The State We're In (Mayo football)

[IolarCoisCuain]

There is also talk of Noel Dempsey, the under 21 coach, and due to having worked successfully with the players who are seniors now, obviously has a connection with them.

Is Noel Dempsey the ultimate compromise candidate Daz? 

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Jaysus lads there are three threads on the go now full of depressed Mayo men. It's even beginning to get me down.

Do you reckon Joe Kernan will be interested, he should be free after the Wexford game   

[moysider]

There is also talk of Noel Dempsey, the under 21 coach, and due to having worked successfully with the players who are seniors now, obviously has a connection with them.

Is Noel Dempsey the ultimate compromise candidate Daz? 

Surely we can do without another politician in charge - even if he is from the other side?

[The Konica]

Joe would have the been the better choice for Mayo last year if it was free.

I think Mayo would benefit from an outsider, but I'm not sure what the Mayo people think of that.

The M&M's, Maughan or Dominic Corrigan would be good, and good enough to reach an AI Semi or final, but wouldn't be able to bring home the bacon at AI or AI Semi stage as I don't believe any of them have the tactical nous to compete at the highest level.


While perhaps not on anyones radar if I were in Mayo I'd put Pat O'Shea on the list.
I know he's issues with his role etc as a coach and all that, but as a manager he's got great experience at the highest level, incredibly hard worker, excellent coach and shrewd tactician.

It's the kind of calibre Mayo need as there's plenty around who are capable of getting the team to an AI semi ... but only a few capable of closing the deal.

[IolarCoisCuain]

It's the kind of calibre Mayo need as there's plenty around who are capable of getting the team to an AI semi ... but only a few capable of closing the deal.

I don't think that's true. Mickey Harte gave an interview to the Irish Times in early 2009 where he pointed out that all the decisions he got right in 2008 could just as easily have backfired and left him looking like a fool. You may remember there was a movement to run Mickey out of town around then too. Men can look a a lot different at five o'clock on the third Sunday than they did at half-three.

Nobody knows what the magic ingredient to winning an All-Ireland is because there isn't one. Maughan always got slated for not going the distance. Colm Coyle scoring from 70 yards on the half-volley was hardly a failure of coaching.

A coach can only do the basics right. You can only hope that everything else comes together on that foundation. The more basics he gets right, the better his chance of winning. But to say someone has the magic tough is wrong. We should have learned that from thinking Johnno was an alchemist.

[The Konica]

I don't follow your first paragraph, or the point Iolar ...

What I'm saying is that there are different classes of manager and Mayo have had plenty over the past few years who have gotten them as far as AI's and Semi's but never been able to finish it convincingly.

I think there's enough talent in Mayo that a decent manager should be able to compete for a Connacht title, a good manager should win it and make it to a Semi at least ... but to go the whole way? That'll take a different class of manager.

Mind you, it's not all the managers fault, but there are some very good players in Mayo, even if they're not currently on the panel.

[The Konica]

It's the kind of calibre Mayo need as there's plenty around who are capable of getting the team to an AI semi ... but only a few capable of closing the deal.

I don't think that's true.

Do you not think that the M&M's, Maughan, Paidi, Micko or Corrigan could come in with a burst of freshness and get that current Mayo team as far as an AI Semi?

[Hardy]

Perhaps to an AI semi, but I don't think Sigmund Freud, Einstein, Aristotle or even Seán Boylan himself could win an AI with that current Mayo team.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

While perhaps not on anyones radar if I were in Mayo I'd put Pat O'Shea on the list.
I know he's issues with his role etc as a coach and all that, but as a manager he's got great experience at the highest level, incredibly hard worker, excellent coach and shrewd tactician.

This was my first choice once I heard Johnno had resigned. Myself and a few of the lads where driving home and discussing it. I said Pat O'Shea but one of the lads said this might be impossible due to personal circumstances. My other choice was Sean Boylan, but the lads argued he was too long out of management.

I was very much against the idea of Micko or Paidi.

Is Mick Malthouse & Mark Thompson available?

[IolarCoisCuain]

I don't follow your first paragraph, or the point Iolar ...

What I'm saying is that there are different classes of manager and Mayo have had plenty over the past few years who have gotten them as far as AI's and Semi's but never been able to finish it convincingly.

I think there's enough talent in Mayo that a decent manager should be able to compete for a Connacht title, a good manager should win it and make it to a Semi at least ... but to go the whole way? That'll take a different class of manager.

Mind you, it's not all the managers fault, but there are some very good players in Mayo, even if they're not currently on the panel.

I don't think that the division of managers between a second division, those who can get to semis, and a first division, those who can win All-Irelands. I think you're either a good/coach manager, or you're not. I don't think there's some sort of ceiling between an semi-final winning manager and a Sam winning manager.

Let's look at it from another angle - what do you think of Conor Counihan? Is he a man who can take Cork the extra yard, or is he a man who can only win semis but doesn't have it on the big day? What do you think?

[The Konica]

I don't follow your first paragraph, or the point Iolar ...

What I'm saying is that there are different classes of manager and Mayo have had plenty over the past few years who have gotten them as far as AI's and Semi's but never been able to finish it convincingly.

I think there's enough talent in Mayo that a decent manager should be able to compete for a Connacht title, a good manager should win it and make it to a Semi at least ... but to go the whole way? That'll take a different class of manager.

Mind you, it's not all the managers fault, but there are some very good players in Mayo, even if they're not currently on the panel.

I don't think that the division of managers between a second division, those who can get to semis, and a first division, those who can win All-Irelands. I think you're either a good/coach manager, or you're not. I don't think there's some sort of ceiling between an semi-final winning manager and a Sam winning manager.

Let's look at it from another angle - what do you think of Conor Counihan? Is he a man who can take Cork the extra yard, or is he a man who can only win semis but doesn't have it on the big day? What do you think?

That's where we differ.
I see managers like Tommy Carr, Maughan, McEneaney, Cassidy etc and IMO they'll never win an AI as they don't have the tactical nous to win at the highest level, but every one of them might be able to get a county to an AI Semi.

(One exception in that list above is McEnaney, not because of he himself, but because of Grimley now along side him, so the combo of both now has enough intelligence to win the big one IMO)

In the top tier though you have the Kernan's, Hartes, Dwyers etc.

As for Counihan, time will tell, but I think he's a man capable of winning the big one.

As I said above it's just an opinion, but I think there's a distinction between shrewd managers who can win when they get to AI level and just good managers who can make it to semi or perhaps final stage, but that's their limit.

[diehard]

Like marriage picking a manager is a gamble - a shot in the dark.  There is no predicting what might happen.  If there were surely a man like JOM was guaranteed to be successful.
The best you can do is avoid the idiots and pick the best man you can and hope for the best.  The rest is down to how he gets on with the players and how good they are as footballers.
So I say pick one and leave the rest.

[Daz]

There is also talk of Noel Dempsey, the under 21 coach, and due to having worked successfully with the players who are seniors now, obviously has a connection with them.

Is Noel Dempsey the ultimate compromise candidate Daz? 

just looking for an "outside the box" answer:)