Mayo Football and Hurling - Discussion pages

[the Deel Rover]

It would not surprise me if brady was involved .

[stephenite]

Stephenite where is this Brady for Gallagher story coming from?

Swinford is my source on thie one.

Oh you are actually serious? Jaysus I can't buy that one.

The guy who told me is genuine, I've no idea whether or not his info is correct.

Apparently Gallagher is stepping down, O'Mahoney wants DB to replace him.

Could be true, could be shite.

[the Deel Rover]

He might have to go camping out side his house in order to get him involved . Brady will hardly want to loose his t v 3 gig . Could be tough contract talks ahead .

[Never beat the deeler]

Jesus, I dont know about Brady. I know he's always been a big talker in the dressing room and can be quite good at pumping players up before games, but I'd doubt his tactical knowledge....

[Zulu]

Doubt it? If his stint on TV3 is anything to go by he hasn't a clue, why an ex-player is deemed good IC selector material without doing a damned thing as a selector at any level previously is beyond me. Surely there are lads involved with club teams who know the local scene inside out that could offer level-headedness, insight and experience to the role as oppossed to a young ex-player who offers none of those things.

[RedandGreenSniper]

Doubt it? If his stint on TV3 is anything to go by he hasn't a clue, why an ex-player is deemed good IC selector material without doing a damned thing as a selector at any level previously is beyond me. Surely there are lads involved with club teams who know the local scene inside out that could offer level-headedness, insight and experience to the role as oppossed to a young ex-player who offers none of those things.

Correct. Which is why I think Noel Connelly would be great. Although it would probably be necessary to substitute passion for level-headedness

Brady would bring little enough to the table.

[stephenite]

Doubt it? If his stint on TV3 is anything to go by he hasn't a clue, why an ex-player is deemed good IC selector material without doing a damned thing as a selector at any level previously is beyond me. Surely there are lads involved with club teams who know the local scene inside out that could offer level-headedness, insight and experience to the role as oppossed to a young ex-player who offers none of those things.

A TV studio is very different from a dressing room Zulu - I wouldn't read too much into comments made in the media and draw a correaltion with abilities of a selector. When people say things in a public forum it is very often far different from what they'd say in private

[Zulu]

That's true enough Stephenite but he didn't come across to me as someone with a particularily analytical brain for football. And even if he has how familiar is he with the club scene, beyond the teams he has played against himself, or the underage scene? And I think a selector should be a man who has a few years of standing on sidelines watching games and making the calls. I know myself that it is very different watching a game from the stand with no responsibility and watching it from the sideline when the calls have to be made, many's the time if I had the game back again I'd have done things differently. Brady has nothing on his CV to show JOM that he can add anything to the mix on big game days.

[stephenite]

Fair points - but a selectors can do different things, perhaps Johnno sees the needs for someone to bridge a generation gap within the backroom team, I'm sure he has the men for scouting club matches.

[joemamas]

That's true enough Stephenite but he didn't come across to me as someone with a particularily analytical brain for football.

That is the understatement of the year. While I respected the guy as a player, I thought in the latter years, he too focused on himself, the losses, the wins all that BS.

JOM would not get a look in if a camera shows.

[stephenite]

No matter now - I believe a wind up in a Swinford pub grew legs, walked out the door, found it's way to a mobile phone, reached Sydney and was recounted to me.

[moysider]

Yes - TJ's outstanding management record put's him streets ahead of any other possible candidates.

sorry ros couldn't help myself

well used to it
its about getting the manager that fits . the right ointment for the right Cut . JOM may have been it for galway at the time but very wrong for this mayo team. like pat holme was the wrong man for mayo a few years back but is really turning in good  results for the u21's.
I think some one with the respect through out the county that TJ has would start off on at a huge advantage.

Have I been missing something with the U21 results?! Our U21 display v Down this year was pathetic. A traditional county shaking their jersey and we rolled as badly as we have at senior in the past. Dont let that U21 AI win against Cork disguise the faltering the other years. The fact is we ve only converted 1 from 4 Connachts into AIs. That is not good unless your happy with beating our neighbours.

I've argued with you before on this Moysider so I guess I'll have to do so again

We have done very well with this Under 21 team. True, when we got to the All-Ireland series we have only won one All-Ireland but bear in mind that it was our first All-Ireland at any level since 1985. Also none of these lads had ever won a Connacht minor title, with the exception of O'Shea, Freeman, Hennelly etc this year. So it is not as if we had teams who had won all before them. We had lads with ability, true, but to win four in a row deserves serious commendation. I know you have made the point about certain players not being picked and I'd have to agree with you on a lot of them. But what I really like about the teams Holmes and Connelly send out are how they get them playing fairly close to the peak of their powers nearly all the time. They weren't hectic when they started out in Leitrim in 2006 but they stuck at it and won narrow games against Tyrone and Cork to win an All-Ireland a lot of other Mayo teams of greater ability wouldn't have been able to do. We've seen character in our under 21 teams not often seen in other Mayo teams.

I'm not saying Holmes and Connelly should be the next Mayo management at senior level but they certainly bring something to the table, particularly Connelly. Perhaps part of an overall management team. Again that's not a discussion for now with O'Mahony waiting on but woudln't it be great if he brought Connelly on this year as an extra selector? Any thoughts?

I m not really aware of what Connelly brings to the table - steel, fire and brimstone? I dont really know.

I honestly think Johnno should bring in new faces and new voices - a different perspective.

I ll stick to my guns on the the U21 debate. I think we need to distinguish good management and good fortune. There was a certain amount of fortune in 06 on way to winning  that AI, as there was this year to beat Ros. What we have been failing to do at senior for  half a century is convert Connachts into AIs. This management seems to be the same failing to reach another final. You d think they would be able to repeat the trick if they knew how to do it. The laois and Down teams they lost to were very beatable.

While those lads had not won before and after them at minor I dont think anybody wants to go there.

I'm sure you and I have different opinions on how beneficial Connelly's attributes would be. I think he brings a badly needed determination and passion that we often lack. He was a great leader as a player, whilst of limited enough ability, and he'll bring that to the sideline too. Tommy Lyons and Kieran Gallagher bring certain qualities to the table but I fear that they won't bring as much passion as Connelly might. But O'Mahony won't bring him in because he'd be too much of his own man . . .

I think there was luck against Tyrone in 2006 because they were the second best team. But, honestly, how often are Mayo the second best team and win? Very rarely. Luck played a part but they showed character too, something management have to take credit for. Roscommon, this year, was pure luck though. Jammy goal and a game we probably threw away prior to that.

I think too that the fact that the under 21s as minors had won feck all is very notable. Sure, we don't have to look at the cause of why they didn't, we could take all night about that. But we can look at the effect that has. They aren't used to winning and they've had less games at a higher level than lads who might win provincial titles. You can only see the benefit last year's minors had from playing so many games and how they improved as a team and individuals as they went along. Most of the players that holmes and connelly had at under 21 didn't have that luxury. It's a very salient point in my opinion.

Our minors were very poor between Keane and Dempsey. Some of the current seniors cut their teeth in those years.

I don't quite see what you're saying?? The minors were poor in those years, hence how the Under 21s achievements should be heightened . . .

Poor or poorly prepared? Remember we made a final through the back door in 05 only to predictably crash to a more streetwise Down team. 5 or 6 of those minors were U21 AI winners 6 months later so they had quality.

[Farrandeelin]

Here, lets have our annual fall-out on this thread. We need to move on from the Mayo v Meath thread at some stage!

[moysider]

Here, lets have our annual fall-out on this thread. We need to move on from the Mayo v Meath thread at some stage!

Start the ball rolling Farrandeelin. Do you think progress has been made? What was our undoing? Any changes you d like to see?

[Farrandeelin]

Here's my tuppence worth. We hammered Roscommon and got by Galway in Connacht. I don't regard the game in NY as a proper championship match etc. Now we let a 7 point lead against Galway slip down to nothing before Gardiner scored that point which was great and then the 'Salthill hoodoo' was laid to rest.

However, I was worried during and after that game about our mid-field and our full-back line. They were no better than average, I thought. During the Galway game the half-backs and half forwards had to win lots of breaking ball to get us into the 7 point lead, but once Galway turned on their switch they gave us all a real fright. Now why we let Galway into the game is a moot point or were Galway playing below par is another thing. But Galway's  display against Donegal the following week suggests they were not playing below par even though they could have benefitted with an extra week's break. But we won the Connacht title and the local media had us believing once the draw was made that we were in for an extended run.

True, I thought we would have beaten Meath by 4/5 points. I repeatedly stated that throughout the different threads. Then, it dawned on me that the current group of players are not good enough to win anyth8ing. They were out-muscled for balls they should have won. There was a lack of leadership evident. Indeed Mayo's best spell in that match was in the opening 10/12 minutes. We were only 4 points up! When on top convert chances. Then Meath got a 45 which shouldn't have been but they scored from it and then in a matter of moments it was level. Meath led at the break by 1. I was disappointed at ht but I thought that we could make a go of it in the second half. True there should have been no penalty, nor Meath line-ball which led to the penalty. But the game was there to be won in the last 10 minutes and no Mayo man could say they stood up and were counted. Johnno said reporting on refs should be transparent. I say why weren't the players stepping up to the mark?

As for the future, well I don't know what is around the corner but I cannot see this group of players winning All-Ireland titles. I think there's too many players that don't step up to the mark on big days. Maybe the 04 and 06 finals have taken their toll after all. We need a half back line that gets BACK after going forward. Trevor Mortimer is more a work-horse than a playmaker so I'd switch him to somewhere else, where that place would be is another debate for another day. I think Heaney and Nallen will go this winter, BJP might also be dropped, Parsons needs to make a better fist of it if he's going to be a good midfielder. Maybe have him and McG in midfield and Let Harte play at no 11. And it wouldn't be too much harm to play muppet's inside forward line. I'd give McLoughlin a go at cornerback as well.