Tony McEntee would be an excellent appointment with Kevin McLoughlin involved too if he can do a role.
Also the coach is extremely important I think in the modern set up reality is that coaches not managers work what happens on the field and in training.
Paul Kinnerk runs Limerick ....not John Keiley

Culmore - as your comment relates to an ongoing legal case, I’ve removed it. You really should know that it’s not appropriate to post a comment like that in light of the legal situation and for the same reason, DreamySleepy and Clare, I’ve deleted your responses to it too.

First of all commiserations to our neighbours on exiting the Championship, didn't see that coming though Galway had a great chance of winning Sam this year, however back to the management issue, I would like to see the next management coming from the ranks of the recently retired lads ,ie A.Moran,Tom Parsons, OBoyle etc ,they have a wealth of knowledge and experience and young with fresh ideas, and they know what's needed to perform at the top,absolutely no point in going back to former Managers, tried and tested no results end of ,after all we have loads of talent just to get the right Manager to motivate them Hon Mayo

I would be ok with McEntee. He knows the lay of the land at this stage, he's well known and liked by what i hear and I'd say he'll take no nonsense so maybe he and a couple of mayo folk with him. On another note i hear Evan Regan kicked 6 2pointers and scored 2 15 at the weekend. If only he was 40 years younger.

No Andy needs more experience for me , he really should take charge of the Under 20s and be the next manager in , McEntee for me.

I'm a bit meh about all the names mentioned so far to be honest, a ticket with Paul Kinnerk would be the one that would really get me excited but realistically don't think we could match JP McManus money.

McConville is a bit of a national treasure and very likeable fella but his management CV is pretty underwhelming tbh.

It's going to be quite the scramble for managers if armagh/rossie/Galway/mayo all in the hunt for managers

Silly to see names like Kinnerk, Jim Gavin and Eamon Fitzmaurice, there not coming to Mayo.Fitzmaurice said on Examiner podcast before he wouldnt manage outside Kerry.

Question I would like answered. Did the County Board talk and discuss with Kevin before the announcement was made ?
If they did and I hope they did, then, it would stop all the negative comments.

Mick Healy - that’s not a question you can rightly expect anyone to answer here, for obvious reasons.

McGeeney stated after Sunday's defeat, that it was hard to know whether he would continue to manage Armagh for a twelth year next year.

Should he step down, you can be sure that the likes of McConville and McEntee will have eyes only on the vacancy in their own county, with very little interest in what's happening in Mayo.

McEntee may well be the man for the gig, but it's another case of going back to someone that has been there before and I think most people want a change.
Has his record in Sligo been that good over the past 5 years? At a glance, it seems to be very underwhelming and they haven't progressed at all. Their loss this year to a very weak Fermanagh team wouldn't inspire any great confidence. Some Sligo lads that I have spoken to are critical that he has been very slow to introduce new blood into the team. Mayo at this stage need to introduce lots of new blood, so maybe he isn't the man with that in mind.

@Willie Joe yes of course .

@The West is best agree fully there .

McAntee not a bad choice but I'd like to see someone with fresh ideas .

McGeeney you say 🤔?

Perhaps we should hold tight and see what his status is, id put him straight to the top of the list if he were to step away from Armagh, he would get the buy in from everyone.

Interesting times ahead..... Looking forward to this Pod. I am like a skiff adrift in the ocean since the Hyde.

McEntee a fine candidate but I’d be a bit concerned about the fact he was there before and “well liked” by the players! So what. I think we need a completely new fresh management team in.

PP (the best indicator for the inside scoop still don't seem to have anything to go on).

Sunday night it was Austin O Malley favourite, 2nd Andy Moran, 3rd Oisin Mc, 4th Horan , 5th Ray Dempsey

Today its Oisin Mc favourite, 2nd Andy Moran, 3rd Austin O Malley, 4th Tony McEntee, 5th Ray Dempsey

Connaught Telegraph saying yesterday Tony McEntee was the front runner.

Might we see Tony McEntee and Oisin Mc come in together?

As Sam Og mentioned above Andy Moran to take the u20 post would be a great move.

McEntee mentioned all over the media as the chosen one, nothing against him but he was there before. We need a fresh crop

Mayo 2027
Yes as I just dont see Peadar Gardiner as a future Senior Mayo manager.I think the Under 20 manager should be the job for who the CB feel who should be the next Senior manager.

Mick Healy, the Connaught Telegraph had a report that the CB had been in contact with them in lead up.

But unless board say it outright, which I imagine will be asked of them at the next CB meeting will be when it's fully confirmed.

A good podcast.

What’s clear is that the appointment of a Director of Football, an ‘overseeer’, call it what you like, is actually of far great importance to Mayo football and our All Ireland aspirations than the appointment of who will manage the senior team.

Again, it was interesting to hear Nigel Reape say he doesn’t really like how things are being done at underage. I’m shouting at my phone to Rob and Mike to ask…’what exactly do you think is wrong Nigel and what changes are required, in your opinion’?

There was some talk of them (minor thru to 20; and younger) requiring to be linked up etc. But surely there’s massive scope for a podcast solely looking at the underage structures. From primary schools up to u20’s. This is what Tyrone have got right. This is what Mayo needs to do. If it’s done right, then we’ll win Sam. It might take 5,10 years or more but it’d happen for sure, as it will for Tyrone over the coming years. The only question there is how many times will they win it over the next 10 years.

James Horan is the ideal man for a Director of Football role.

I’d agree too with Andy for the u20’s (have said it often before). It’s fairly inevitable that he’ll manage the senior team. I just think he needs a bit more experience under his belt, be that up North or in Mayo with the players coming through. Let him get to really know them. It’s a big job and a really important one and as I said on a thread last night, I think we need a change in mgnt at u20.

It was good too to hear Nigel namecheck Sean Deane. How he was overlooked for the 20’s gig after the disastrous 2024 campaign is beyond me. Well done at actually easy to figure out. He didn’t play for Mayo! His record as Minor manager coupled with how well he has done since taking the reigns at Breaffy clearly show he’s a very good manager.

I know I’ve said it before but Pat Gilroy would be a great shout. Possibly looking at the Dublin job himself now. Another man I’d really go after is Declan Darcy, ex Leitrim captain but more importantly Jim Gavins right hand man over the glory years. Would be a massive shout as a coach with maybe a mayo man in charge or vice versa.

On a side note, a lot of people shouting for Donaghy. I’d much rather their other coach Conleith Gilligen. Coached Kilcoo to an all Ireland under Mickey Moran and then came into the Armagh set up at the beginning of last year.

I think we have to be very careful not to just go for the big names. People who know their football would know who Conleith Gilligen, and his CV is stronger then Donaghy yet because star was such a great player he automatically is put up there as being a great coach. I’m sure he’s a solid coach but I’d say he’s probably the 3rd best coach in the Armagh mgmt team

I agree with Sam og that Andy moran should take over the under 20s and work with the new Mayo manager who ever he turns out to be. In bringing our best under 20s to the next level and line out for the senior team.
After three years at under 20s level Andy Moran should take over the senior mayo team. That would be the right way to progress over the next six years.

Green and Red..Think Darcy's name is in the mix for the Dublin job?? He really has a good record with Jim Gavin..That the CB have moved early to bid adieu to current management team leads me to think they have their eye on someone..I.hope white smoke appears sooner rather than later and the process is drama free..

Yes, Conleith Gilligan is very highly regarded and could be an excellent appointment. Some of the bigger names being thrown about haven’t a notion of being interested.

Bookies odds mean very little till they become outrageous odds on which indicates word is out but Tony mcantees odds have fluctuated more than anyone else’s , 14/1 out to 50/1 and now I see he’s 2/1 second fav .

The advantage of a northern manager is they would be familiar with the strikes required at underage to produce the goods at senior level. Plus it would represent a major shake up in our approach. Badly needed imo but echoing Regina's thoughts, No drama please. I honestly think Mayo are only a fun diversion for the media. We're certainly not box office, but good to fill a column of the sports pages midweek

Idle gossip I won't repeat, but suffice to say a man above-mentioned is being tipped as future co- manager of Dubs.
@ green and red, Gilroy would need to be a massochist to return to the senior Dublin set-up. He's definitely a behind the scenes man and I'd be ecstatic if he were approached to become director of football at Mayo. Pie in the sky stuff in earnest.

Declan Darcy? Now there's a name that's got me perking up. He's been where the action is, and should know a thing or two. Bring him on!

The whole intercounty system needs to be reworked in Mayo.
1. Chairman
2(a) CFO and 2(b)COO
3(a)i Treasurer and 3(b)i Secretary 3(b)ii Games Development Director

Under the Games Development director you should have:
(1) Hurling Director (2) Football Director (3) Handball/rounders Director and (4) Referees Director

Under the director of football, their should be a Senior Manager, U20's manager, U17 and Academy Manager

The S&C, phycologist, medical advisor, nutrition advisor etc should fall under the remit of the Games Development Director (a plan for each team)
The skills coach, statistician, kicking coach and goalkeeping coach should fall under the director of football.
The director of coaching should hire the team managers.

The senior, U20 and U17 manager also answer to the director of football, with each manager permitted to bring in an attack, defense and tactics coach on his team.

The tail is bigger than the dog

Mayo need to think of the cost of bringing in someone from outside. And besides, many of these guys are on a managerial/coach merry-go-round and imo just can't be as passionate about the job as a person who has worn the green and red. I think Mayo should consider approaching Parsons and Boyle - great knowledge and boundless passion for the the sod.

We were lucky with Johno, but he was exceptional. His greatest attribute was the calming influence he had on a few young talented players, as well as a calmness on the sideline. He also empowered and trusted players to take on leadership roles. Sometimes, you hear reports after matches along the lines ".. the forward movement wasn't good." Surely, players that have trained for months together should be able to carry the process to the field of play.. and not be so reliant on the sideline. I'd imagine the two Clifford boys set the tone on the field of play and Jack's job is to count the jerseys in the dressing room.

Hard to take the bookies odds seriously when they don't even offer a price on Sean Deane, a man I could well see managing Mayo at some point.

I definetly want an outside manager and think the money invested in it will hopefully be worth it . We've always had an inside manager so want fresh ideas and someone not afraid to call the shots .

I agree that Andy would be good with under 20s and then seniors one day .

Who else feels absolutely sick of these almost daily negative stories coming out about Mayo GAA. It's time to move on and put this nightmare of a chapter behind us. We need someone or something to happen to bring the feel-good factor back to Mayo football again. The only way I can see that happening is with a totally new management team and to unearth a few new players. I know that seems like wishful thinking, but can we at least collectively stop being such a miserable shower of...or else we'll put people off wanting to play for our county. We need some pride restored and to be totally focused on what matters most, winning Sam Maguire!

Clare we have had Liam o neill ,jack o Shea and Micky Moran as outside managers before

@1985

I mean in recent times.

As far as I know only two men have won all Irelands outside their own county Eugene McGee and John o Mahoney.Tyrone may have a chance of it this year but it rarely gets results

100 percent agree Mayo45 , it’s actually vital imo that we get some feel good factor going into 2026 . Management decision is huge , it’s so vital we get it right .

@1985

Fair enough. I just think if Horan comes back we are going backwards and doing the same old thing . Andy Moran it's to soon for him .

Which would work better. A hyper organized manager of the backroom team or an okay organized manager more involved in the football side?
If you have a brilliant head football coach, why does the manager even need any say on the football side?
If the best football brain is the lead coach, shouldn't they decide the key selections and tactics?
I've been telling ye this ad nauseum but Liverpool have handed over scouting for players in full to the head of scouting. Mam Utd did not and wasted huge money on very average players. No one knows that head of Liverpool scouting but he brought in the key players. He also, bravely, said they should sell Coutinho their best player at the time to have money to invest in other players. I think we put too much stock at the feet of the manager
For a GAA scout I'd prefer some lad who is brilliant on stats and knows every player than someone suprised by what is out there.
TsuDhoNim on here I'm confident knows every Mayo club player out there better than anyone else on planet earth.

Much better with a local manager.
I can't understand how people here are so negat on Horan.
T he r best manager we ever had and helped design the new rules.

Liam was a Galway man for sure but an outsider? Himself and Dinny Molloy were Knockmore regulars for over a decade.
If Donaghy can be tempted north surely he can be coaxed west?

@JR

I really liked Horan and I think he was a great manager .

I just feel like we need a fresh start and something different .

I absolutely don’t get this obsession with it having to be an outside manager. I am from Mayo. Only care about Mayo and I could not care less about any other county. I also don’t get it when people think that an outsider would give everything to the Mayo cause. I listened to Jack O Connor being interviewed after Sundays quarter final and I thought about the passion he expressed and then imagined him in the Kerry dressing room speaking with the same passion. The manager needs to be able to genuinely believe in the cause . An outsider will be in it for the money. Micky Harte jumped ship from the Louth setup at the drop a hat.

Clare. We already had this famous change. Backwards We went.

Brennan gone from Louth.

All the speculation is he'll be in with the Dubs, which potentially leaves an interesting door for Declan Darcy somewhere else. He was incredibly highly thought of (by management & players alike) in his time under Gavin, with an expectation for a pretty big revamp coming at Leinster.

Actually thinking about it Horan has been as good a manager as we have ever had. That was only an average team he got to the last two finals we played and he totally changed the Mayo mentality and had the players playing for him. With a small bit of luck we would have crossed the line where as now we are trying to win a Connaught Title He was a great man to identify and nurture new talent. He was also selected to develop the new rules

@Craggy

True. Maybe Austin O ' Malley then but he has a business in Dublin so that might not work for him..

See Ger Brennan has just stepped down as Louth manager definetly going for the Dublin job .

@Jr
Horan brought Mayo a long way, but in the cold light of day, he let himself down in all the big matches.
In every big match Mayo started well in the first half, he was too slow to change when the opposition got on top.
His best days were when the whole lot had gone pear shaped and he had to recover it (mass injuries v Dublin in 2012, Keegan sent off v Kerry drawn match in 2014, Outclassed v Dublin in first half of 2021 semi)

Also touted Brian Gallagher as "the real deal", only for no one to hear from him again ever.
Put a lot of faith in forwards like End Varley, Bryan Walsh, Aiden Orme, Cian Tracey, Mark Moran etc. All of which didn't even flatter to deceive - just deceived Horan.
His bias towards Ballintubber in his first spell was replaced by his bias towards Westport in his second spell. At least he hasn't been coaching a club so might not carry a club bias with him if there is a next time.

Would be a good man for Director of football or Games Development Director.
Just couldn't watch him sit idly by as anther All Ireland final loss unfolds in front of him (2013, 2021).

@tsudo, thanks for the update about Brennan. Have to say he's naïve at best taking on the thankless task ahead of him at Dublin, if indeed he is to do so.
Darcy might well be looking west, but I'd wager he'll row in with Brennan if all pans out.

Joet1480 I included liam o neill in simply because originally a Galway man but he was credited with bringing a much more professional attitude to the mayo.in fact if not for a spate of injuries in 86 and 87 he might well have got us there .i think that team was just at the end of their cycle by the time we reached 89 final and he of course gave us the brilliant Kevin o neill

I'm surprised Jason Sherlock hasn't re-appeared somewhere. Lots achieved across many sports. Unfortunately I don't think it's the end of the media drama. Interviews with the mgmt team recently 'relieved' will crop up during the quiet winter or just before new season kicks off.
McEntee seems like a head down, get on with it kinda guy. A bit of tactical, craft on the backroom team is important too. I don't know of he'd be interested in a roll, but David Heaney has always impressed me.

Charlie the last management team weren't exactly cheap option either.
One of the things I like about an outsider is it would likely cut out local club bias and nepotism type events.
I think the CB will try and be brave and bold in their decision, they went safe last time out and see where that got us.

@Gizmobobs

That's exactly what I think . An outsider wouldn't have any club bias. I don't think County board will be giving out a 4 year term this time around anyway whoever gets it .

Lets get Ger Brennan now

JP - agree completely on TsuDhoNim!

If anyone on the management set up fas better knowledge of players and their capabilities, S/he must be pretty good!

Here’s what TSU said about Davitt Neary, back in December:

“8. Neary – Outstanding year for Breaffy for the hard running wing-forward. An exciting prospect, but probably a little raw just yet. I’d expect a year of learning & skill development for him ahead of expecting a big breakthrough (though he could absolutely prove me wrong). Not quite as big as some nor as fast as others, but the combination of the two he has will cause havoc at times for any defence. So often the one to unlock the door for others to tap in a goal or take an easy score, so a much better player than a stat sheet might show”.

Willie Joe
Just listening to the POD would there be any chance in getting the CB chairman on for an interview and ask him questions about the plan to develop Mayo Football...a d why a director of football has not been appointed

Not at the current time, FreeThe EastBank.

Definetly not now as it would be inappropriate but it would be very interesting at another time I think.

We've plenty of interesting content to come in the meantime!

Ger Brennan has stepped down from Louth and I doubt if it’s to take on the Mayo job!!!!. Difficult choice as regards new manager. Difficult even to know whether to go outside or stay local. No queue of top managers lining up for the job I’d say within the county but JH was a relatively surprising in house appointment back in 2011 and was fantastic for us. Someone mentioned McGeeney if he were available ! Can you honestly see Mayo supporters being as patient as Armagh were . 11 years with them before he won anything worth winning. In this county they’d be sharpening the knives after 11 games. Can’t really see the attraction of Oisin Mc Conville A great player and a good guy. But he took Wicklow to Div 4 and while they were a bit unlucky not to get promoted this year and took great scalps in the Tailteann Cup. losing an 8 point lead in the semi final with less than 20 minutes left would not be to the liking of our fan base . I would be grand with McEntee. Knows Mayo and Connacht scene pretty well. Was popular with the players which contrary to what an earlier poster suggested is a good thing. My fear is that to Co Board under financial pressure might go for a local who may not be up to it or an outsider who will come cheaply. We really want a very professional set up. Horan provided that in his time as did Rochford after him. We have a reasonable team with a number of good young players both there now and coming through and they need to be given the best chance possible. That financial debt hanging over us is a killer but surely there must be some financial wizard out there who can get to grips with dealing with it. We as Mayo people need to do our bit whether financially or otherwise. Jack o Connor was right when he lambasted the critics within Kerry telling them to do something positive for their county so as coaching teams etc. it’s a message that wouldn’t be lost on some of the ultra critical ‘fans’ in our own and I am sure many other counties

Wow,that assessment of Davitt Neary is incredibly good. Well done Tsu

I think one the biggest issues with that type appointment Freetheeastbank was the job spec was huge and renumeration package didn't compare favourably with it, if I recall correctly.

“We as Mayo people need to do our bit whether financially or otherwise”

Where to start with that? We give enough following them and our clubs through the debt levies we are saddled with. Criticism this year was constructive and deserved in my opinion. I didn’t see anything over the top. If anything we aren’t critical enough. Too many Mayo “ultras” out these lads up on pedastals.

Well done is right, TSU. Very sharp analysis. Do you do form guides for the horses as well? With Galway coming up.
But tsu has done a lot of painstaking analysis here to keep us well informed.
Cillian was the best forward we've had in decades, I'd be drafting in to a management team

A lot of posters calling for an outside manager but I'd be totally the opposite and would go for a Mayo management team with the drive and inventiveness to galvanise the county. The obvious one that keeps being mentioned is Andy Moran but I think we have a few club managers very capable of doing the job with an older ex county manager as a guiding presence. Maybe a Niall Heffernan, Ray Dempsey or Sean Deane with James Horan as a mentor.

Is it not an obvious observation that the successful mangers at the current top flight teams come from their own countries - think of the 8 quarterfinalists almost all are home grown.

When people talk about winners I’d only consider mangers and coaches who have are all Ireland winners and they are few and far between.

For that reason I am for staying local. We have tons of all Ireland finalists of the right age who know what it talked to get to the last day of the championship.

I'm 100% serious in saying the assessment of Davitt Neary alone is ennigh CV for TsuDhoNim to be involved in a scouting and player assessment group. That paragraph on Davitt Neary was completely on the money in describing what he can bring to a game.
We had an entire u20 mgmt missed Davitt Neary by comparison.

InExile, of the 8 counties how many have our psychological baggage of final failings.

Can anyone remember was Peter Forde on someone's ticket last time around but then dropped out of the running? If so, that would indicate to me he was interested.

I doubt very much if Donaghy could be tempted west...he didn't enjoy our hospitality much down here as a player...I seem to remember him giving us the fingers in McHale Park when things weren't going his way.
Going to Armagh was a kind of going home.
His kin is from there.
Andy taking the 20s seems like a good fit... let's see how he does there first.
Is Kieran McD still involved in one of the Mayo setups do we know?

@Giz my main point is if it’s not an external previous all-Ireland winning senior county manager (not player, not winner of a provincial or club etc) then what is the advantage over one of our own.

Catcol - have you all that post from December about the new players

InExile, they still know what it takes to be a winner. It's like Tesco, every little helps.

If external they would need people within set up who know the club set up locally though.

O sullivan. Your not wrong but the horan haters and Rochford lovers won't listen to this.

I could have managed the hand me down 16 17 myself. Don't think I'd have changed the goal keeper for an all Ireland final though

Here are some very logical reasons to look for an outside manager:

No club bias

Won't be dictated to by county board

Completely fresh slate & would inevitably facilitate a massive squad shake up by the virtue of trial games.

And most importantly, an outside manager may have actually won a Celtic Cross as a manager or player. To my knowledge, there isn't one person alive in Mayo who was part of a management team who has won Sam. And I'm 100% certain there is none who have won Sam as a player :) would this not be a prudent thing to look for?

If we go with a local candidate, I'd love to see proven winner(s) at inter county level alongside them

@Rusty Bridges, on the other hand in senior football as a player, what had Mickey Harte, Sean Boylan, John O Mahony, Jack O Connor ever won? very little but they all won multiple All Irelands as a manager.

Won’t matter what managers are appointed until clubs put all rivalries aside and look at the bigger picture here. Mayo losses in recent years and honestly since they last won Sam in 51 has been down to one thing alone, the complete inability to produce enough naturally scoring forwards. What I mean by that? I mean players that can kick equally well, of both feet and are super confident and aggressive when taking on their chances, driving at their man or give the right pass to a teammate even when under pressure. Lads that you can generally rely on to get the job done and actually score when they get their chances in the white heat of battle. Not panic, not hit and hope, not preform hot and cold in big games but forwards who can break defense lines, catch a high ball, turn on a dime and score. Forwards that can destroy teams if given the space to do so. Our forward attacking play in the 80s 90s and 00s always seemed so laborious and ugly. This changed for the better during Horans management eras, but in recent years has returned to its old ways. Ask yourself what midfielders/half forwards do we have who can on a regular basis, split a defense in half with an early kick pass, not play handball with it around the arc, petrified to take on a 2 pointer. We’ve had the biggest Midfielder/ full forward of the modern era in our ranks for 15 years, and it has never happened. I know this takes time and effort and dedication to develop. I feel in Mayo we get a couple of them every few years that you could say were very good, the odd superstar like Ciaran Mac, COC, and a sprinkle of honest super fit skillful players that give everything for their county. We are always just short of the mark. We’ve all watched and rewatched enough matches where we are just shy of the mark. Why? After many years of thought and analyzing, I can only put it down to not taking our chances when they come, not having enough quality players in comparison to our opposition in major finals on that given day. In particular the forwards with the caliber and quality needed within those Mayo teams who have got so close to getting the job done. We’ve come so close just not quiet good enough. Not trying to criticize the dedication of Mayo players or the clubs they come from, but why can’t we seem to close out big finals? We closed plenty of Semis against the finest of opposition. Why not finals? And part of it probably is to due to lack of confidence, history, final day nerves, controlling expectations from the fans, the psychological effects of losing multiple finals in your head which is saying to you “ you will never be good enough”. All well and good but we’ve got to get over it. Has it something to do with not having enough scoring forwards to secure that scoring spread required during these big games. For me it comes down to clubs not spending enough time on the attacking and forward aspect of the game at a young level. Im a firm believer in if you produce and prioritize attacking play and developing quality scoring forwards you will by default also produce quality defenders and Midfielders in response. I’m not trying to criticize people or clubs but it seems like we are doing the same things over and over again and just spinning our wheels. The game has now changed for the better, look at some of these winning scores this year , 2-18 2-20 and higher. Kerry put up 35 points against last All Ireland winners Armagh. When have you honestly ever seen Mayo do that against the top opposition in Finals. I believe we are still a top five outfit, but now is the time to make drastic changes or we could be left in the doldrums for many years to come. We had a team of generational talent in the 2010s which lacked one more generational star forward, they came up just short against the greatest side of all time. Can we all admit now looking back, that we had our chances during these games. There was times during all of those games where we totally commanded gameplay and possession of the football but didn’t take enough scores during those purple periods. Scoring for me has been or biggest problems in my years of watching Mayo teams and I do believe this is the main feature, reason and contributor to those losses. Never-mind Dublins dark arts we had opportunities to win those games but we fluffed our chances in front of goal. We need to take a step back and thoroughly investigate what’s needed to rectify this, and come up with plan which is attainable and measurable. We need to thoroughly look at all underage structures in the county and come up with a center of excellence for county teams only and at all levels. We need to pinpoint within our clubs and outside the county and at all levels, the counties best and brightest young talent and rising stars and develop their potential from a young age to the maximum level possible in a way that is greater than has ever been done before. We need to instill in them their right not to just get a win mentality, but a belief in their abilities to destroy all opposition in their quest for glory. It’s embarrassing to hear the likes of James Horan begging for training facilities. And now all the crap that’s coming out regarding this county board. Yes Mayo fans are insane, but there is also an element of truth regarding what has happened in the last few years. It’s a massive job and definitely a full time job for anyone who is brave enough to accept it. We need to instill a since of unity and comradely within the county and understand that it’s starts with your club and and assisting their youngsters anyway possible. Until we figure out these structures I think we need a candidate from within the county until we put the right platforms in place. I say go back to Horan bring back Andy Moran, Ciaran McDonald into the fold. The game has changed we need to change also!!!!

The County Board need to establish the criteria and then pick the the manager that best fits those criteria. It does'nt matter if they are from Mayo or not or have themselves won All Ireland medals or not. We need someone that commands respect, a good organizer, has tactical awareness and can build a strong support team, with top attack and defence coaches. Someone who will play brave adventurous attractive football, fully embrace and take full advantage of the new rules, build a winning mentality and never settle for second best.

100% leantimes but these are the rare exceptions. I'm not saying I favour an outside manager per se, but it would bring a real freshness. I think either way, we need a proven winner somewhere in the set up

Craggy - I'm sure I'm not the only one who sees the irony of you, of all people, talking about lovers and haters where it comes to any discussion about James Horan and Stephen Rochford! Also, if you really do believe you could have done as good a job in managing the team in 2016 and 2017 then you really owe it to yourself (and the county) to put your name forward for consideration now that there's a vacancy for the job and the opportunity presents itself for you to do better in it than those who went before.

@pittsburg.you probably have a point regarding forwards but it could also be argued that there were other contributing reasons. In 2017 mayo scoreline was the highest losing scoreline in an all ireland final and would have won many others also an ex dub wrote an article proclaiming it was conceding goals that cost us finals. We could also look at the 2 own goals in 2016 where Dublin only scored 9 times themselves and i think the same game after Cillian equaliser the kickout was picked off the ground and the great Peter Canavan said on radio if the ref did his job properly mayo would be all ireland champions. We can also look at the Vaughan sending off in 2017 and what 15 v14 would have done that day. We can even go back to the ball hopping over the bar in 1996.i reckon my point is there is probably more than just scoring forwards as the reason for mayo not getting over the line but there's definitely a good book in it.

@No doubt.
I remember looking up at the scoreboard after 30 minutes of the 2016 final and it was Dublin 2-00 Mayo 0-05.
Half an hour into an AI final and Dublin hadn't registered a score themselves but were still ahead!!

I know we don't do normal as a rule but It was bizarre beyond belief.

They definitely didn't "Mind the House" that day they actually wrecked the gaff.

In fairness Craggy I believe you’d also have managed Corofin to their All Ireland club title in 2015 as there was no real opposition in Galway, Connacht or Ireland in that year,

If somebody had offered you a deal outside before the match in 2016 that Dublin would score 9 points all day and wouldn't score a goal themselves you'd be off celebrating already.
I'd seen a bit of Dublin in 2016and thought we were well capable of beating them.

Of all the near misses I thought our name was on it in 2014. I thought for all the world Hennelly's free was over in Limerick. The ref didn't help us that day either!

@ Rusty Bridges, not really exceptions at all...To go with John O Mahony, Micky Harte , Jack O Conner, , and Sean Boylan add the names Eugene McGee, Offaly 1982,..Jim McGuinness (a non playing sub in 1992 Donegal, won as a manager 2012) Pat O Shea, Kerry 2007, Eamon Coleman, Derry 1993, Joe Kiernan Armagh 2002 as well. Proportionally I would say that managers that have never won Sam McGuire themselves as a player have won far more All Irelands than those with All Ireland medals as a player, especially considering the amount of ex All Ireland winning players that have gotten plush jobs as managers of the strongest counties.

My two prerequisites for the new manager - has coached the new rules and is appointed before the county championships start.

I see McConville referred to being mentioned as potential manager of several counties in some interview he did recently. Never saw a summer like it for speculation. They're only short of announcing Brolly as a candidate for Mayo at this stage.

@Ever the optimist

Oh the thoughts of that don't say that about Brolly ! Haha

I'd say a few counties would be interested I'm McConville . Ger Brennan has some rebuilding job to do with the Dubs if he does go for it .

Joking Clare, of course. I'm out and about with work at times and I've been told the rumour about Ger Brennan has no basis. I've said previously that he'd be naive to take it and I don't think he's a naïve man.
As for McConville, he'll end up somewhere alright, but I'd be thinking Louth... close to home.

There will be no consensus here on the next manager. Though we will blame the Co. Board whoever is picked, I presume the CB will appoint knowledgeable people to choose their men.
By the way, when people talk of how badly Kevin McStay was treated by CB, they should remember how he treated P OHora on national TV when he fillitted his reputation after the Mayo/Galway game in Croke Park. In all my years watching GAA coverage I never saw a player being undermined by his own countyman to such an extent. Based on what he could dish out, I'm sure he can take the current rough and tumble in his stride.

Mick O'Dwyer Kerry 8 1975, 1978,1979,1980,1981,1984,1985, 1986
Jim Gavin Dublin 6 2013, 2015, 2016,2017, 2018,2019
Kevin Heffernan Dublin 4 1974, 1976,1977, 1983
Billy Morgan Cork 2 1989, 1990
Dessie Farrell Dublin 2 2020, 2023
Paidì O'Sè Kerry 2 1997, 2000
Dr Pat O'Neill Dublin 1 1995
Conor Counihan Cork 1 2010
Pat Gilroy Dublin 1 2011
Kieran McGeeney Armagh 1 2024
Brian Dooher Tyrone 1 2021

@Ever the optimist

Yeah I know you are joking! Even the thoughts of that make me shudder ! Hopefully Ballina do the business v him and Knocmore this year . Cora is doing great work with Ballina . She would be good in Mayo I some role I think .

Thanks Sam Og. And Jim was in the Donegal panel in 92 also. So in the modern day, it ain't a hinderence for sure. I just can't fathom why we wouldn't want some winning experience in our back room, be that the manager or coaches/selectors

Going outside the county is high risk IMO prefer to stick within, we have a few candidates that can bring a freshness and enthusiasm to the job. It seems the reasons to go for one manager are the same reasons given not to go with someone else e.g. familiarity and experience seen as a plus for McEntee and a negative for Andy.

I still feel JH second coming was hindered by Covied, I think with the U20 we could develop a really strong team, Problem I have with someone new it's the unknown, with JH I know we will have a competitive team and we will be there at the business end,, I know we need to win one but we have to get there first, I'm afraid of another 3 years of decline

Leantimes yep you're right there too.

I just personally feel its something we overlook. We're just not winners in Mayo, be it underage, senior. Its probably a mentality thing. I'd just love to see some of that ruthlessness brought in. Tony Mc gave Keegan the GPS to throw in front of Rock....its not usually in our make up. I do recall Paddy Durcan causing a big row after Kevin McLoughlin's equaliser in Ballybofey in 2018...but we so rarely do it. The best teams have it, simple as. And if it doesn't come from within, you need to get it from somewhere.

Has there been any indication to the process of appointing a new manager? I'm trying to think back to 2022 but we seemed to do it a bit differently to the usual "nominated by club" approach

I think we have the talent within the county to manage and win an all Ireland finally....going outside is high risk....the successful counties don't do it....Kerry, Dublin, Tyrone (with their 3 under Mickey Harte) and so called minnow's like Donegal and Armagh.... Choice as i see it is to go with the proven older , more experienced managers, Horan, Maughan etc for another term.....or youth in Moran or O'Malley...Solan or Staunton (Cora)... either could work with the right team with them in place.... My preference is going with youth,.....we have a younger group of players over the next 2-3 years now to integrate into the squad and this in my view (and yes i will be accused of being ageist) is best suited to younger managers line Andy or Austin.... Andy in particular highlighted this last year in the u20 game in Ballinamore when an unfancied Leitrim beat us well that evening.....

Mayo have only ever had 3 outside managers for a total of 4 seasons since 1983 and I doubt if there was any before that.
Mickey Moran 1 season , Jack O'Shea 2 , and Brian McDonald 1 if you dont include Liam O'Neill from Galway who was based in and managed Knockmore.Jack O'Shea had no experience as manager as he only retired in 1992.Mickey Moran got to an All Ireland in 2006 and was sacked.Brian McDonald lost narrowly to Donegal in 1992 and was sacked due to his training methods. We have had 4 repeat managements John O'Mahony, John Maughan,Pat Holmes, James Horan.Thats not including Stephen Rochford coming back as a Number 2 to Kevin McStay.

The list as far back as I know to 1983
23 to 25 Kevin McStay Ballina
19 to 22 James Horan Ballintubber
16 to 18 Stepen Rochford Crossmolina
2015 Pat Holmes Moygownagh/Noel Connelly Hollymount
11 to 14 James Horan Ballintubber
07 to 10 John O'Mahony Ballaghadareen
2006 Mickey Moran Derry
2003 to 2005 John Maughan Crossmolina
2000 to 2002 Pat Holmes Moygownagh
1996 to 1999 John Maughan Crossmolina
1995 Anthony Egan Bonniconlon
1993 to 1994 Jack O'Shea Kerry
1992 Brian McDonald Dublin
1988 to 1991 John O'Mahony Ballaghadareen
1983 to 1987 Liam O'Neill Knockmore

I asked ChatGPT to provide some no-nonsense advice in the style of "renowned" football pundit Pat Spillane as to what Mayo need regarding the next Manager. I can't disagree with its answer.. Now where is that "cold-blooded winner"???

“Let’s cut the waffle.”

This is the toughest job in Gaelic football. You're not walking into a team that needs a cuddle – you're walking into a team that needs a ruthless edge and a tactical brain.

No more excuses. Mayo has had enough hard-luck stories to fill a library. Win. Or move on.

Forget sentiment. Pick players on form, not history. If a young lad is flying, he plays. No sacred cows.

Tactics or bust. You don’t beat Kerry or Dublin with heart alone. You need structure, discipline, and a cutthroat streak.

Target Sam – nothing less. Semi-finals aren’t achievements anymore. They’re just another graveyard for dreams.

Mayo fans are mad and brilliant. They’ll carry you – or bury you. That’s the gig.

Bottom line:
If you're not obsessed with winning an All-Ireland, don't bother. Mayo doesn’t need another “nearly man.”
It needs a ruthless, modern, no-bullshit leader.

As Pat would put it:

“Mayo doesn’t need passion. They’ve had that for 70 years. They need a cold-blooded winner.”

The game under the new rules is still evolving imo. How do you explain Monaghans collapse, or Armaghs flat spell after building a 5 point lead early second half. It is possible we will see more around the arc football if only to give players a breather, and the bench will play an even greater role.

The 2 things I would take from that we dont get a repeat manager for a 2nd or even 3rd term and we should go outside he County to a proven experience manager.

@Leantimes & Rustybridges Obviously if you have been on a winning team as a player and later a manager it's an advantage from a player understanding perspective. However I don't care how many all ireland player medals someone has there is no comparison between a player role and a manager role. You see it in a work situation all the time not every worker makes a good manager, its a different skills set.

How did you measure that skill set:
1. Respect of the players
2. Ability to get & keep buy in from stakeholders for the mission
3. Delivery of realistic defined results that everyone understands and accepts

Not a contributor here but I do enjoy reading comments.im a gaa fan first and foremost. Nice job here on the blog Willie Joe. Interesting times in mayo gaa .

Micko there was a lot more examples to add to that after last year's knockout and the Connacht final.

Pittsburgh – your post was really comprehensive and I found it very interesting. Not wishing to pick an argument but I would disagree that it was Mayo’s forward play alone that has let us down over the years. I would contend that it was our inability to defend properly that cost us dearly from 2010 to 2024.
Under the “old rules” a shrewd manager could get sufficient bodies behind the ball and have his defenders hunt in packs to nullify the opposition and then counter attach at pace. Mayo rarely did that properly and frequently conceded sloppy goals. My own remedy would have been playing AO’S at centre back and having Keith Higgins or Kevin McLoughlin (intelligent pacey players) sweeping behind. AO’S greatest attributes were his physicality, tackling, turnovers and inspirational forays forward. That did not happen frequently enough for him when playing at midfield or in the confines of full forward. Sadly water under the bridge now and there is no point in musing further over spilt milk.
The new rules in Gaelic Football have changed everything “A terrible beauty has been born”! Accidently the GAA may now have one of the greatest exciting field games in the world on their hands! Witness the huge scoring attributes of Inter County forwards and indeed forwards at club level also.
With the “3 players back at all times rule”, teams can no longer pack defences and stifle attacks with sheer numbers. Midfield possession either from the air or breaking ball on the deck is vital - as is the fast ball forward into the space that is now naturally there. The ability of players to score “2 pointers” is also now an absolute must. Huge emphasis must be placed on this at all levels of coaching from under 14 upwards.
I would not worry unduly about the Clubs – Mayo is rich in that regard. We have 48 clubs spread between the 4 divisions. That means that whoever the new Manager and his backroom team is - they will have a choice of 48 players for every shirt from 1 to 15 excluding subs! That’s sounds simple- yet it is factual!
Surely from a pool of 700 plus club players it ought to be possible to recruit 35 high quality, skilled committed players for county duty. That is why I believe Mayo should always be genuine contenders at the top table.
Though in football terms personally I have been depressed since the All-Ireland Final of 2021, I feel a new stirring. Mayo were traditional stylists and there is no reason we can’t now reset and adept to the new rules. Let us look on this as a time of opportunity to refocus and plan to achieve our goals. Hope springs eternal and our most fervent wish is that the County Board get the right Managerial appointment and we can progress from there. “We are Mayo”.

I agree in the good times our backs conseeded too many goals.
Our present backs are fine, but got a lot of grief on this forum last year.
Galway had a great defensive system last year but we're not up to man to man marking in the new game.
Also the mobility of their big men was exposed by Meath.
Balance is very important.
If you can't win ball at midfield break it.

There are no easy answers, I think the "off days" that top tier opponents had against us coupled with our relatively poor forward play was the system we'd built. It was extremely effective but lacked that bit of class up front. If any of our forward 6 had a very good season, we'd still be in it, but in fairness to them they probably didn't get the support they needed. Heard it now on a couple of podcasts that Galways big middle 8 turned out to be their downfall(too slow) despite being lauded a month ago. One things certain, they're are no easy answers.

gizmobobs. I think McStay was happier with players who would tolerate Rob Finnerty toss his hair than someone like O'Hora who would stand up to smart asses. O'Hora, in my opinion, was the outstanding defender in last year's co. championship and was the type of player needed in any team. His face didn't fit with the last management and he wisely opted out.

“Mayo fans are mad and brilliant. They’ll carry you – or bury you. That’s the gig.”

Or mayo fans have been very poor the last number of years .

I’d like to pose this question not for ye to answer but to even consider it .

If there were 20k mayo supporters in mchale park for the Cavan game roaring the team , would we have lost , might we still be in the championship! It’s really worthwhile thinking about it . Like every household in mayo this blog is no different there are people that have stopped attending games , a loss of enthusiasm, appetite whatever you want to call it .

It’s time ye got back up on the horse and help the cause again folks .

So from Ruislip to croker , let’s fill the terraces next season .

Curious why some here say too soon for Andy but back some other recent players who haven’t tried their hand in senior management. Andy ambitious, went straight into management and cut his teeth in 2 jobs.O Malley my favourite of the Mayo men but may be living too far away and not enough available time.

Re managers, 1951 is so long ago for most of us ..Most of the Managers that have won All Irelands with counties that had never won an All Ireland or was a it was very long time since they won an All Ireland overwhelmingly seem NOT to have won All Irelands as players themselves. John O Mahony won with Galway after 32 years, he won two. Eamon Coleman won with Derry their first and only. Brian McNiff Donegal's first..Mickey Harte Tyrone's first of 3 he won. Sean Boylan won 4 after a long time in the wilderness for Meath. Joe Kiernan won Armagh's first . Kerry at 38 and Dublin at 31 ...69 between them naturally would have a lot of excounty players that won All Ireland medals as players and won All Irelands as managers as well.. But in the case of Kerry with all the incredibly successful players they have had..5 out the last 6 All Irelands Kerry won the manager has not won Sam himself as a player...4 success for Jack O Connor and 1 for Pat O Shea.

Dead right on PO'H Micko....Shane Walsh had a go at tossing his hair one day....the thud could be heard in Laherdaun.

Corofin. To win just once. How many county players did they have

Agreed Micko and 2 hops. With the likes of O'Hora on board there's a certain type of edge. He's also a very good footballer if played in the half backs. Giving him a man marking job at corner back was naive at best and downright stupid at worst. You need a player with the O'Hora mindset in every line on the pitch.

It’s time people move on from O’Hora, O’Connor, and Regan. While they remain outstanding club players, their days of competing at the highest level with the best in the country are behind them.

Regan is a good club player but inter county is a totally different level to club .

I still think there's a place for Cillian . O' Hora is hit and miss .

It's time to bring in some of the under 20s .

So tonight is the latest instalment of County Board drama.

A full meeting of the clubs and executive.

What mess will follow? Will there be a clear process set out for appointing a new manager?

@Shuffle I don't get that comment about it being too soon for Andy as well. Some might have more years but a lot of them don't have as much experience. In my humble opinion he's a great choice:

- locally invested in county, personally and professionally
- Connacht and all Ireland league medals (remember the kick pass to the scorer of the goal in the league final against Kerry or the goal into the canal end against the Dubs)
- ex player of the year (not too many of those around anywhere in Ireland)
- Managed a Country team up a division to a division league final, and took on both Senior and under 20 roles
- Coach to a division 1 team that reached all quarter final playing a nice brand of football and scored 1 20 in Croker
- from what I am told highly respected by the players in that County
- a guy who puts a focus on forward and attack play (where we are currently weak)
- A great positive attitude, exactly what's needed right now to give us a bit of optimism

If i was the County Board I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth (assuming Andy wants the job that is)

POD Fan - the County Board drama continues (probably not), the meeting has been cancelled and moved to Monday next..

Tony - If fit and he looks in great shape presently Cillian should be in IMO. New rules will suit him as he can be one of the 3 up so he doesn't need to track back so that negates some of his pace issues.

@ SAm og
Note of all the managers they all did better the first time around. What does that tell you - no point going back to the same guy again - it only gets worse. New blood and ideas required.

23 to 25 Rochford (as assistant) - no finals
19 to 22 James Horan - 1 semi & 2 finals
16 to 18 Stephen Rochford - 2 finals
2015 Pat Holmes Moygownagh/Noel Connelly - 1 semi
11 to 14 James Horan - 2 semis and 2 finals
07 to 10 John O’Mahony - a league final loss
2003 to 2005 John Maughan - 1 final hammering
2000 to 2002 Pat Holmes - league winner
1996 to 1999 John Maughan - 2 finals
1988 to 1991 John O’Mahony - 1 final & 1 semi

On o hora. Surely he's a better man to have in the squad than conor mcstay. Imagine boland didn't make the cut then the genius s backtracked after wasting time on men that should never have been there. Yes Willie joe I'm throwing my name in the hat. I'll take o sullivan. Clare. Sean Burke and 1985 as selector s. I'll be looking for a phycologist too. I need a man that thinks mayo are going to win every day. By 15 points and 6 points. A man that back s management no matter what. Wonder who that might be. A name beginning with C. ?

When Ger Loughanne took over Clare he took full control and cut the bull. He stopped the county board coming on the team bus. He was correct, be it on the bus, the sideline on match day or walking into team meetings the board need to keep out once the manager is appointed. Their job is administrators not interference. Jesus Christ I’ve been part of club teams and under no circumstances would members of the club executive waltz into the dressing room or team meetings.

Craggy - Conor McStay wasn't on the panel this year either in case you hadn't noticed. And, for the love of God, will you please now stop the sniping at someone who's no longer involved in managing the Mayo team? You've hummed that tune long enough here but it's well past time to finish that now.

Just a Thought - here’s the full assessment by TSU of fringe players in response to a query on mine. I copied it and refer to it regularly, it’s

“1. TsuDhoNim says:
December 9, 2024 at 2:07 pm
@catcol: Not quite a 15 there (at least not that I can identify) and mostly forward heavy, so wouldn’t be a terribly competitive setup like that.
2. Happy to give a super subjective run-down on them that might do a similar type of job as you were hoping if there’s a few you’re not overly familiar with, without having to horse a few forwards in as corner backs.
3. Vahey – Looks a really solid keeper in what we saw this year, but a relatively new name to many of us with his only recent return to GAA from Sligo Rovers. Hard to know just how high his ceiling could be yet, but exciting to see enough potential to leapfrog Jack (a very fine keeper too) that could push Colm in the future. (Really feel for poor Luke Jennings from Ballinrobe. Had another fantastic year but seems to have fallen just short. Great to see that level of competition just for the panel, never mind the starting jersey)
4. Akram – Pacey, intelligent, athletic and incredibly hard-working wing back. Looked to have county written all over him as an exciting underage prospect & I’d say lots of us expected him to hold his place back in ’17 when he first made the panel for FBD (still u21 at the time). One of the big influences on Ballagh’s emergence as a competitive side, potentially a lot to offer still at ~28 or 29.
5. Ivors – Big, powerful, the type of profile and abrasive aggression (in the most positive ways) we’ve found ourselves a little short on at times. Hard to know where we might use him yet (tends to be a 6 or midfield for Belmullet, but you could see him doing a job from 2 to 12) but at ~23 has heaps of potential left to fill. I’m 50/50 between him getting some S&C work with the panel before a cut and used for future development and him potentially being our breakout star for the year. Could go either way.
6. Melvin – (I can’t pick him out in the pic, but someone else suggested he’s there) His injury just before the start of the Championship hurt our 20s a lot this year. He (or Howard, who oddly wasn’t in the 20s panel) was exactly what we were missing at times in those opening games when he wasn’t 100% fit. Talented midfielder, huge potential, showed well (along with midfield partner Fenton Kelly, also in the extended squad for a couple of years now – there just in front of Conor Reid) for Davitts this year and one for the future.
7. Thornton – Another I’d struggle to predict a position for. Could do a job from 5 to 15, I’d expect most likely used as a powerful, ball winning wing forward (Tuohy would be the closest comparison to an existing squad member I guess) but would cause havoc on edge of the square (more than a few goals for Ballina and UL using him like that in recent years) or give us another ball-winning option around the middle/11 too. If not for injuries I’d have expected this breakthrough in ’22 or ’23. Potential there to push for a starter.
8. Neary – Outstanding year for Breaffy for the hard running wing-forward. An exciting prospect, but probably a little raw just yet. I’d expect a year of learning & skill development for him ahead of expecting a big breakthrough (though he could absolutely prove me wrong). Not quite as big as some nor as fast as others, but the combination of the two he has will cause havoc at times for any defence. So often the one to unlock the door for others to tap in a goal or take an easy score, so a much better player than a stat sheet might show.
9. Prendergast – Still only ~24 despite seemingly being around & spoken about for so many years, he’s had a rollercoaster ride getting here. Outstanding underage talent, he ended up veering off towards rugby for a few years (representing Ireland at 18s & 19s, coming very close to pro ranks) & then a few years where injuries caused a lot of setbacks (significantly ACL & osteitis pubis) but always battled through like a warrior. When he hits form (I’d say ‘stays fit’ too, but even half injured he can do it at times) he’s absolutely outstanding & has looked unmarkable in games. Serious power, serious eye for goal and real potential to push for a starter spot if he can get the basic skills at high speed up to scratch (they look there watching club ball, but it’s a different story making that step up). Could be used from 8 to 15, I’d to see him mostly expect used inside but great flexibility there.
10. Dawson – I’d expect mostly a building year (S&C/skills) for Conal, though will certainly put pressure on lads for match day squads while doing it. We’ve used him at county underage as a corner back, wing back and midfielder (sometimes in the one game) while playing most of his club football at the time as a wing forward, so anyone’s guess where he might turn up. One of our few left-footed shooters on the panel (often takes frees on the right for Westport, though wouldn’t really be a county level kicker or a part of his game I’d expect much focus on atm), probably surprised a few bumping Sean Morahan to this spot.
11. O’Flaherty – Similar to Dawson, you’d expect mostly a building year. Talented wing forward, works his socks off and great skill with ball in hand. Physicals a bit short just yet, taken out of games a bit too easily at times for the u20s or NUIG last year, but with his work ethic he’ll be closing the gaps on that day by day. One for the future.
12. (C) McHale – Outstanding year for Moy Davitts, probably the most exciting club player I’ve watched this year (at any grade, nationally). Kicked some absolutely outrageous scores, from dead balls or play, with one of the best left feet in the county (intentionally laying down the gauntlet to Dylan Gallagher & Darragh Beirne saying that). Still u21 yet, so probably should just be a building year, but has the potential to push hard. You could see his left-footed frees alone nudging him up the pecking order a little.
13. Eamon Phillips – (Open to correction, but believe that’s his head I spot) Outstanding few years for Ballyhaunis (in both codes) for the free scoring forward. Right up there with the Coyne brothers and Zippy pushing for player of the match in most games. Huge lad, accurate free taker, would pose all sorts of different questions for a defender (e.g. set a defence up to mark Conroy and Towey and suddenly we pull Prendergast & Phillips off the bench, or vice versa). Another that could be in the first cut or could be a breakout, 50/50 between the two for me.
14. Ewan Duffy – (can’t spot him in the pic, but could easily be there) A bit of everything from Ewan. Athletic, ferocious work rate & potential for box to box play even under the more demanding new rules. Mostly plays 11 for Ballinrobe knitting everything around him together, something they could use him for (more of a running game than other options in there), but I could see him used as a flexible utility player solving specific problems (e.g. trying to get a grip on a rampaging defender while still asking questions going forward) rather than playing specific positions. Very similar to his younger brother already involved.
15. Finbar McLaughlin – (Another I can’t spot, but others have mentioned) The usual McLaughlin pace (Oisín, Eoghan, Fionnuala & Finbar all electric) with possibly the best shooting, relatively two footed too, among the bunch. Just out of 20s, would be a development year to get the S&C in place, but has caused havoc this year for Westport and looked at home playing colleges against some county level defenders. Could push through, but given his style of play needing the power to help break lines, I’d expect a quiet year just yet. Exciting potential going forward though.
16. Should be noted there’s ~40 lads in the pic with a number missing (O’Shea, Flynn & Loftus the obvious ones with potential for a few less obvious ones – Niall Coggins would be borderline there you’d imagine & you could see someone like Darragh Syron brought in as another to build S&C for the future), so some names mentioned might not be around for an extended period once it comes to getting the league panel and then later the Championship panel in place”.

Any chance of a pod for Patreon members about the County Board meeting tonight and whats been discussed or are the media banned?

I know he's not on the panel this year willie joe. For obvious reasons. I rest my case.

On the ditch, while extremely fit I think Monaghan still weren’t as fit as needed and were ran into the ground.

I always thought Stephen Rochford was a brillant stratergist. His knowledge of oppontents and match ups was the reason we came so close to Dublin all those years ago. Putting D mc Hugh on M. Murphy was also a perfect match. Once he got injured, Michael was back in the game znd made a difference. I spoke to a fan from Donegal, and they told ne that Stephen is very well regarded in Donegal and got on well with the backroom team. This weekend, I was talking to someone who works with Rory Gallagher and holds him in high esteem, again this person thought very highly of Stephen. Couldnt understand why we were letting him go.
He reminded me it was Rory Gallagher who coached Donegal, when they won the last AI. What I understood from our conversation is that Stephen is held in high esteem amoung the nothern teams.
Up to the last two games, I couldnt understand where was Stephens great skills, what ad heppened. Did he have a say and if he had, why did he pick a different team from before.
I am not suggesting letting Stepgen have another three years, I think we have to go forward. Also we cabt go back to Horan. I remember this lateral passing under Horans run. I will never forget the game against Kerry ( think it was league final) and there seemed to be an electric fence in the last quarter of the field, where no Mayo player could pass. I rem many games like that under Horan. For me, going forward, it needs to be a northern person to teach us guile and the never say die. We have all the other ingrediants, skill and the hurt that drives the northern teams. We need to harness that hurt. Vital ingrediant.

I know it was never going to work out for Kevin Mcstay after year 3 and out before last 12. Did well to win league in first season but in some ways you become a victim of success..and I mean much like the kerry team the demands of the public are there and if your not competing at the business end then you are in trouble, that goes for anyone. Now unless you have more or less 100% backing like Mcgeeney in Armagh but that's rare. If he wasn't a hero up there and all ireland winning captain he'd be gone long before last years success.The mayo teams success albeit not lifting sam from 2012 to 2017 but constantly competing made any manager who wasn't in a semi or final a tricky job

I see both arguments, its about results and you dont get much time. Who'd be a manager though honestly..seriously tough gig. And that's without interference from boards, noise outside etc..that's sport I guess.

But did they run themselves into the ground, same question for Armagh. Meath seem to be able to maintain high tempo, very interesting to see how Donegal play them. Tyrone too will have learned from Armagh game, fascinating games.
First step for the new Mayo management will be to get Mayo playing new rules football. Players will have to step up and give leadership. It promises to be a very competitive 2026 with a lot more counties in contention

I’ve no idea why you think you’ve a case to rest, Craggy. But if it means you give your irksome bile a rest, that would indeed be a result.

Is it me or are Galway always let off the hook by the media, they were terrible on Sunday but the media have barely mentioned it.This Galway team were meant to be at there peak now, they were the best 2 pointer team in the country supposedly, till teams realised you man mark Paul Conroy, supposed to have the best forwards in Ireland with Kerry, they got David Morris in along with Mickey Graham, if this was Mayo jesus christ they would be writing columns all week .Barely criticised last year for leaving an All Ireland behind them , while Mayo used to be hammered for losing the great Dublin team.Tierney and Finnerty who the media blow up as top forwards failed to impress in Croker yet again.

I think the Meath manager said they could have gone on for another 30 minutes.
It was a very poor first half.

One major thing for our new panel.
We need to reassess every possible option in the county 6'2"+ for being a physical presence around the middle.
I don't care if they're 35 years of age. If we can get 10 effective mins from them then we need them in our panel.
When we get such a group put them on a program for jumping and power, not getting box to box.

County Board meeting not on till Monday July 7th

Question for the knowledgeable amongst ye. Getting away from the present and going way back in time. The topic of the 1948 final popped up in conversation here at home another 1 point loss and another record of the only team to score 4 goals in all ireland final and lose. The question is other than the time boo boo at the end something is in my head that there was an issue with a free at the end or something to do with the wind I'm just wondering does anyone have an idea of what it was or am I raving. Thanks in advance.

Catcol - Thank You. I tried to find that post recently. Great to see we have talent coming up.

Craggy you should include TSUDHONIM for stats.

Sean Hallinan - if it's the Sean Hallinan I'm thinking of, he would make a fine motivational speaker. An absolute legend.

Sean Burke. I've a young family, so I've limited time to get to games these days. But I'll be honest, I was fed up watching the turgid football on display the last few years. I rarely missed a game when I was younger.. and it wasn't just because we were in the mix regularly. It was because we were good to watch, adventurous, courageous. When I think back to the 2nd half of 2014 semi, the semi agaisnt Dublin in 2012..it was scintillating stuff. At least we played without fear. This season was the tin hat entirely.

Bring back the courage & adventure, & the fans will respond.

@No Doubt did the 1925 All Ireland debacle come up? :D

@Rusty Bridges. No i think I'll save that for another day just when they think things couldn't be any worse following the red and green

Craggy,count me out,for someone who carrys a grudge against someone who gave you a shoulder years ago ,you are blinkered

Malachy O’Rourke, has a outstanding chance at getting to final, by beating a Kerry team well hyped. Malachy was on the FRC on the rules changed, as was James Horan. Never thought Kevin McStay took the rule changes seriously until the 11th hour. If James took over, I for one be happy, sure he do his best to figure a way to enhance team, with the rules in mind.

No doubt
I think you might be thinking of the 1967 semi v Meath when we missed a 13 yard free close to the end....disclaimer.....my only evidence of this ever happening though was my Father telling me about it on a bank of turf the day of the World Cup final in 1982....and I was more worried about getting home to watch the match.... at the time he was worried about working on a Sunday!

@Achill75, Pat Spillane and Dick Clerkin dammed Galway on the Indo podcast by calling them the new Mayo....

Could it be the 1969 semifinal v Kerry FreeTheEastBank. Seamus o Dowd missed one to give us the draw and Joe Corcoran on the field. A brilliant player and free taker . Only could happen with Mayo. That was the first team I followed as a young buck. I really thought they were legends.

FreeTheEastBank you weren’t paying attention that day in the bog. In 1969 we missed a late free to equalise v Kerry. Joe Corcoran had been taking the frees but for some reason he did not take this one. Instead S O Dowd took it and unfortunately missed. I have no idea why the free taker was changed. (A regular poster here will probably blame Rochford for the change), Anyway we lost by a point. In 1967 we were going neck and neck with Meath but then the royals scored 2 latish goals and we lost again. After winning that Connacht in 1969 we failed to win another one during the 1970s . So it’s not only in the last few years that we have had our share of issues in Mayo

John Mullane also referred to the Waterford team he played on as the “Mayo” of hurling on another podcast today. That’s what we are known as…the definition of failure. Time for change and a rethink. The definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again and getting the same result.

Seems like the county is bored with our style of play too... Nothing to discuss till next week.
I expect they'll have a new manager in place for that meeting.
All the reviews... It's a bit too much jargon for me.
Not good enough is my review of all grades grades.
Some positives but simply not good enough.
Go dtuga Dia spioraid dúinn. Máigheo.

I’m not doubting any of these fringe young players, and I’m sure they have plenty of talent and ability to bring to the table for their county just like the last generation. I dearly hope they are successful and have their day at the top table and prove me wrong. I also know and admit rotten luck, dark arts and poor referring had a big bearing on finals which we lost. Any loser can admit that, but since 1989 it’s been the same old story. We have been 2nd best. So my thought is what can we do to fix that? I wonder regarding the history records since the first all Ireland final. Which finalist county has the highest percentage of appearance losses in finals? I know it sounds like picking old scab wounds but seriously let’s look at these stats. What would the top 4 teams look like in terms of AI final loss percentages. What did have all in common. I’m watching Spillane’s on the AIB podcast after last weekends games, and of course talking about Kerry. And one thing comes up more than anything, Kerry players including themselves were raging mad going into that game against Armagh not being favorites. Clifford begging fans to make the trip up to Croaker. Anything to create that extra bit of small edge. Kerry have this in-built sense of desire, right, pedigree, history of being the best there is and best there ever was, and constantly bring this attitude with them wherever they go. Jesus their fans only show up for Munster and all Ireland Titles. And the results prove themselves as generally right. Their fans are the real GAA perfection demanding animals. Dublin did the same thing in the 2010s, it started with Pat Gilroy, it seemed like a complete culture and attitude shift overnight, but was actually going on behind the scenes for years before they made the breakthrough. Hell we were doing it ourselves in the 2010s and it almost worked. Point is whatever way we can gain an edge or advantage we do it. Our Goals moving forward must be that we aim to be the fittest, strongest, most attacking talent, highest scoring team with the strongest panel. Another thing he spoke about was the old Paudi phrase “ a grain of rice can tip the skills” My thought is how to we attain more grains of rice. How can we tip the scale in our favor, considering all the baggage we carry on us weighing us down on one side. It seems like we need to produce more grains of rice that tips the scales in our favor for once. I’ve always felt once that burden is gone and we win one it should make things easier. We need to deeply reflect on the last 40 years and draw a line in the sand and make a real culture shift change now. That for me is the key. As a county with real all Ireland winning aspirations and credentials, we need to produce a assembly line of young talent over the next 20 years that could easily fit into the starting 15 of any of the top top 3 teams in the country. Moving forward most importantly we need to be aiming to produce the best quality attacking forward talent in the country, as well as the strongest, fittest, biggest and most successful scoring forwards. We need to instill in them a sense of belief in being the best and insist on perfection and constant improvement in developing the highest quality talent. I believe that by doing this we will as a result produce great defensive players and Midfield talent also. I believe this is where the greatest source of improvements which can tip the scales in our favor will come from. We need to produce quality senior football teams with A B C D sides at all levels and at all age groups that can compete against each other and challenge the starting 15 players. Minor, senior, u21 BCD sides that would match all of the Division one teams. That’s what I mean by the highest quality standards. Players of highest quality that can easily slot in and replace injuries and move up in these levels. Let’s develop structures which make training games harder than national league games. Let’s create teams that the whole country will fear and dread. Aim to be the best, and demand excellence at all levels. Sounds like a pipe dream and even creating something like this is going to be one almighty expensive and logistical task. But this is what we should be aiming for. Excellence and the pursuit of perfection. Let’s give every young Mayo player every
opportunity to excel and the required resources that will create a legacy and that will rewrite Mayo GAA history. I believe the time is now. Let’s do it!!!!

Article for the 1969 match https://amp.rte.ie/amp/209087/

Also last point, ye lads have to get to bed it’s 2.10am in the morning back home. For people who say it was defense lapses which cost us those games, well you could counter argue that we missed plenty of scorable goal and point chances in those close games which could negate those defensive lapses and possibly drive us further on and nail down a win in those games. Just saying.

As Kerry highlighted on Sunday past, it's all about scoring and being able to. Being fit to run a marathon is fine and well, but futile if there's no end result. The new manager's work is cut out for him/her.but perfectly sortable given time. More time practicing skills please!

@pitsburgh
In Mayo GAA we celebrate the player who can solo run with the ball. Our underage teams are full of fit young lads who can solo run with ease.
We don't develop players who look up first, we pick those that charge forward first and pass later.
The knock on effect is inside forwards in Mayo don't get early quick ball.
They get shoveled the ball after the halfback/midfielders have eaten up the space and then ran out of options for themselves.
I help out at U8 and U10 levels and even in go games the majority of coaching ideas are based around carrying the ball as far as your allowed and handpassing it on.
Kids are actively discouraged from kicking long ball at that age.
Kids are plonked into midfield for an entire go games blitz never learning how to be patient and wait for the ball

Kick passing the ball into space for forwards to win is just not part of the culture of Mayo football. Hence we don't produce top quality forwards, our best forwards are small in stature because all the tall lads are stuck in midfield soloing the ball and showing off how much soloing they can do.
David Clifford would be a midfielder in Mayo, a lad that tall wouldn't be left play FF, especially in a junior club (his club were junior in Kerry before he turned senior)

It's a 75 year problem and needs an overall change in coaching direction across the county.

That's it folks 1969 thanks for the replies i had a fair idea it would be answered.

Thinking about it more think Tyrone actually might edge Kerry out wouldn't write them off. They are cute hoors as Pats Spillaine says !

@op2misteek

That's quite insulting comparison there! I don't change it that often in fairness. Just think people shouldn't be dismissing Tyrondme just yet !

Some thoughtful points there Tirawley Baron.

I was at that game,I believe that the decision was made before the game that S ODowd would take the right sided frees,J Corcoron was an outstanding player who would play on any Mayo team ever,who was blaguraded by the Mayo county board when they were having a trip to America,they left himout,it took several years to get him back,Brendan Lynch was a sergeant in Bellacorick for a time,he played for Belmullet famously playing a game when his wife was giving birth,a little blast from the past there,to save Craggy time I don't believe that Stephen had anything to with it

Good stuff corick. I don't know is it the Lynch piece or the Rochford piece that is more insightful. At least I know there was a free that went down in folklore. I said it yesterday there's definitely a book there.

@tirawleybaron

Have to agree with you . Young club mate of my own was cut from the county u20 panel about 4/5 years ago , a very decent footballer, the day he was cut with a few others they were each given areas where they needed to improve and reasons why they were not making the final squad . He was a corner/wing back and was told that he "kicks the ball too much" and needed to "drive-on with the ball more". Drive-on was the managements most used tactic.

@No doubt..the book is already written,
@WJ is just waiting for the final chapter to arrive.hah!

Good post Tirawley Baron.

Very interesting point Tirawley Barron. Something's gotta change or nothing will ever change!

The story is that there is possibility one last shot at winning an All Ireland for AOS and COC. We might not land the big one with them but we certainly won't land it without them. This needs to be well managed and I think someone from inside the county needs to be involved in ensuring they are both involved in the year ahead. For me that's Horan but he needs to have a strong supporting cast, forward and defensive coach.

Anyone happen to have the full list of Mayo Senior football managers ? Maybe it could be added to Reults archive, I only know back as far as Liam O'Neill taking over in 1983.

On a completely different note a d I hope that Willie Joe will allow it,the death of the Jota brothers puts sport into perspective,and I would imagine that it disproves Bill Shanklys statement,that football is more important than death I don't think so,may they rest in peace

@Sam Og when we won the league in 81 Mick Ruane and Sheamus Daly were in charge.
I remember a Man called Benson being in charge some time before that.

Ardnaree going on for a high profile joint manager it seems.
Managers moving all over the shop.

Mighty belting at Crossmolina and Bellmullet games last week, needs to be stronger sanctions to cut that sort of nonsense out. Reports of similar in other games but videos disproved those ones.

You could see Rochford, Gardiner and Mulligan go together for some of the other Connacht roles that are vacant.

Mo-Direach agree, you wouldn't mind the defeats as much if we were enjoyable to watch, sport is meant to be entertaining. We were insipid, while other counties embraced the new rules, we seemed to go the Ostrich route.

Corrick. I deal in the real world. . I was the first man on here to see through the x management fiasco. Definitely not deluded so no you Definitely would not be anywhere near my team. I don't dither around the job. I call it as I see it. Time proved me right.

So sad about the Passing of Diogo Jota and his brother. Condolences to his family from me and all the Liverpool fans all over the world RIP

Ah lads, stop the bitching at each other and don't turn this into a Hogan Stand type forum. Allow people to post their views without getting nasty if they disagree with you. Everyone has an opinion and it would be pretty boring if we all had the same opinion.
I also send condolences to the Jota family but even more so to the family of the little girl killed in the accident in Donegal. RIP little one.

@JoeG

Good post well said !

Joe G. When are man calls me out. I respond normally with facts and figures not absolute nonsense. But you ars right. New manager and move on .Thank god. Yes awful news today about the poor lad. 🙏

2 Ulster Referees for the All Ireland semi finals, advantage Donegal particularly and to a lesser extent Tyrone.

There's very few connacht intercounty refs - Neilan from Ros, and our own Jerome Henry, is that it?
I remember there being Marty Duffy from Sligo and Seamus Prior from Leitrim before that.
Kinneavy from Galway I think?
And we had Devenney from Mayo previously, but by and large a small contribution.

Literally seconds after posting that, I see that Liam Devenney has been appointed to ref the Tailteann Cup final, a great game for him to get!

Going back back to that Mayo v Kerry match,I will always remember the majestic display of big P J Loftus father of PJ in the later years,he totally dominated Mick OConnel that day,he worked for Bord na Mona he could be working on a Saturday evening at ten o clock,playing for Mayo on Sunday,a great player,talking to Frank Caan from Beclare,he said that he was impossible to mark

I’ve seen a lot of people online say that Sean Deane would be a good man for the mayo. Personally I’ve nothing against him, but am I right in saying his biggest achievement to date has been taking a mayo minor team to an All Ireland final? Is that the extent of it? Maybe I’m naïve our not aware of his CV, did he ever coach a men’s team to a major win at club level? Seems like a man who is very likeable but if his CV is as thin as I think (and I stand to be fully corrected on it) then truthfully speaking he’s not a contender. Enda Gilvarry has more on his CV than Sean. And no one ever seems to mention him.

Mayo County Board obviously have their man when they postponed the county board meeting last night id say all will be revealed Monday night

Glorydays

I hope not. My god they hardly went against the operations manual that was so vital in selecting the last manager?

Minor managers don't automaticly make good senior managers
Look at Peter Keane in Kerry.

@Glorydays

Yup was only thinking that myself to wonder is that why the county board meeting is postponed !

That Ardnaree news has raised an eyebrow or two, given that one of the individuals in question is still very much in a job and has a big game this weekend with quite a lot resting on it.

It appears that the county board aren't the only ones making unilateral decisions these days.

Cragg.,facts figures?

Appointment system is OTT.
Outdated.

Gizmobobs,

Saw two very unsavoury incidents in senior league games recently, both involving ballinrobe players.
One player is still playing minor club football and the referee chose a yellow card for a tackle that caused concussion.
The second player required stitches and wont be back for two months with concussion after being pushed into a concrete post. The referee did nothing, though standing right beside the incident.
Both incidents were video recorded.
Players deserve proper protection, especially with championship around the corner in 6 weeks.

Who was the last outside manager ? Mickey Moran possibly in the 2000s ?

Dublin
Antrim
Sligo
Kerry
Mayo

Probably a few more will be looking for a new manager next year.

No outside manager will ever manage Kerry and I don't see Dublin doing it either.

Mayo fans will turn on an outside manager alot quicker than one of your own.

With the exception of John OMahoney I cannot think of too many outside managers that worked out.

Mickey Harte has reasonable success with Louth and Offaly but Derry was a disaster.

Mayo starting team against Donegal, correct me if I'm wrong with these ages.

Colm Reape 28
Jack Coyne 25 Donnacha McHugh 24 Enda Hession25
Paddy Durcan 30 David McBrien 25 Rory Brickenden 25
Stephen Coen 29 Matthew Ruane 28
Conal Dawson 21 Darren McHale 31 Bob Tuohy 22;
Jack Carney 24 Aidan O'Shea 35, Ryan O'Donoghue 27

Average age 26.6

Subs brought on Jordan Flynn 27 Davitt Neary 22 Seán Morahan 21 Paul Towey 25 Fergal Boland 30

Average age of the 20 used was the same 26.2

Not a notion any managerial position will be sorted by Monday! It is a crucial appointment, and must be done right. There may be communication on how they will proceed, but that would be the height of it (I would imagine)

Glorydays, no nothing like that. Medical reasoning behind that. Please God all will be good on that front for the individual concerned.

Mayo CB must drop that powerpoint scrap , fair enough about everything else, Sam Maguire isnt won by an impressive Powerpoint presentation, whoever came up with that idea is not a football man.Can you imagine Kerry CB getting Mick O'Dwyer or Paidi O'Se to do a powerpoint presention, it should be scrapped staright away as Nigel Reape said.It could just turn good candidates away.Hope club delegates bring it to there notice.

@Achill75: I've never seen the Operating Manual, but I'd be shocked if there was a specific requirement for a PowerPoint. From what Mike (who has seen it) has said on the pod or Oisín Bradley shared in the Mayo News today, neither made it sound like that was a necessary step in and of itself.

"All candidates will meet with the subcommittee, where they will put their pitch forward, likely including budget, backroom teams, and their tactical blueprint to improve the inter-county team."
https://www.mayonews.ie/news/gaa/1840346/step-by-step-how-mayo-gaa-will-pick-their-next-football-manager.html

Most folks in a professional setting would put that type of information in a slide show to make it easy to put in front of a panel of people, but it's by no means a requirement. If someone is more comfortable chatting about the details I'd imagine they could do that, another might have it printed up on handouts which would be fine, scribbling it on a whiteboard grand too if they'd have the figures off the top of their heads (fairly challenging) or having it written in the sky in pyrotechnics an option if they were going for some outside of the box attempt where they'd all be welcome to put their own tilt on it.

The delivery isn't the important part there, it's the message being delivered that should matter.

That delivery of ideas and a message is a fairly necessary part of the job. With the communication with ~40 odd lads ranging over near 20 years more challenging than with the handful on the panel. If any potential manager felt it was beneath them and they shouldn't have to put in that kind of effort, I'm not sure if that's a particularly positive sign on their interest in the role, willingness to do what it takes and would ask serious questions in their belief in their own message being a powerful one. And I'd hate to imagine we'd be considering handing anyone the keys without having a clear picture of their plans, their needs and ensuring all involved are on the same page going forward.

Knowing our crew, they'll probably go from a 2 man approach like McStay/Rochford, to a 3 man approach with Moran/O'Malley/Maughan. I wouldn't be at all surprised that they'd try to keep as many people as possible happy, instead going for 1 boss, which is all that you should have.

I have to agree with Tsu here. The interview process should not be death by PowerPoint and it's only 1 tool available to candidates for the interview process but any of the candidates should have strong communication skills, be able to command the room, be able to articulate their vision clearly but also have that authoritative quality that elicits the team to really give their all.

I read alot of comments here about Mayo teams needing the right focus on skillset , that the players available today are young and can develop further with the right management etc. If the past 30 years have told us anything, Mayo can develop another team that will get close to/reach an All Ireland final.

However what are we doing around creating a winning mentality in the county, ensuring we start winning the finals? Have we ever looked to address why we lose so many finals across all levels? We often hide behind Dublin being the greatest team in the last decade as a comfort blanket for not taking 1-2 of those All Irelands. I would love if somebody would do a thesis on this at the very least and try to piece together some themes that might be coming through. I know it's not a topic for today but we tend to only dredge this up after we have lost another All Ireland. I'm really excited for the lads between u18-u20 coming through but I just don't want to see them being walked into the same mistakes of the past

The idea of an all knowing, all powerful manager is an out dated one.
In professional sports, it's almost obsolete, as investors demand continued success. They demand a entire over arching structure comprising underage coaching, scouting network, S&C, phycologist, medical team etc.
The head coach and his assistants change but the club continues on.
This is very much the European professional sports model.
However, despite all of that, in the GAA we seek out a Jock Stein or Alex Ferguson type. Often citing Mick O Dwyer, Jim Gavin, Sean Boylan types as if they grow on trees. In each of the above case, they left the overall structure in a worse place than when they got there.

Modern professional sport teaches us you need to get the overall structure correct, then sustained success is obtained by development of a winning culture and support structures. Thereby allow the coach just focus on picking the team and coaching.

West Kerry You obviously weren't around in 1982 when Eugene McGee managed the great Offaly team.

@tirawleybaron, totally agree with you!!! It’s not how we play and totally against the grain on how we have always historically set up. It’s great to look at when it works, and energy sapping on our players. Run, run, run all day long, play breaks down and we are then chasing back to position trying to cover our Man. Inevitably a long ball in front of our goal hops over the bar our worse get’s caught by a full forward and we are suddenly a goal down. Defensive lapses sure but I feel our style of short passing and running takes players in possession into contact too often and our play breaks down. And it’s this, not so much defensive lapses that has cost us dearly in finals. Imagine having the same ball possession qualities, coupled with a long ball game into a top class forward line. That’s what we need to develop. And that’s what I mean a complete culture shift at club and county level.

Unfortunately these days, like the PowerPoint presentations, there is a huge emphasis on "Competencies" at interview stage etc, probably the greatest load of shite ever invented.
There must be a fairly long list of applications for the Mayo Senior job, many guys coming available now.

Corrick. I'm getting bored.

I think alot of peoples idea of current day intercounty management and how it works is very dated ie like it was back in the 1970's.
If a current day candidate or ticket can't use PowerPoint they have no business applying for the job.
There is so much technology, communication etc involved in a modern day set up that it's the same as not being able to write.
Times have moved on alot and to be honest I can't imagine any ticket not having those skills in any case.
I am very interested to see who will be the coach as again from talking g to a couple of people who have managed recently the coach role is pivotal.....I know of one intercounty set up where it's clearly understood that the coach runs the play so to speak and the manager runs the team.....clearly everyone has input but the coach really has the final call.

Sticks,

No that's been permanently removed from my brain for obvious reasons!

West Kerry Love your reply but at least you don't have too many finals to remove from the brain like us Mayo supporters.
On the question of our next manager I just can't understand all the palaver about it. In the Premiership in England a team identifies their top choice and gets permission to speak to them and then decide if they are suitable and strike a deal. If not move on to the next choice. It's not as if they don't know enough about them as when someone goes for a standard interview. Surely 3 people on the CB could identify the top choice and take it from there. Are the CB trying to be important or something.

The county board is always trying,but what are they doing

Green&Red…I think reference to Deane was from an u20 perspective. I didn’t see or hear anyone mention him in relation to the senior gig.

Obviously you can have some fun with the manager selection process e.g. what not include psychometric tests, a group exercise, role play and an essay entitled 'A day out in Corke Park' but you do have to set some objective parameters as well. What if someone unexpected steps forward with a good plan, they deserve a hearing right?

They key is not to get wowed by the marketing/PR speak and assess the substance of the team proposal. For that you do need objective criteria and its up to the Country Board to come up with that.

I am sure the CB had a plan B in place during the torturous review last December.
I am sure they have a favoured candidate as have most county boards in a similar situation.

Predictions-
Sean Deane for Mayo Under 20's
Rochford/Gardiner for Sligo

Could be a good shout @West is Best.

Who you backing for senior gig?

I think they should look outside the county myself, but this is the Mayo CB and I think their preferred option would be to go with Austin O'Malley as manager and Andy Moran as coach. No idea though if those lads get on with each other. The CB are very conservative, hence they have gone back to the same people over and over again even though it never worked. Dempsey had a fantastic management team put together the last time, but they went with the line of least resistence.

Getting structures in place to streamline the conveyor belt of players that's needed to put a competitive senior panel together is one challenge and the other one is getting together the most effective make up of ancillary management team.
Northern counties definitely have the edge, but the gap is shortening between top tier and second tier counties. The game has improved so much under new rules

There's nothing wrong with the county board except they got their last appointment horribly wrong. Should have offloaded last year. At least they showed ball this year. Another wasted year. Alot of manager s have left their position s for various reasons. Some moving into bigger positions I'd say. Ger brennan. Mcconville possibly. Some people on here believe our management was hard done by. Let's see what county comes knocking for any of them. I believe nobody will.

We need a outside manager I would have McEntee as manager. It was foolish to think a manager and former manager would bring results and this was borne out. Get in a manager that is not afraid to get rid of a few players that their sell by date is long gone Start new and if it takes a few years to make us great again so be it

@the west is best,

Backward step for Sligo if you ask me. Would be better off going for the strand hill mgmt after their club success last year.

Get a manager not a management team, too many cooks.
Meath improved when 2 high profile outsiders on the management team left.

@JR

Yeah for sure agree was never going to work with so many.

Meath have come really far.

I think I will shout for them v Donegal I've finnally forgived them for 96 !

Donegal might have the experience of last year to get them over the line if it's tight in the last few minutes. Gallen had a bit of a stinker in the Galway game from what I recall. Meath are a lot better than most give them credit.

James Horan would actually be a good fit for Sligo they have a good young team with lots of good underage lads coming through he could build on the good work by McEntee. As for Mayo God only knows who we will end up with as manager but whoever it is i hope he doesnt need a side kick to hold his hand like last time

Donegal had a lot of wides in the second half of the Ulster final but got over the line.
Meath will need to be brave and go man to man like Mayo did.
Donegal can be exposed in the back.
What a turn around it would be for Meath.

Good piece by Ed McGreal…

https://www.westernpeople.ie/opinion/15m-spend-is-last-thing-mayo-gaa-needs_arid-62216.html

We all agree that we need a hub, up to date modern facilities that unite, and inspire etc. Could the lands kindly donated at Bohola be sold and Mayo Gaa use the money to purchase land elsewhere? Perhaps west to northwest of Castlebar?

What about using locations already in existence and upgrading them. Mini-hubs as opposed to having one location. Two pitches; one Astro; changing facilities and a gym. It was discussed on the Ah Ref pod recently and it’s actually a very good idea of dine right where Mayo GAA enter an agreement say with Ballinrobe school, invest in facilities and it can be used and do something similar in the north of the county.

I know we’ve been crying out for a COE for a long time but it might be useful for Mayo GAA to think outside the box here.

@JR

Yeah I just think they rely to much on Michael Murphy but they probably will make the final .

Will be an amazing turn around from Meath if they manage to make the final . Already a great turn around to be fair to them .

Just goes to show what a good manager can do . You'd really miss those days out in croker .

@Glorydays

Fully agree .

Late notice, but our u16s are playing Armagh in machale park today at 1pm in the Buncrana Cup

Mcantee and Mconville bookies favs now with DH rules apply which leads one to believe they are very strongly fancied by the bookie to get the job as a joint managers . Whether they’re right or not time will tell but that’s how they see it . My guess is they’re right and that’s the ticket that will win in the end .

Meath haven’t a snow ball chance in hell getting past Donegal. Galway were so poor and yet only lost by a kick of the ball. Donegal plus 8 points for me handy. Fallen and a few others will come into form

Ht Mayo u16s lead Armagh 1-8 0-4, we will have decent wind playing into factory end for 2nd half

Ft mayo 3-19 Armagh 0-10. Excellent performance

@Paddyjoejohntom: Thanks a million for the updates and delighted to hear of the fantastic result for the young lads.

In the LGFA relegation play-off, Mayo 1-6 0-6 Leitrim at half-time.

TsuDhoNim, No bother, im hearing there is a second u16 team playing kerry in Ennis today, didn't hear result

Not convinced with McConville. Maybe he’d have a good team around him. A bit of northern grit and mentality would do Mayo absolutely no harm. I think it’s inevitable Andy will get the gig, but perhaps more likely in a couple of years. I’d be inclined to think he’d naturally want to do another season at least with Monaghan. I’d be very happy to see him take take the u20’s but can’t see it happening. Sean Deane would be right up there too.

What stage is that u16 comp at?

Mayonase, business end. I think the final will be decided on today's results, but i could be wrong.
No mention on mayogaa website. I only heard of today's fixture by word of mouth

@Mayonaze/@Paddyjoejohntom: Glancing at the Tyrone & Donegal (they're in Group 1 where a win today secures them a semi-final spot, but they share the table for Group 2 too) websites it's the 2nd round of the 3 Group Stage games.

That win comes after a draw with Tyrone in Rd1. Leaving us to play Down (lost to Armagh in Rd1) in Rd3 where a result would put us into that semi-final draw too.

Thanks Tsu. Fair play tya. Keep us posted. Sounds like we have a competitive bunch so at 16’s

Moyside, hasn't he a big job already agreed on err, Moyside :)

Diane O'Hora and assistance from Mayo's tallest fictional tower the replacements?

Uve lost me gizmobobs...lol 😂

@paddyjoejohntom
That other u16 team drew with Kerry today in the Ted Webb cup.

New pod up on Patreon this evening - Mike chatting with Ger Flanagan and Paddy Finnegan about club football stuff.