Solan out, way now clear for Horan’s return

Willie Joe

Mayo GAA confirmed within the last hour that Mike Solan has pulled out of the race to be the next Mayo manager. The statement issued by Mayo GAA confirming the news is here.

With James Horan the sole remaining candidate in the field the way now appears clear for the Ballintubber clubman to retake the reins as bainisteoir of the county’s senior team. The statement confirms as much as it says that “the officers of Mayo GAA will now meet with James Horan to discuss his management team and plans for 2019.”

So, by the looks of  it, this process will be concluded soon enough, which is great as it means that thoughts can then turn fully towards 2019. And not before time too.

Today’s statement also pays tribute to Mike Solan for allowing his name to go forward for the post and adds that we “look forward to seeing him involved with Mayo GAA in the future.” And so say all of us.

94 thoughts on “Solan out, way now clear for Horan’s return”

  2. Well thats a bolt from the blue. There is no doubt that Mike Solan will manage Mayo seniors in due course but this was not the right time, there is still a big kick left in the current squad and 2019 is around the corner. I’m sure Mike is dissappointed but theres a bigger fish to be fried, let himself and Horan work in unison and get those younger players up to speed.
    I like that new jersey, wonder if it will come in black as well as the traditional colours?

  4. Didnt see that coming..All in all a wise move by Mike Solan..As has already been said his time will come..

  5. Whooh that has taken me by suprise. Thanks Mike Solan – you did the right thing. The fog is lifting. The venues for all fbd, league games wont be able to hold all the throngs of Mayo supporters!! County Board are so lucky to have Horan wanting the job after the debacle of the way Rochford was forced out. Best of luck James – we right behind you and them warriors in whatever lies ahead. So much to look forward to (let the planning begin for big fundraising in New York). Also great interview with Tom Parsons on his ongoing recovery. I could do a jig now I am so excited!!

  7. I think widespread preference for Horan not to mention the talk of county board cloak and dagger work made it very difficult for Solan to take the job if it had been offered to him. I think he recognized that and hence for the good of mayo football ruled himself out. It was a very decent thing for him to do and he should be commended for it. I have no doubt his time will come. The man for now is Horan, I’ll be renewing my season ticket tonight.

  8. Hopefully the side deal has been arranged — Mike takes the apprentice chair while JH gets his window of opportunity to win Sam. Then hands over the keys to Mike. I continue to be optimistic until I’m not. BTW, gotta be thrilled with what Tom had say (speaking of optimism!)

  9. I think credit to Solan for sensing the mood in the county. An astute call and a brave one. His credit is raised because of it and I would like to see him continue on in an important capacity within Mayo GAA either with u20s and/or in some role on senior team set up OR with a senior club side.

    Clear path now it appears for Horan to have another crack at the whip and aim to complete some unfinished business. Hopefully things can settle now for a few months and let him and management team get working.

    Big job to do.

  10. I have to laugh at this, firstly the big jersey announcement, this was the camoflague.
    In fairness the County Board have probably told Solan that Horan was the preferred candidate.

    No point in wasting anymore time, get Horan signed up asap.
    I hope he has learned well since 2014.
    The Dubs will be there to take down in 2019.

  11. Great news, just great!

    Not sure what the story is of course; Solan a man for the future (he might even see more of the young talent than JH), but this is what we need. Had been very worried about it, I must say, and Mike Connelly’s comments in the wake of the Kildare defeat indicated that he had the knives out for the players.

    JH will manage that part of it now I have no doubt.

    Great!

  12. There was something I noticed in Horans complexion when seen shaking hands with Aidan O Shea following the Breaffy v Westport game.
    That something looked like we are back together again after 4 years of separation.

  15. Thanks to Mike Solan for stepping aside, think it’s the right decision for Mayo football right now. Hopefully he will stay involved at U20 level or better still as part of Horan’s back up team.

    The CB got a get of jail card when Horan came forward. Let’s hope they make they make the most of it by letting him have what he needs.

    Feel optimistic again for the first time since Rochford resigned.

  16. I hope Mike stays on with the U20s for next year. We should have a good side there between the younger members of this year’s panel and the Rice College players coming through as well.

  17. Horan is returning no surprise there since he put he name forward. All that needs to be done is putting together his management and it will be very important that a like for like replacement is brought in for Donie Buckley. After that the decision will be made as to who to keep or get rid of from the 2018 panel and few new faces will be introduced. I reckon Horan will stay on for at least 4 years and where Mayo are come 2023 remains to be seen as a lot of rebuilding will need to be done in the years ahead.

  18. We are blessed to have an up-and-coming manager who holds such grace, character and team building abilities. Mike will be manager of the Mayo Senior team in the not too distant future…that I have no doubt.

  19. Well done to Michal Solan,nothing against him at all but believe we can win Sam next year without much change to the panel

  20. Delighted that James will be in charge for the next few years, he has his finger on the pulse of Mayo football and most importantly James is one of our own.
    Who wants McGuinness or Jack O Connor or some others when we have the best
    man for the job in situ.
    So it is over to you Mike Connelly and Co.
    Fair play to M.Sloan his day will come at this level and he is the last man to bring honours to Mayo
    Stephen Rochford should not be forgotten, he also brought us to the pinnacle and but for some bad luck and one or two bad decisions we were there.
    So Stephen thanks for all the good days.

  21. Yeah happy with that, hopefully Solan will be involved in some capacity, He may be disappointed,well he needn’t be, he made a big statement about his character and judgement, when he withdrew his name, which should be admired,as man with the best interests of Mayo football at heart. His time will come no doubt.in the not to distant future, when we are all older and wiser, and we will be there right behind him, Same as we will be with James Horan, when ratified as our manager, Good luck to both of you mighty Mayo men.and Up Mayo.

  22. Delighted that Horan seems to have got the green light from the Co Board. Fair play to Mike Solan for putting his name forward and like most (or all?) posters here I expect that he will have the top job some day not too distant. I also hope that Stephen Rochford stays involved in Mayo football. At his age I can also see him coming back for a second bite at the cherry. Does it sound too neat to see him stepping into the Westport job? I certainly do not want to see him joining one of our noisy neighbours. We’ve done enough favours for them in recent years.

  25. Mayomad246

    There is loads, Westport, Claremorris, Kiltimagh and Belmullet have a few
    Fionn McDonagh from Westport
    Ruane Breaffy
    Gary golden or Cathal slttery from garrymore

    There is a new crop of young players coming through and Horan will develop them
    Two starting midfielders above

  26. Hope Horan plays good attacking football on his return and not copy Galway and others with a keep the score down and we might get a few scores on the break and win a poor games by a point or two. Only defence in Gaelic football is attack you cant win a game in your own half of the field What Horan needs is a good forward Coach and there is none better than Ciaran McDonald

  27. Im shocked but absolutely delighted. Fair play to Mike Solan, he’s shown great charachter and judgement, without doubt a future Mayo manager. Finally a bit of excellent news after a crap year for Mayo football. I’ve no doubt our neighbours in Connacht are dissapointed with this news. Cannot wait for the season to start now and see where it leads!

  28. All credit to Solan for letting his name go forward and showing that he has ambition. Let’s hope we can hold on to him as u20 manager.
    It’s all positive in that the senior seniors will be revitalised having Horan back at the helm and newcomers will get every encouragement from James to improve their game.
    People often forget what an outstanding player James was. Looking forward to being competitive every time a mayo team take the field in 2019

  29. Fantastic news. Exciting news. Let’s hope the Board get behins James. Solan is the man for the future and I think he is fair to himself in postponing hia opporrunity. It will come and James will do some sweious groundwork to develop a new panel for him to work with. Up mayo!

  30. Great news indeed, welcome back James Horan. Not unexpected move in spite of the nay Sayers on the blog over the last few weeks. All the conspiracy theories and BS we have been subjected to here. Hope Mike continues with the U20 team as he is the best man for the job. I love the New Jersey and I intend to purchase one in the near future.

  31. I’m delighted James looks like the man. Fair play to Mike Solan for his commitment to Mayo football and his honourable step out of the race. I’m grateful to think we have men like him waiting in the sidelines to step up when time is right. He’ll be a super manager in the future. Stephen Rochford deserves huge respect and gratitude for his commitment. He was closer than I imagined we could ever come. Truly if one or two decisions had gone our way he would be an All-Ireland winning manager. I hope he too will continue to work with and for Mayo football. He has amazing leadership and insight. Finally I think Donie Buckley will be the hard man to replace. Whoever gets this job will determine the success of James Horan mark II. I’m excited for us and very hopeful. Hope we have new energy and enthusiasm for 2019… Maigheo go deo…

  32. I must admit I feel a sense of relief that Horan will be getting the job, somehow feeling very optimistic, like most other I am probably expecting big things next year. We all should be cautious and as I get a feeling that everyone expects Horan to wave a magic wand, like he has done before.
    All guys should get credit for putting their name forward for this job, it nearly always ends bad for all Gaa managers.
    I am wondering if the players had any say in the appointment ?, ie would be happy with Horan but maybe not with Solan as the boss.
    Good luck to all the rest of the management team ( whoever they maybe ).

  33. @mayomad246 we need forwards diskin & reape are strong fast and direct enough for 2019 .. horan needs to get rid of 5 or 6 lads who have added nothing to the panel the few years they have been there

  35. Seen Cathal Slatterys name mentioned a few times now as an option for next year, how come he was only a sub on u20 team this year?

  36. Great news on jameses return fair play to solan but we need him to keep with the younger lads yet solan making fantastic job bringing on our young players he no doubht the man for future ,james wont have to rid of 26%of panel as said in one bloggers comment i fully believe that the same bunch of players and to include a few more of the talented lads we have there are more than well capable of delivering all the lads wanted was a break and they will be more up for it next yr i wud put a right bet mayo will be there 2019

  37. Now while there seems no end to the positivity as regards the “Coranation’ of James Horan as Mayo”s next Manager on this Blog… And I fully understand the delight expressed, considering the Calibre and Proven experience of the man in question… Two things strike me….. No 1, James ‘Horan has not as yet publicly named anyone to be on his backroom team!… No 2, Mike Solan did, name some very impressive people to help him, !….. This it seems to me leaves us in the situation of “Coranatiion'” … After the “Resignation?’ of Stephen Rochford,, rather than a ‘Fair, Transparent, Competitive, Process to attract a number of high Calibre candidates, and to choose the one best qualified to be the next manager of Mayo…. This we certainly have NOT got,once again regrettably…. The level of distrust of the Mayo County Board is astonishing, by the Mayo public and further afield as well… Going back to 2006, to the ‘Shafting’ of Moran/Morrison to facilitate a would be TO, John O Mahoney’, .. to the building of the ‘Army observation tower” on the MxHale road side of McHale Park, without planning permission, to the never apparent conflict of interest to the appointment of Noel Connelly when his brother was’ vice chairman of the County Board, to the apparent ‘Fake Interview”s ‘ of Liam McHale and Kevin McStay…..granted changing personnel down the year’s making all these decisions…. but I fear Mayo has garnered a reputation far from desirable with the general public as to the way we go about things…. Am I alone in wondering, If this reputation has anything to do with the lack of competition to what is an otherwise very desirable job for any ambitious talented GAA Coach?….. However I will end with a very positive note, James Horan’s has proven himself to be a Coach of the highest standard… I wish him well In his forthcoming appointment, and indeed we are lucky to have him on board at the end of the day!

  38. Well done to Mike Solan for paving the way. I hope he’s retained as U 20 manager.
    Hopefully James will be ratified without delay and we can all move on but my thoughts this evening are with Stephen Rochford sport can be cruel sometimes. He deserved more than what he got with Mayo I wish him well

  40. Anyone any thoughts on the ideal backroom team,and who is available, or is our options limited.? It would be interesting to see what we could muster up.

  41. Yes BackdoorSam, Rochford does deserve serious mention. He wasn’t treated very well at all. A young ambitious and strong manager. I hope he keeps his talents in Mayo. I’d be concerned Galway will be all over him but if I knew him I’d urge him not to go down to them. As someone rightly pointed out…weve given them more than enough over the years. And not got it back!

  42. I am relieved that this has worked out the way it did and that we can now start planning for 2019 with a lot of hope and positivity. I’m glad Mike Solan had enough awareness to withdraw his name. His day will definitely come but managing this particular mayo team at this time could well have been his ruination as a manager. Like many posters I believe Horan is better equipped to handle this. And remember it won’t be easy for him either! He has a lot of decisions to make – some of which we may not all agree with.
    I was very critical of the decision by two county board officials to visit Mike Solan in his home. At the time I was worried it could screw up the appointment process and set us back even further. Now it is time for everyone, the county board, clubs, supporters and sponsors to get 100% behind the team. Personally, I can’t wait for the season to start.

  43. @Mcgall,. ..When did telling the truth become ‘Bashing’?…. I make the point that the way we go about things establishes a precedent….. James Horan will be our next manager, I wish him well. . But he will not be our last ever Manager, and the way our County Board go about making that decision when it eventually comes around, should not be anything like this time, or the last time, or the time before that either!

  44. Let’s hope CB can come to an agreement with James Horan. Nothing is easy in Mayo and he could walk away as well if he does not get sign off on what he needs to get the job done. Let’s wait for the White Smoke before this process is concluded!

  45. Am with Mgali…
    Too many cb conspiracy theories here pf late, Like or lump him SR’s race was won.. change had to happen..lets move on…

  46. Maybe Leantimes the lack of competition might be just other candidates acknowledging the inevitable (as Mike Solan did today) that Horan was going to get this job. However I agree with you that it doesn’t fix issues at county board level. Solan will have his time again and his actions today only enhance his reputation. I feel a bit cautious – managers like players do peak and I hope James still has that galvanizing influence he once had. I wouldn’t be expecting anything too amazing next year – it takes both a great and lucky manager to get the right players playing the right tactics at the right time to win an All-Ireland. James will need time and patience. I think a decent run in the league, blood a few new players, get an effective style of play going and win a Connacht would be a great season.

  47. I am glad James is in line for the job now, but I want to pay tribute to Mike Solan for the way he applied himself to taking to job and then was astute enough to realize that the time may not have being just right for him. He will have his day. He has being a magnificent leader of U 20/21 teams and he will be a future Mayo senior manager. Best wishes to James and the team

  48. We are lucky that James has allowed his name to go forward for the manager’s role. This time last month we had no idea of an outcome like this. I am so relieved we have a manager of experience and potential to (hopefully) take the reins.

    I look forward to seeing much more of Mike Solan’s managerial work in the coming times. He really does seem like a person of ability and good judgement. We are lucky to have a person of his calibre too in the environment of Mayo football.

    I want also to thank Stephen Rochford, a person for whom I have a lot of admiration. I hope we get to see him in a managerial position soon again also – maybe at a Mayo club side, who knows? Or maybe working with an intercounty team (hopefully not too close to the Mayo border ; ) )

    Very best wishes, James, Mike and Stephen.

  50. I love the New Jersey. Kind of retro. Not unlike the current Kerry one in design which is the first Kerry jersey I’ve ever liked. (Now Ye will be all turned off it!!)
    I’m tearing and rearing to go in 2019. Feel rejuvenated and full of positivity. The Mayo jauggernaut is back on track. Just what we needed. New manager, newly rested team, new hope and a new sexy jersey to start the new journey in 😉

  51. Excited to see who he brings in with him
    Great that it’s more or less sorted at this early stage
    No excuses for next year now
    We should be fresh and ready

  52. Great James to get the job ! His backroom team will be key to how we progress ..County manager is more like a CEO of a company now as in they surround themselves with the best possible people , like Buckley was ( coach ) … Physio , S+C , dietician , phycologists , kid man , media correspondent .. James is exactly that ..let’s hope he gets the best possible group around him and also possibly the best supporters in the country .

  54. Am I missing something here ??? Do I take it that Michael Solan was told by the CB, that there is no point going for the interview , that J.H. is going to get the job regardless. Please, please , can someone enlighten me. None of the comments so far on this post ( I think) , ask this question.

  55. I would think that’s correct Paddyjoehohntom. That’s normally how things like this work across the board. On balance I think this is the right call.
    Important thing now is that we have a team and manager to get us across the line. Hopefully thats the case.

  56. Any good quality coaches in Donegal,or the Midlands couldn’t trust the big guns, or the noisy neighbours, as they might give away trade secrets, and set us up for a fall.lol

  58. I highly doubt the county board told Solan to step aside. They would have had no problem in brazing this one out. Well, a few key officers at least.

    I’d say Solan, to his immense credit, could sense the overwhelming amount of people in county were behind Horan and he didn’t want to be coming in under a cloud with a perception of being a county board lackey. I don’t think there was a great reaction to his backroom team either, especially Billy Sheahan as coach.

    He has done his county some service.

  59. For once it seems mayo football is heading in the right direction from the ground up.
    Some great work being done in underage,new centre of excellence,top grade manager’s in place.now for someone to get the money rolling in.
    Mayo have a serious product here as has being seen over the last few months with the interest in us and we haven’t kicked a ball since july.
    Lets hope we all keep singing from the same hym sheet,if we do i am certain we will get over the line in the near future.

  60. @centrefield, I mentioned this last week, goals conceded very close to our goal, there are a few common denominators in all 3 goals, our full backs Cafferkey x2 and Kevin Keane were exposed in a one-on-one situation, two well planed goals, one by Donegal and the other by Dublin.
    Surely we are all wiser in 2018.

  61. The refusal to give Ballyvary and Caiseal Gaels a portion of the JP McManus money is another shocking indictment of our refusal to acknowledge 50% of the GAA in hurling in any way shape or form. Getting embarrassing at this stage

  62. All great and very positive news so far and here’s hoping for a quick appointment so James can get on with it. The elephant in the room now is finance. if we’re to match the Dubs and the Kerry’s of this world then we’ll need to put a better system in place for raising funds. If all goes to plan and James gets the nod he will be making demands that will require major funding, funding that wasn’t always there in the past and as we’ve seen with Dublin and indeed Limerick hurlers this year, funding was crucial to their success. The big question now is, can the County Board step up to the plate in this regard?

  63. Great news about horan, lets hope he gets a five and not a 3 year contract. We need vision here.

    Why didnt bellavary hurling club get jp’s share., anybody?

  64. Find it hard to read some comment’s re Horans performance on the line 4 years ago . He has not been appointed officially yet .
    Kinda reminds me of people critical of Stephen in the past but weren’t able to name a better manager than him . I won’t forget what Stephen did for Mayo and wish James lots of success in the future .

  65. Horan back and 64 comments since 4 pm or so last evening.

    Where is everybody?

    Over in Paris at the golf? Checking out JP’s taxes? Watching reruns of Dragon’s Den for presidential pointers?

    I thought Willie Joe would have to burn the midnight oil to keep order on the blog, but I’ve never seen it as quiet

  66. Great to see the refusal of Mayo GAA to give ballyvary and Gaels their fair share is across Twitter and making national headlines, it’s an embarrassment that the county board have to rectify.
    Yes we all follow Mayo football but we shouldn’t be penalised for wanting to play hurling in this county.

  68. You can’t blame Horan for the goal in the 2013 final. Brogan is about 2 inches smaller than Hennelly and Cafferkey so there shouldn’t have been any problems there. Is it Jim Gavin’s fault that Comer punched in a goal in the semi final this year? Or that Dublin conceded a penalty in the final?

    The county board are getting a lot of bad press lately. How hard is it to divide 100k by 50?

  69. Hopefully James Horan will be ratified soon and we move on, I think it is the right appointment and maybe Solan will join him a selector, this would show consideration for a succession plan and I know the 2016 U21 team would go through a wall for him.
    Now the dust has settled we must recognise the huge effort and closeness to the Holy Grail Stephen Rochford got us, while I disagree with some of his decision making on match day and blooding youth I will never forget the raw emotion in his voice in the Citywest last year… he is a Mayo man and he cared!! Fair dues … now onwards and upwards for Mayo football..

  70. Onwards and upwards for Mayo. County Board need to ensure Horan is provided with the resources he feels are required. Spare nothing and give it a lash. Very important to get a few early wins in the league to get the momentum going in the right direction. Great credit to all involved with Mayo senior Team in recent years and in particular the players. They have made huge personal effort and sacrifices for the enjoyment of us all. Hope they are up for it again in 2019 ! Any ideas on Horan’s backroom team.

  71. @Catcol we are all worn out already. This is meant to be the off season as it were a time to concentrate on club fixtures but Mayo GAA hasn’t been out of the news since we got knocked out in June. Even today there’s a story in the Indo about to of our clubs not benefiting from JP’s kind gift to the GAA and all ireland final week Mayo were still making headlines ah yes the county board the
    Gift that keeps on giving

  72. Can the county board please take a second and think about how a decision will play out. JP’s donation was meant for the development of Gaelic games throughout the county. Clubs who only field underage teams are exactly who should be getting the funding. I can’t wait to hear the CB reasons for excluding these two clubs. JP should demand his money back if that’s how it’s administered.

  73. County Board will not give a reason to the club for refusing to give the money..Very very diasppointing to put it mildly..I have seen first hand the fundraising efforts the club has made and know what the money would mean..

  74. Very poor form to not give that money to those hurling clubs. Did tooreen and ballyhaunis get a slice of it? If this non funding is because the county board cannot afford it then I suggest that they fast track the commercial director appointment.
    I can’t see any other reason that 2 hurling clubs are not being funded and it’s a shame.

  75. So lets see if I have this right. A donation was made to every county board to distribute equally amongst all the clubs under their respective jurisdictions. This donation was made to celebrate the winning by Limerick of the All Ireland Hurling title. Yet the Mayo County Board have apparently decided that two hurling clubs are not to be included. Only in Mayo. If this is correct it is clearly against the expressed wishes of the donor. I await with interest the explanation from the County Board.

  76. what is the status of them two hurling clubs, are they just a sub club of whatever Club is covering their area. I have never heard of them, but I do live outside the County. if they are affiliated to County Board they deserve their share but if a parent Club got money then they do not qualify as a bone fide club

  77. Castlebar hurling club got their share separate from Mitchels. Do those clubs field a team at adult level? Not saying it’s right but that could be the reason given.

  78. I wouldnt be the biggest fan of the county board but in this case I believe they are in the right. These two clubs are underage only and dont pay full affiliation fees. If you read the statement they speak about the spirit because they know technically they are not entitled to the money. Should Naomh Padraig, Carras, Erris St Pats, and every other underage amalgamation get the money too . Neither of the clubs have a vote at convention and they are not looking for one, but when soft money comes along they want to be seen as full clubs. Tooreen and Castlebar Hurling both pay their affiliation fees which are not cheap and are getting their fair share

  79. Your reading of the situation, Redcol, may not align with the outrage du jour manner in which everything is considered nowadays but, from what I know, you’re 100% on the money (pardon the pun) in what you say on the issue.

  80. I really am getting tired of a Mayo story every day, both media and supporters groups jump in and get every issue blown up. This was an opportunistic move which needed the oxygen of a social media campaign. I am not averse to using social media myself. This was made out to be an outrage against Hurling in the county when it had nothing to do with Hurling but with club affiliations. The usual mudslingers got stuck in. I was expecting a #havetogetjpsmoney to appear.

  81. That’s fair enough. They aren’t fully fledged clubs so they don’t get a cut of the funds. Maybe in the coming years as those kids grow up the clubs will field adult hurling teams and become adult clubs in their own right. I suppose til then they should keep the fundraising going locally.

  82. Me and all, Redcol – after a while it gets just a little bit wearing. I can’t help but thinking that, due to Mike Solan’s announcement yesterday, all that social media-driven pent-up anger and outrage had to find another outlet and along came this.

    In other news, Ballymun – featuring six senior Dublin panellists – were this evening knocked out of the Dublin SFC by St Jude’s at the quarter-final stage. They truly are the great underachievers of club football, never failing to disappointment year after year.

  83. Yep, far too many of us are ready to be outraged without waiting for the details, and also feel the need to post that outrage online.
    I took a step back from posting online because it achieves very little and I realised there are better ways of spending my time.
    Of course, if everyone followed that approach this site would become very quiet and very boring (WJs usually excellent musings excepted)!

  85. Agree WJ Ballymun should be better but for some strange reason they appear to be punching well below their weight. I doubt if St Jude’s will win DUblin this year so what exactly is the story here anyone.

  86. Ballymun never punch close to their weight, PJ, and haven’t since that time they went all the way to the All-Ireland, losing to Brigid’s. It seems that when their Dublin players have finished up playing inter-county for the year that’s it in terms of effort they’re willing to expend. I saw Vinnies beating them at a canter in the Dublin championship a few years ago and Ballymun’s county players were, without exception, worse than mediocre.

  87. Bit harsh on a couple of the ‘mun Dubs there. Dean Rock was very good and Paddy Small likewise, altho both in patches. I’d be surprised if P Small doesn’t make a breakthrough to the starting Dubs team in early 2019. The others weren’t great alright. James Mc Carthy was disappointing, with a few very costly blunders. Philly got taken off and gave some of his mgmt team an earful at the final whistle. Didn’t look good. Judes played more like a team and performed better as a collective with lesser players. Does this happen with Mayo clubs? Or is there a more even spread across clubs?

  88. I think myself that’the media’are a bit obsessed with Mayo GAA .. they love a story and know there’s going to be a reaction to anything Mayo. All I can say is for a county with such a terrible co board (according to some)….our teams are bloody incredible…. achieving so much against all the odds. Fair play Mayo. Looking forward to seeing us back on track next year with renewed determination… and eventually the success we crave/deserve…All things Mayo ?

  89. Anyone hear anthin on James Horans backroom team?? I wonder is there any chance he could persuade Donie Buckley to come back in as coach he mite be tempted back with Horan back as manager and the new emerging talent that Rochy didn’t try, I fully believe we were playing our best football consistently that season 2014 under Horan and Buckley.We were playing much better in the League and consistently hammering teams in Connacht.
    I hope we see the likes of Ed Coughlan back as skills coach and Kieran Shannon as Team Psychologist and maybe Peter Canavan, Tom Prendergast and Mike Solan as team Selectors.
    I think a good few panel members who have not made the required impact coming on as Subs in big games are facing the chop under Horan, whether they get a few games in the NFL to prove him wrong it remains to be seen.I have seen alot more younger lads standout in the last few weeks of Club championship action than the current 2nd string under Rochy.But these young guns like Brian Reape ,Conor Diskin, Sharoize Akram , Michael Plunkett ,Matty Ruane , Eddie Doran ,Ciaran Treacy, Mike Murray, James Carr,Jack Reilly, Fionn McDonagh, Colm Moran and Seamus Cunniffe need to be brought in quick and given S and C programmes and give them the required game time in the Fbd and early National Leagues games.

  90. All those lads should be on a S&C programme (and others) and be playing for the Mayo juniors. This team should be u23 and effectively a feeder team post u20. There was talk of this happening, is it?

  91. Catcol your right very quiet on the number of comments for this one .

    However as Sir Alex once said to the supporters when he left…

    “Your job now is to support the new manager and keep that (tribe) mob down the road quiet”.
    And while were at it lets knock them off their fecking perch.

  92. TH read somewhere on one of the papers that whoever gets the Kerry job, Buckley is going to be part of the backroom team,so that proabaly rules him out, im sure Horan has a few top guys lined up, he said as much reffering to emails he received, it would be nice to have a strong backup team,in place as soon as possible, and then get on with the tough job ahead, I Wish James and his team well, and all the best to Rochford and Solan also, in whatever they decide to do, Can’t wait for 2019,and to give it another Lash.

  93. I hope the County Board gives James Horan the resources for Mayo to be really competitive next year. We saw in Limerick Hurlers this year what money and resources can do, a Young Team wins the most competitive hurling championship in years. Mayo going to New York next May gives the Mayo County Board a big opportunity to raise a lot of money there. Kerry raised over a million euro in the USA in 2015 for a centre of excellence, it shows what can be done.

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