The jungle drums about the possible parachuting of Mick O’Dwyer into the position of Mayo manager haven’t yet fully abated – due in no small part to his cute hoor move to play for time in deciding whether or not to stay on for another year with the Goat Suckers – but a statement by the County Board this evening appears to have all but killed off his chances of a rapid coronation as Mayo bainisteoir. It’s worth quoting the statement in full:
Following a meeting of the Executive last night (Tuesday), the officers of the Mayo County Board will meet with all of those nominated for the position of Mayo senior team manager. They have been directed to compile a short list of candidates for the position. Following this, a manager appointment committee will be appointed by the Executive, and ratified by the county committee to interview those candidates.
Seeing as James Horan, Denis Kearney, Anthony McGarry and John Maughan have, along with Micko, already been nominated for the job, the campaign that’s being orchestrated to install Micko on an unopposed basis would now appear to be dead in the water, unless the other lads make way for Micko’s coronation. My understanding is that this is extremely unlikely to happen, which means that the Waterville supremo would then have to take his chances at an interview along with everyone else on the shortlist.
I can’t see the venerable old fox being prepared to jump through such hoops for the gig with us and so, regardless of what his backers may still be saying, the chances of his landing the role now seem remote in the extreme. It’s little wonder, then, that the odds on Micko to get the job have lengthened significantly in recent days while those on James Horan and, in particular, John Maughan have tightened considerably.
Can anybody else be added to the list. Washoping for Paidi
It seems that John Maughan does not want the gig unless anyone has another take on all his claims to rule himself out?!
But let’s hope that whoever gets it has the heart and brains for the job, we badly need a serious overhaul and a good shake up of the squad. Here’s to the future and some silverware!
Of course Maughan wants the job but he wants the board to come to him. I know that Micko isnt the answer, neither is Maughan, his high point was 1996 and every final after that was a step further away. People could not wait until he went in 2005, what has happened since to bolster his canditure other than our memories getting nostalgic and fuzzy.
For Mayo to regain respect and credibility we need a Horan, Kearney or a combo of both.
Totally agree ontheroad, unfortunatley the media specuation about Micko only makes us look sillier, like we’re a crowd of yahoos who havent a clue, which to be honest is the national stereotype of us when it comes to football.
your right also about JM, its a totall different scenario putting yourself up for a job versus being asked to take it. Again I think James Horan is the man for the job and if he didnt get it and Denis Kearney did I would be too upset.
The funny thing is, Down getting to the final under James McCartan might actually have some influence on this, if they win it it might even help the case of James H or Denis K even more.
I have to laugh when people say “but sure they have no intercounty management experience”. Did any of the 4 all ireland semi finalists have before getting their counties to this stage. However wins the ALl Ireland this year will have been guided there by someone whos only experience was some success at club management. IN fact if it had been Kildare who were there it would have been with someone who never managed a team before an inter county team.
We need a new start in management with a serious shake up of the panel to follow.
For that reason I think we should go with James Horan or a James Horan / Denis Kearney combo.
Two words to shake the county to its core –
Tommy Lyons
You heard it here first
Why would anyone look to John Maughan as our future. Surely what we need is a clean sweep at the current panel of players, look to our U’21’s and the minors coming through. We need a new vibrant UNHINIBITED (MR SF!!!) manager,give one of our own a chance, and to feck with this going back in time. It’s being like watching the reruns of Fawlty Towers for the last 3 years whats up next only fools and horses!
Denis Kearney is a real salt of the earth person, no frills, honest, hardworking, low profile, tough as nails, and a winner to boot!! Now there’s some of the qualities the Mayo Senior team would do well to emulate. There would be no circus or fuss if he got the job and I have no doubt he would immediately get the respect of the players. There can only be one person called the manager, so it is difficult to envisage any combination of the current applicants getting the nod. A good backroom team is essential but the buck has to stop with one person – the manager!
If Tommy Lyons takes over Mayo then I stop following them. That appointment would show us for the idiots a lot of the country think we are.
Tommy Lyons ? I’m with ontheroad on this one. I’m not even for Micko but if in some absurd way nobody else wanted the job and it was down to a choice between Micko, Tommy Lyons and St Patrick (ya know that chap at all our matches) I would go Micko, St Patrick and Tommy Lyons an that order !!!
From what I’m hearing, there’s no danger that we’re facing an arseboxing future. I’d say he’d be far more comfortable continuing his punditry too.
Rumours starting now that some associated with the Mayo corridors of power are sounding out Geezer McGeeney. His term in Kildare is up.
I was going to say its turning into a circus but we’re long past that point now – Horan or Kearney are the only logical choices. will someone start a twitterbook page or arsebook or whatever its called and get it sorted.
McGeeney – we would never be that lucky?
Mc geeney,s name is the rumour doing the rounds allrite, kevin o neills name mentioned allong with him.
I can’t believe this is taking so long to sort out when we could have one of our own already appointed and out scouting the championship games !
Its a simple choice for me between Horan and Kearney with Kearney having my vote for having a little more experience and having produced winning teams.
Micko – Could our CB really be that Myopic ?
JM – One question here – would he really get re-appointed in Kerry/Tyrone/Dublin ? Thought not.
McGarry – Cant say I know anything about him.
If it goes on any longer they will just overcomplicate things and could lose some of the genuine nominees in the meantime.
Would like to see Denis Kearney or James Horan get the job. Micko Dwyer would be an absolute disaster for Mayo football. The days of running 20 laps around the pitch is over. It would have been great to have Micko twenty years ago when he had something to offer. I dont get the big push for Micko by the Mayo supporters in Dublin. We need a good man who knows the club scene in Mayo and is not afraid of laying it on the line to the Mayo County Board. Denis Kearney might instill a bit of steel and confidence into the players. We need to be looking at a manager who is there for the medium to long term. Whoever gets the job should be given adequate time to put their own stamp on the team. Maigh Eo Abu.
I am a bit surprised that Ray Dempsey, Noel Connelly or Peter Forde do not seem to be interested. Same with John Maughan (although I do believe he would grab it – on his own terms.)
Do these people have genuine reasons for not making themselves available or do they think there is little or no future in the present squad? Just wondering.
IT would seem to me that most Mayo supporters know Peter Ford,Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes and maybe more good poeple will not get involved because of the way things are run at County Board level.This is where a proper top to bottom review would sort out these issues for us.
Yes the County Board is the main reason most high profile candidates will rule themselves out.
They did not run their own political candidate but Moran and Morrison were on the run well before the start of the Championship because some members of the Executive decided they did not want them.
There will be no review. There never was an intention to have one – that was a media statement that wasn’t thought through
If ye get Micko it will send ye back years. He was even mooted for the Galway job which most Galway folk realise would be a disaster as they want all-irelands. Getting to provincial finals and making a bit of progress is no good. That is for counties who do not aim high or have all ireland winning history.
Watched the first half of challenge Dunboyne v St Vincents. Vincents seemed to be trained by Liam Moffet ex Mayo and Crossmolina. Impressive warm up and drills. Austin O Malley was at 11 for the Vins but he mixed the usual with the usual. Vins won handy enough in the end.
keep maughan and micko away john maughan had his chance to much ego and micko isnt the answer still living off the kerry years of success football has changed in the last 30 years micko out of touch i would like to see james horan been manger that guy gave 100% as a player and is a honest guy who the team would respect and that what mayo need horan would be not only a manger but a coach that i cant say for maughan i would like if james horan did get the job to take on some of the 96 lads like pat fallon maybe denis kearney for working with the backs and brady to bring heart and hunger to the jersey.
Ha! It gets better, word from the county board meeting last night is that Tom Carr and Tommy Lyons (that’s Dublin Tommy Lyons, not the Tommy Lyons who has actuallly won something) have now been put into the ring, and this weeks after nominations were suppposes to have closed. Unrreal
I would take Dublin Tom. He was born in Mayo after all and has a proven pedigree no matter what lazy comments Eastcorkexile makes.
he did won a Leinster championship with Offaly (from Division 4), Division 1 of National League with Offaly, under 21 All Ireland with Dublin, All Ireland Club Championship with Kilmacud and a Leinster with Dublin before it went all pear-shaped.
Bar Micko he has the best CV of any of the candidates and gets my vote.
Glad to be able to agree with you this time Cynthia
Allright, apologies I’ll rephrase that, won something Mayo related. I’m just a bit tired of everyone thinking the answer is outside the county when we have a fine track record with local lads both in our own recent successes and with our lads going off to manage other counties. Why do we constantly think that they must be better because “they’re not in Mayo”. Is it some kind of inferority complex?
Tommy Lyons might have Castlebar General Hospital on his birth cert but he know as much about Mayo club football as, well, as I do being someone out of the county for the last 10 odd years (and they were odd). So lets give someone who has worn the county jersey, has been there and done it at local club level and deserves a chance, i.e James Horan. I know, I’m starting to sound like his election agent.
I see Pat Fallon as one of the confirmed 5 nominations in for the Galway managers job – but looks like the only outsider against Tomas O’Faherty, Gerry Fahy, Pete Warren and Matt Duggan (?). Fallon unlikely to win out in that one I reckon as after the Joe Kernan expirement Galway likely to favour one of their own.
Christ, not Tommy ArseBoxer Lyons! Have ye ever listened to that guy when he is on the Sunday Game?
I don’t want to be tearing out the bitín of hair that I still have left.
Even my Faith would be tested if he got the job!
Good article on the western people about Tony McGarry, sound like he knows what needs doing and is prepared to address it, and lets face what’s lacking is bottle, determination and will to win attitude which all steams from a lack of physicality. He has trained teams in Dublin such as Parnell’s, Naomh Mearnog and SligoIT with good degree of success and has trained under JP Keane, Brian Talty, John O’Mahony, Tommy O’Malley, Anthony Eagan, Jack O’Shea, John Maughan and Barney Rock so he has a wealth of experience gained through the above.