John Maughan has finally broken his silence about the Johnno and Mac affair and, in doing so, has shown commendable restraint in what he has to say on the issue. Given the barbs directed at him by The Deputy when the Crossmolina man was in the Mayo dugout, the temptation to pour petrol on the flames must surely have been strong. Instead, John has written an intelligent and insightful piece which helps those of us who who don’t have any direct personal knowledge of Super Mac to understand the man and what motivates him a bit better. In many ways, John’s column is a companion piece to the one that appeared in the Tribune last weekend as it illustrates further what a strong and very different individual Mac is and not just on the football field either.
Given what he says about Mac in his column, it would have been very easy of John to end his piece with an exhortation to Johnno that Mac should be recalled to the panel forthwith. Instead, he merely notes that “those I spoke to after the [Cross v Charlestown] game suggested that he is good enough to play inter-county football”. By eschewing the obvious opportunity to get a bit of his own back, John shows a pair of diplomatically clean heels to the current bainisteoir and, in the process, demonstrates that perhaps he doesn’t bear any grudges for that jibe a few years back about camping outside David Brady’s house.
Hi Willie Joe,
I had thought the same as you about Maughan’s observations.
But I have re-read the piece again!
I’m not too sure anymore about his true intentions, but then I’m a cynical hoor by nature.
Do you think there just might be a subliminal message in there somewhere? Could it have been a classic example of death by a thousand cuts?
He didn’t exhort O’Mahony to do anything- that would seem like he was meddling and he’d never do that, would he?
It is a very intelligent and insightful piece all the same.
Given that Maughan and Liam McHale, both of whom have had more dealings with Mac than O’Mahony, have reached the same conclusion would make any reasonable person question the deppity’s judgement.
Throw in the reaction of O’Mahony’s former All-Ireland winning captain and a case for thinking the manager has made a donkey’s haemes out of things can be made.
That really is a matter of opinion and many supporters will get behind the manager and his right to select his panel. Fair enough; that’s democracy at work.
But there is another aspect of the whole sorry affair where Johnno really has screwed himself up.
Maybe he was too intent on shafting McDonald and failed to follow through the implications of his actions. I’d love your take on this scenario:
John O’Mahony declared that he was going to close off the panel at the end of the league run. I thought when I heard this that he was losing his marbles. Has any other county done this to date?
It certainly implies that all those who were named on the panel could expect to be kept on it. No mention of injuries or loss of form, if you’re in, you’re in.
A young fella could go home to his oul fella and tell him he wouldn’t need to cadge as much money from him this coming year. He was on the panel and would be getting grant money somewhere along the line. He could also feel that his hard work and dedication had paid off and he would be in with a shout for championship appearance or two.
You know the old maxim that when you are in a hole you should stop digging.
O’Mahony has dug down out of sight. His reaction to Mac’s outburst ensured that. Mac can still return under more or less the same terms as existed before the panel was announced. Can you spot any difference?
However, any player in the county now has the opportunity to come into the reckoning as well.
How many can you have on a panel? Surely there has to be a finite number.
If I was a young lad at the hind tit end of the pecking order I’d be worried about being let go to make way for someone who didn’t go through all the training and effort I had to go through.
All in all, Willie Joe, do you think this is the ideal way to keep any panel focussed and ready for the campaign ahead?
Hi Lar
I’m sure John M had a few subliminal messages hidden away in his article alright but, given the way The Deputy dispensed his opinions, in various media, in the former’s direction a few years back, I thought he was fairly restrained in what he had to say. It was clear, however, where his sympathies are on the issue.
I agree that it’s difficult to know now, in light of what Johnno has said, what the crack is with the panel. Is it closed off at 29 + Chris Barrett/AN Other? Or is it open-ended, with anyone who impresses at club level over the summer welcome to join the party at any time?
I recall that last year, Johnno cut the panel as well after the league, with the likes of Michael Conroy and a few other dispensed with at that stage so what he did this year was similar enough. The difference, of course, is Mac. Last year, Mac was injured when the championship panel was formed, though there was never any question of not including him. Now he’s fit and there is …
I agree that none of this is ideal but I think the story has now effectively burned itself out and whatever happens on it will happen. The Sligo game is six weeks away and with Eamonn O’Hara saying the other day that he reckons Sligo can retain their Connacht title, all the focus should switch to that. It would be great if Mac was back in the fold before then but I guess this isn’t going to happen.
All the best
WJ