Joe Kernan Steps down

[JMohan]

McKieran, I think you put your finger on the button - Galway have a lack of talent available to them, and to build a new team you'd have to spend a lot of time on the ground in Galway. Time Kernan doesn't have coming in as an outside man.

Will be interesting to see what he does now.

Media would be my bet, unless Cross want him.

I can't see him going to another county, unless somewhere close (like as someone above said Monaghan, if Grimley isn't there! Stranger things have happened!)

[mylestheslasher]

I know a well connected man in galway. There was going to be a heave against kernan and looks like he bailed first. He was costing galway upwards of a tonne which is crazy in these times.

[thewanderer]

cross wouldnt have the money for him now and i think they are happy with new managers from recent teams. monaghan that would be a surprise but not with grimley biggest fallout ever.

[thebackbar]

I'm not surprised that he is going, I doubt they could of afforded him for another year. I'm sure anyone that contributed to his "expenses" last year would not of being impressed with the return they got this year.

[Hardy]

Yikes!

[the Deel Rover]

looks like another job for micko. would he be able to manage mayo amd galway and maybe we could share the expenses

[mouview]

I suspect that Kernan was unaware of the lack of depth of talent in Galway at the moment. That + the travelling may have been a big factor in this. Once Galway had the injuries they endured this year, they just do not have the replacements. Personally, I would liked to have seen him give it one more year. We werent a million miles away from an AI Q/F this year (Bradshaws mistake for the goal was all that was really in it because I firmly believe this Galway team would have beaten Ros). And as people say, there isnt much point just doing it for 1 year. He wouldnt have known much about the fring e players before this year. Maybe the travelling just got too much for him...

A whole review needs to be done of Galway football; Similiar to what is planned in Mayo

Exactly; I'd say Joe overestimated the quality available to him. He was always the right man at the wrong time. His backroom team (one of them anyway) was wrong too. Whoever gets the job will have to spend a few years treading water until better quality starts to come through. As with Kernan, Kevin Walsh would be the right man in a few years time - I'd imagine he'll give another year to Sligo anyway. Gerry Fahy has been mentioned but his last stint being involved didn't exactly end too well. Frank Morris has a good knowledge and football brain but would IMHO be too much Ajax-Corofin - empowering identikit players who're good but no better.

I have a feeling also that the top table may move towards changing the structure of the (Senior) c'ship. Secretary Seamus O'Grady has said on a couple of occasions that, in effect, clubs concentrate more on the league these days - seeking promotion, avoiding relegation etc. - to the detriment of the c'ship. Perhaps a league / mini-group - based c'ship will be introduced next year?

[Rossfan]

I suspect he is jumping before being pushed 
So with Fergal "considering the situation", Messiah gone, JK gone and KW to replace him little Laythrum could well be the only Connacht County to retain it's 2010 manager. 

[SLIGONIAN]

I'll be suprised if Kevin Walsh stays on. With his reputation intact, he'd be a wise man to run now imo. Sligo will struggle in 2011.

[Mano]

Sligo will struggle in 2011.

What a load of rubbish. Why do you say that? Theres no in between with you. If we get replacement for full back and the return of Egan, McGovern, McNamara and elevate Maye to corner forward we should be challenging for Connaught again next season.

[SLIGONIAN]

Sligo will struggle in 2011.

What a load of rubbish. Why do you say that? Theres no in between with you. If we get replacement for full back and the return of Egan, McGovern, McNamara and elevate Maye to corner forward we should be challenging for Connaught again next season.

One thing the Connacht final thought me is we have no spine, Brehony, ALL OUR MIDFIELDERS, CHB and FB are in a complete mess and unreliable. We wil go into next yr relying on mullen, taylor and gilmartin and i dont think we can rely on them. As far as im concerned we are wasting our time with Greene in goals aswell.  Forget about McNamara. Even Cawley and Davey as wing backs strengths arent good one on one defending, both like to go forward to mask this, but both are brilliant readers of the game defensively, but when there men run at them we are in trouble. Even Harrison isnt a world beater defensively, harrsion gave away alot of frees in the final,  The only man i have 100% faith in is Ross Donovan in our Defence. The others worry me as there weaknesses can be exploited.

None of us know if Conor Davey, Mark Quinn, Brian Kennedy will deliver in Championship.

You talk of Maye, is he ready for Senior football, he looked great for the juniors but lacks pace, he has everything else and more. Still it is no certainty. We have no FF either, well do you think Marren is the answer, i dont. Sweeney is our best bet but grossly inconsistent.

Is Egan Returning for definite? McGovern I rate, Johnny Martyn I rate, huge boost to the hb line if they come back.

Now remember all of the above has to be tried and tested against the heavyweights of Div2. And ideally we dont want to peak until june/july. I dont want us going for the fitness advantage early on either as it will comeback to bite in summer when i'll be told again the tank is empty.

I personally have a fair idea who our best chance is in every position so i wouldnt be wasting much time, but i wouldnt really care if we win or not in the league, it would all be about getting the spine sorted for CSFC. As far as im concerned you can throw the div3 trophy in the bin, all that matters is the Nestor.

I cant see Walsh doing the above so i expect us to flatter to deceive in the NFL and have no spine for CSFC.

[ross matt]

I suspect that Kernan was unaware of the lack of depth of talent in Galway at the moment. That + the travelling may have been a big factor in this. Once Galway had the injuries they endured this year, they just do not have the replacements. Personally, I would liked to have seen him give it one more year. We werent a million miles away from an AI Q/F this year (Bradshaws mistake for the goal was all that was really in it because I firmly believe this Galway team would have beaten Ros). And as people say, there isnt much point just doing it for 1 year. He wouldnt have known much about the fring e players before this year. Maybe the travelling just got too much for him...

A whole review needs to be done of Galway football; Similiar to what is planned in Mayo

oExactly; I'd say Joe overestimated the quality available to him. He was always the right man at the wrong time. His backroom team (one of them anyway) was wrong too. Whoever gets the job will have to spend a few years treading water until better quality starts to come through. As with Kernan, Kevin Walsh would be the right man in a few years time - I'd imagine he'll give another year to Sligo anyway. Gerry Fahy has been mentioned but his last stint being involved didn't exactly end too well. Frank Morris has a good knowledge and football brain but would IMHO be too much Ajax-Corofin - empowering identikit players who're good but no better.

I have a feeling also that the top table may move towards changing the structure of the (Senior) c'ship. Secretary Seamus O'Grady has said on a couple of occasions that, in effect, clubs concentrate more on the league these days - seeking promotion, avoiding relegation etc. - to the detriment of the c'ship. Perhaps a league / mini-group - based c'ship will be introduced next year?

Your suggestions re club structures certainly make sense. The self preservation situation for most senior clubs in Galway regarding the league has lowered the standard of the championship. Galway have some very talented players and some very limited players in their county panel. A provincial title and progress ti the last 4 should have been realistic goals for this season and next. You would imagine Laim Sammon would have been the man to retain to achieve that. Kiernan was a silver bullet solution and once he was appointed with the fanfare last year there was always going to be higher but unrealistic expactations. That being said they disimproved greatly under him and thats unforgiveable. I'm amazed at Galway posters saying they'd be happy for him to stay on. He cost the county a fortune and delivered nothing. His legacy with Armagh should be still intact and respected but for Kiernan himself and Galway in general he made the right decision in resigning. Those who appointed him should also be looking at themselves.

[ross matt]

Sligo will struggle in 2011.

What a load of rubbish. Why do you say that? Theres no in between with you. If we get replacement for full back and the return of Egan, McGovern, McNamara and elevate Maye to corner forward we should be challenging for Connaught again next season.

It would be a disaster for Sligo if Kevin left now. That being said with the effort they put in this year only to finish so poorly it may be hard to get lads to sign up to the same level of focus next season. Walsh knows Galway football inside out. He has to know they are at an all time low but with injured players returning etc they will not be as bad in 2011. Therefore it must be a huge temptation for him if offered.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Galway have to start bringing through new young players over the next few years so ideally you would want a local who knows the scene inside and out in charge and leave him in place for a decent spell to develop these young lads a la O'Donnell in Roscommon. While the last few years at underage have been barren enough bar the 2007 All-Ireland minor winners a lot of this IMO has been down to shoddy youth development and selection and/or utterly incompetent jobs for the boys management. There are still good individual youngsters there. Things seem to be improving a bit with this year's minors reaching an All-Ireland semi-final while next year's minors are generally expected to be better than this year's.

You would think this all points to Kevin Walsh but I'm not sure he sees eye to eye over some issues with certain people in the county board so I don't think he's a cert to take over just yet. I would expect Micko will have his hat firmly in the ring. Has long stated his admiration for Galway football having had so many battles with them during his career both as player and coach. Micko's style would probably suit the Galway temperament but again he would be more of the quick fix varity rather than someone in there to build a team from the ground up slowly.

[GrandMasterFlash]

cross wouldnt have the money for him now and i think they are happy with new managers from recent teams. monaghan that would be a surprise but not with grimley biggest fallout ever.

  What was that about?