Well, if we ever needed a lift, it was brilliant to hear Diarmuid say that some of the lads in the school were doing things that he didn’t do at their age. Ah then again he was only a two time young player of the year.

Great to see Colm Keys mention Colm Boyle as part of Andy's backroom team. I believe he will have some other interesting and high profile management members also.

Colm Keyes is normally on the ball.
Not inclined to print articles just to take up space.
Always good when on the podcast.
But I hope he is wrong ,both Andy and Colm too close to some of the players.

We will know soon enough if interviews already completed and it's only two contenders.

Completely naive question but how do journalists get their indications on who the next manager will be? I often wonder is it a planted piece for a sense check or is it off the record information

jr when you say that andy and colm too close to some of the players does that mean that they wouldent pick the best players.

I talk to a lot of folk who claim to be close to people in the know and if they’re all correct Andy and Tony have 20 or 30 on their tickets. No point in conjecture. We’ll find out soon enough.
Must say John McMonagle came across very impressively. Pretty much as he plays.

I just can't understand this allegation that Andy and Boyler might be "too close" to some of the players. I'd say every place in the panel will be up for grabs under whoever is the new manager and it'll be up to all the players to prove themselves, all the more so given how the team has punched below its weight in the last few years.

Good Luck to whoever gets the job. Tony McEntee gets my vote.

Andy gets my vote. We need a local man that can stay and build a team over a few years. All respect to McEntee but after many years on the road can he make that commitment.

Have we had two better players than Andy ane Colm. Not many. Those they know in the dressingroom know the standard expected. That is all. The lads are gone 3/4/5 years.

Andy took on Leitrim. Not at same level but a county setup. He has learned from a county in transition as a coach. Colm knows our underage groups inside out through minor and u19 involvement.

They may not hit the ground running but positivity and enthusism will get them along way. We need patience because quite frankly the previous setup have left is behind others tactically and physically. Any change is needed and the right step forward.

Will be interesting to see if both candidates take in many matches this weekend.

@Patrick Hayes I am sure they would make the right decisions, but it is a sure recipe to lose friends.
Who ever gets the job I will be totally behind them irrespective of early results.
Great men to put their names forward.

I agree with Willie Joe on this. I don’t see it making any difference. Here’s the quote again:

I just can’t understand this allegation that Andy and Boyler might be “too close” to some of the players. I’d say every place in the panel will be up for grabs under whoever is the new manager and it’ll be up to all the players to prove themselves, all the more so given how the team has punched below its weight in the last few years.

Roco88, it's quiet season it's just space filling by journalists. Some of it be from talking directly to people involved who would give tidbits of info, like the interviews having been done etc. more Funny piece in Mayo news about 5 to watch in championship, expected it to be names of unknowns to keep an eye out but no, you've likes of Frank Irwin a senior panellist, Stephen O'Malley who has a few county titles under his belt, the Castlebar Mitchels Captain and Breaffys keeper for a few years now, and a Kobe McDonald who I think all in sundry would have heard of.

Nice to hear John’s response to the mentality question from Mike (and Mike asked some good questions), that the goal of climbing the steps for Mayo is something special to aspire towards. It trumps everything in sport or should do if you are fortunate enough to be handed a green n red jersey.

I liked the way he was thinking and his approach. Best of luck to him. Hard work and determination can bring Mayo a long way.

Outside managers dont work, Manager must at east live in County for a number of years, our Dream Team would be Andy Moran and Colm Boyle and very few more involved, let them two be in total control , give them 3 years with no interference from County Board or anyone else.

@Gizmobobs: You've successfully thrown yourself into the firing line there.

Who'd be your own 5 that are under the radar (for now) for folks to keep an eye on?

(L Lavin, C Walsh, R Hughes, A Cunningham & D Hurley probably my own [with S Guilfoyle, D Slattery & C Morriarty unlucky not to make it]... though I've heard positive things about a Moran lad in Ballagh showing well that might be worth a look too.

Hard to know just how far off the beaten track you should be going with something like that and if it's only lads who've county potential this year or lads that'll light up the club stage in the future. You could make a case for either/both)

This idea that anybody is 'too close' to the current panel makes no sense at all. Ray Galligan went from starting for Cavan to their manager in the space of a few months and he didnt do too bad. Plenty of others have moved into managing their county in both hurling and football while some of their old team mates are still involved. By that logic we should be waiting another 10 years before Andy could get the job. There is no such thing as 'too close' to the panel, as Willie Joe said every place is up for grabs.

However, I would still prefer to see Tony McEntee come in as the manager with a backroom team that involves Andy with the idea that in a few years time Andy can step up to become the manager. I personally think he is better placed as a coach at the moment and Mayo also need to start putting succession plans into place and why not start with getting Andy involved and then moving up, all going well over the next few years of course, and then Boyler being involved with the idea he might be next and so on.

Maybe have Andy in as a coach with the seniors and also the U20 manager with Boyler as part of the u20 management team. Then when Andy moves up to manager he brings Boyle as a coach who is also over the u20 team. Keeps a strong link between those teams, potentially making it easier for a player to make the step up, and also sets up a succession plan covering the next decade. Of course there could be a bolter of a manager who isnt involved and maybe should/could get the job somewhere along the line but at least by trying to put something in place succession-wise then they are future proofing things aswell but not necessarily closing the door to somebody else if the right person is available at the right time.

Of course I'd never expect Mayo to actually put together something as thought through as a succession plan but we can hope! With some luck the man who gets the job will be the right man at the right time. For me personally right now that is McEntee to build up a squad capable of challenging for Sam in a few years time when Andy might be manager and will benefit. Similar to how John O'Mahony left a squad perfect for James Horan to take over when he did and build on

Thanks Gizmobobs. There are some publications that might be going off speculation to fill column inches however a person like Colm Keyes, id expect there is a rigour to his sources. Which leaves with me to question on how this insight gets leaked out..

I think for me the 5 players to watch are lads who could make the step up to the Mayo senior county team. I’ve mentioned the names previously and one of them is McMonagle who spoke really well and honestly on the podcast. I do think you often see intelligence off the pitch manifesting on the pitch and he’s a good case in point

Culmore the days of 2 lads on their own managing a club team let alone a County set up are long gone. There are huge backroom teams involved, even with bigger clubs. All county set ups, even in Div 4 have large back room teams. However I agree that there should only be one real face as the manager. He is responsible and the buck stops with him, It was interesting that in the last Mayo management Rochford tended to get as much flak or even more than McStay when things went badly. Often with successful teams one would hardly know who was assisting the manager. Jim Gavin had an enormous back room team but I’d say a lot of people wouldn’t have been able to name many of them. Likewise Jimmy in Donegal, Cahill and Ryan in Tipp and Cork hurling. Interestingly Cian o Neill got a lot of credit for Kerry winning Sam while Kinnerk in Limerick also got lots of praise for Limerick’s hurling success. Some guys in the background do fantastic work and are never heard about much but the players know and value them hugely. Only today I was reading Tipp hurling captain giving massive praise and credit to their psychologist Cathal Sheridan

Very surprised people would be in favour of Moran and Boyle. They who not only would be friends with players still on the panel from their playing days but crucially failed multiple times to get over the line in finals. Losing one final could be bad luck, losing as many as they did is more than that. They were part of a team that had a psychological barrier to winning (listen to Keith Higgins' very candid thoughts on this) and will now be carrying that baggage into management level for another generation of players.

Why is Colm Keyes reporting an 'Andy is nearly there" story, if interviews haven't taken place yet?

The County Board have said nothing, and even the CT story about holliers, and interviews next week sounds somewhat plausible.

Or am I missing something?

Imagine one of the most successful Barcelona or Real Madrid teams turning to Pep Guardiola or Zinedine Zidane and saying, "You can’t manage us — you used to play with a few of the lads." Completely nonsensical way of thinking.

I see Ger Brennan has landed the Dublin job. I suppose he should get rid of the likes of Kilkenny and Costello because he played with them back in 2015?

Ger must be a massochist taking on that job. Surprised to say the least considering they were way off adjusting to the new rules. Jim Gavin might've ensured Kerry go on a run to match his own.

Mike K, that succession route for Andy and Boyler does sound like a very desirable way to go but if these lads aren't claiming regular Connaught crowns and being at least within touching distance of AI titles, that plan will soon go out the window if expectations of the natives aren't realised.
Will we show patience with Andy at the helm? Some will if they see incremental improvements, but others will demand instant success.
As I said before, I'd hate to have to fall out with Andy...his legacy is huge imo.

There may be good reasons not to give Andy the job. But to say that one of them is that he is to close to players still around from his time and therefore would lack objectivity is a personal insult to him. It is total nonsense.

A succession plan doesn't have the next manager as assistant manager.

A succession plan has a young coach in at minor, a top quality club coach in at U20 and an experienced intercounty coach in at as senior coach.

It has an S&C, physiologist, stats and skills coach across all 3 teams with an assistant specificalky for each team.

Similarly for logistics, playing gear etc.

The assistants then step up a level every 3-4 years, same as the coach.

A proper succession plan gives experience at underage to take on up to senior.

Then underage coaches have to play a longer game, development of players for senior rather than win now attitude at underage.

Success at underage should be measued by amount of senior county players that get through the system. If your managing Mayo minors for 3 years and you havent managed to get yourself a kid who can kick 45's, a left footed free taker etc - you shouldn't move up through the system and a promising club coach should step in instead

We need a local man is the new bullshit reason, we have had a local man managing since 2006 and that was for only a year Mickey Moran an Ulster man too who got us to an All Irelans.Before Jack O'Shea with no managerial experience.Only 2 outside managers we have ever had with Brian mcDonald and Liam O'Neill both living in the County.

It won't be Ger Brennan anyway, he is the new Dublin football manager.
I think the search for the new Mayo manager/ management team should not be rushed, surely its not down to just two contenders.
This is a big opportunity to get it right or as close to right as possible, alot of work to do.

Tony McEntee get my vote,

Interesting to read the opinions. Seems fairly tight between those favouring McEntee or Andy. I remember saying on here, around 5/6 years ago something along the lines that Andy Moran would be the manager in place when we win Sam (or at least I’m fairly certain I said it!), but I’m finding it hard to call it now who I’d go for. I definitely want to see Andy but I would have been of the opinion that he would have wanted another year or two with Monaghan before taking the Mayo job, something he’s had in his target for a number of years now.

I’m surprised there wasn’t more talk about Donaghy. I’d imagine he’s eyeing up Kerry but I’d think his experience as a player and coach would be highly beneficial to Mayo. He’s won it all abs has a bullish, winners mentality.

Inspiring listsning to DOC & John MacMonagle, every good wish to you both in the Mayo jersey.
Agree with you 100% 2hops about Andy.

Do some of ye really think Tony McEntee wakes up each day obsessed about finding and developing young Mayo players? He doesn't and he won't.
Andy Moran does and will.
Andy is the type that through work ethic and infectious enthusiasm will drive on young players.
The next Mayo managers job has two main parts.
1. Developing new young players is 60%
2. Adapting to the new rules 40%
We don't have the player depth and we've had some really high quality attacking players underage.
This is not a panel tweak. Next year is major changes in our panel.

JP
You can read minds now

McEntee has more experience but Andy Moran and Colm Boyle have 10 plus years experience of high pressure championship football, connaught finals all ireland semi finals and finals from 2011 onwards with different coaches , tactical set ups and different coaches . Invaluable . Its not as if they had short provincial summers. Added to the bits that they both have done since they are fully ready for the job and i for one will be massively dissapointed if they dont get it.

Colm Boyles knowledge on the podcast is exceptional of the game and you can be sure they will add an
experienced pro to their background team for wise words.

If Andy gets it and it looks likely now along with boyler and tally , I really think we need to go long term & i mean 6/7 years .