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

[rosnarun]

while it does delight me to see o'mahony getting it in the neck. the reaction to last week loss is actully hysterical in both meanings of  the word . I dont belive the final chapter of mayo season will be written untill we see how tyrone get on versus Dublin . I actually think they will take thenh. last weeks game was a highly intensive affair and all nmayo really did wrong was for the 7th time this year was fail to win a game that was their for the taking. )ironically the only game they did do it in was Vs Kerry)
If we solved all the problems brought up here wed win the next 10 sam Maguire s no Problems and Maybe a few Liam Mccarthys too
holding your own against another top team does not speak of a team with deep fundemental problem or have most of the players 'not good enough' all all ther other shite i  have seen on these pages .
The Mayo senior team is as ever a work in progress who with proper management are fit for all the best teams in the country.
what amazes me is the continued support for O'mahony when its obvious that it is the lack of umph and verve that only a good manger can provide
Lets get away from negative and can any one Provide Positive reasons based on his current term Why JOM sould stay in the Job???

[the Deel Rover]

Your confusing me Ros one minute your saying the reaction to last weeks loss was Hysterical and then the last sentence you ask the question why John o should stay in the job.

[heineken_on_tap]

Your confusing me Ros one minute your saying the reaction to last weeks loss was Hysterical and then the last sentence you ask the question why John o should stay in the job.

Give him a chance Deel, he will be better able to articulate his opinions when he moves into 4th class

[An Gaeilgoir]

Well at least from that article there is a bit of honesty from the local hacks , the rest of the local media are so far up John o' hole its unreal  . I just can't figure o' mahony out its like there he was on up for the match last night going on about how the managers are now under more pressure than ever wilth all the press and media coverage and this comes from guy who used to write for the western people and have a sports show and was always having a go at John Maughan an co when he was away for the game like hello kettle i'm pot. i'm just fed up with the way he plays the media and wished he was more honest like for e'g after Mc did his interview why did he not come out and say well no Mc won't be back instead he gave a wishy washy interview on Mwr the following morning saying the panel was open when in fact anyone who knew o'mahony knew this was not the case. ( i'm just using this as one e.g and not trying to start a why was mc not there debate before someone jumps down my neck)

A bit of honesty at last is right Deel Rover. I would have to agree with what was written in that article. As i have said before, a lot of our senior county panel have been around for a while now...and time after time in the big game situations some of them have been found wanting....yet every year they are brought back, they play well in the league and first couple rounds of the provincial championship, then get caught out in the provincial final, they are dropped and stop gaps are put in place for the really serious stuff i.e last Saturday... these "stop gaps are bought in usually in an unnatural position for them and told "here's  your chance"... we wont win any All-Irelands with this going on....and its been happening for as long as i can remember. Tom Parsons has been mentioned here a few times regarding his shooting and i have to agree with some of the comments he will be a great talent for us into the future but, if you blaze two easy chances wide, then surely he has to look for the lay off the next time round.... Tom has been on intercounty and  club teams playing a high level for a while now.... if this insight or smart thinking isnt there by now.... it needs to be learned quickly not just be him but players who are a lot more experienced that him....Does this type of coolness under pressure come from the manager or do Mayo's experienced intercounty players have to wise up, do some thinking for themselves and take responsibility when they are on the pitch? Its not like they never saw the inside of Croke Park before last Saturday.

[Zulu]

last weeks game was a highly intensive affair and all nmayo really did wrong was for the 7th time this year was fail to win a game that was their for the taking. )ironically the only game they did do it in was Vs Kerry)
If we solved all the problems brought up here wed win the next 10 sam Maguire s no Problems and Maybe a few Liam Mccarthys too
holding your own against another top team does not speak of a team with deep fundemental problem or have most of the players 'not good enough' all all ther other shite i  have seen on these pages .
The Mayo senior team is as ever a work in progress who with proper management are fit for all the best teams in the country.
what amazes me is the continued support for O'mahony when its obvious that it is the lack of umph and verve that only a good manger can provide
Lets get away from negative and can any one Provide Positive reasons based on his current term Why JOM sould stay in the Job???

Rosnarun did JOM slight you at some stage in the past? In one breath you say there was little wrong with the performance against Tyrone (who you think will beat Dublin) and in the next you're amazed at the support for JOM. You also claim it is rubbish to suggest the Mayo players aren't good enough because they are competitive against most of the top teams. Well Mayo have been beaten by Galway in Connacht for the last two years and knocked out by Derry and Tyrone. They have been hammered by Kerry in their last 3 championship meetings and beaten by Donegal in the NFL final and if you go further back you'll find a similar pattern. Mayo have done nothing these past 5 years to suggest they are better than Derry, Monaghan, Cork, Galway, Tyrone, Armagh, Donegal, Meath and probably a few more and they definately can't compete with Kerry or Dublin (now). So Mayo will for the foreseeable future be an All Ireland QF level team, regardless of who manages them. They might do a bit better depending on the draw, a bit of luck in the QF or a big performance out of one or two players.

For as long as I've been on this board which covers Mayo's last 3 managers, Mayo posters have bitched and moaned about the manager while rarely putting the players under the microscope. All any manager can do is get his squad playing as close to their potential as possible, he'll never get 100% but he must try to get close, IMO JOM is doing that. It's hardly his fault if IC players can't take easy scoring opportunities when they arise as was the case in both Mayo's losses this year.

[Farrandeelin]

Regarding zulu's last paragraph, it's true that JOM isn't at fault with the players shooting on the day itself, but if he didn't know at some stage to change Heaney off Joyce in the Connacht final and tell the players to kick the ball into the square and hope for a break in the last few minutes against Tyrone then there's something amiss there. Why, if McGarrity was fit enough for the bench did he not start? Why bring fellas on with only 10/15 minutes to go against Tyrone. I know I've said it before somewhere but Howley is not a corner back, and Nallen our best player last Saturday says something about the younger players. True O'Mahony can't be to blame for all our ills, but what the hell are they doing on the training ground? I thought we did rather well against Kerry in 05, despite losing, we definitely didn't get hammered.

[Lar Naparka]

All any manager can do is get his squad playing as close to their potential as possible, he'll never get 100% but he must try to get close, IMO JOM is doing that.

I have no difficulty at all, Zulu, in agreeing with your assessment of a manager's role.
I cannot do the same with your assessment of John O'Mahony's performance to date.
I certainly won't hold him responsible for not winning an All Ireland now or at any time in the future. As you say, a manager can never get his team to give 100% but he must try to get close. I'd  say if any manager can feel that he gave his it best shot whenever and wherever he was called on to do so, he can hold his head high and f**k the begrudgers!   
I know I have posted a lot of negative comments about O'Mahony on this board but I'd also like to think I gave my reasons for my critical observations and I also gave him due credit whenever I thought it was due.
I do think O'Mahony did a lot of good work for the Mayo cause since he took over but when it comes to tactical nous he was badly outfoxed by Mickey Harte and Liam Sammon before that.
Mayo's shortcomings on the field were painfully obvious on both occasions and have been highlighted so often that I won't go into them in detail. I don't see any better alternative on the horizon either but talk of this does not come into this discussion.
On the matter on hand, I wouldn't dwell too much on individual players' shortcomings either.
I f any player is the best available but somewhat lacking in natural talent, the manager should not be blamed for that man's limitations.
But he has to try and get the best possible contribution from that player. From team selection to the sound of the final whistle he should be asked to use his resources to best effect.
Can this be said of our manager? Only he can say.
If he's happy and can see progress being made next season or if he feels he came up short and will continue to do so is a choice he is best suited to make.

[the Deel Rover]

Looks Like John Maughan agrees with you Farrendellin




                 ************************************************************************
Puke football and poor crowds
John Maughan



A well known former inter-county footballer, whose name escapes me at the time of writing, coined the phrase "puke football"! He was referring to the ugly defensive style of play that became de rigueur in Ulster counties in the early noughties. Regrettably that phrase was very much in my mind as I watched some appalling fare in Croke Park last weekend. Teams are just so reluctant to kick the ball these days for fear of giving it back to the opposition. We are consequently presented with a game of handball with practically no creativity and most teams packing their defences for fear of getting caught out by a long kick into a porous defence. Perhaps it is time to look at the "off side" rule in Gaelic football?!

I went to Dublin with so much expectation of a good display of football over two days. Sadly, with the exception of the second half of the Kerry v Monaghan game on Sunday it was poor fare. Saturday's first game, involving Down and Wexford, was extremely poor. When both teams took to the field shortly after a downpour of heavy rain, I was slightly concerned that we might see a lot of slipping and sliding on what can become a treacherous surface in such conditions. I noticed Wexford's best player, Mattie Ford, undergoing a late fitness test with the team physio as his colleagues carried on with a tidy warm up routine on the other side of the field. Mattie had his hamstring heavily bandaged. Things weren't looking too good for the Wexford outfit. This prompted me to have a wager on Down minus two points at even money. I honestly thought Down would swagger through a team that got such a hiding from Dublin in the Leinster final. I couldn't, therefore, believe how poor Down were in this, the first of four games over the weekend at HQ. Mattie, with his heavily bandaged hamstring, kicked a total of seven points over the 70 minutes, reinforcing just how good he really is. Losing my money so early wasn't a good start for me either!

I was astonished at the very paltry turnout of Mayo supporters in Croke Park for the game against Tyrone. It is generally accepted that Mayo's supporters come second only to Dublin for attendance in HQ on big match days. Recessionary times and the current squad's lack of real conviction in themselves in challenging for Sam are, I suppose, the primary reasons for the poor turnout. I was asked by several of those loyal supporters who did make it to Croke Park if I had any news on the team selection prior to the game. No one was quite sure as to how the team would line out. Surely that is one of the big questions with regard to Mayo and the match last weekend. We just don't have consistency of team selection. There were several changes right through the spine of the team from the one that played in the Connacht final. Ok, you might suggest that some of these were forced due to injuries to key players. But I would argue that, if there was a doubt about Ronan McGarrity's fitness and that of Trevor Mortimer's, it is better to have them on from the start rather than bringing them in to try and rescue a game when it is slipping away. Ronan could have done a job for us on the edge of the square for 20/25 minutes as a target man for many of those high balls that were kicked into our small forwards in that first half. In the earlier game Mattie Forde proved that quality shines through no matter what. Obviously Ronan wasn't too badly injured if he was considered fit enough to play very late in the game. He should, in hindsight, have started.


A game we should have won

Nevertheless, this was a game we should have won. We will look back at the total dominance of play that we enjoyed in a 20 minute spell of the second half and yet we could only register the paltry return of three points, with only one of those coming from open play. We just had too many players under-performing in our attack to pull this one off. However, it would be remiss of me not to mention the vintage performance of James Nallen last weekend. He wasn't considered good enough to play in his best position, centre back, last year. Last Saturday he proved he should have been played there and I get the feeling if we had played him at centre-back in this year's Connacht championship we would at least have the Nestor Cup sitting on the sideboard. Peadar Gardiner was another player who proved he should never be considered for any position other than wing back. Defensively he was excellent last weekend and, as in 2004, he completely smothered Brian Dooher

So where do we go from here? Rumour has circulated in the county that John O'Mahony is waiting to sit down with County Board officials to establish if they want him to stay on as manager. I cannot see any reason why the County Board would have him removed at this juncture. He was appointed for a three year spell and I know Johnno will not walk away from the challenge. He advocated, in his post match interview, the importance of the county "holding its collective nerve". I expect he will remain in charge and see out his term of office. Perhaps now is the time to seek his appointment for another couple of years as I believe we have to commence a re-building of our senior team programme.

I think that we should look at several new players for next year's League campaign. We must build for the future now. I expected many more of our underage players to have been involved over the last two years in order to have benefited from the experience of involvement in a senior set-up. We have wasted valuable time throughout this year's National League campaign in giving game-time to players who just don't produce it in summer football. I would much rather see us bring in several young players for next year's National League and give the best of them lots of opportunities to develop into a TEAM. Consistent team selection will assist in developing a pattern of play that could be utilised in the championship. This strategy may result in us dropping down a division or two, but so what? If it takes a couple of years to get a good competitive team together it will be worth the wait.


The greatest bore of a game ever in senior football

I was working (if that's what you call it) at the first match on Sunday, that between Fermanagh and Kildare. I have to admit that the first half of this game was arguably the greatest bore of a game I have ever seen at this level. The first score was registered in the 25th minute. I honestly thought I was about to witness the first inter county game go scoreless in 35 minutes of play. Much to my relief they managed five points between then and half time. The second half was a little better but the less said about this one the better!

The best game of the weekend was that of Kerry and Monaghan. There was a certain amount of "baggage" carried into this game from their encounter last year that ensured a real competitive edge to it from the throw in. The second half in particular was excellent with play ebbing and flowing up and down the field at a huge intensity. Just when you felt that Kerry were getting the upper hand early in the second half, Monaghan again proved what a capable side they are by levelling the game ten points apiece with almost 20 minutes left to play. In the 53rd minute of the match Monaghan missed a glorious opportunity to score a goal. Had they scored at this juncture I feel they would have built up enough momentum to go on and win the game. Instead Kerry went down the field and, in a blink, the man-mountain that is Kieran Donaghy blasted the ball to the back of the net and ended Monaghan's dreams of advancing to the quarter final. Monaghan have a lot of talented footballers and I expect they will have one almighty last effort to come again in 2009. They should as they have a team that is so capable of playing good creative football.

So Kerry are on a roll again. The Paul Galvin saga has been resolved in their favour. They now know that if they progress to the All Ireland final he will be available for selection. I get the feeling that Croke Park officials were just glad to put this issue to rest last week. They didn't have the stomach for another protracted fight and rolled out a new committee to rubber stamp a three month suspension that had been decided well in advance of their arrival in Croke Park to discuss the issue.
Digital Edition


 

[Zulu]

Lads I might be coming across as a JOM apologist here, which I'm not, but I just think fellas are criticizing JOM for some things that are byond his control. And in fairness I don't think he was outfoxed by Sammon or Harte, when a team loses you always look back on missed chances, mis-placed passes, dropped balls and tactical 'mistakes' etc. and wonder what could have been. But all these things happened on the winning side too it's just they won so most people forget about it and move on. Mayo came back and nearly pipped Galway having conceded two first half goals while playing into the wind in the second half, had Kilcoyne kicked his easy 2nd half point chance or Mortimor scored that easy first half free it could very well be Galway posters now questioning Sammon while Mayo lads look forward to this weekend. Likewise had Mayo plyers kicked those early second half scores it might be Tyrone lads questioning MH rather than you lads questioning JOM.

In fairness most of you agree that JOM should be given another year but what Mayo fans should now do is knuckle down and support the squad and management ye have until the end of next year at least.

[the Deel Rover]

Lads I might be coming across as a JOM apologist here, which I'm not, but I just think fellas are criticizing JOM for some things that are byond his control. And in fairness I don't think he was outfoxed by Sammon or Harte, when a team loses you always look back on missed chances, mis-placed passes, dropped balls and tactical 'mistakes' etc. and wonder what could have been. But all these things happened on the winning side too it's just they won so most people forget about it and move on. Mayo came back and nearly pipped Galway having conceded two first half goals while playing into the wind in the second half, had Kilcoyne kicked his easy 2nd half point chance or Mortimor scored that easy first half free it could very well be Galway posters now questioning Sammon while Mayo lads look forward to this weekend. Likewise had Mayo plyers kicked those early second half scores it might be Tyrone lads questioning MH rather than you lads questioning JOM.

In fairness most of you agree that JOM should be given another year but what Mayo fans should now do is knuckle down and support the squad and management ye have until the end of next year at least.

Absolutely agree with you Zula However the thing about o' mahony when he was out of the game was that he used to Write a  column for the local newspaper and have a radio  sportshow  which weren't slow in questioning some of the then managements decesions and thus putting pressure on them. In fairness to John Maughan in his article he is asking John O' Mahony to be giving an even longer term in charge which i think is very fair of him

[rosnarun]

Rosnarun did JOM slight you at some stage in the past? In one breath you say there was little wrong with the performance against Tyrone (who you think will beat Dublin) and in the next you're amazed at the support for JOM. You also claim it is rubbish to suggest the Mayo players aren't good enough because they are competitive against most of the top teams. Well Mayo have been beaten by Galway in Connacht for the last two years and knocked out by Derry and Tyrone. They have been hammered by Kerry in their last 3 championship meetings and beaten by Donegal in the NFL final and if you go further back you'll find a similar pattern. Mayo have done nothing these past 5 years to suggest they are better than Derry, Monaghan, Cork, Galway, Tyrone, Armagh, Donegal, Meath and probably a few more and they definately can't compete with Kerry or Dublin (now). So Mayo will for the foreseeable future be an All Ireland QF level team, regardless of who manages them. They might do a bit better depending on the draw, a bit of luck in the QF or a big performance out of one or two players.

For as long as I've been on this board which covers Mayo's last 3 managers, Mayo posters have bitched and moaned about the manager while rarely putting the players under the microscope. All any manager can do is get his squad playing as close to their potential as possible, he'll never get 100% but he must try to get close, IMO JOM is doing that. It's hardly his fault if IC players can't take easy scoring opportunities when they arise as was the case in both Mayo's losses this year.

Sorry for trying to make a slightly complex point in a forum more suited to black and white opinons , i'll simplfy
1) there is no reason why with proper leadership these players can not win an allireland final.
2)JOM is not the man to bring that leadership , He took the Job at the wrong time for the wrong reason
3) the only person who can change the players ans tactics  on the field is the manager, the only person pressure can get rid of is the manager ergo if the Tactics /players are wrong it is perfectly valid to call for the managers removal .

As Ive said many time before losing national finals is far from a disgrace. the only thing close to a disgrace Ive seen from mayo in the last few years was last years loss to Derry

yes thats is almost the definition of apologist.   I notice no one has come up with Positive reasons for JOM to Stay. surely one of his cult following can come up with something. Theres a Prize for the most Creative answer

[Zulu]

Sorry for trying to make a slightly complex point in a forum more suited to black and white opinons , i'll simplfy

Now now Rosnarun just because some of us don't agree with you doesn't mean we are unable to comprehend your indepth knowledge of football.

1) there is no reason why with proper leadership these players can not win an allireland final.

In fairness you did say you'd simplify things but that is plain simple. How many Mayo forwards would make the Kerry or Dublin teams (and don't just throw out names tell us who you'd drop to make way for them)

2)JOM is not the man to bring that leadership , He took the Job at the wrong time for the wrong reason

You could very well be right, I for one don't know enough about the situation to argue different.

3) the only person who can change the players ans tactics  on the field is the manager, the only person pressure can get rid of is the manager ergo if the Tactics /players are wrong it is perfectly valid to call for the managers removal .

Have you ever managed a team yourself Rosnsrun? Because if you had you'd know how difficult it is to get a team playing a certain way and almost impossible to play different styles unless you have very good and adaptable players which Mayo don't.

I notice no one has come up with Positive reasons for JOM to Stay. surely one of his cult following can come up with something. Theres a Prize for the most Creative answer

Yes they have, I can only speak for myself but JOM is doing ok with the talent available to him and that is all that can be asked of him. Mayo have no Fullback, centre back (though Howley may be good), an ok midfield (and you were missing the main ball winner V Tyrone) and no full forward. And none of the forwards is a really top class score getter like Paddy Bradley/Mattie Ford/Stevie O'Neill/Gooch etc.

[Lar Naparka]

Sorry for trying to make a slightly complex point in a forum more suited to black and white opinons , i'll simplfy

No need to ros. I twigged straightaway that there were blondes in black skirts around somewhere when you wrote that; probably sitting on the counter in front of you.

[RedandGreenSniper]

Feeney seems to end any speculation in the Mayo News


Mayo GAA Board want John O'Mahony to complete three-year term 

The Mayo GAA Board have confirmed that they want John O'Mahony to stay on as Mayo senior team manager next year.
Speaking to the Mayo News last weekend, Mayo GAA Secretary Sean Feeney explained that O'Mahony was appointed on a three year term without review back in late 2006 and that nothing had changed in the interim.
"John was appointed for three years without a review and we're happy to see that through," said Feeney. "That was the agreement and there's no move against John. He's there and if he wants the job, it's his."

[IolarCoisCuain]

It's not quite a ringing endorsement though, is it?

"The Board are four square behind John O'Mahony" is a ringing endorsement.

if he wants the job, it's his.

Isn't a ringing endorsement. If O'Mahony wants to jump, it seems that would be just fine too.