want to lay down a marker early on. A new referee and perhaps a trigger-happy early black card? My money is on Diarmuid Connolly.

Mayo have much to build on. Andy Moran was probably their cleverest player with the ball in the drawn match; I’d like to see him see more of it on Saturday. The same is true of Jason Doherty, who is Mayo’s most effective and powerful runner with possession. Those two guys caused Dublin trouble and can do it again. In a tight and tense contest, such men can be the difference.

Defensively, Mayo frustrated Dublin so much that eventually their attack imploded. They did that with discipline and intelligence. More of the same please.

It’s bubbling up nicely, isn’t it? And the Mayo glass might look a little different now.

Saturday night will be special. Forget the odds, remember the drawn match and maybe throw a fiver to St Anthony. Sam needs to go west. Believe.