Mayo Football and Hurling - Discussion pages

[bucko]

If we had won, there wouldn't be a single mention of any of this shite!! I hope Horan stays, he has transformed Mayo football and the players attitude....... reading through some of the players name been mentioned for re-inclusion in the Mayo team of 2014, they all have been tried and re-tried and for what ever reasons have not made the grade, its time we took a leaf out Davy Fitz's book, look to the youngsters, no baggage and they have the freedom of youth...look at O Donnell in the hurling final or Walter Walsh last year for the cats.

Would any Mayo manager we have had over the past 30 years made a ballsy move as Cody of Davy did in the replays of 2012 and 2013.
The youth is where it is at, not lads who were tried and tested, didn't make it and are now been mentioned as a solution to some of our problems....

Keep looking forward!

Maybe some of them didnt make the grade because of the management or lack of it under JOM.Colm Boyle is the perfect example of this.What harm would it do to give Kilcoyne a chance and see what he can do especially under Horan who as u rightly say has transformed Mayo football and the players attitude.Its not like were blessed with free scoring forwards

Kilcoyne lives and works in London. I would say the demands of travelling back at the weekends for club football are tough enough. How can he be realistically be an option for the county?

He cant be unless he get s back. If I remember correctly Kilcoyne was cut by Horan before he went anywhere? And Parson was cut in Horan s first Spring?

When young O Connell was banging in those goals for Clare I was thinking that this was something that would never happen in Mayo. Untried, untrusted etc. We had a chance to take a chance with Evan Regan this summer but instead he spent the summer in US. He was flying before he left and he could have given us something different. We also ended up not trusting our squad defenders in the final

Couldn't persist either with Higgins in the HF line, the three games he started there he finished back in the FB line. A move that I felt could have been the making of the year was never given a full 70 mins, especially in the final when it was looking like it was going to pay off. If Horan isn't going to give a gamble like this with an experienced player like Higgins a chance, what hope is there for guys like Regan being given a serious run?

[moysider]

Kilcoyne lives and works in London. I would say the demands of travelling back at the weekends for club football are tough enough. How can he be realistically be an option for the county?

I heard he was back living and working in Dublin.Did Coen really score 4-9 at the weekend? Serious stuff if he did.
[/quote]

Yeah, 3-4 from play.

Technically Coen is as good a player as you could wish for.
Jason Doherty was outstanding in Sigerson, got injured but I m sure he can be a serious player for us. AFAIC Jason is ahead of where Andy Moran was at 23/24?
Freeman s best years ahead of him also.

f**k this marquee forward lark. We ve enough quality to be getting on with. It s all about getting it right on the big days now.

[bucko]

Kilcoyne lives and works in London. I would say the demands of travelling back at the weekends for club football are tough enough. How can he be realistically be an option for the county?

I heard he was back living and working in Dublin.Did Coen really score 4-9 at the weekend? Serious stuff if he did.

Yeah, 3-4 from play.

Technically Coen is as good a player as you could wish for.
Jason Doherty was outstanding in Sigerson, got injured but I m sure he can be a serious player for us. AFAIC Jason is ahead of where Andy Moran was at 23/24?
Freeman s best years ahead of him also.

f**k this marquee forward lark. We ve enough quality to be getting on with. It s all about getting it right on the big days now.
[/quote]
And getting a bit of luck on this score as well. Hopefully Andy with a full league campaign behind him and a fully fit COC should bring a bit more edge back.

[moysider]

If we had won, there wouldn't be a single mention of any of this shite!! I hope Horan stays, he has transformed Mayo football and the players attitude....... reading through some of the players name been mentioned for re-inclusion in the Mayo team of 2014, they all have been tried and re-tried and for what ever reasons have not made the grade, its time we took a leaf out Davy Fitz's book, look to the youngsters, no baggage and they have the freedom of youth...look at O Donnell in the hurling final or Walter Walsh last year for the cats.

Would any Mayo manager we have had over the past 30 years made a ballsy move as Cody of Davy did in the replays of 2012 and 2013.
The youth is where it is at, not lads who were tried and tested, didn't make it and are now been mentioned as a solution to some of our problems....

Keep looking forward!

Maybe some of them didnt make the grade because of the management or lack of it under JOM.Colm Boyle is the perfect example of this.What harm would it do to give Kilcoyne a chance and see what he can do especially under Horan who as u rightly say has transformed Mayo football and the players attitude.Its not like were blessed with free scoring forwards

Kilcoyne lives and works in London. I would say the demands of travelling back at the weekends for club football are tough enough. How can he be realistically be an option for the county?

He cant be unless he get s back. If I remember correctly Kilcoyne was cut by Horan before he went anywhere? And Parson was cut in Horan s first Spring?

When young O Connell was banging in those goals for Clare I was thinking that this was something that would never happen in Mayo. Untried, untrusted etc. We had a chance to take a chance with Evan Regan this summer but instead he spent the summer in US. He was flying before he left and he could have given us something different. We also ended up not trusting our squad defenders in the final

Couldn't persist either with Higgins in the HF line, the three games he started there he finished back in the FB line. A move that I felt could have been the making of the year was never given a full 70 mins, especially in the final when it was looking like it was going to pay off. If Horan isn't going to give a gamble like this with an experienced player like Higgins a chance, what hope is there for guys like Regan being given a serious run?

Who knows really? But sometimes a manager will make his mind up about players and will have a favoured shape, starters and subs and will use it as default mode even when circumstances change. That is why a change in management is a good thing sometimes. Things can go stale. Some players are always assured of a run while others get pissed off because it doesn t matter how well they re going.
 
Shame about the Higgins thing. Some of us wanted him up the pitch for years, maybe 5 or 6? Playing him at 11 though! It still seems so out of character for Horan it was hard to fathom but great to see. It didn t look like Horan was comfortable with the move though, because at the first sign of heat Higgins was ordered back into the kitchen. This move alone set us back in final as it gave Dublin a stranglehold on mobility around the middle that swung the game in their favour. Instead of coming out battling and taking game to Dublin we went into our shell. I d have preferred to see us take a chance with McHale or Keane. Also it appears that if we needed another sub in backs that McLoughlin would have gone back as cover rather than bring a panel defender.
Kenneth Mortimor played 11 in 99 and I thought he did a good job. Then we lose to Cork and everybody says it was silly even though KM at 11 was not why we lost to Cork.

[moysider]

Kilcoyne lives and works in London. I would say the demands of travelling back at the weekends for club football are tough enough. How can he be realistically be an option for the county?

I heard he was back living and working in Dublin.Did Coen really score 4-9 at the weekend? Serious stuff if he did.

Yeah, 3-4 from play.

Technically Coen is as good a player as you could wish for.
Jason Doherty was outstanding in Sigerson, got injured but I m sure he can be a serious player for us. AFAIC Jason is ahead of where Andy Moran was at 23/24?
Freeman s best years ahead of him also.

f**k this marquee forward lark. We ve enough quality to be getting on with. It s all about getting it right on the big days now.

And getting a bit of luck on this score as well. Hopefully Andy with a full league campaign behind him and a fully fit COC should bring a bit more edge back.
[/quote]

Mayo wont win the AI until Cillian O Connor is pulling the strings at 11. If he was fully fit it would have been this year .

[Farrandeelin]

Anyone read Anthony Hennigan's article in the WP today regarding the minors from junior/intermediate clubs? He wonders if there were divisional teams would a player get a chance from a weak club to make it with the county. Suppose it works in Kerry.

[moysider]

Anyone read Anthony Hennigan's article in the WP today regarding the minors from junior/intermediate clubs? He wonders if there were divisional teams would a player get a chance from a weak club to make it with the county. Suppose it works in Kerry.

Kinda half thought about reading it. But reading about football - any football - is hard work right now.

Divisional teams are a good idea and we had them about maybe 10/12 years ago. But senior clubs did not like the idea (understandably enough I suppose) and keeping the various junior clubs sweet not easy either. Then you throw in a usual suspect manager type and Aughrim is already lost. Kerry must have done it better.

I doubt there s adult players in weaker clubs that are lost. Crucially I believe it is earlier that the damage is done. Colleges football and development panels are where it happens . A talent from a small club underage is at no disadvantage if he is playing serious colleges football. But there are some lads that play with small clubs and small schools and the odds are stacked against them developing.

[Mayo4Sam]

talking to a man who would be in the know last nite and he reckoned Horan will go in the next week or so and provided McStay doesnt take Micheal Lysters job he'll be in

[Farrandeelin]

Mayo CB not giving Horan the amount of money he requires next year. JP Lambe tightening the purse strings it seems.

[maigheo]

Looks like Horan will be back thank God.Reading the comments over on the Willie Joe blog regarding Horan would make you despair at some of the so called Mayo supporters.You would think that Horan had never played past junior b level and did not know one end of the pitch from the other.Some supporters will never appreciate that we probably have the best manager that we have ever had and for me it will be a sad day when he leaves Mayo football.Also a little surprised to hear that it was one of Horans club men that proposed that Horan should come before the county board delegates and answer questions regarding the final loss.Thankfully that was defeated  but I would say that you would have more of a chance of kilkenny winning sam maguire than Horan going before the delegates

[From the Bunker]

Looks like Horan will be back thank God.Reading the comments over on the Willie Joe blog regarding Horan would make you despair at some of the so called Mayo supporters.You would think that Horan had never played past junior b level and did not know one end of the pitch from the other.Some supporters will never appreciate that we probably have the best manager that we have ever had and for me it will be a sad day when he leaves Mayo football.Also a little surprised to hear that it was one of Horans club men that proposed that Horan should come before the county board delegates and answer questions regarding the final loss.Thankfully that was defeated  but I would say that you would have more of a chance of kilkenny winning sam maguire than Horan going before the delegates

But (Ciaran) Kilkenny won Sam Maguire!

[bucko]

Official press release from the CB tonight, Horan confirmed as staying on, Jimmy Nallen leaving the management team.

[Sam2011]

 Uplifting statement from the county board, a month on from the final.

The Mayo County Board Officers earlier tonight held a very productive meeting with James Horan. The Mayo Senior Football Manager has confirmed that he will be staying on as manager and is 100% committed and looking forward to 2014.

Mayo manager James Horan is convinced his team will win an All-Ireland and described the speculation earlier this month on his future as "pure nonsense".
After guiding the county to three Connacht titles and two All-Ireland finals during his three-year term, the Ballintubber native will enter his fourth season at the helm intent on ending Mayo's 63-year wait for Sam Maguire.
"Nothing has changed, the ambition of this squad is to win an All-Ireland and that is an ambition that drives us all," he said.

Both the management team and players already have their heads down and really relishing the challenge ahead and next year cannot come quick enough. The Management Team, Players and County Board will strive to make 2014 every bit as good as 2013 was.

James Horan has confirmed that James Nallen will not be part of next year's back room team. The Crossmolina man, who has been part every Mayo squad since 1995, has had to step back due to family and work commitments.
"It'll be a real shame not to have James with us next year, he's been an inspirational figure to the players and, having played 132 competitive games for Mayo, his experience was something we could always turn to. Replacing a real legend in Mayo football won't be easy. I've met a few people but it's too early to announce anything."

The Mayo County Board at this stage would like to sincerely thank James Nallen for his commitment over the last 2 years in the management setup, and we look forward to seeing him in the future.



All the best to Jimmy Nallen in the future. Hes given an unbelievable service to Mayo football over the years and owes the county nothing.

Now roll on championship 2014!

[moysider]

Well that's that so.

He's entitled to another shot imo. Depressingly I think the bird has flown however.

Some turnover of staff in 3 years. Year 1 Connolly and Jordan gone. Year 2 Cian O Neill gone. Year 3 James Nallen gone.

[Ballaghman]

True, but with that comes much needed freshness, new voices are needed too. I'm delighted he's staying on. For two reasons: He's one of the best managers in the country and secondly the alternatives that were mentioned are not as good as him.
Hopefully the squad will remain intact, that will be his first challenge, convincing certain lads to put travelling (and having a life outside of football) on hold for another year.