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

[Lar Naparka]

Maybe so but he clearly saw Conroy, Boyle and Austin as part of his strongest team. Does that fill you with confidence as to how he might see his strongest team again next Summer come championship?

Yes; that is the sort of stuff that really worries me; Johnno is starting to lose his way. For instance, you should remember the case of Kieran Conroy when he first played at full back. According to the Great Man, he was a natural for the position. His instincts told him he had found the right candidate for the role. That's more or less what the Mayo News reported anyway.
F**k him and his instincts!

Not likely. If Mickey Harte picked his team using a calender as the basis of selection Brian Dooher would nt be considered for selection.

What about our own Jimmy Nallen and David Heaney? You could also add in Jayo Sherlock, Dara O'Se and Francie Bellew. What about Padraig Joyce?
All the while, Mac is playing brilliant club football. His age wasn't the reason for his being dropped.

Feel free to tell me to mind my own (kerry) business but do any of the Mayo lads feel that JOM is in anyway compromised by his political day job?

Frank, I think the reverse hold true. He has done his political career no favours by his endless tinkering about and by the way he handled the sacking of Ciaran McDonald. I have yet to come across a single pundit or analyst of any sort who says he handled the affair well.
He took the third seat for FG last time out and any drift in votes could land him in deep doodoo next time around.

[FL/MAYO]

Agreed, the way he dealt with McDonald will not earn him any votes.

[Barney]

I think the reverse hold true. He has done his political career no favours by his endless tinkering about and by the way he handled the sacking of Ciaran McDonald.

Lar I don't know why you keep harping on about McDonald. There was no guarantee he would play for the county, and his absence is not the difference between Mayo and Sam this year. I think it was seriously mishandled. I would loved to have seen Mc play for Mayo this year but after 2 years out I think he would have needed a full winters football behind him to be up to the pace of championship football.

Effect on his political career? I don't think so. Remember the General Election was held 4/5 days after one of our worst thrashings ever at the hands of Galway. The man with the reins - JOM!

[Tubberman]

Quote
Maybe so but he clearly saw Conroy, Boyle and Austin as part of his strongest team. Does that fill you with confidence as to how he might see his strongest team again next Summer come championship?
Yes; that is the sort of stuff that really worries me; Johnno is starting to lose his way. For instance, you should remember the case of Kieran Conroy when he first played at full back. According to the Great Man, he was a natural for the position. His instincts told him he had found the right candidate for the role. That's more or less what the Mayo News reported anyway.
F**k him and his instincts!

F**k you and your twisting (well, you started it).
Yet again you're putting words in someone elses mouth and reporting it as fact. O'Mahony never said Conroy was a natural for the full back role and that isn't what was reported either - it's the slant you decided you put on it. This is the actual quote:

"Sometimes you just get a hunch about a fella and I just had a hunch about him playing in the full-back position. He also marked David Brady in a challenge game against Ballina recently and did well."

O'Mahony decided to take a chance to see if Conroy fitted the full back position. It looked good for a couple of games, but in the end, it looks like Conroy is only suited to playing against a particular style of player. Now if we're going to start fcking and blinding the manager for trying players out, he's in a no-win position from the start.

[Barney]

Mortimer speaking a lot of sense for once:

We want Johnno to stay


Moran and Mortimer wantO'Mahony to remain on

Daniel Carey
Mike Finnerty


JOHN O'Mahony has said he will make a decision on his future as Mayo senior football manager 'in the next couple of weeks'.
The Ballaghaderreen clubman said he would be meeting with his selectors and with County Board officials and holding 'a debriefing' on the events of 2008, which ended with Mayo's defeat to Tyrone on the first weekend in August.
"I'll be making a decision in the next couple of weeks, I'd say, and meeting different people," O'Mahony told The Mayo News last night (Monday)."
"In the next week or fortnight, what we'll be [getting] into is a debriefing on the year, with my selectors [and] with the County Board. So [things] will move on from there one way or the other."
O'Mahony said he had spoken to his selectors, Tommy Lyons and Kieran Gallagher, but had not had a formal 'meeting' with his management team about the year gone by.
Meanwhile, Mayo footballers Andy Moran and Conor Mortimer have both said that O'Mahony should remain at the helm. Moran said he had 'no doubt at all' that the manager should stay on.
The issue was discussed by a number of panel members on the train west the day after Mayo lost to Tyrone.
"Coming down on the train – there was about 12 or 13 of us – and I think there was a general consensus," said Moran. "There's no doubt about it, they all wanted him to stay."
Mortimer echoed those sentiments, and added that the bulk of responsibility for Mayo's championship exit lies with the players.
"There's no point talking about managers anymore," he said. "We're the only county that have [had] four managers within five years. There's something going wrong somewhere.  There has to be something wrong ...
"Once you go out over that line, it's 15 guys – or 20 guys, because there's five guys coming in. They're the guys who are going to win the game or lose the game. It's nothing to do with the manager or the selectors or whoever else is there."
Comments by Mayo GAA Board officials last week suggested that O'Mahony would be returning for the final year of his three-year term.
County Board Secretary Seán Feeney said that if O'Mahony 'wants the job, it's his', while Chairman James Waldron said the Kilmovee native 'has the full backing of the entire County Board'.

[OirthearMhaigheo]

Mortimer speaking a lot of sense for once:

We want Johnno to stay


Moran and Mortimer wantO'Mahony to remain on

Daniel Carey
Mike Finnerty


JOHN O'Mahony has said he will make a decision on his future as Mayo senior football manager 'in the next couple of weeks'.
The Ballaghaderreen clubman said he would be meeting with his selectors and with County Board officials and holding 'a debriefing' on the events of 2008, which ended with Mayo's defeat to Tyrone on the first weekend in August.
"I'll be making a decision in the next couple of weeks, I'd say, and meeting different people," O'Mahony told The Mayo News last night (Monday)."
"In the next week or fortnight, what we'll be [getting] into is a debriefing on the year, with my selectors [and] with the County Board. So [things] will move on from there one way or the other."
O'Mahony said he had spoken to his selectors, Tommy Lyons and Kieran Gallagher, but had not had a formal 'meeting' with his management team about the year gone by.
Meanwhile, Mayo footballers Andy Moran and Conor Mortimer have both said that O'Mahony should remain at the helm. Moran said he had 'no doubt at all' that the manager should stay on.
The issue was discussed by a number of panel members on the train west the day after Mayo lost to Tyrone.
"Coming down on the train – there was about 12 or 13 of us – and I think there was a general consensus," said Moran. "There's no doubt about it, they all wanted him to stay."
Mortimer echoed those sentiments, and added that the bulk of responsibility for Mayo's championship exit lies with the players.
"There's no point talking about managers anymore," he said. "We're the only county that have [had] four managers within five years. There's something going wrong somewhere.  There has to be something wrong ...
"Once you go out over that line, it's 15 guys – or 20 guys, because there's five guys coming in. They're the guys who are going to win the game or lose the game. It's nothing to do with the manager or the selectors or whoever else is there."
Comments by Mayo GAA Board officials last week suggested that O'Mahony would be returning for the final year of his three-year term.
County Board Secretary Seán Feeney said that if O'Mahony 'wants the job, it's his', while Chairman James Waldron said the Kilmovee native 'has the full backing of the entire County Board'.

Mortimer's comments make a nice change alright, good to see him showing some maturity and acknowleding that the players have to take the main share of responsibility. The buck may stop with the manager but the players did not perform on the day and it's encouraging to hear that most of the lads seem to accept this.

[Bomber2312]

I dont think he saw austin, conroy or boyle as part of his strongest team, for a start, everyone would be giving out if he didnt give these lads a chance so he had to do it! fact of the matter is Austin is deputy to Barry Moran, moran had no year with injuries so when austin had a decent league there was no alternative but to stick with him, after the defeat to galway, in an effort to remain in the championship O'Mahony had to go with alternatives. about boyle and conroy, both had average league campaigns, but the fact of the matter, they are square pegs for round holes with neither being naturals for the positions, however what are the alternatives? Namin a mayo back six is not an easy task!

[Lar Naparka]

I think the reverse hold true. He has done his political career no favours by his endless tinkering about and by the way he handled the sacking of Ciaran McDonald.

Lar I don't know why you keep harping on about McDonald. There was no guarantee he would play for the county, and his absence is not the difference between Mayo and Sam this year. I think it was seriously mishandled. I would loved to have seen Mc play for Mayo this year but after 2 years out I think he would have needed a full winters football behind him to be up to the pace of championship football.

Effect on his political career? I don't think so. Remember the General Election was held 4/5 days after one of our worst thrashings ever at the hands of Galway. The man with the reins - JOM!

Barney, I was picking up on a point made by Moysider when he mentioned Brian Dooher as an example of a player who is still playing well and who is well over the 30 mark.  I added quite a few others names to his to point out that there is no reason to automatically assume that a player in his 30s is past it.
There's no dig at JOM in what I was saying here; I didn't make my point very well, I'm afraid.
On this aboard and elsewhere, posters have said that Mac was past it or that at best he should come in as an impact sub. Given the examples above, I don't think that argument can be sustained.
In any event, JOM made a decision to drop Mac, as is his right but for any one else to claim age as a factor in getting rid of him is incorrect. I doubt his judgement but I always accepted his right to pick whoever he chooses.
I hope you will accept this clarification.
As for his political career, he got in as one of three FG candidates. Mickey Ring and Enda are not going to be shifted. This is the only constituency where FF trail FG in seats. Cooper Flynn has rejoined the party and FF will go all out to secure the third seat.
O'Mahony cannot afford to drop any crucial first preferences; is it fair to say he is not likely to gain any more either?

[Lar Naparka]

Quote
Maybe so but he clearly saw Conroy, Boyle and Austin as part of his strongest team. Does that fill you with confidence as to how he might see his strongest team again next Summer come championship?
Yes; that is the sort of stuff that really worries me; Johnno is starting to lose his way. For instance, you should remember the case of Kieran Conroy when he first played at full back. According to the Great Man, he was a natural for the position. His instincts told him he had found the right candidate for the role. That's more or less what the Mayo News reported anyway.
F**k him and his instincts!

F**k you and your twisting (well, you started it).
Yet again you're putting words in someone elses mouth and reporting it as fact. O'Mahony never said Conroy was a natural for the full back role and that isn't what was reported either - it's the slant you decided you put on it. This is the actual quote:

"Sometimes you just get a hunch about a fella and I just had a hunch about him playing in the full-back position. He also marked David Brady in a challenge game against Ballina recently and did well."

O'Mahony decided to take a chance to see if Conroy fitted the full back position. It looked good for a couple of games, but in the end, it looks like Conroy is only suited to playing against a particular style of player. Now if we're going to start fcking and blinding the manager for trying players out, he's in a no-win position from the start.

This is the third serious allegation you have levelled against me.
I answered the first two as comprehensively as I could and so far nobody, including you has seen reason to challenge either of my replies.
In the second case, I went so far as to post the statements of both JOM and of Sean Feeney and I invited readers to draw their own conclusions. You, so far, are the only one to insist that both statements should be taken literally.
Maybe you might answer one question for me?
If both persons meant exactly what they stated, who is going to decide JOM's future as county manager?
"It won't be my decision, it never is," said O'Mahony.
"He's there and if he wants the job it's his," was Feeney's reply.
Riddle me that one if you can.
You are now telling me that "yet again" I am twisting other people's words. (Yet again?? Was there another time?)

I picked out his judgment on Kieran Conroy as just one instance of his poor personal judgment calls. It was just one in a "litany of bad decisions" as another poster had described it.
Anyway, he followed his hunch and gave young Conroy an extended run in the position. (Had a hunch or followed his instincts? I suggest you are really nitpicking here.)
Poor Conroy got an almighty roasting from critics but Johnno followed his hunch; until he had to drag the lad off the pitch against Galway.
If the above statement is wrong, I invite any reader to correct me.

F**k him and his instincts!

I really thought the exclamation was a giveaway here.
I have always been scrupulous to give O'Mahony credit t where it is due.

Ever since he came back to the job in 2006, I have had some sympathy for the manager.

That was stated in one of my recent posts. But I also said:

Yes; that is the sort of stuff that really worries me; Johnno is starting to lose his way.

Tubberman: I stand over what I have posted. Any inferences you appear to draw are your business.

[moysider]

I dont think he saw austin, conroy or boyle as part of his strongest team, for a start, everyone would be giving out if he didnt give these lads a chance so he had to do it! fact of the matter is Austin is deputy to Barry Moran, moran had no year with injuries so when austin had a decent league there was no alternative but to stick with him, after the defeat to galway, in an effort to remain in the championship O'Mahony had to go with alternatives. about boyle and conroy, both had average league campaigns, but the fact of the matter, they are square pegs for round holes with neither being naturals for the positions, however what are the alternatives? Namin a mayo back six is not an easy task!

One thing that puzzled me during the league was when Barry Moran was brought on during ....... was it the Kerry or Donegal match in Castlebar? .. he was brought in on the wing and hauled off again. I would have expected him to have been used as afull forward but Austin was left there. i interpeted this as a vote of confidence in Austin and I believe they were going to go with Austin until his wheels came off. Moran looked a prospect in 07 at 14 so I would have expected them to go with another similar type of ball winner when Moran was injured. O Se maybe and see him there for a game or two.

Conroy was worth a try but by the Donegal match he looked limited to marking the Quirkes of this world and had no role to play against the Galway forwards. Boyle should never be played any further back than 5. He has a future and remembering him as a young player I thought he would be a forward. His high energy buzzsaw play should not be ignored but he has nt the physique or the radar to mark.

I remember stating here after the Laois challenge in Ballyhaunis that Aiden higgins and  JamesNallen should both start championship. I got ate. I think Nallen only got the start because Howley was injured. I think it was obvious that our best backs last may were Higgins, Higgins, Nallen Howley, Heaney and O Malley.

[Farrandeelin]

I remember the election well, (my first time voting) I cannot see FG getting as much votes the next time round. Surely they will get rid of Enda beforehand and it should lessen the amount of FG votes in Mayo. JOM might lose a seat. Not saying FF will gain one but I can't see FG doing as well as the last time. FF might have their house in order in C'bar by then as well.

[moysider]

Could nt give a s**** about votes and seats to be honest. Football is more important than that freak show and how Mayo football got wrapped up with the funeral attending brigade is not something that concerns us. Mayo football is the priority and if its not Johnno s main priority then it should be.

Anyway back to the main matter in hands. We ve been obsessed for a while with discovering a full back, FF, MF enforcer etc, etc. Tyrone have shown us that make do and a bit of èxperience, harte and whatever goes a long way. Meanwhile in Mayo we hope for the perfect players to come along. One of my gripes with Johnno is that he made much of the last 2 years too complicated. Our defensive game v Tyrone showed what can be done when the selection, match ups and tactics are right - and they were fairly obvious. So why could something similar have been done v Galway 07/08. Its not that we dont know Galway. It also show that we can do ok defensively and our forwards are the biggest concern. McLoughlin, Cafferkey and James Burke look ready to step up as backs. Forwards anybody???

[Barney]

Forwards anybody???

Pearse Hanley come back from Botany Bay

[AbbeySider]

Forwards anybody???

Pearse Hanley come back from Botany Bay

I heard he is back Barney.
Not sure if he will feature for Ballagh for the rest of the season but he is back in Mayo.
I think Brisbane Lions are out and didnt qualify for the finals so Pearse is home for a while.

[Barney]

I'm sure though he's not back for good Abbeysider?