"The next Mayo senior manager will likely be either Tony McEntee or Andy Moran.

It was no great secret that McEntee was the number one target to be the next Mayo manager.

When the former Armagh All-Ireland winner's qualifications and experience were assessed, he was the man ticked all the boxes – including inspiration, motivation and connection with his backroom staff and panel of players.

McEntee has already proved he is a winner by guiding Crossmaglen to two All-Ireland titles, and during his five-year stint with Sligo he brought them up a couple of levels."

I've never seen a local journalist push so hard for a candidate for the managers job - must have 10 articles in the last 3 weeks saying the same thing.

Andy Moran shouldn't have bothered applying - its a dead cert according to Mr. Henry from Crossmaglen

I like Andy and his time will come but its a no brainer to go with McEntee, got the AL medals and knows how to win

If winning All Irelands is the measure why not go for Ger Brennan? Rochford won club all irelands as player and manager. Didn't guarantee success with Mayo - 1 NFL over 2 spells.

McEntee has achieved very little with Sligo. No more than Andy Moran has with Leitrim. He didn't set the world alright as a coach with Mayo.

We're going into reverse if we A) go for an outside manager and B) one who hasn't had intercounty success

Most Mayo fans cry about needing to unearth new players in the club championship. Surely a man that lives in the county, works in the county, and still plays football in the County is better placed than someone that lives and works in the Dublin area.

McEntee would set us back another few years and it would end in tears

All our managers tenures have ended in tears since 1951, if not winning an AI is the cause of those tears

Little you can do if you don’t have the players. Yes great managers can bring a team or county to new heights but win an all Ireland? Not a hope if the players aren’t there. Ref Micko at Kildare. Johno did it with Galway twice but had exceptional players. Jim Gavin, a once in a lifetime bunch of players and his job was just not to f it up which he nearly did v Mayo numerous times…those are the fine margins.

You win a final by a point and your a genius, you lose and your a failure, a clown.

It does not matter where or who the manager is, as long as he’s the right manager at the right time. Im also very suspicious of “projects” and “plans” - oh we’re in year 3 of a four year plan…then you get punched in the face in year four….bye bye.

Game 1, Game 2 etc. Jargon bull talk we hear a lot of these musical chairs managers say these days at even club level. They are like snake oil salesmen: “Jim didn’t care about the league” “ah they didn’t want to win that game” more bull. Fact is you go out and prepare to win every game. That’s mindset starts at day 1 of training and every year should be treated at your best chance, your only shot because there are no guarantees for “next year”

Every single team goes out to win every game. Period.

But there is absolutely logic in projects and "years".

Olympics - every 4 years
World Cups - every 4 years

Most top level sports / teams work in cycles. After 4 years a team usually needs rebuilding or restructuring. Timing is still critical; you could take over a team towards the end of a 4 year cycle.

Look at Mayo in the last 15 years.

2011 - Year 1 - rebuild/ set up
2012 - Year 2 - AI Final
2013 - Year 3 - AI Final
2014 - Year 4 - peak (should have won AI)

2015 - Year 1 - rebuild/set up
2016 - Year 2 - AI Final
2017 - Year 3 - AI Final
2018 - Year 4 - drop off - injuries

2019 - Year 1 - rebuild / set up
2020 - Year 2 - AI Final
2021 - Year 3 - AI Final
2022 - Year 4 - drop off - injuries

2023 - Year 1 - rebuild / set up
2024 - Year 2 - better but didn't win close games
2025 - Year 3 - end of phase with management
2026 - Year 4 - either drop-off or rebuild

Managers can say they want success from day 1 but they all know its a long term thing - otherwise it would be 1 Year contracts

Our Mayo team of 2011-2017 was generational and didn't require drop off or rebuilds. But it was also our failing. More fresh blood in that period would have got us over the line.

The Connacht Telegraph is an embarrassment at this stage

https://www.con-telegraph.ie/2025/08/06/no-interviews-held-for-mayo-gaa-job-despite-misleading-social-media-reports/

Back to club championship fixtures and while it's a bit up in the air with who's available I'll go for the following.
Ballina
Crossmolina
Aghamore/Breaffy draw
Castlebar
Ballintubber
Ballagh/Claremorris draw
Westport
Knockmore
Intermediate.
Ardnaree
Ballinrobe
Kilmeena
Kilcommon/The Neale draw
Davitts
PKC
Loisburgh/Hollymount Carramore draw
Moy Davitts
With a bit of luck I'll get to 3 game this weekend and watch 3 on Mayogaa tv although i will be attending the Aghamore game I'll enjoy (hopefully) rewatching it.
As for new management. We'll as there's none in place for the start of championship Willie Joe can forward my email to the successful candidate and I'll bring him up to speed on stand out players. Lol.

@PaddyJoeJohnTom

That is the article I quoted - the section i quoted has now been removed. Also note how the article has no author, yet was nearly identical to all the previous McEntee propaganda peddled by a particular journalist.

The Conn Telegraph is really letting itself down by allowing such nonsense to be wrote week in, week out. Zero journalistic integrity to then dismiss the rumours that they have being fanning, without putting a name to the article.

I called it out a few weeks ago - do not trust a word that they write. It was they same when they only gave one side to the management sacking story "McStay was given multiple chances to step down". It was rubbish then and its rubbish now. Note how they conveniently never put any spotlight on the county board. Its as if they are all buddy buddy.

Follow the breadcrumbs to the gingerbread house....

Is anyone having trouble buying the Mayo GAA TV season pass?
I've tried a few times, but get this "Error - asset already paid" message when entering my card details, despite not having paid yet.

Exact same for me too, Dan. Their site and service needs an upgrade. Never good when it’s actually difficult to ‘give them money’!!

@Dan / @Mayonaze: Yeah, same here.

They're working on a fix for this now, should be live shortly. I'd guess you both had a '24 Season Pass, it was hitting some corners on where the two overlapped.

If you'd like a quick fix... if you click into one of the individual games (any of the 3) and then from the three options available of Game/Weekend/Season Pass click on the Season Pass option, that loads up a 'new' version of the Season Pass that won't have the issue and will let your €110 purchase go though.

If you wait a few hours the homepage version of the pass will probably be fixed too.

Good man TDN. Your knowledge is seriously limitless, and puts AI to shame!

Has anybody purchased a season pass to get into games. If so can you just present that at games or do you need to print tickets for individual games?

Any Takers for a punt on the championship winners I’ll cast the first stone!!

Junior: Bonniconlon
Intermediate: Davitts
Senior: Breaffy

People might think these teams have not a snowballs chance in hell of winning it and they are all hype as the saying goes but I have a feeling these 3 teams will lift the bit of tin abroad in McHale Park come a bitter cold October Evening!

Looking forward to it! Let the games begin!

Just present the club pass at the gate. That's the way it was for the last two years. Nothing different has been notified.

Eddie fair play for putting neck on the line.
I'd be thinking along similar lines though am I right that one of the Treacy lads is out for the championship with injury? That's the only reason for me to slightly doubt them. Moy Davitts if they click like they can, could probably hang at Senior. Kilmeena were very competitive at Senior last year, so if they can find their mojo, I would give them a shout..and the Neale & Ballinrobe too. Ha Intermediate is a mine field!

Breaffy - wasn't a big fan of them over years but wouldn't begrudge them & Aido lifting the Moclair Cup finally. But don't think Ballina will give up the title easily.

Most of all, I hope we see clubs really embrace the rules, the 2 pointers etc. Because we'll need that approach for the Inter County game. And from the evidence so far, it would seem a lot of teams are playing with more zest!

Jimmys eyebrow are you saying McStay wasn't contacted several times by the County Board? As according. Meeting he was contacted several times.
In fairness to the telegraph and I wouldn't be a huge fan, in last management selection process one candidate seemed to get far more media space than the others be it on paper, pods or online, and it wasn't just telegraph.
And one team was leaked out as well, causing others to have to do same.
It's nice this time to see the candidates respect the process and their fellow candidates (regardless how convoluted think process is) and just let it get on.

Eddie O'conbhuine, they are actually all among the bookies favourites in their respective grades.
Bonniconlon 3/1
Davitts 5/1
Breaffy 9/2

It's hard look past Ballina at senior with the importance of midfield in new rules they have aerial power most teams can't compete with. Crossmolina at 14/1 great each way value.

I'd go Bonniconlon in Junior and Moy Davitts in intermediate.

Thanks Lads! I’m more than happy to die by the sword of my predictions.

Gizmobob, The dog on the streets knows that these teams are really only considered pretenders to the throne and the bookies don’t have a clue I would say from experience.

I’m looking forward to it anyways! Mayo need to unearth a player who hits everything that moves and can play puck! Is he going to be on display this weekend? I would say no but I hope I’m wrong!

I personally think at Senior anyways there is 8/9 teams that on their day can turn one another over! From what I know the lads who were over in Chicago playing for the MacBrides (Failing Galiticos) will be eligible to play.

Mayo football needs to sort it self big time anyways because we are falling behind on and off the pitch. We need to sort out Senior, U20 and U17 managers and then have fully county trials like Pat Gilroy and Jim Gavin used to do! Let’s hope this can be done over the next few weeks but Mayo football is in a dire situation given the fact we haven’t even been competitive in over 10 years at Connaught level, and anyone who thinks a Mayo club would compete with the Dublin or Ulster clubs are living in La La Land

Yes Rusty,Niall Treacy out with an ACL...I would give Davitts a proper shot at intermediate if he was involved... Probably a big ask without him.

@JimmysEyebrow

Mcstay was contacted several.times . I don't trust Connacht telegraph either but Mcstay was contacted several times anyway time to move on .

Regards Ballina not sure if can do 3 in a row but I know the guys are absolutely sickened by last years showing in Connacht .

I hope Cross do well though .

@Eddie O’Conbhuine: Interesting to see the Mayo Senior Club champions take the eventual Connacht Club Champions to a penalty shootout, despite us not being competitive in over a decade, and the Mayo Intermediate Champions (17th ranked in the county) win an All Ireland (coming out ahead of the 9th ranked side from the eventual All Ireland Championship winning county) despite our dire situation.

@TsuDhoNim: Senior is the only inter provincial competition I follow as this is what will translate to the county set up! If you want to go around claiming moral victories for a Ballina team taking a very poor Sligo team to penalties than be my guest! This is the exact mentality that is wrong with Mayo football! Mayo Club Football at Senior has not been in a good place for a long long time and even when we did get to finals, Mitchell’s were beaten up a head with a stick in the two finals! Colm Basquel was only a teen and he was scoring points by pipe in that final! You have to go back 20+ years when we were last competitive at the grade! Yes, Mayo football is not in a good place and if you think otherwise then I hope all is well in Disney Land!

@Eddie O’Conbhuine

Don't think Collera where that poor to be fair. Yes Ballina where poor in Connacht but Collera are a good team .

To me your club is where it's at that's the start of it . But each to their own sure .

@Eddie O’Conbhuine: No suggestion of any moral victory there. Simply pointing out the comment suggesting we haven't been competitive in Connacht for over ten years is heavily disputed by that penalty shootout. That's the definition of fine margins, even if you don't rate the side(s) involved.

You've been missing out badly on Intermediate, though. In the last 5 years the entertainment value at the average Intermediate game orders of magnitude ahead of the average Senior one (locally especially where Senior had gone painfully cautious at times, but also provincially and nationally). We'll more than likely be looking at +10 on the panel from that grade (~15/48 from the initial panel last year), and about the same again on the u20 panel, so lots of direct impact there on the county scene if that's the focus.

TsoDhoNim
Agreed intermediate is where its at in terms of entertainment, even if the quality isnt always of the highest standard it tends to be extremely competitive, i dont think ive called the winner correctly in the past 5/6 years so i wont jinx any time by backing them this year...with a bit of luck could be any one of about 5 teams tbh

For senior id be going Ballina (Think they have plenty of 2 point shooters), junior Bonniconlon to grind it out

Senior - Breaffy to finally break their hoodoo and win a first Moclair Cup.
Intermediate: you could name 7-8 teams. I’ll go for Moy Davitts but that’s with no real confidence.
Junior - Shrule

Is the irish independent a more reputable source than the connaught wj? Its reporting today what i said the other day about Andy Moran

https://m.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/andy-moran-the-favourite-to-take-mayo-reins-from-kevin-mcstay/a2008880172.html

I would say it is, Winston, Colm Keys is an extremely reputable journalist. My issue with your comment was that the information you were seeking to disseminate was at that point unsubstantiated and so it wasn't in order to let it up on the blog. I don't see that it's right for all and sundry to go breaking stories here because, for every one that turns out to be correct, at least ten more will be utter fiction.

Thanks Tsu👍

Predictions for tonight

Aghamore vs Breaffy: Breaffy by 4
Ballintubber vs Charlestown: Ballintubber by 6

First game I think will be a very good game but I think Breaffy will just have enough and if they have any aspirations of winning a county title they need to win this game by putting in a professional performance. I have Breaffy to win by 4 or more

Second game I think loads of people have written Btubber off for doing anything this year and that’s exactly how they will like it, they have a fantastic team and one of the best forwards to ever play the game up front. I really think they could put in a fantastic display tonight. I have Ballintubber to win by 6 or more.

I’ll do more predictions as the championship goes on but looking forward to tonight and I feel the game in Aghamore will be a very very good game.