Banty's hanging around for another while

[orangeman]

Banty is very likeable. Loves the game and has given a lot to the game. A lot of people myself included thought that he'd pack it in but he wants another rattle. His call.

[irunthev]

Banty is very likeable. Loves the game and has given a lot to the game. A lot of people myself included thought that he'd pack it in but he wants another rattle. His call.

Loves the limelight me thinks... good for business too.
We have argued here whether Monaghan have been successful in his time as manager and some posters come back with the argument of Monaghan being a small county and that they have had "relative success". However, the Monaghan set-up under Banty hasn't been designed for relative success it has been very professional and put in place for "real success". Given that after five years there has been no real success I would say he has failed. There has been a lot of money pumped into Monaghan football and maybe Banty deserves credit for that, but with the exception of a few individuals having lined their pockets nicely out of the project, there has been precious little to show for his five years in charge. Yes they have progressed, but they haven't been successful.

[thebandit]

Banty is very likeable. Loves the game and has given a lot to the game. A lot of people myself included thought that he'd pack it in but he wants another rattle. His call.

Loves the limelight me thinks... good for business too.
We have argued here whether Monaghan have been successful in his time as manager and some posters come back with the argument of Monaghan being a small county and that they have had "relative success". However, the Monaghan set-up under Banty hasn't been designed for relative success it has been very professional and put in place for "real success". Given that after five years there has been no real success I would say he has failed. There has been a lot of money pumped into Monaghan football and maybe Banty deserves credit for that, but with the exception of a few individuals having lined their pockets nicely out of the project, there has been precious little to show for his five years in charge. Yes they have progressed, but they haven't been successful.

It costs him money to be there, he doesn't take one cent for his time.

[INDIANA]

Too long in my view. Players get bored listening to one man all the time.

Apparently pleas from the players had a major part in his decision. Anyway, swapping managers about doesn't seem to have waves a magic wand over the fortunes of other counties. 

Furthermore, I believe that Mickey Harte is the country's longest serving manager.

With all due respect Maguire- after 6 years with a fairly decent team -not to have won an ulster title is a fairly damning endightment. I know myself I wouldn't be going again. You have to achieve something to go on a run like that. Getting beaten by fermanagh etc in the Ulster championship etc- is hardly a legacy of success.

[Main Street]

He has been there for 5 seasons so far, now going on for a 6th.
Now its Banty has failed and he should have walked as you would have.

Obviously Banty thought earnestly about packing it in. He made a decision to stay on after much thought as well as consultation with the squad. He is a serious man who has an overview of the state of Monaghan football over the past decade. He can measure what he has to offer to what is available and consider the effect of that on the squad. He is a man of iron who instills pride and self belief and with a united committed squad fully behind him for next seasons League Div1 competition and preparation for another championship.

[INDIANA]

He has been there for 5 seasons so far, now going on for a 6th.
Now its Banty has failed and he should have walked as you would have.

Obviously Banty thought earnestly about packing it in. He made a decision to stay on after much thought as well as consultation with the squad. He is a serious man who has an overview of the state of Monaghan football over the past decade. He can measure what he has to offer to what is available and consider the effect of that on the squad. He is a man of iron who instills pride and self belief and with a united committed squad fully behind him for next seasons League Div1 competition and preparation for another championship.

I don't dispute any of that but do you not think that after 5 years not winning even an Ulster Championship isn't a good record. Doing well in the qualifiers is nice but until Monaghan win something they aren't going to improve. Bar Tyrone Ulster isn't especially strong at the moment.

[Main Street]

The way the championship format is these days, I'd see reaching the 1/4 finals as the base target.

This year was more worrying as we should have been able or at least come close to beating Derry in Clones. I'd assume much of Banty's reflection was about that result after all that preparation.
It was desperately disappointing.
Others would know better what went on in the debriefing and what commitment the squad are prepared to make for next year. I only know from a few what it has meant to them to be a part of the squad and how it has taken over their lives.
I don't know who is available and would be capable of taking on the job. If there are a few, they can surely wait another year.

[irunthev]

Banty is very likeable. Loves the game and has given a lot to the game. A lot of people myself included thought that he'd pack it in but he wants another rattle. His call.

Loves the limelight me thinks... good for business too.
We have argued here whether Monaghan have been successful in his time as manager and some posters come back with the argument of Monaghan being a small county and that they have had "relative success". However, the Monaghan set-up under Banty hasn't been designed for relative success it has been very professional and put in place for "real success". Given that after five years there has been no real success I would say he has failed. There has been a lot of money pumped into Monaghan football and maybe Banty deserves credit for that, but with the exception of a few individuals having lined their pockets nicely out of the project, there has been precious little to show for his five years in charge. Yes they have progressed, but they haven't been successful.

It costs him money to be there, he doesn't take one cent for his time.

Never suggested Banty took money for doing the job, but he is in a business where punters will come through the door because of the job he does. There are a few from within his back-room who have done alright out of it directly.

[JMohan]

Banty is a motivator, media man and finance generator and a that's about it, as a manager his tactics are very questionable at best.
To say it's costing him money is hardly accurate either - everyone knows the family businesses have done well out of it and through the various GAA links, traveling teams etc. Ones in Monaghan will tell you that people forget the family had a lot less property before he took over the county team than now.   

All this hype about players wanting him is nonsense too... what else is someone going to say to him if they think he's going to pick the team next year?
If your boss comes to you and says - 'Bob... do you think I should resign now or stay on for another year' - knowing rightly he'll be the one deciding if you get a raise or not? - What are you going to say? Seriously? What is someone like the captain Damien Freeman going to say? Because the next man in would drop him straightaway.
Banty keeps banging on about trust in the team - say it often enough and someone will believe it - hell even he'll start to believe it eventually. He just wants reassurance from someone.

I'm told from a very reliable source that some of the senior players would be glad to see someone else come in and change it up because they see the weaknesses themselves and know their time is running out.

Banty is waiting to see if he can get someone else in as coach before he announces the backroom team as he recognizes they've gone backwards in the past 2 years.
The problem is he will have to pay 40-50 grand for the next man as that's the precedent that they've set.

As for the success Monaghan have achieved ... they've won nothing in years and they're not a patch on the tough 80's teams which went right through the front door.

Like I said before - if he stays on for one year it will be a bad move as he'll just bleed that group more and run them into the ground more not leaving anything for anyone else to inherit. 

[bingobus]

No harm Jim, you don't know about the personal finances or the like to be saying the Banty and his family have built up there business's on the back of him been county manager. When he took over the job they where already building up this up and remember, this was during the boom years and money was easily got to buy what you wanted. It isn't as clear cut as you make out.

Also this talk you have of the players not wanting him cause they might get dropped!! FFS, grow up. Any of the players I have talked to, yes directly, have said they'd like to see him stay on and that includes some explayers who have left in recent years. The feeling is that 3/4 of the players will only give it a couple of more years at best and that a new man coming in won't get the best of these players.

Banty is a players manager, pure and simple.

There is limited in the GAA for a team to actually win to measure success. He started at the lowest ebb. He won a Div 2 title from the old format. He reached an Ulster final. He took Monaghan back to Div 1. He reached the later stages of the All-Ireland and twice took Kerry to the final minutes. 5 years ago when he started this would have been unthinkable.

He may not have won an Ulster but he has ticked every other box that Monaghan should be realistictly aiming at. 2007 was the year that an Ulster got away but he picked up a team from the floor and again took them to Croke park to face Kerry.

I don't like his style of play (or Martys), I don't like that he very often puts club football way down the list but I think he is entitled to another go and finish what he has started. I don't think anyone else is in the frame, we'd end up with a recently retired ex-county star ala Colm Coyle who may produce the odd win but that would be it.

If he wants it and the players want it, then so be it. He has earned the right imho.

[JMohan]

Jim?  Anyway ...

Binobus - if you read what I said - I didn't say he or the family make his money off the back of it - I said he didn't lose money because someone else was saying it was costing the Banty to manage Monaghan - which isn't true either. He's a great hard worker by all accounts and deserves every success if that's the case - but to say it's 'costing' him is a bit rich.
 
I think Monaghan have more often than not been a hard team to beat and always are around the semi-final stage of Ulster - he's made no difference. To say he won a Div 2 is a joke too. Ulsters are the standard and only Tyrone and Armagh can claim success there.

A players manager? So what. There's no prizes for being the players favourite. Mickey Harte wouldn't be described the same way.

The only thing I see him finishing with that current squad is a few players careers and his own - I think if he's going to stay on - do another 3 year stint and 'try' and do it properly. Not bleed the same players dry for a 6th year on the road.

 

[irunthev]

Banty is a motivator, media man and finance generator and a that's about it, as a manager his tactics are very questionable at best.
To say it's costing him money is hardly accurate either - everyone knows the family businesses have done well out of it and through the various GAA links, traveling teams etc. Ones in Monaghan will tell you that people forget the family had a lot less property before he took over the county team than now.   

All this hype about players wanting him is nonsense too... what else is someone going to say to him if they think he's going to pick the team next year?
If your boss comes to you and says - 'Bob... do you think I should resign now or stay on for another year' - knowing rightly he'll be the one deciding if you get a raise or not? - What are you going to say? Seriously? What is someone like the captain Damien Freeman going to say? Because the next man in would drop him straightaway.
Banty keeps banging on about trust in the team - say it often enough and someone will believe it - hell even he'll start to believe it eventually. He just wants reassurance from someone.

I'm told from a very reliable source that some of the senior players would be glad to see someone else come in and change it up because they see the weaknesses themselves and know their time is running out.

Banty is waiting to see if he can get someone else in as coach before he announces the backroom team as he recognizes they've gone backwards in the past 2 years.
The problem is he will have to pay 40-50 grand for the next man as that's the precedent that they've set.

As for the success Monaghan have achieved ... they've won nothing in years and they're not a patch on the tough 80's teams which went right through the front door.

Like I said before - if he stays on for one year it will be a bad move as he'll just bleed that group more and run them into the ground more not leaving anything for anyone else to inherit.

Jim / Joe / James / John / Jose ...... I agree 100% with everything you say.

[JMohan]

I thought the highlighted bit stood out when I read it first time round ...


McEnaney defers decision
21 August 2009

Seamus McEnaney has asked for more time to decide whether to continue as Monaghan manager for a sixth successive year.

A statement was due yesterday from the Monaghan county board regarding the Corduff man's future, but he has requested a two-week extension and has now been given until September 1 to make up his mind.

"I met with the county board last night (Wednesday) and asked for a two-week extension," 'Banty' told the Irish News.

"I have a few things to get sorted out, which haven't been sorted out yet. It's not a small decision for me - it's a big decision for this group of players. It's a big decision for a lot of people in Monaghan and it's not one that I'm taking lightly."

McEnaney, who has held talks with team trainer Martin McElkennon and his selectors Gerry Connolly and Adrian Trappe in recent days, added: "I want to be 100 per cent sure the decision I come up with his right.

"The bond between the players and me is still very, very strong after five years. I also think the players have progressed every year and I believe they progressed in 2009 as well.

"We're back in Division 1 for the first time in 20 years. That's where Monaghan needs to be because, if you want to win provincial silverware or national silverware, you have to be playing in Division 1."


May be it's nothing but I thought he'd have said 'the management team' or us or something like that.
Or that 'the bond between all of us' is strong etc

Maybe nothing.

[bingobus]

Joseph, it was a Div 2 title, he won it. Why dismiss it? He couldn't win anything else in the league as he has only reached Div 1 now.

He makes reference to the players and him because he may intend to clear out his back room team again. He did it with Gerry McCarville, Bernie Murray and Gerry Hoey after two years. Any they where the reason he got the job. He may be doing the same. I think thats the right attitude to have - Mgr and Players. Everyone else can come and go.

He has cost him, same as it costs every manager in Ireland. Loss of Family life but I'm sure he and his family wouldn't have it any other way.

He's a players manager in that the players always come first. He he had the slightest thoughts that they didn't want him, he'd be gone. The players that i know in monaghan are very defensive of banty.

[JMohan]

Joseph, it was a Div 2 title, he won it. Why dismiss it? He couldn't win anything else in the league as he has only reached Div 1 now.

He makes reference to the players and him because he may intend to clear out his back room team again. He did it with Gerry McCarville, Bernie Murray and Gerry Hoey after two years. Any they where the reason he got the job. He may be doing the same. I think thats the right attitude to have - Mgr and Players. Everyone else can come and go.

He has cost him, same as it costs every manager in Ireland. Loss of Family life but I'm sure he and his family wouldn't have it any other way.

He's a players manager in that the players always come first. He he had the slightest thoughts that they didn't want him, he'd be gone. The players that i know in monaghan are very defensive of banty.

I just mean a Div 2 title means very little - a trophy for coming 7th or something in the 2nd most important competition in the country ....

Of course it's cost him in terms of family - but I'm not going there.