I’ve been blissfully disconnected from the outside world for the last week and a half or so, most of which was spent way down in the arse-end of Cork where even the mobile phone coverage was at best patchy. So no holiday postcards this year, not that there was much going on in the wider Gaelic football world involving us while we were away to make me want to locate somewhere with a WiFi connection for my laptop. The Peter Canavan thing happened and just as quickly unhappened. The GAA launched its own iPhone app, which, needless to say, I haven’t got around to downloading yet. Knockmore were installed as favourites for the Mayo SFC. That appears to be the most of it.
I’m not 100% back in the saddle just yet – I’ll be in Mayo, in fact, for a few days from tomorrow – but we do have a big match this weekend to look forward to, with the minors facing Tyrone in the All-Ireland semi-final at Croke Park on Sunday (throw-in 1.30 pm). I’m planning on being there for that, with my small lad who has promised me he’ll shout for us if I reciprocate by bellowing for the Dubs in the senior game. Seems like a fair enough exchange to me.
It obviously makes sense to bring the site back to life ahead of Sunday’s minor contest and, with that in mind, I’ve stuck up a new poll soliciting views on who you think will prevail in that one. More later in the week in terms of team details and the like.
Will they be showing the minor match any where on Tv . Up the North last weekend and all reports around there is that this is a really good Tyrone team.Hopefully underdog role might suit us.
It’ll be shown live on RTE ahead of the senior semi-final. Like the Angelus, RTE still retains Micheal O Se’s Irish commentary for the minor semis and finals and it’ll be business as usual on this front on Sunday.
Looking at that picture ye werent out looking for Fungi were ye WJ? I maintain hes mechanical anyway.
Interesting articles in the Mayo News about the manager front, Mike Finnerty has the betting on the prospective names, interesting to see that the only man to actually put himself forward, the real WJ, isnt even mentioned. Anyway, they have John Maughan down as favourite – what do we think about that?
I cant believe Micko is still listed, even the fact that hes still considered a candidate is an insult to Mayo football. I’m not dissing him but in fairness, come on…..
Hi Willie Joe.
Welcome back. Things went a bit quiet in your absence but we tried to keep the fire stoked. No doubt you will pull out the damper and get it blazing again soon.
Anyway, I’ll ramble on as usual…..
With the deadline for nominations for the new manager looming and the words of our current county board chairman in recent newspaper articles ringing in my head, it is now obvious that there will not be a long queue for the vacant post. It is rapidly coming down to who wants it and, with that established, who from such a group could take it.
The only people who come mind in such circumstances are Peter Forde, Pat Holmes, John Maughan and possibly Ray Dempsey. Noel Connelly is the name on everyone’s lips but I’m not sure he would be in a position to take it on at the moment (please feel to correct me if I am wrong on that score). So all the potential contenders are good dedicated men, but none would set the excitement of the county going with the prospect of bringing home the big prize in 2011. They all have a number of things going for them, but in the eyes of the footballing fraternity, they all have a fair bit missing too. But then, does anyone have ALL of what it takes to meet the 5 criteria that I set out last week? Maybe not.
This is a somewhat depressing thought and it set me thinking of the general mindset of Mayo where we often look at the glass as being half full. If something is wrong, we often blame others. The government is the usual one to blame but other suspects include RTE, the banks, the EU, big international corporations, etc. Often enough, we don’t seize the moment, get out there and change things for ourselves. We wait for things to get better while we bemoan how things have disimproved due to the actions of others. We even have a Taoiseach in waiting who won’t seize the day. He will wait for the axe to fall on the current shower and then get involved in an argument that he could do it better. Not exactly Action Man stuff. And in intercounty football terms we are a bit the same. We are all waiting for “someone” to sort it out.
And yet if you look at Mayo people who went out into the big bad world to make their lives, they are as successful (and more) as those from elsewhere. I can name dozens of these people across a wide range of occupations. And we seem to be able to provide experts like no other county – all through the Summer we had David Brady, Martin Carney and Kevin McStay speaking knowledgably about football. No other county could match us. A few years ago we had Mayomen involved in managing three other counties (other than Mayo) at the same time. And we still look for that “someone” to come and save us.
Lets go back and look at that candidates list again. One man that brought us to 2 Senior All-Ireland Finals, one that brought us a League title and an All Ireland U21 title, one that brought us to 2 Minor All Irelands and one that managed two other counties, bringing one of them to two Connaught titles and a League final.
And that’s a glass that’s half full!!!!!!!!
Other counties would be salivating at that array of talent. The only mistake that these fellows have made is to NOT win the Sam Maguire Cup. And while they all have their faults – and don’t we all – collectively, they might just have what it takes to do the business. Maughan has always been able to find key players, Dempsey made teams out of two collections of individuals, Forde toughens a team up and Holmes is a winner having actually won 2 national titles. But it is the uniting force that would be the most important and it is here that we might have to think a little beyond the obvious. We need one more name on the list.
Nominations to the County Board before 20th August please!
Keep the Faith!
Another great post fourgoal, fair play.
And of course I should have been referring to a glass being half empty.
But then I am an optimist 🙂
Keep the Faith!
Pat Holmes has been tried already, not sure whether that could count against him- like most managers, he probably should have gotten another year, but is it too late to rectify mistakes of the past?
Peter Forde toughened Galway up alright- and hastened their decline. He’s the man who retired a certain PJoyce -who’ll get a nomination for an All-Star 4 years AFTER Forde thought he was finished.
Nobody would doubt John Maughan’s commitment but are the energy and passion that were so vital to him still there? Fans wouldn’t give him time after all that has gone before, in any case.
Ray Demp or Noel C would seem to be the obvious choices- but give them three years at least.
And never mind about the big name! I don’t think that many had heard of Jack O’Connor before 2004 either.
excellent post fourgoal , you are one of the reasons this blog is essential reading .
Maughan again folks ? interesting times.. he probably figures he wont have johnno sniping at him in the press this time round?
anyone hear that paidi o’shea and thomas o’flaherty are goin to be over mayo team??
Looks like Tommy Lyons is the man for the job
http://www.sportsnewsireland.com/2010/09/22/betting-suspended-on-lyons-for-mayo-football-manager/