At the County Board meeting tonight, new managers were unveiled for the county’s U17 and U20 teams.
At U17 level, former Senior players Tom Reilly (Castlebar Mitchels) and David Heaney (Swinford) have been appointed as joint managers. Joining them on the ticket are Ciaran McDonald (Crossmolina Deel Rovers) who will be Head Coach, along with selectors Pat Clarke (Bohola Moy Davitts) and Brian Kilkelly (Westport).
Peadar Gardiner (Crossmolina Deel Rovers) has been ratified as the U20 manager. His backroom team includes Ger Cafferkey (Ballina Stephenites), Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis), Mark Ryan (Kilmeena) and James Horan (Ballintubber).
The best of luck to the new managers and their respective backroom teams.
Super news. The young lads will get serious coaching.
Up Mayo
And, McGuinness is the new Donegal manager, this will be very interesting.
I mentioned this here before, I’m glad to see Horan involved in the U20 setup.
Great for Keith Higgins.. Delighted for him !!
strong back round team just what we need for our minors …
@Bate the blanket I seriously don’t think mcguines will change things to much in donegal yes might up things a bit but he’s not going to bring them to the top contenders table for sam the talent is just not there I just don’t think since murphy left who knows though ..
Very strong looking under 20 management team in fairness. I was hoping the minor team would.have had a fresher look to it. The lads have had the same coaches at both under 15 level and again at under 16 level. I have spoken to a good few of the players and while they are all very positive about McDonalds coaching, most would have liked some newer faces or voices involved.
New pod up on all platforms, this one looking back at our interview pod with Jason Doherty and reviewing the chat on our two club Championship pods.
All very positive news! Lucky to have such talent to coach and manage our underage teams. Can’t wait for 2024. Maigh Eo Abú!
Some good guys on both those management teams. Best of luck to them all
I have to say I don’t really get this. Gardiner has already been part of the worst u 20 football I’ve ever seen with Sheridan. Surely horan should be the manager and Gardiner just about a selector. Very much like the senior set up. Former manager now selector . It’s another who s on my ticket to get me the job.
Clare word is the talent is definitely there in Donegal.
Craggy,
You make a very solid point there. I personally think Horan will take a bit of a back seat and act more as an advisor as much as anything else.
Good to have a bit of fresh blood in with the likes of Higgins and Cafferkey, no doubt young players will look up to them.
One thing that concerns me would be the development of an attacker. Horan built his teams off attacking half backs and the other 3 men in the set up were primarily defenders. And the style of the U20s over the last few years was pretty defensive. I think we definitely need a defensive structure at senior level but also have to develop some more natural attackers.
@JR maybe so but I haven’t seen it yet so far . Course every county would say the talent is def there but I haven’t seen it yet who knows…
Craggy I agree. We seem unable to move things on.
The talent is unquestionably there im donegal, the question is if they have the leadership/grit required to make them contenders.
Will be fascinating to watch if they can step up now they have the right man in charge.
McGonagle/McGee/McBrearty/mogan/gallen /ebg/ mchugh/o donnells/langan.
That’s a talented bunch for sure but questions remain if they have the stomach for it. Ulster championship will be box office next year
@Craggy, looks that way alright. Backroom teams change all the time, Liam McHale has left the Mayo Senior set up..Peter Solan has left Leitrim, Colm O Rourke 2 assistants have left Meath all in the last few weeks, and that can happen regardless of who the ‘named’ main man is regardless. Are County Boards really getting ‘the package’ they think they are getting?. Again are Dublin are doing it better? where Big Names from the past appear to add strength to the ‘Backroom team’ aka Pat Gilroy mid season. Best of luck to whoever gets the gigs.
Was Gardiner manager of Mayo Ladies for a spell?
Everyone deserves a chance, I would like if Horan has a big influence on things in his new role.
Sometimes it doesn’t work for Second time managers.
For me this will be a true test of how good McGuinness is now, people here say he hasn’t got the players to work with etc.
I would nearly bet that he will make them very competitive if given 3 years in the job, we shall see them if it is really about the manager, I always think it is.
I was hoping Colm Boyle would get involved but maybe Westport will give him a start!!
Bit of depth to the u20 management team. Hopefully McDonald’s stint with the seniors will stand him in good stead with the head coach. Not so sure how good an idea with his own son coming along but I’m sure it’ll be fine.
More likely to see some imaginative play from our under age teams
“Craggy boglands says:
August 22, 2023 at 6:36 am
I have to say I don’t really get this. Gardiner has already been part of the worst u 20 football I’ve ever seen with Sheridan. Surely horan should be the manager and Gardiner just about a selector. Very much like the senior set up. Former manager now selector . It’s another who s on my ticket to get me the job.”
+1
seems like the Mayo County board of yesteryear.
Personally, I would have thought that Horan should have taken a longer break, and let Mayo develope some actual scoring forwards and some forward tactical strategies.
Anybody who watched the All-ireland can see what is needed to win at the top level.
Personally I feel we spent enough years having players who could run all day but could not score.
Craggy & Joeamas. I actually think the opposite but of course i could be completely wrong. I think by having 3 former top class senior defenders coaching our u-20’s especially the forwards will be huge benefit to them. These guys have faced the very best forwards in the country on the highest stage and marked our own legends, Andy M for example regularly. They will know more than anyone what is needed to get scores against these top class defenders. I can just imagine keith higgins showing upcoming forwards what james O’donoughue used to do to him or Caff explaining what murphy used to do.
Gardiner a top class defender. Not for me. Should never have got thar job. Unless the tail is going to wag the dog. But I think we have already seen the outcome of that at senior level. How in the name of God could anyone that’s been involved with the u20s in the last 3 years of the worst football ever be considered. Suddenly we are back to the who’s on my ticket affair which is the latest craze in mayo. This can only lead to one thing. CONFUSION
@Craggy, I have to agree with you in some respects. Maybe management teams are too top heavy now, at Mayo Senior level, who is the main Coach, who makes the decisions etc.
Very hard for any former manager to go in as an understudy to someone else.
Perhaps, Pat Gilroy is the exception, some say he was an over qualified Waterboy, I think he was huge in Dublin winning this year.
From sideline observations, Rochford(our defensive coach?)appears to be the main man but there appears to be a meeting before a decision is made? Any chance McEniff would give him a call?..
Seriously, McStay needs to step up to the plate. I expect we will see some improvement from him next season.
The All Ireland was a very tactical affair imo. It’s not enough to have the panel of players, it’s how they are employed to do the job you want. The words of McStay in relation to Loftus ‘it didn’t work out for him’ are depressing. Management washing their hands of a tactic they were wholly responsible for. Doherty as plan B. It dint work for him either, he can breathe a sigh of relief, that’s all behind him.
Can I suggest the bigger issue rather than who is actually on the u20 ticket is going to be the relationship between the senior and u20 managers etc….. Will the u20 manager have autonomy in selecting players and will the u20 grade and players be given priority , focus and all resources necessary to win silverware for their season (Nov to mid May)…assuming they could reach latter stages of the all Ireland? Or will the better u20s be brought into the senior development/training squads like last year for the FBD/national league…and not be part of the u20 squad development process? We had the situaton this year where two of the u20 players who were in the senior squad only re-joined the u20 panel the week before the Connaught semi against Sligo…..and their first game with the u20 colleagues was a championship knockout game vs a well drilled Sligo side…..there was also the situation where I counted I think 5 or 6 U20 lads who where part of the senior FBD panel who were most likely not going to make the senior panel for the summer…and also only added in my view to the challenges of the then u20 management as to what actual panel they would have to use in the Leo Murphy cup etc…. Finally i do hope they reform the Leo Murphy competition … and add more games into a pre championship competition at that level….and also reconstitute the u20 championship along the lines of the current u17 competition… I believe there is a lesson to be learnt from Sligo’s recent successes at the 20’s grade….they gave priority to that level and only used u20 players after Sligo were eliminated after losing the all Ireland final….fair dues to them for being brave and focussing on underage development and allowing U20’s the opportunity to focus on achieving the highest levels at their own age group.
Maybe they will try ruane next.
I do think it had a knock on effect on Ruane, in that Diarmuid O Connor had to spend so much of his time covering behind Loftus. That left Ruane pretty isolated in midfield. If Jordan has a good innings in club championship he could be worth a try at midfield, though we need scorers from the forty
Agree, can’t understand how Horan is not u 20 manager, he will bring professional set up as he’s done in all his stints, however he’s not the manager
Horan has been consistently the best manager mayo has had. Maybe lacking tacticaly but took a team that was on the floor twice 2010 and 2018 and built up a serious team that challenged. Mayo managerial appointment s are becoming a circus
You’d imagine JH is there more to coach the coaches and not the players.
I don’t know Mark Ryan but the rest are all young enough. They’ll learn a lot from JH
Frost. If that’s the case…what the hell are we at. Have we suddenly forgotten about the fact that gardiner has already been there to no avail. In fact it was brutal to watch. Why can’t we do a donegal. Mcguinness is the manager and he will pick his selector s. He doesn’t need them to get the job unlike what’s happening now at every level in mayo.
Mayo on the floor in 2018,I believe that we gave the best display in the final in 2017 since 1951,but if you have an agenda you can always say the most outlandish statement you like,we can also realise that you have not got a clue
That team in 2018 had multiple retirees. Nothing was added in 16 17 to freshen up things. Remember doc coming off the field in Newbridge out on his feet. It was a rebuild job for horan. Fact. Jim gavin even though he had a successful team he still added murchan to his ranks and who stood up to get the goal to deliver the 6 in a row. No agenda straight facts.
Shamus o shea. Parsons Vaughan had little game time after 18.19. Then Higgins. Boyle and Barrett depart. They were an ageing team in 2018
Craggy as you said yourself “Horan has been consistently the best manager mayo has had.”
Spread that knowledge around. We need development plans for our coaches as well as our players. For Ger Cafferky and Keith Higgins they learn massive lessons from James. Gardiner can take what he learnt from Sheridan, and see how it stacks up against what Horan does.
We also need to be aware of burnout of coaches and managers as well as players. The manager’s job at almost all levels is incredibly intense. We should be encouraging these guys to take less intense roles when they feel that need to.
I don’t agree Craggy. In this day and age the county board need to be able to vet anyone who is going to be representing them. And it’s only fair that everyone applies with their backroom team because otherwise the guy who has his in place has a huge advantage in an interview because he has a huge amount of the first month’s work down.
McGuinness is a very easy appointment to make when your house is falling apart. It’s difficult to claim that a process that likely began with an excited “HE might be interested”, is entirely fair and robust. The only part of it that could reasonably be considered a “search” was likely trying to find a box of chocolate covered kimberleys in August
Very difficult to understand what a great performance in the 2017 final has got to do with 2018 .There was nothing left in the tank in 2018 after we lost to Galway we struggled past Tipperary before going down to Kildare and missing out on the super 8s .our worst year since 2010 .extraordinary claiming people haven’t got a clue without presenting a shred of a fact
Thank you 1985. I try to stay in the real world even though I haven’t a clue.
Craggy some people think we’d a great year this year after after losing 3 championship games including main game we targeted from the off v Roscommon.
I’d be willing to give the new appointees a chance at this stage as selector role is different to manager. But would have strong caveat emptor vibes also, after how last few years have been.
We seem to like an underdog story, and giving lads a second chance at redemption if first go didn’t work.
I think Egan would have been very useful. I don’t know him but heard good things about him and he brought that strong Ballinrobe bunch to All Ireland champions which is a selling point on his cv. He is the kind of guy Mayo need at underage level.
I’ve heard good things too about Caff’s potential. Horan, I’ve also felt his strongest attributes are best suited to to the 18-21 age profile where he has a proven track record in identifying and developing players. He also built a strong mental approach amongst them with a mantra of always trying to improve. His obvious weak point (compared to other top managers in the game, and I think James’ record in the game allows him to be considered as one albeit he ultimately failed to land the big prize) was in-game strategy and tactics which is probably less relevant than at senior inter county. So, his involvement at u20 is a positive for Mayo. Positive in that I believe his presence will motivate the lads aged 18+. There’ll be no uncertainty as to what’s expected from them to become senior footballers for Mayo.
It also sets a positive precedent. Senior managers can go back to get involved at underage. Look at Jack O’Connor in Kerry. Won Sam several times and went back to bring a minor team to All Irl success.
Horan will inspire younger lads m. Equally, I think Rochford would too. Obviously with the senior set up but in time could price a valuable presence at underage level in Mayo. It’s hugely important. If we have any hope of lifting Sam one day, we need to be nurturing talent from primary school level. Not waiting until late teens. Andy Moran is another who I believe should be a major presence for Mayo underage. Talk about a motivator. I’d much prefer to see him in Mayo with u-16’s (that position is free now isn’t it??) than with Leitrim. If he has ambition to lead Mayo at senior, someday, then Mickey Harte has shown you don’t need to experience senior inter county mgnt elsewhere in order to be a success.
We should be keeping our talent in Mayo and my opinion on that stretches to players too. That lad Mullen should be back where he ought to be.
One thing that I have noticed re all Mayo management teams.
Little or no South Mayo people involved, has the South become the weakest of the four areas ?
@Mayonaze you can’t blame mullin for going to AFL where he is properly paid and gets to travel to and young..
@craggy why can’t mayo do a donegal? What exactly did they do bring back a manager who won an all Ireland fair play but he didn’t succeed after that did he got a hammering off us in 2013 I think he is pretty overated manager myself people in donegal seem to think they have a great shot at it now he’s back in 24 . You can’t work magic when there is no magic to work with it they will get to pre quarters at best next year .
Regarding horan I think he will be great with the younger ones he proved that he can scout out talent we have a lot to thank horan for bringing in the likes of Ryan o D , Tommy conroy etc best of luck to him.
I still think mcstay is better off to go it alone next year Rochfords style of play didn’t work well for us at all and he def had a big say in it .
Poor Rochford gets a good bit of stick regards style of play and tactics deployed this year, but we do not know if he was the one advocating the style of play or not, it can be an educated guess based on past experiences but it is the Manager that has final say and input into the teams style of play, philosophy etc. and that is McStay, not Rochford.
@Gizmobobs then how come a number of players went over to Rochford for advice at certain matches rather then mcstay? Surely if mcstay had final word the players would be going to him . There’s no doubt Rochford had a big say this year I just think mcstsy would be better off gping it alone you don’t need more then 1 manager…to many voices as they say !
@Clare, if the manager is not strong enough to call the shots that is a different issue. Maybe he ceded responsibility to Rochford, Maybe players trusted Rochford more, impossible to say.
But McStay is the manager so regardless what Rochford says or does it is up to McStay, if he doesn’t like what Rochford is doing he has to call him out on it and dictate what is to be done.
What height is Dylan Prendergast from Louisburgh? Seems a very reliable free taker.looks like a better player than Conor McStay and not afraid to take a score.
Clare. What I meant by doing a donegal is. Jimmy’s got the job I think without naming whose on the ticket. I could be wrong. But I wholeheartedly agree with you on the mcstay Rochford situation. We are playing What donegal played . Puke football. Time for mcstay to go it alone. The 16 17 team that was handed to Rochford were good enough to make the final without a manager.
Clare, we’ll just have to disagree on players going to AFL. And disagree very much on McGuinness too. I also don’t think he can be judged by how Part II goes in D’gal. I think he did wonders with a squad of players who prior to his arrival had done nothing. They weren’t a Div 1 team and effectively had no successful underage teams in the 2nd half of the noughties. Whereas Horan had far greater numbers of talented players at his disposal. And is hammering them in 2013. They had just won the All Ireland and partied hard for months. They came back in 2014 and got to a final. Anyway, we thrashed this out on a previous thread. No need to bore anyone further.
*judged solely
@mayonaze I agree that’s its annoying that AFL come and take our most talented players for sure but I mean I wouldn’t be grudge the likes of kullin for taking the opportunity at all.
I don’t care if donegal partied hard for months after they won all Ireland hence thats the reason we hammered donegal exsuces .. did they win in 2014? Don’t think so.. there I don’t think it’s boring anyone just replying to a statement you made .
Well we shall see how mcguiness does next year but I won’t hold my breath that’s for sure.
We have been hearing all this talk about the importance of being in Division 1, a Division 2 team won the All Ireland this year.
@Batetheblanket no other team in division 2 would have won sam other then the Dubs ….
@Craggyboglands. Donegal played an unattractive and not very effective style of football, while Stephen Rochford was an ‘assistant’ there. Mayo played easily their ‘most attractive and most effective, easily the best football Mayo ever played’ football while Stephen Rochford was the main man in Mayo..before that Corofin played the best club football I’ve ever seen and were arguably the best club team ever seen (this continued after Stephen left Corofin) , ..Mayo played some very poor football in this years Championship (apart from Kerry in Killarney and Galway in Salthill), after having played some squash buckling football eg V Kerry, Tyrone on the way to winning the National League. Plenty of Evidence that Stephen Rochford is not afraid to play front foot good attractive football and knows the risk/reward senario’s better than most. While Donegal style of football was’nt great while Stephen was there..it suddenly became allot worse after Stephen left. McStay is the main man and the buck stops with Kevin for our style of football , a style that for a faired part of the championship lacked adventure and had serious drawbacks .
Leantimes. The 16 17 team were locked in horan s style of football. Running off the shoulder. Hard running game. They also scraped through a backdoor. Mcstay needs to wake up and take control. Take risks and u don’t mean changing goalkeeper s on all Ireland finals either
I believe that the Mayo management team work very closely together,and am sure it will be even better next year,seeing as they only had a few months together this year whilst blooding a lot of players who can only improve
@Craggy.. there was a hell of a difference between Horan’s off the shoulder style and Rochford style 16-17..Andy Moran won player of the year in 17 playing in the full forward line with the ball predominantly kicked into him for one thing .. another thing Horan was gone since 14 .. Holmes and Connelly were there in 15.
Corick they had from October, a full season. Played first inter-county game in December v Down.
Be interesting see who is U20 liaison now McHale has jumped ship.
I’d favour Sligo model of letting U20s be allowed prioritise their own age group and move up after its finished.
Another new pod up on Patreon. This one features Mike in conversation with Mayo GAA Performance GDA Kieran Kilkenny about all the work that’s happening at underage level.
If the management team worked so well together then why did Liam McHale leave .I think we have been over this numerous times .we had an absolutely terrible championship season losing 3 of our 6 games so the bar is not set very high for any kind of an improvement next year but as I said before I genuinely hope Kevin mcstay can get it right as his time in charge will pass by very quickly
@Corick bridge, any management team need 3 years in the job to see how they have done, not fair writing guys off after less than 1 year in the job.
@Sam Og You asked about Dylan Prendergast height, from the eye test he’s around 5’10/11″. No taller, no shorter, pretty strong physical player with pace.
Personally for the u20 job and ticket I think it should be coaches coming up through the academy with the players who graduate up with the players.
What’s the point in really getting to know each player and then handing them on to a mgmt ticket that don’t know the players?
Leantimes. I credit the players for kicking the ball in. Why didn’t we do it this year. I’m aware Holmes connelly was there briefly I might add. And if these two men that’s in charge now don’t change their style of negative football then their stay will be brief too. I see nothing in year one to make me jump up and down with expectation. I also want mcstay to succeed but I think he needs to leave the journey man behind.
I see a few people criticising Stephen Rochford for not bringing new players into the team when he was in charge,but he had some of the finest players for years playing at that time,would you expect him to drop those players for other players?,I have the highest respect for what James Horan achieved for Mayo football from 2010 onwards,but he left this team last year ,now we have to give some time to the new management team to improve the team,let me remind you they only had a few months in the job this year and found a new goalkeeper,a new fullback line,have given gametime to Jack Carney,Bob Touhy,and many others,it will pay off next year
If Jim gavin could introduce 1 or 2 new players every year into an all Ireland winning team why couldn’t our genius. We stood still in 16 17 and paid the price in 18. That in my opinion was one of his biggest failures. 16 17 horan s team essentially didn’t get over the line so of course there was room for new faces.
@corick wouldn’t have expected Rochford to drop those players but he should have given others a chance to .
horan brought in many of the players that we have today and we’ve a lot to thank horan for . I also just think Rochford brought us as far as he could and we didn’t cross the line did we.. Time to give mcstay a chance to go it alone he’s shrewd manager I think he’d do much better job with his own ideas .
I didn’t see Bob touhy given much game time this year know he’s very young and a lot to learn hopefully will be given more time next year . Colm reape is a star in the making yes needs to work on kick outs but will get there
I do think we will see a big improvement next year ( we couldn’t do much worse then our exit this year) and do think it’ll be wide open I think Derry /Dubs ( maybe if some guys don’t retire will be favourites .
Kerry maybe depending on Clifford’s form next favourites
Then ourselves/ Galway and maybe Tyrone just about next up favourites ..
Donegal I can’t see them going far even with mcguiness heard mcguiness wants to get players out of retirement why is that? Does he not have faith in the current team..
James Horan was a rookie inter county manager in 2010 but improved us dramatically.Kevin mcstay and co all had huge inter county experience behind them coming in last year but unfortunately what we saw in the championship was terrible tactical and positional mistakes being made and allowed to continue until it was too late.I haven’t seen anyone on here calling for mcstay to go but he knew coming in that his every move would be scrutinised.we are a high profile county and that’s the nature of it.I hope next season is an improvement for Kevin mcstay and I certainly hope that he will have more to offer than going into the dressing room and saying we are a great management team who get on mighty together and everything will improve dramatically next year because we are great
Corick, let me remind you they had a full season which is enough for some inexperienced management teams to win an all Ireland.
They introduced Bob Tuohy in fairness, the others players were in and around the set up for one or two years previously.
With Hennelly moved to Dublin, Keegan and Mullins retired/moved to Oz they had to pick someone. It wasn’t a rebuilding job when they started a year ago, but it is now.
I do reckon they will do better next season than this, but given we lost 3 championship games, two of which were to division 2 teams it’s not a huge benchmark.
Best of luck also to Kevin McLoughlin in his inter-county retirement.
One of Mayo’s greatest ever, never got an all star. Possibly due to his quite demeanour and low profile v some others. A gifted player and reader of the game, please God many more years ahead with his club.
Another one gone.Kevin was robbed of an all star in 2012 .lovely player to watch
Aww no sad to see Kevin gone he should have a celtic cross he’ll be missed great player I had a feeling he might go though..
I think Aido & cillian will stick around for next year.
Have to admit there’s near a tear in my eye for some of these lads and especially kev mc , he gave everything in his body to the cause , forever a Green n red legend . Nobody ever wants to hear the loser talk but there I’ll say it , the greatest team to not win an all Ireland in Gaelic football history. Thanks for the glorious days Kevin McLoughlin..
@Clare, getting guys out of retirement will be the latest phenomenon, remember when the goalkeeper started coming out the pitch to take the free kicks and 45’s, yes all those were started by the Dubs.
Mayo have one player that I would like to see come out of retirement for next year.
Look what it meant to the Dubs this year by getting the following guys back
Cluxton
Mannion
McCaffrey
@Bate the blanket if they want to come out of retirement fair play to them.. I do think counties should still blood as many new players as possible though thats where the future is at !
I’m guessing that’s keegan? I’d be dancing around my room if he announced he was coming back haha but sadly not a chance of that happening!
Look I have no problem with any of our management teams or players,as it takes a squad to be successful,but the irony of some posters is beyond belief,slating Stephen Rochford for not dropping some of the finest players that we had for years,but can’t admit that we had a major rebuilding of the team this year in a few months,because they have not been in charge for a year yet,just think about it
Sad to see Kevin go. What service, what adaptability, what talent.
@corick ah people are entitled to give opinions on Rochford. No one said Rochford should have dropped some of those players but he should have brought in younger guys at the same time mix of old and new and build for the future not just for the present.
We didn’t have a re building team this year even mcstay said at the start of the year that he didn’t need to re build the squad yes needed to replace keegan & mullin but it wasn’t a re building team this year in no way the same way horan had to re build the team and squad !
Best of luck Kevin in your retirement. Fantastic player and rarely ever injured, I think mainly due to his cuteness and his ability to dance out of the tackle. Definitely should have at least one Allstar . He too will be missed.
Best of luck to Kevin on his retirement. Remember how he announced himself to the country when he slalomed through the Cork defense and rattled the onion sack with a piledriver. Pure class/pure gent.
I know I didn’t and I don’t recall anyone on here saying that rochford should have dropped some of the finest players ever to play for mayo but you add to the panel.probably was missed but rochford did add fionn Mcdonagh to the Fbd training competition and also introduced James durcan sharoze akram and Cian Hanley but that has absolutely no relevance to our current management.Nobody gets a full calendar year to prepare a team.it’s a season starting in October depending on the county and ending when your championship finishes.i don’t think anyone really expected mayo to win the all Ireland this year but I wonder how in gods name did Brian dooher and fergal Logan manage to cobble together an all Ireland winning team in the few miserable months they were afforded.Finally too many great memories of Kevin mcloughlin to mention from his brilliant goal against cork in 2011 to the famous point against Donegal in 2018 especially to the titanic theme .Truly honoured to have witnessed this great player
We did not have a rebuilding job this year,a new goalkeeper,a new fullback line, a few new players out field,not a rebuilding job?
@Corick bridge not rebuilding job according to our manager. He one said rebuilding was done by Horan.
Tuohy only new player others were involved in squads before.
That was before Lee Keegan,Osian Mullin,and goalkeeper,please be reasonable in your criticism
Reape was new goalkeeper as hennelly was eventually going to have to be replaced.David mcbrien played full back in 2020 .Sam callinan played in a few league games last season and who were the other new players outfield.Loftus involved since 2016 .paddy durcan 2015 .McLaughlin 2020.ruane 2019 d o Connor 2014 .Flynn 2020 carney 2022 Mcdonagh 2019 o Donaghue and conroy 2020 .o Shea 2009
It was half expected that keegan was going to go and I am fairly sure mcstay repeated that after the two lads had left
@corick don’t think anyone is being unreasonable with criticism it’s just an opinion .
As others said reape was expected change with hennelly moved to Dublin I still think reape is number 1 goalie even over hennelly to..
Corick, Hennelly hasn’t retired he’s in the panel.
Oisin and Lee are two players in a 30 man panel, and it wasn’t unexpected that at least one if not both would be departing before this season given age profile and past connection with Geelong.
Worst case replacing two players is not a big rebuild.
And it’s not criticism it’s an observation of facts
Try and be fair,you know,and I know that our new management team had a few weeks to adjust to the players leaving the squad,they have achieved phenomenal success
Ok but can you tell us who the new outfield players we had this year beyond jack coyne
They achieved a good league in fairness to them but a pretty horrific championship Corick.
McHale coming out today saying one reasons he left was the differing philosophy in game style of the other 4 members of management to his own is interesting.
How was it phenomenal succes crorick? I like your optimism bit like me that way haha
But let’s be real here that was our worst championship exit since what I think 2006? And it was a poor overall championship from us bar the kerry & maybe Galway game.
Management do have a big point to prove next year and I’m sure they will up their game but that won’t be hardtop be honest after the hammering we got to the Dubs we should have done so much better against the Dubs we have the players .
We’re as good as any of the teams on our day and we should have done so much better we peaked to soon .
@gizmobobs oh really that is interesting to hear alright from mchale … that’s that’s I really really mcstaywould just soo much better off going it alone.
Clare,mcstay can hardly go it alone.he has to have some sort of backroom team but it was obvious this year that Liam McHale wasn’t fully connected.in every job he had with Kevin mcstay they were side by side on the sideline and then to find himself seemingly out of the loop on match days must have been a kick in the teeth.
@1985 thats not what I meant obvs I know he needs some sort of backroom team I meant there should be 1 manager etc and hen just forward/ defence coaches etc .
And i mean Rochford seemed to have a massive say in this year and I think theres just to many big voices and to many ideas going around .
But yeah agree with you that it must be a kick in the teeth for mchale for sure as they’ve always been one him & mcstay .
The Mayo team 2014 managed by James Horan and the 2015 team managed by Pat and Noel didn’t make all-ireland finals Craggy. Personally I’m fed up reading your daily ramblings which basically amount to a conspiracy theory that Rochford is the football antichrist who has wrestled control of the coaching, on field tactics and overall running of the set up from Kevin McStay. He somehow managed to brainwash Declan Bonner and Donegal aswell for 4 years before this, with his lateral brand of puke football. By the way have a look at the shite Donegal played back in 1997 to 2000 or ask any knowledgeable Donegal Gaa person and see if you can find a common denominator to the shite they played from 2018 to 2022. Hint: Rochford wasnt the coach back in 1997. I will admit that some of the football we played this year was hard to watch but to blame Rochford for this alone is just shortsighted rubbish. And while I’m on it your attempt earlier in the week to discredit and undermine Paedar Gardiners appointment as u20 manager was pathetic and beyond contempt. If you had your way James Horan would run Mayo football for the next 30 years and young capable lads like Paedar would never get a chance. Enough is enough.
Maroon river. I don’t care what you think and if you think gardiner s appointment was the best thing then you weren’t watching u 20s with the last few years. Also mchale s statement further enhance s Mt belief about our style of football and who s responsibility for it. So I’m not bothered at all what you think 0
I believe that poor craggy got a right run around from Stephen Rochford in some game because he is always moaning about him,he thinks that his opinion is fact,but in reality it is not
A bit like your perception of calendar Corick 😉
I know my calendar ,thank you very much,unfortunately you appear to be confused
Sorry your version of a few months and Mayo season starting in January as you mentioned previously despite them being back few months prior to that and having played an Inter county game last December…
Full interview with McHale here, not to much on it, but he’s fairly distancing himself from the style of play we adopted this year: https://fb.watch/mHm7vqavad/
Interesting from McHale that there was 5 of them there and the other 4 had a very different view of the way football should be played and he was surprised at Kevin.I’d imagine he was surprised at Kevin seeing as during their time with Brigids and Roscommon they obviously had the same view on how football should be played.And the other 4 thought that playing a wing forward at centre back or a plus one or whatever daft term they want to use was their masterplan and before any silly accusations are made I have no agenda against any of the management team .I am just stating facts something that one particular contributor on here is very short on .so it appears we are in for more of this back and forth across the field endlessly handpassing next year
1985. Your quiet right. More rubbish football and mchale s had enough. Funny himself and Kevin had no problems working together before. It’s obvious who wants this possession based football. I’ve no agenda either. 6 months in and one man has bailed. Does that sound like a winning team. A happy camp. Plus one minus one. A load of nonsense
Just to clarify I wouldn’t be pointing the finger at any one individual but listening to Liam McHale has worried me .Here is a man who was desperate to become involved with the senior set and had to make the very difficult decision to walk away because he didn’t believe in and clearly couldn’t influence the style of play we were producing so I wonder besides being the liaison with the under 20s what exactly was Liam McHales role from a coaching perspective this year and will he be replaced with someone else who will have no influence on our style of play
To the posters who have ideas,they are not facts,as I always say you are entitled to your opinion,but not your facts,your facts now includes opinions on why Liam McHale has left the setup,perhaps you could provide some proof
@Corick did you listen to Liams interview posted above where he is on about how the 4 others on management had totally different philosophy on how the team should play to him? And how he felt no point him being there when he was so far removed from their thinking??
Well Liam McHale said it but maybe Liam wasn’t really part of the management team at all .
And with all due respect corrick you never present any facts when asked a question .LIAM MCHALE said this in interview
@corick they are facts loam mchale said this in an interview .
So everyone is out of step apart from Liam McHale,I have no problem whatsoever with Liam but perhaps if the others were in agreement ,it showed that he was out of step,perhaps he will become the new R Feeney who got better with every game that he didn’t play
Well given how championship went so badly its hard to imagine Liams ideas could be much worse..
just like McDonald last year McHale didnt appear to have any say in running the team this year, he is better to leave the setup if he is not given a chance to put his ideas into practice. Nobody can say that the Management got things even near right in the Championship , when you struggle to beat Louth and Cork and do nothing different then there is a lot wrong on the line, too many Chiefs is the problem me thinks. All good managers run the show themselves like M Dwyer, K Heffernan and Jim Gavin etc same in other sports.
I think point was though Corick you were stating that people were stating their own ideas as facts. They were stating comments based on quotes from the individual, not ideas of their own, but sure we all make mistakes, you not alone there.
4 games on Mayo TV this week, BMD v Crossmolina looks like most competitive one.
Well first of all I would congratulate Liam McHale one of the finest players to ever play for our county who had the courage of his convictions to walk away when he saw the direction being taken was not his philosophy on the way the game should be played.maybe by your extraordinarily strange viewpoint the the other 4 were out of step with him because what they came up with didn’t work did it which Kevin mcstay himself admitted that it didn’t work out or maybe we all imagined mcstay said this.a few days ago the post was you believed the entire management team worked very well together.Now Liam McHale clearly doesn’t know what he is talking about.which is it.I would never come on here and tell another contributor “they haven’t got a clue “ but dear god
I find it funny to think that everyone on here now suddenly thinks that if Liam McHale had a say then we would have won the All Ireland. This is a man who was managing Belmullet last year and couldn’t get them out of their group in the championship, with them having got to the final the year before.
The agenda on here against this management setup would really make you laugh.
Where did anyone say that.we wouldn’t have won the all this year because we have a proper defensive structure and we don’t have a midfield that can win possession but did anyone say in the beginning that McHale shouldn’t have been on the management team because they always came together.I have absolutely no agenda against anyone on the management team but again the championship results which are facts and now Liam McHales statement which is also a fact is the basis of questions being asked and don’t necessarily mean criticism
One positive its a cost saving, and looking at state of Mchale park for hurling weekend every penny will count!!
I would have thought when McStay as manager was approaching people to come in as selectors etc he would have laid out clearly to these people what is style of football/philosophy was going to be and if people didn’t agree with this style- then don’t join the backroom team.
Picking five football people to join a management team without defining the style of football beforehand was never going to work.
I believe that we had a decent season,two trophies are a good return ,perhaps you can tell me when we done better?
@corick a decent season ? Getting hammered out the gate by the Dubs in one of our worst exit in quarter finals stage in how many years ? Being 5 or 6 points up to cork then flaking out and management had no back up plan they looked lost on the sideline during the cork game in the last 15 min tbh …
As ive said before I do think management will improve next year and it was only there first year in charge and we have the players to compete with any team on our day .
But come on to say that we had a good season is nonsense good league and great against kerry in killarney but after that it was all down hill we just looked dead flat on our feet .
I’m optimistic of course as always but can also admit that was a poor season from us by our standards over all…!!
Just seen the Liam McHale comments in the examiner amd I’m really not sure who that serves only himself.
There is an unwritten rule of keeping things in the dressing room quiet, it seems that doesn’t apply in Mayo, where everyone rushes to a microphone
My worry with the management ticket last year was that there may be too many ‘big personalities’ and I still believe that to be the case
Better of with out ? McHale if he was out of tune with the rest of the management team.
I thank him and wish him luck.
Could we poach Walsh from Cork.
Corrick again with all due respect and I know you have been following Mayo for many years as I have myself since the late 1970s but I have continually referenced our “championship season”not the national league or the Fbd training camp.can you please stop misrepresenting comments.we all have in goal and I am sure everyone would love to see Kevin mcstay sending his captain up the steps of the hogan stand on all Ireland final day but the management themselves have acknowledged they got it wrong this year.you might just answer one question for me if you don’t mind .were you very happy with the management back in 1993 and 1994
Do you believe that a to be would have done better with the talent available at that time?unfortunately we can’t get away with the fact that we played both the FBD or the league ,which we have only won four times in my lifetime,I wish that I was young enough to only be following our fine county since the seventies,I a!a lot older so I am sure that we have the management team in place to win Sam before I check out,you are only a child in comparison
Long time since I was a child but not the point I am making in fairness and I don’t think we had the players to win the all Ireland this year but l think you will agree losing 3 out of 6 games and the manner of the defeats was way below anyones expectations and again can I ask you respectfully were you happy the management back in the 1993 and 1994 seasons
Don’t know Supermac, I thought McHale honest, saying his thinking was not aligned with the 4 others. McHale goes back to the Maugham managerial era – things have changed a lot since then.
Have you forgotten the FBD,and league?
Ok fair enough corrick I haven’t forgotten anything but I can see you don’t want to answer what I put to you for whatever reason
Facts about the dream management team for the dreamers on here. When Kevin got the job.. he was asked about what style of play he would use. His answer was. We will play the mayo way. We ended up playing anything but. Fact number two… mchale has said I’m surprised at Kevin as we were always in sync on style of football. So clearly Kevin has been swayed to a different style or I’d prefer to call it negative back and over and back again possession football. So the point I’m making is.. its not mchale s style. It was not a style mcstay used either as mchale eluded too. On this is the basis for me believing it s down to Rochford. Its not an assumption. Its based on fact. Fact borne out of two interviews. But sure I haven’t a clue
Craggy correct
Of course I was happy with the management back then,you can’t make a silk purse,and all that,with some new players John Maugham brought us very close,but we were a little short
@corick in all fairness fbd is a useless competition means nothing in the long run but sure if you think just winning fbd& league is a good season don’t know what to say to ya ha mayo are top county and shoud be putting their sights much higher then fbd win….!
after loosing 11 finals the last decade sam is the only thing mayo should be looking to win and that’s just the facts and I’m sure the players think so to .
The style of play this year was definetly influenced alot by Rochford.
What has John maughan got to do with it
@Craggy, ‘the camera never lies’ all on youtube for all the evidence …directing the orchestra on the sideline in ..2015 All Ireland Club Final Corofin v (a very defensive ) Slaughtneil 2016..All Ireland Final, 2016 All Ireland Final replay, 2017 All Ireland Semifinal, All Ireland Semifinal Replay and again 2017 All Ireland Final , against the best of opposition . Your conductor of the Orchestra, the man with the baton Stephen Rochford . This man is innocent, of all charges ..For Club football Corofin reached a new high of positive front foot football, and Mayo played easily their greatest ever games of football at the highest level. I rest my case.
Can I offer a bit of advice, maybe it’s best if some here take a step back, don’t be looking for anybody to blame in Mayo management team for a disaster of a Championship.
Any management team needs 2 or possibly 3 years in charge to prove themselves.
Judge them after this period is up and if things have not gone well then bring in a new management team.
The Rugby World Cup Start soon and plenty of club football to look at until the Season starts in 2024.
@Bate the blanket no one is looking for anyone to blame just pointing out what went wrong you entitled to do so and management do haveva major part to play in how a team runs .
you can’t really tell someone to take a step back either …
And some new managers have won the all Ireland in their first year in charge.. I do think we will see a big improvement next year though. I’ve always backed mcstay and still think he’s the man for the job.
Hasn’t everyone made their point by now?
It seems to be the same people making the same points over and over again.
Accept that you don’t agree with each other and move on!
Balla v Breaffy and Ballintubber v Bellmullet probably pick of the seniors this weekend.
Balla at home will look to bounce back from Derby defeat.
Bellmullet after getting better of Garrymore will look to get back to QFs with a win v Ballintubber. Tubber should on paper have to much for them at home, but Cillians red card appeal failure could prove costly.
Crossmolina v BMD in Srath Garbh the TV game of choice on Mayo GAA TV.
@ Tubberman,well said.
Leantimes. Did you forget to look at the camera in 2023 also conducting the orchestra in donegal for 4 years. Some orchestra that was. . Did u look at the connaught championship and backdoor match s too in 16 17. I rest my case.
@Craggy..I looked at the match’s in person and afterwards on TV for 2023. On the programme it said Bainisteoir McStay..and on TG4 it said Bainisteoir McStay.,.on RTE it said Manager McStay.. on the Donegal’s programme Bainisteoir Declan Bonner and so on..Our orchestra was out of tune for allot of Championship 2023..the Buck stops with the Bainisteoir …I think its a case of mistaken identify the witness for the prosecution ..Stephen Rochford dosent look remotely like either Declan Bonner nor Kevin McStay.
Both mcstay and bonner both playing a style of negative football. Wonder what’s the common denominater.
Craggy will you give it a rest. You’ve been beating the same drum on here over the last couple of weeks. It’s clear you don’t like Rochford, so just leave it at that.
I listened to Liam McHale interview came across as honest and humble,no smoking gun as to why he decided to stand down,I will wait for a couple of weeks for posters to give their opinions as fact
New pod up on Patreon – actually, it’s up since yesterday, I’ve been offline a bit of late. Conor Diskin is on it so should be of interest to all.
Corrick I have been trying to work you out for a while and yesterday confirmed it and fair play to you .when I looked back I realised how extraordinarily humorous your posts have been and as the dreadful summer and the awful football comes to an end I hope you continue to entertain everyone with your extraordinary sense of humour in the dark winter nights
McHale said our problem since 89 in all Ireland’s we were in the shout for was our fade out in the last 10 minutes.
The question is was it physical or mental???
@JR thats a good question I think it was 100% mental there ..
I agree Clare, Maughans teams were always fit if nieve
I hope the Gaa change the playing Season next year, this All Ireland final in July is not good for supporters, too much time to think about the what it’s.
I say split the Season, firstly the boring league and a few months of a break then play the All Ireland final in November, less time for people to be thinking about things.
Something that has not been mentioned here since the All Ireland, I haven’t heard any of the Dubs announce their retirement.