The Greatest Gaelic Football Manager?

[BennyCake]

Since Jim Gavin stepped down, there's talk of him being the greatest Gaelic football manager ever.

Do you agree? Or would you vote for someone else?

[J70]

How do you weigh it?

He had playing resources at his disposal unlike any other manager except perhaps O'Dwyer in the 70s/80s. He took over a team that already had a virtual monopoly on Leinster and were a season removed from being reigning AI champions.

Is he a better manager than Micko was? What have Kildare or Laois won in the last 60 years outside of his management?

Was what he did more impressive than what Mickey Harte did in the last decade? Had Harte retired in 2008, where would he rank?

[From the Bunker]

John "Tull" Dunne

[BennyCake]

How do you weigh it?

He had playing resources at his disposal unlike any other manager except perhaps O'Dwyer in the 70s/80s. He took over a team that already had a virtual monopoly on Leinster and were a season removed from being reigning AI champions.

Is he a better manager than Micko was? What have Kildare or Laois won in the last 60 years outside of his management?

Was what he did more impressive than what Mickey Harte did in the last decade? Had Harte retired in 2008, where would he rank?

Yeah I'd agree with that.

I went for Sean Boylan. Took Meath from nowhere to win 2 AIs, should have won another 2. Built another young team, won 2 more. That early Meath in particular played some great stuff, even though they could dish it out too. But that edge got them over the line on many's an occasion.

[Rossfan]

Kevin McStay

[seafoid]

John "Tull" Dunne

+1

I used to go to matches with him as a child.  A gentleman as well as a great manager.

[SkillfulBill]

Had Harte retired in 2008 he would have been in top 3 but has gradually undermined his own legacy as the years and years and years went on and on and on and on and on.

[Captain Obvious]

Had Harte retired in 2008 he would have been in top 3 but has gradually undermined his own legacy as the years and years and years went on and on and on and on and on.

Getting average enough Tyrone teams to All Ireland semi finals and All Ireland final last year was achievements that shouldn't be underestimated.

[SkillfulBill]

Had Harte retired in 2008 he would have been in top 3 but has gradually undermined his own legacy as the years and years and years went on and on and on and on and on.

Getting average enough Tyrone teams to All Ireland semi finals and All Ireland final last year was achievements that shouldn't be underestimated.

It's a pity he couldn't get one of these average enough teams to actually beat any team of note and I mean any team of note in the last 10 years you think a good manager would at least work one single win. Please don't give me that crap about getting average teams to semis Harte has proved himself to be an average manager of average teams. Not on the same pitch as most of the others on that list.

[thewobbler]

Harte these days strikes me as someone who overthinks football. His reaction to teams improving around him has been to become more and more methodical; to try to remove the element of chance where possible.

It's a direct contrast to his early sides that played a remarkably simple system - hunting in packs, counter attacking at speed, and moving the ball into space in front of full forwards. It wasn't that dissimilar to how Dublin have played in recent years, but Harte like many of his peers have convinced themselves that tactical overloading is what differentiates the Dubs (or perhaps that the only way to compete with the Dubs is through tactics overloading.

That said, his 2008 team was genuinely no great shakes. 3-4 top class players, 5-6 very good ones, and 3-4 who wouldn't have made the bench for most AI winning sides. And yet they managed to overthrow a Kerry side with a phenomenal forward line, by playing with their heads up and their hearts burning. That was Harte's great achievement as a manager.

[Captain Obvious]

Had Harte retired in 2008 he would have been in top 3 but has gradually undermined his own legacy as the years and years and years went on and on and on and on and on.

Getting average enough Tyrone teams to All Ireland semi finals and All Ireland final last year was achievements that shouldn't be underestimated.

It's a pity he couldn't get one of these average enough teams to actually beat any team of note and I mean any team of note in the last 10 years you think a good manager would at least work one single win. Please don't give me that crap about getting average teams to semis Harte has proved himself to be an average manager of average teams. Not on the same pitch as most of the others on that list.

Tyrone would have reached no All Ireland semi finals and All Ireland final the last decade if their average group of players had average manager.

Donegal who some reckon are contenders for the All Ireland next year aren't some one of note? They beat the best Monaghan teams since the 80s a few times also.

[GalwayBayBoy]

John "Tull" Dunne

2 All-Ireland's as a player and 4 as a manager. Some going in fairness.

FOR 40 years, he was a singular and unforgettable presence, the tall man in the hat who was to Galway football both its sovereign leader and its valet. John "Tull" Dunne's contribution to Gaelic games took the shape of an epic role at the sporting and organisational heart of the association that simply will not be repeated, writes KEITH DUGGAN

Tull (he never knew the origin of the nickname other than it had been passed through the family from his grandfather's time) did it all – he won two All-Irelands with Galway as a player in 1934 and (as captain) 1938; he was trainer – and more – to the championship- winning team of 1956 and to the deathless side that won All-Irelands in 1964, '65 and '66; he was still on the sideline when Galway lost three All-Irelands in succession in the 1970s; he was a referee (he whistled Jack Lynch's football All-Ireland in 1945); and he was an administrator with an impeccably conscientious and fussy streak, taking as much care about recording the minutes of obscure county meetings as he did with the famous pinstripe band on the socks the invincible mid-60s maroon team wore.

He did all this throughout those decades while maintaining a sense of reserve, a distance between himself and the many fabulous footballers who passed through his charge as Galway established a reputation for expressive and free-thinking football.

[macdanger2]

Micko for me since he achieved success with more than one county

Who else on the list had (at least relative) success with another county? John O'M, Paidi & Pete McG?

[shawshank]

Micko for me since he achieved success with more than one county

Who else on the list had (at least relative) success with another county? John O'M, Paidi & Pete McG?

For me its easy. Micko, more or less did what Gavin did, infact won more All Irelands with Kerry, but then took Kildare and then Laois to win Leinster titles , with Kildare getting to the All Ireland final

[BallyroanAbu]

I think Micko on the fact he did it over 4 decades in different counties