Mayo Football and Hurling - Discussion pages

[AbbeySider]

Maughan has a similiar article in the mayo advertiser

Here it is:

Behind the wire

John maughan

The Men Behind The Wire – that's what the GAA are trying to make out of selectors, with these new regulations for the forthcoming Allianz National Football League.

It's crazy. Picture the scene. Midway through the second-half and the sap is rising. The game is on a seesaw. Taking in serious water in the halfback line. But maybe the problem is starting further up the field. Almost impossible for one man to see it all, so the manager turns to his selectors...except they are not at hand. They are behind the wire, up in the stand, out of sight. So the manager has to talk through the wire to them – it's like a scene from a prison visit, something from The Green Mile.

Why does the GAA do things like this? Did anyone stop to think about this one? Did anyone talk to a few managers and get their opinions? It seems not. No-one contacted me, and it appears that other managers are in the dark too because this Sunday we will all troop along to a meeting in Mullingar to discuss how we can have this ridiculous decision rescinded. I read Joe Kernan's interview earlier in the week when he decided to let Nicky Brennan know exactly what he thought of this idiotic decision.

This is the first time in my 17 years of management that managers from all counties have decided to meet together to discuss a decision that will ultimately effect them. Expect a strong worded statement on Monday morning. The gloves are off Mr President!!

It is time the GAA took matters like this more seriously. It would be a simple job to have one manager per province as a point of contact, through which the GAA could quickly run a straw poll of inter-county managers on a wide variety of issues. If that had been done in this case – and a simple e-mail forwarded on would have sufficed – I can guarantee you there would be no decision to exclude the selectors, and no need for the managers of the country to travel to Mullingar on Sunday.

It can be difficult enough to get men to act as selectors at inter-county level, without this move to push them to the periphery. Management teams spend ages talking about their strategies and tactics, and then – at a whim – the GAA decides to exclude selectors from the most important forum of all, the match itself.

Dr Hyde Park in Roscommon, where I will be operating for much of the National League, has a perimeter fence – and then a drop of about two feet! How am I going to be able to talk to my selectors Gerry Fitzmaurice and Eamon McManus senior? Smoke signal? Maybe the GAA should appoint a bookmaker's tick-tack man to every county. Is John McCririck out of Big Brother yet? He can name his price.

And why is this being done? I know that at club level the sideline can become a bit overcrowded and overheated, but there are ways of dealing with stuff like that – suspensions and fines. The bath water has been thrown out, and the baby along with it.

Management teams need to process information quickly on the day of the match. Things are decided almost in a flash because the game moves at such speed. The time it will take a manager to communicate with his selectors could be the losing of the game.

It must be rescinded, and a system of communication must be set up to canvass the opinions of managers on matters of critical importance to their trade.

The 'runner' idea is not a bad one. It should improve communications greatly between the management and the players. On a big match day players just don't hear you shouting from 40 yards away. Of course, a cute manager will don the runner's bib and do the running himself: a bit like Michael O'Leary buying a taxi-plate to be able to use the bus lanes!

Mind you, the most famous runner in the history of Mayo football is TJ Kilgallon, who 'ran' for his country in Australia. Surely you remember the gear he donned? I hear it started a fashion craze Down Under – bright green or possibly yellow top, khaki shorts, long socks, and a good, solid pair of boots! TJ was always ahead of his time!

Help Wanted

If I had a euro for every time I get asked 'anywhere we'd get a good manager?' I'd be a very rich man.

The annual trawl is under way. Clubs just can't get managers. There's a small pool of people who are interested in doing the job – and it's getting smaller. I don't know where it's all going to end.

The pressure is now enormous on managers, even at club level. A lot of the fun has gone out of the game and former players who should be ideally suited to the task of management find the whole thing unattractive.

I believe clubs need to put in a major effort to nurture managers. They spend a lot of time and money working on dressing rooms and coaching, but often the training of managers is forgotten. A prospective manager should be blooded, perhaps put in as a selector (inside the wire!) for a year or two, or given an underage team, or encouraged to meet with successful managers from other clubs to pick their brains.

The grooming of managers will be a major challenge for clubs in the years ahead.

No rest for the wicked

So, Mayo are back in training. It's good to see Marty McNicholas back in the squad after serious knee surgery. He's a strong, forceful player with a lot of skill. I saw him playing for Breaffy during the summer and he was excellent.

I hear Enda Devenney, Kenneth O'Malley and Gary, and Michael Mullins are also in the set-up. Gone, for a variety of reasons, are James Gill, Pat Kelly, Colum Lyons, Stephen Carolan, and John Healy.

A development panel is running side-by-side with the senior panel, and this includes talented young players like Ger Cafferkey, Mark Ronaldson, Tom Cunniffe, Chris Barrett, Barry Kelly and Aidan Campbell. Some of those men will play senior for Mayo in the New Year, and, I expect, next summer.

There is always a buzz when there's a change of management and playing personnel: change freshens things up, brings new ideas, and revitalises people.

[Barney]

It's crazy. Picture the scene. Midway through the second-half and the sap is rising. The game is on a seesaw. Taking in serious water in the halfback line. But maybe the problem is starting further up the field. Almost impossible for one man to see it all, so the manager turns to his selectors...except they are not at hand. They are behind the wire, up in the stand, out of sight. So the manager has to talk through the wire to them – it's like a scene from a prison visit, something from The Green Mile.

Somebody will ask the question - would John see the change and even if he did would he consult with the selectors.

[Mayo4Sam]

Play nice Barney, its christmas! 

Does anybody know if maughan still does the training he sets out for roscommon?
The reason i ask is cause i saw him in the gym in castlebar on tuesday

[Tubberman]

I hear Enda Devenney, Kenneth O'Malley and Gary, and Michael Mullins are also in the set-up. Gone, for a variety of reasons, are James Gill, Pat Kelly, Colum Lyons, Stephen Carolan, and John Healy.

A development panel is running side-by-side with the senior panel, and this includes talented young players like Ger Cafferkey, Mark Ronaldson, Tom Cunniffe, Chris Barrett, Barry Kelly and Aidan Campbell. Some of those men will play senior for Mayo in the New Year, and, I expect, next summer.

So Enda Devenney has finally been called up/accepted the call up! Is he good enough? - that's one question we may finally get the answer to.
James Gill has been on the panel for a long time, sad to see him gone in one way, but I don't think he was going to be able to get a starting spot for the foreseeable future - never really performed as well as I thought he might. Had a great league last year, and then disappeared again.
Some good talent in the dev squad, surely these are the players we will see in the FBD and some of the national league matches.

[OkeyDoke]

Was just looking at some of the teams posted - very dodgy defence there Barney. I don't think theres a need for wholesale changes in defense. JOM will try to unearth 1-2 new defenders but you can be sure that he will also try to win every game he plays to get the confidence up.
What i see happening is that he'll start with 12-13 of last years team and give the likes of Navin,Mullins,Cafferkey, Campbell, Devenney games throughout the league. His main onjective will be to unearth a new FB to release Heaney to CHB.
P Gardiner will be a definite starter and JOM has the height of respect for him which showed in the county final when he played the corner forward as well as Gardiners own man in front of Gardiner to stop him attacking. Gardiner is a vital outlet for the team...although i agree that he has to improve his defending.
One person i really feel who needs to step up is Barry Moran - he has shown nothing for 2 years so he has to make a push this year.
This team is good enough to win Sam, just needs a bit of tweaking and 1-2 new players - and JOM should be able to do that - fingers crossed

[Barney]

OkeyDoke if we do not confront the problems in the backs we will be in the same position next year. Some good days, but the prospect of a disaster against a top team on form. The reality of our weaknesses must be confronted. Whether my answers are the correct ones I do not know.

Personally I don't think Barry Moran is going to make the standard that we had hoped. i know it is early days in his career still but he is missing the physicality, bite and basic football skills to make his mark at this level. Would have much more hope for Seamus OSe

[OkeyDoke]

What do you think we need Barney - a new corner back, a FB,a wing back and a CHB. I can see Heaney starting at CHB. Navin/O Malley at FB, maybe Trevor Howley at Corner and E Dev or Mullins at wing back.
Thats 3 personnel changes in the backs - it would take a while to gel but try it out in the league

Howley  Navin/O Malley  K Higgins

Dev/Mullins  Heaney  Gardiner

What do ye think??

[Farrandeelin]

Here's my tuppence worth regarding the defence.
A Higgins Navin K Higgins
Dev  Heaney  Gardiner.
This is only for the league. We could put in Howley instead at the number 2 position. He plays at no 6 for Knockmore but he could play no 2 for the county.

[ildanach]

i see Vincent Hogan has Micky Moran as one of his heros of 2006. I think so too. I know we have JOM in now and i am over the moon about that. But i do feel for MM he really was shafted by the County Board. It may prove a valuable lesson for Johno - in the words from Julius Caesar "beware of the ides of march" - or in his case beware of failure in Pearse stadium in may!

[Lar Naparka]

C'mon, Santa, please bring us a full back tonight! 
Johnno has loads of options all around the field but we badly need a commanding figure at no. 3.
What would I give for Kevin Cahill right now!
As far as I can see we have plenty of good players about the place such as Navin, Howley and O'Malley, but none of them stands out as a tailor-made full back.
The three I've mentioned as well as several others I hear being considered for a place in the backs  are all good , mobile players, well able to pass and to link up but  don't seem right for the edge of the square.
I don't see anyone who can grab the ball in his mitts and break out with authority. David Brady did a fair emergency job when called upon but lacks both mobility and discipline. He has the bottle for the job okay but both years and temperament are not on his side. David Heaney is not the answer either.
I really can't see any member of last year's panel being able to do an adequate job there and I can only hope that Johnno does come up lucky when he assesses the new incoming panellists.
There are other positions too that need attention; we could do with a conventional full forward for starters but, IMO, we need to get the number three spot fixed.

[Bod Mor]

When I go home I have the Mayo V Dublin semi final waiting for me, deadly stuff. This match will be remembered forever and ever. Fair play to both sets of players.

[AbbeySider]

When I go home I have the Mayo V Dublin semi final waiting for me, deadly stuff. This match will be remembered forever and ever. Fair play to both sets of players.

Yes I bought it on Dvd and watched it over the Christmas.

http://www.dvdsales.ie/shop/2006_football___semi_final_mayo_v_dublin.417.1.10099.sports.html

Looking back instead of thinking of what a great game we witnessed; the feeling (around the sitting room) was that "the signs were there".

Brogan roasted Higgins and we were very shaky at the back... etc etc

I know, I know.... its all been said and we could be talking about it til the cows come home... 

[Pietas]

It was a wonderfully open game...played out in an incredible atmosphere...but no way were Kerry going to allow us the same space and make the same mistakes on the sideline as Dublin did.

Still we always have the memories, and they will serve us well till Sam arrives.



MOOO!

[Pietas]

Am I alone in thinking that I heard earlier in the year that the Mayo team would not be taking a holiday?  Or was I mistaken?  Twenty of them are heading for a crusie, with our friends from the county board tagging along.  Johnno isn't going.

I've no problem with it...but it's bad PR

From MayoNews.ie

Mayo squad go cruising

MIKE FINNERTY

A LARGE number of the 2006 Mayo senior football squad fly off on a well-earned break to the USA next weekend before returning to commence their new season in the FBD Connacht League on January 17.
Approximately 20 players from last year's Connacht Championship winning panel – as well as officers of the Mayo GAA Board – will fly to New York next Saturday before travelling on to Fort Lauderdale in Florida. This will be their departure point for a week-long cruise around the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.
New manager John O'Mahony will not be among the travelling party but his 2007 panel were kept busy over the festive period with a hectic training schedule. This included a not-so-leisurely run around the well-known cross-country circuit in Belleek, Ballina last Saturday.
The squad were also brought together bright and early on New Year's Day in Ballyheane for a trial game which allowed O'Mahony and his selectors to run the rule over approximately 40 players.
"There are a number of players not travelling to America next week," he told The Mayo News last night. "There are also a number of players that weren't involved last year, so training will be continuing here at home. There is also a provision for training on the cruise ship so the players that are away will still be working to an extent.
"We took a break for three to four days over the Christmas but are back in the swing of things now again. Training has gone well so far and we've been doing some work with weights etc. We were indoors up to Christmas and have some work to finish in that regard but we went outdoors for a game on New Year's Day."
The panel have been immersed in intensive collective training in recent weeks as the countdown continues to the start of the new season. Between their first FBD League game against IT Sligo in two weeks' time and their final NFL Division 1A outing against Tyrone on April 7, Mayo will play ten matches in just over eleven weeks.
These will include trips to Donegal, Fermanagh, Cork and Tyrone in the NFL as well as a floodlit FBD Connacht League game at home to NUI, Galway in Ballinrobe on January 24.
"That kind of schedule suits us to be honest," said John O'Mahony. "We started training later than a lot of other teams and played no challenge games before Croke Park ruled them out. Playing so many games over the next few months will allow us to cast the net as wide as possible."
O'Mahony, his selectors, Tommy Lyons and Kieran Gallagher, and team trainer, Jim Kilty, have left no stone unturned in terms of preparation ahead of the new season. A number of players are also being treated for injuries as the rematch with Kerry on February 4 at McHale Park, Castlebar now begins to loom large on the horizon.
"Ciaran McDonald had an MRI scan on his back recently, Dermot Geraghty has a slight knee injury, Pat Harte has a problem with his shoulder, Austin O'Malley is being troubled by his hamstring and Barry Moran has a groin injury," explained the Mayo manager.

[Farrandeelin]

Speaking of the NFL, am I the only one who thinks we will struggle to get into the top 4 to stay in the first division for 2008?