Sligo Football - Where do we go from here?

[stephenite]

Jesus wept - had heard Dev was playing B but was under the impression that it was because he was returning from injury. Some issues that obviously need to be addressed

[moysider]

Ian Clarke. Now there s a player with great potential and unfortunately he was nt even looked at for Mayo U21 s this year or minors in the past either. A  lad that would give options in several positions and way better than some of those played. The third man was Martin Rafter - younger brother of John whose in States for years. Had a serious injury run  but played U21 in McStays reign. Team captain if memory serves me correctly.

[moysider]

Jesus wept - had heard Dev was playing B but was under the impression that it was because he was returning from injury. Some issues that obviously need to be addressed

Yeah. True. Enda Dev. has had injury issues since before that AI club win. And he was way below his best last year with the County. Getting isolated in a corner back role last year in Pearse did nt help. He could be an excellent corner back as he s got great speed and recovery but he was in an attacking half back mode. I ve seen him do excellent marking jobs in the past against the most lethal of forwards  but he has to be instructed as to what is required. He suffered last year by being left to play it off the cuff as it were. Peadar Gardiner also suffered by being dragged into a role he was not familiar with. Enda s  best work for Ballina was done as a tear away attacking half back behind a dominant mid-field. He still has a lot to offer at the highest level if he got a bit of coaching.

[RedandGreenSniper]

He always struck me as someone who was very laid back about the whole thing. I remember seeing him leaving the park one day after a Connacht semi-final I think, literally went into the dressing room, grabbed his bag, put on a pair of runners and cycled out the gate!
I don't think he would let the game get the better of him and that's often a good thing. However I wonder does it mean he doesn't have a great drive to succeed at the level he is capable of playing at - ie with Mayo

[stephenite]

I always harp on about the gulf between club and inter county but Enda Dev's performances for the Stephenites in the run to the All Ireland club were some of the best I've ever seen, and I know I wasn't alone in holding that opinion. I too feel with the right coaching and man management he could still offer a huge amount at club level but it's not going to happen playing with the Ballina B's unfortunately.

[moysider]

Enda has what it takes to be a player at the highest level. And not just at senior club. But yes there are question marks about his resolve and commitment. Thing is for management is whether he is worth the effort or are they going to go with less talented but easier options. Like a lot of the more gifted Mayo players down the years he needs extra effort as regards handling but if you get him onside ...... Mayo seem to have more problems with 'difficult' players than most. Because of our relatively large pick we can always move on and still have a competitive player in most positions but not necessarily the best available to us.

[RedandGreenSniper]

I think we all agree on his ability.

You're spot on Moysider regarding the man management end of things with Mayo. But confuses me is that Enda apparently has a great rapore with (Mayo selector) Tommy Lyons. I would have thought that would mean he would make the transition to inter-county that bit easier. It was Tommy that was over him during the All-Ireland success.

I remember those performances on the run to yer All-Ireland Stephenite - Enda was easily yer most influential player. The amount of ground breaking bursts he made upfield was frightening. I thought we really had a top quality player for the county in our midsts but it just hasn't happened, for whatever reasons and I presume its probably a combination of factors

[RedandGreenSniper]

I'm just after remembering the title of this thread - Sligo Football - where do we go from here?

There's been more discussed about north Mayo players and parish lines than Sligo football
We're given the lads no room to carry out their post mortem at all 

[stephenite]

Thing is for management is whether he is worth the effort or are they going to go with less talented but easier options. Like a lot of the more gifted Mayo players down the years he needs extra effort as regards handling but if you get him onside ...... Mayo seem to have more problems with 'difficult' players than most. Because of our relatively large pick we can always move on and still have a competitive player in most positions but not necessarily the best available to us.

I had thought that O'Mahony, given his history of facilitating difficult players, would be the man to iron all this out and have the best players playing, but he set down a marker with Ciaran Mac, and it would seem he's not going down the road of extra effort to man manage those players that need it most. Perhaps if he wasn't up and down the road to the Dail he'd have the time.

[the Deel Rover]

Thing is for management is whether he is worth the effort or are they going to go with less talented but easier options. Like a lot of the more gifted Mayo players down the years he needs extra effort as regards handling but if you get him onside ...... Mayo seem to have more problems with 'difficult' players than most. Because of our relatively large pick we can always move on and still have a competitive player in most positions but not necessarily the best available to us.

I had thought that O'Mahony, given his history of facilitating difficult players, would be the man to iron all this out and have the best players playing, but he set down a marker with Ciaran Mac, and it would seem he's not going down the road of extra effort to man manage those players that need it most. Perhaps if he wasn't up and down the road to the Dail he'd have the time.

I don't know Stephenite this perception that Mc is "difficult" really annoys me ,it seems to be some of the publics perception of the man just like it was that he played very few league games for mayo when in fact as Iorras pointed out he played quite a high percentage of games that he was eliglbe to pay. The fact is that Mc loves football ,i have played and trained with him over 15 years and he is anything but difficult in fact i would say i have never came across a more committed footballer, he comes to training goes to the games plays a match and heads away no fuss .

[Sligoper]

Start yer own thread up lads! Its the devolopment of Sligo football that needs to be talked about here 

[stephenite]

Sorry Deel - didn't really mean to imply that Ciaran was 'difficult' per se, was more making the point that O'Mahony has a history of dealing with players that may have issues with setup, management, injuries or whatever. The issue with John and Micahel Donnelan as an example, point still stands that Johnno has proven ability in ensuring that the best players available to him are playing and with McD he's laid down the marker that he's not going to do this with the current crop of players available for Mayo

[the Deel Rover]

Sorry Deel - didn't really mean to imply that Ciaran was 'difficult' per se, was more making the point that O'Mahony has a history of dealing with players that may have issues with setup, management, injuries or whatever. The issue with John and Micahel Donnelan as an example, point still stands that Johnno has proven ability in ensuring that the best players available to him are playing and with McD he's laid down the marker that he's not going to do this with the current crop of players available for Mayo

no problem Stephenite i understand what your saying

[SLIGONIAN]

Taking over bellaghy now taking over our threads , whats next? If it keeps going at this rate cliffoney will be part of mayo soon . Joking obviously a few of yee got carried away. Anyway I cant complain too much ye showed alot of humility in yer win over us, and went easy on me, fair play.

On Sligo football does any of the sligo lads believe Jordan should be in charge next year? I would sack him and his backroom team. I think we need a total clean slate.

I was talking to a player who was on county panel but dropped not from my club who said he wasnt suprised at all the result, training was lacklustre all year and stop/start and said players werent as fit as they could be. 

[moysider]

Ye have to start again. Feel for Jordan but no way could he face into another season after that. Dont think he d want to. He got a chance to manage a county team but it was not a clever move. The first sign of a slump after last years high and he would be the first to be picked on.  Brehony knew it was going to be tough after Cork. Give it to one of yer own or maybe Denis Kearney. Anyway O Hara should be ready for it. Has loads to say and while  he s in the dressing room the manager will be playing second fiddle anyway.