Mayo Season Review 2008 - O'Mahony Confirmed for Another Year

[Barney]

The record isn't that hot.

We always knew the league was going to be difficult and staying up was always going to be them aim. Losing out in close games, conceding easy scores, and relying on old guns left us fearful for the Summer months. The fact that the manager was fully focussed this season, instead of on an election campaign gave us hope for the Summer.

Now we are out, disappointed once again. The "what if" will start about Ciaran McDonald? The manager will come under intense pressure? The County Board will be rudderless and directionless, and more than likely we will be having the same discussions next year.

Its my own view that the players really need to take a very long, hard and serious look at themselves. Many see themselves as the pin-up boys of the county simply because they are given the jersey. Yes, they will put in the hours with their clubs, and with organised training. But outside of that? Are they pushing themselves as far as they can? Where is the work ethic on the field? Even in their better games do they come anywhere near the work ethic of say Monaghan, Fermanagh or Westmeath? Many have talent to be better than they actually are but have been living on Easy Street for too long.

John O'Mahony according to setanta.com has hinted that his future is not cut and dried:

Mayo boss John O'Mahony indicated after yesterday's one-point defeat to Tyrone that he may not be in charge of the Westerners for much longer.

O'Mahony's men went down on a scoreline of 1-9 to 0-13 in a low-key clash at Croke Park, and the two-time All-Ireland winning boss was in despondent mood afterwards, saying any decision on his future was not his to make.

"I took this job two years ago on a three-year term," he said.

"I've given it absolutely everything I can along with my backroom team. The way the GAA works is, you might have a three-year term but that means little and I have never stayed in any job where I was not wanted."

O'Mahony has balanced his managerial role with being a Fine Gael TD for the Mayo constituency, but some have doubted whether it is possible to successfully sustain both jobs.

Since O'Mahony took over, he has presided over just two championship wins, against Cavan and Sligo respectively. Mayo have been beaten by Galway in both years of his tenure, and they also went down to Ulster opposition in the qualifiers last year, when they were beaten by Derry by ten points.

"I'm willing to live by my commitment but obviously I'll sit down with the County board and see what they want. It's down to other people. It won't be my decision. It never is," he concluded.

I'm sure the political allegiences of the County Board will not sack their man. Is it a case that the manager wants an out without any political damage? There has been so much spin over the past two years you wouldn't know. Personally I don't think there is anybody out there to replace him. His record has been appalling in championship football but he is probably still the best man in the county for the job.

Anyway for the record here are the results of the year (courtesy of www.mayogaablog.com (P14 W5 D1 L8 F13-164 A 17-132)

FBD Connacht League
Mayo 0-14 NUIG 2-9 (Ballinrobe, 6/1/2008). MAYO: T Higgins; C Moran, BJ Padden, T Howley; C Cafferkey, L O'Malley, K Higgins; J Gill (0-1), P Gardiner (0-3); R Haran, A Dillon (0-2), M Mullins (0-1); B Benson (0-1), A O'Malley (0-5, 2 frees), J Prenty (0-1). Subs: S O'Shea for Haran, A Higgins for Moran.


Mayo 1-12 Sligo IT 1-6 (Charlestown, 13/1/2008). MAYO: S Nallen; J Brogan, BJ Padden (0-1), A Higgins; D Geraghty, T Howley, K Higgins; P Gardiner, S O'Shea; J Gill, A O'Malley (0-1), D Corrigan (0-1); M Mullins (0-2), A Dillon (0-5), B Benson (1-2). Subs: J Kilcullen for O'Shea, O'Shea for Corrigan.


Roscommon 2-8 Mayo 2-14 (Ballinlough, 20/1/2008). MAYO: S Nallen; C Moran, BJ Padden, L O'Malley; D Geraghty, T Howley, C Cafferky; S O'Shea, P Gardiner (0-1); J Gill (0-4), A O'Malley, A Dillon (0-7); M Mullins (1-1), E Varley (0-1), B Benson (1-0). Subs: K Higgins for D Geraghty, A Higgins for C Cafferky, J Kilcullen for B Benson.


National Football League Division 1
Derry 2-9 Mayo 1-9 (Celtic Park, 2/2/2008). MAYO: D Clarke, C Moran, BJ Padden, L O'Malley, C Barrett (0-1), T Howley, K Higgins; S O Shea, P Gardiner; J Gill, A Dillon (0-2), M Mullins (0-1); C Mortimor (1-2), A O'Malley (0-1), A Moran (0-2). Subs: T Cunniffe (for C Moran), D Heaney (for Gill), T Parsons (for Padden).


Mayo 0-16 Donegal 2-11 (McHale Park, 17/2/2008). MAYO: S Nallen; T Cunniffe, BJ Padden, L O'Malley; C Barrett, T Howley, K Higgins (0-2); S O'Shea, P Gardiner; J Gill (0-2), A Dillon (0-3, one free), M Mullins; C Mortimor (0-6, three frees), A O'Malley (0-1), A Moran (0-1). Subs: D Heaney for Cunniffe, T Parsons (0-1) for O'Shea, A Kilcoyne for A O'Malley, T Mortimor for Mullins.


Laois 1-13 Mayo 1-13 (O'Moore Park, Portaoise, 1/3/2008). MAYO: D Clarke; T Cunniffe, BJ Padden, L O'Malley; C Moran, T Howley, K Higgins; D Heaney, J Gill (0-1); P Gardiner (0-2), A Dillon (0-1), M Mullins (0-1, free); C Mortimor (0-2, one free), A O'Malley (0-4), A Moran (1-0, pen). Subs: T Mortimor (0-1) for Dillon, R McGarritty for C Moran, A Kilcoyne (0-1) for Mullins, K Conroy for Padden.


Mayo 0-16 Kerry 1-12 (McHale Park, 16/3/2008). MAYO: D Clarke; T Cunniffe, K Conroy, L O'Malley; D Heaney, T Howley, K Higgins; J Gill (0-1), R McGarritty; P Gardiner, A Dillon (0-2, two frees), T Mortimor; C Mortimor (0-7, five frees), A O'Malley (0-5, one free), A Moran (0-1). Subs: C Boyle for L O'Malley, T Parsons for Gill, P Harte for Dillon.


Kildare 2-8 Mayo 2-14 (St Conleth's Park, Newbridge, 30/3/2008). MAYO: D Clarke, T Cunniffe (0-1), K Conroy, C Boyle; D Heaney, T Howley, K Higgins; R McGarritty (0-1), T Parsons (1-0); J Gill, A Dillon (0-2, two frees), T Mortimor; C Mortimor (0-6, four frees), A O'Malley (0-3), A Moran (1-1). Subs: P Harte for T Mortimor (inj.), M Ronaldson for C Mortimor, B Moran for Dillon.


Mayo 1-11 Galway 2-9 (McHale Park, 6/4/2008). MAYO: D Clarke; T Cunniffe, K Conroy (0-1), C Boyle (0-1); D Heaney (0-1), T Howley, K Higgins; R McGarritty, T Parsons (0-1); J Gill (0-1), A Dillon (0-1, a free), P Harte; C Mortimor (0-2, one free), A O'Malley (0-3, frees), A Moran (1-0). Subs: B Moran for Harte, P Kelly for Cunniffe, M Ronaldson for B Moran.


Tyrone 0-15 Mayo 0-13 (Healy Park, Omagh, 13/4/2008). MAYO: D Clarke; T Cunniffe, K Conroy, C Boyle; D Heaney, T Howley, K Higgins; R McGarritty, T Parsons (0-2); J Gill, A Dillon, A Campbell; C Mortimor (0-6, three frees), A O'Malley (0-4, one free), A Moran. Subs: P Kelly for Cunniffe (inj.), M Mullins for Dillon, A Higgins for Heaney, M Ronaldson (0-1) for Gill, B Benson for Campbell.


Connacht Championship
SEMI-FINAL: Mayo 3-11 Sligo 0-7 (McHale Park, 22/6/2008).  MAYO: David Clarke; Colm Boyle, Kieran Conroy, Keith Higgins; Tom Cunniffe, David Heaney, James Nallen; Ronan McGarritty, Tom Parsons (0-2); Peadar Gardiner, Pat Harte (1-1, goal from a penalty), Trevor Mortimor (1-0); Conor Mortimor (0-5), Austin O'Malley (0-2), Andy Moran. Subs: Aidan Kilcoyne (1-1) for Gardiner, BJ Padden (for O'Malley), Mickey Mullins for Trevor Mortimor, Mark Ronaldson for Conor Mortimor.



FINAL: Mayo 1-14 Galway 2-12 (McHale Park, 13/7/2008). MAYO: David Clarke; Keith Higgins, Kieran Conroy, Colm Boyle; Tom Cunniffe, David Heaney, James Nallen; Ronan McGarritty (0-1), Tom Parsons; Alan Dillon (0-7, five frees), Pat Harte (0-1), Trevor Mortimor (0-1); Conor Mortimor (0-2), Austin O'Malley, Andy Moran. Subs: Aidan Kilcoyne (1-0) for T Mortimor, Aidan Higgins and Peadar Gardiner for Boyle and Conroy, BJ Padden (0-2) for O'Malley, Mark Ronaldson for Parsons.

QUALIFIER Tyrone 0-13 Mayo 1-9

[rosnarun]

im not one for grave dancing so all I'll say is i think JOM's time is up now for all to see.
what mayo have missed this year is a little spark all these one point losses have me right sicken Coz they were all games we could have won but for a lack of a bit of direction and/or leadership. Im not close top any of the squad members so i dont know who within the team should be providing that but there was a sense of panic in the last 5 on saturday the spoke volumes. Previous incarnations of this team had a coolness that some took almost as a lack of fire or passion but it was a sign of confidence as i believe that thiese are an exceptionally talented group who have been poorly led.
Thare were some good pointers for the future Parsons confirmed he is a class act as did  K higgind, gardiner,Howley, CLarke, BJP and  Dillon
others disappointed  or were neither here not there but these are the guys along with harte and mcgarrity  we will be looking to lead for the next few years,
the powers that bee need to pick a new manager carefully and not give in to another populist choice because of stuff they did years ago. For such fine players many of the need to improve some very basic skills look ho many times we kicked they ball directly over the sideline or were penalize for  a bad pick up not to mention some players very poor shooting at goal when they  just looked very awkward and unused to it.
At least least it was better than last years humiliation to derry .
maybe be O'mahony has made Progress 
MAIGH EO ABU

[moysider]

A very disappointing year. Shocking error of judgement re MacDonald and it was always going to end badly after that.

O Mahoney to go? Personally I could nt care less for the simple reason we ve fallen away badly and will probably get worse before it gets better so he may as well hang around. Another manager would be ate after a year with a team on the wane. The next guy will be on a hiding to nothing with Mac, Nallen, Aiden and Heaney more than likely gone. We may as well hit rock bottom before someone knew takes over like we were when Maughan took over.

As this mess is largely managements own doing they should remain to clean up before quitting. At least leave some shape of a team behind. Also if Johnno goes I see the awful spectre of Holmes and Connelly looming in the background. No coach there either but it would be something this craven Board would do.

[Zulu]

Lads ye need a reality check, Mayo didn't win yesterday and haven't won Sam in the last few years because ye haven't got the players. It has little or nothing to do with management and everything to with the talent available to you, the bottom line is you don't have any top class scoring forward, midfield player, centre back or full back.

[Farrandeelin]

Well, most of us placed our faith in John O'Mahony to deliver Sam. It had to end in failure I suppose. He still has one year left to do but it seems that from what I can gather from his statements since the match yesterday that he doesn't really want to carry on. Usually after other disappointments I can find some sense of optimism after those defeats. This year I can find none. I don't know what to think anymore.

[Farrandeelin]

Lads ye need a reality check, Mayo didn't win yesterday and haven't won Sam in the last few years because ye haven't got the players. It has little or nothing to do with management and everything to with the talent available to you, the bottom line is you don't have any top class scoring forward, midfield player, centre back or full back.

Sorry zulu, but when the best centre-back is played out of position at no 4 maybe the management have to take a bit of a look at themselves.

[moysider]

Lads ye need a reality check, Mayo didn't win yesterday and haven't won Sam in the last few years because ye haven't got the players. It has little or nothing to do with management and everything to with the talent available to you, the bottom line is you don't have any top class scoring forward, midfield player, centre back or full back.

We re not talking about winning Sam. But making progress and getting the most out of players available  was something we expected management to achieve. 2 years into the job with a talented group of players he fails against an average Galway team at home as well as a declining Tyrone team that are only a patch on their former selves. Both failures largely down to poor selection and tactical cluelessness.

[Zulu]

Sorry zulu, but when the best centre-back is played out of position at no 4 maybe the management have to take a bit of a look at themselves.

I only caught bits and pieces of the game at work yesterday so I'm not sure who you are talking about (Howley I presume) but Mayo didn't lose because of that. Parsons shooting, Mortimer's missed goal chance and the inability of Mayo players in general to kick easy scores when on top were crucial.

We re not talking about winning Sam. But making progress and getting the most out of players available  was something we expected management to achieve. 2 years into the job with a talented group of players he fails against an average Galway team at home as well as a declining Tyrone team that are only a patch on their former selves. Both failures largely down to poor selection and tactical cluelessness.

I think you are being harsh on Galway there Moysider, but tell me this who should the management have played and what tactics should they have used? IMO a lack of quality forwards is killing Mayo not any real deficencies in the management.

[Tatler Jack]

As a Rossie I had mixed feelings yesterday as to who I wanted to win.  Normally I would have wanted Mayo as I have some good Mayo friends who are passionate to see Mayo win an AI, I would love to see a player like Nallen win an AI medal (he reminds me of the late John Morley) and I know how much it would mean to the ordinary Mayo supporters including some of the posters here. My hesitancy is mainly due to my feelings about Johnno who I think is just a mite too clever for his own good and for the good of Mayo football. Back in 2005 O'Mahony and his spin masters created an impression that he was ready to take over and Maughan resigned (the fact that we ended up with Maughan has not helped my objectivity on this issue). Then for what I believe were political reasons i.e. the general election was not going to happen before 2007 O'Mahony pulled back spinning out some yarn about not getting some assurances from the county board – horse manure. In come M&M and Mayo get to an AI final and in the process win one of the best ever AI semis I have ever seen.  Yes they blew it in the AI and failed to perform but Moran had done enough to be at least asked to continue. But no –politics intervened and while I do not think that O'Mahony was all that interested in the manager's job political realities demanded he take the job on. Not a lot of principles involved.
His performance as manager has been poor and it is hard to fathom what he is about. He talks about team building yet the best players are those who are near the end of their careers. There is no obvious pattern emerging that would indicate a new approach from Mayo and indeed he does not even seem to know what his best team is. Individual players have not improved and neither has he shown us that he has imbued a sense of confidence or will to win in the team. Contrary to what some people think I believe that Mayo have a strong panel, the won an U21 AI and were narrowly beaten in another while they have won the AI club on 2 or 3 occasions.  They might not have the perfect player for every position but overall they have 25 or so players that are just as good as what most of the top counties have. Johnno is supposed to be the guru that ensures that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts but he has not given any evidence so far that he can deliver.
I have always felt that he has been over rated as a manager but has been lucky. He had some great talent and leaders in Galway yet in '98 they were very lucky to draw with us in Tuam (Prior can take some credit) while I wonder if Galway had met Meath or Kerry in the final rather than an inexperienced Kidare would they have won. Indeed if Mayo had met Kildare in 97 and Galway had met Kerry in 98 maybe it would be Maughan who would be the saint in Mayo (and TD!). Again in 2001 Johnno was saved by the newly introduced backdoor and a lucky draw in the qualifiers. I don't want to take away from Galway's 2 AI victories but I wonder has Johnno got too much credit for them.
If he does stay on he should be told that an AI in '09 is the target – none of this team building cop out stuff he goes on with. He should be told that he gets the best players in Mayo on the panel, pick the best players available and to put out a team that wants to and believes they can win. If not then he should step down now and let someone else take charge. He has done nothing since he took over that gives the impression that a team is being built and either he stays on for '09 to have a proper cut off winning the AI or he steps down and lets somebody else start the team building.  The bluff and blather should stop.

[stephenite]

Johnno wanted 3 years, given that no one else is going to take the job now he needs to see out what he started.

[johnpower]

Johnno wanted 3 years, given that no one else is going to take the job now he needs to see out what he started.

The last thing Mayo want is For John  o to go . Mayo need to get good qualiy forwards . The best Mayo forwards I have seen in the past 10 years  are Casey and Horan .

[GalwayBayBoy]

I have always felt that he has been over rated as a manager but has been lucky. He had some great talent and leaders in Galway yet in '98 they were very lucky to draw with us in Tuam (Prior can take some credit) while I wonder if Galway had met Meath or Kerry in the final rather than an inexperienced Kidare would they have won. Indeed if Mayo had met Kildare in 97 and Galway had met Kerry in 98 maybe it would be Maughan who would be the saint in Mayo (and TD!). Again in 2001 Johnno was saved by the newly introduced backdoor and a lucky draw in the qualifiers. I don't want to take away from Galway's 2 AI victories but I wonder has Johnno got too much credit for them.

That was a fine Kildare team at the very peak of their powers that we beat in 1998 that had already beaten both Meath and Kerry that year and were hot favourites in the final. I have no doubt we would have beaten either Kerry or Meath in the final if we had met them. People forget that Kildare team nearly reached another final in 2000 only to lose to us again in the semis. Plus you will probably find that most All-Ireland winners come through at least one game they could well have lost during the Summer.

As for 2001 yes we lost early on but then went through Wicklow, Cork, Armagh, Roscommon, Derry and Meath. There was no doubt that we were the best football team that year.

You can argue that Johnno was lucky as he inherited a gifted bunch of footballers that came very close to winning 3 AI's in 4 years. How much was down to himself and down to the players I can't answer but I think he deserves another chance with Mayo. He knows what he's doing but even he can't turn water into wine.

[Turlough O Carolan]

Remarkable how similar all this is to Johno's last time in charge of Mayo. After the All-Ireland appearance of 89, two disappointing years (1990, 1991) where supporters were expectant, but nothing delivered. Letters in the paper complaining about the absense of a gameplan in the Connacht final replay against Ros in Hyde. Johno I think had a year to go then too, but resigned. Only difference is then he did not have the full support of the county board. This time he  probably does. But the soundings from the man himself are similar to those of 1991.

[moysider]

I have always felt that he has been over rated as a manager but has been lucky. He had some great talent and leaders in Galway yet in '98 they were very lucky to draw with us in Tuam (Prior can take some credit) while I wonder if Galway had met Meath or Kerry in the final rather than an inexperienced Kidare would they have won. Indeed if Mayo had met Kildare in 97 and Galway had met Kerry in 98 maybe it would be Maughan who would be the saint in Mayo (and TD!). Again in 2001 Johnno was saved by the newly introduced backdoor and a lucky draw in the qualifiers. I don't want to take away from Galway's 2 AI victories but I wonder has Johnno got too much credit for them.

That was a fine Kildare team at the very peak of their powers that we beat in 1998 that had already beaten both Meath and Kerry that year and were hot favourites in the final. I have no doubt we would have beaten either Kerry or Meath in the final if we had met them. People forget that Kildare team nearly reached another final in 2000 only to lose to us again in the semis. Plus you will probably find that most All-Ireland winners come through at least one game they could well have lost during the Summer.

As for 2001 yes we lost early on but then went through Wicklow, Cork, Armagh, Roscommon, Derry and Meath. There was no doubt that we were the best football team that year.

You can argue that Johnno was lucky as he inherited a gifted bunch of footballers that came very close to winning 3 AI's in 4 years. How much was down to himself and down to the players I can't answer but I think he deserves another chance with Mayo. He knows what he's doing but even he can't turn water into wine.

Take your point GBB. And that may well be the stigma that the Johnno era leaves behind in this County. As if we have nt enough stigmas. I can hear O Rourke , Brolly and others saying that if Johnno could nt do it in Mayo then we re a dead loss. We re in a scary place as a result of Johnno s return. He s not going to fix things and a recovery operation could take some time.

[Barney]

Zulu its bull to say that Dillon is the only player that we have. Ok we do not have the same quality as Kerry, but the young players that are coming through if managed properly can come together as possibly the most talented bunch of Mayo players since 1996. Some have had bad years, bad days etc etc but the likes of David Clarke, Keith Higgins, Trevor Howley, Tom Cunniffe, Tom Parsons, Alan Dillon and Aidan Kilcoyne are all young enough and have all done it on big days. Ger Cafferkey has potential as a full-back. Seamus O'Shea will hopefully grow into an able partner for Parsons. Aidan Campbell is a big man that has played u21 football for 3 years. The talent is there if properly honed. We won an AI u21 in 2006. Had a better team in 2007 and lost to a good Laois team (albeit that our best player left for Oz), and some more promise again this year.

Now, the interview on The Sunday Game was on in our local last night and went down like a lead balloon. Tatler Jack has posted an excellent analysis of the situation and the manager talking about being put under "intense pressure" to take the job, and now being questioned about his failures is a bit rich. Its a straightforward question that needs to be put to Johnno - Do you want the job for 09. If yes, he should be given the chance, with possible a re-structuring of his back-room team. If no, he should walk. The County Board have their faults but he should not be allowed to hang them out to dry on this one. They supported his Blue Shirt Crusade. Now he should stick by them.

But again the players have to ask themselves. How badly do we want this? JOM had them in preparing with individual programmes since last August/September. When left to their own devices how many are actually going about their own training, away from the collective sessions. There are people that say that some have not been too diligent. A manager can try and change attitudes but cannot do everything.


And finally any assessment of JOM should be his dealings with the team overall. Not the McDonald issue. There was no guarantee that McD would have played for Mayo this year or that he would have succeeded. He has had great days in the Mayo shirt but a manager should not hang because of a decision made about a 32/33 year old. The Ole Oler lunatic fringe of the Mayo support should not be allowed dictate to that extent.