HandyMoran
County: Roscommon

what the craic with Evan Regan.why is he not involved?

Has not made himself available for selection is what I have heard...shame really

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11232 - 16/05/2014 13:30:00    1588541

I started this thread a number of months ago... I noticed a huge amount of negativity aimed at the Mayo team from within Mayo itself.. almost as if they were looking for any excuse to have a dig at Horan's setup

Have a look at what Horan has said himself...

"I think there's a massive difference between national and local media. Overall the national media are balanced, fair and consistent, but I think the local media, particularly in 2014, have been determined to tear things down.

"Sometimes I felt that there were people who would rather see us fail than succeed and I can't for the life of me figure out why that is, but you just have to deal with it, refocus and get on with it.

"We had been on the road for four years at that stage and it's laughable to suggest that we had no plan to deal with a situation, but those kind of comments don't bother me.

I think he's right... I think there's a decent percentage that were almost happy to see Mayo fail... to see their own county fail, because they didn't like Horan

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 15/09/2014 14:50:42    1652214

people get tired of each other when the hope of winning disappears or when they get tired of each other perhaps..not sure..best mayo manager in my lifetime by a distance

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 15/09/2014 14:55:26    1652222

I am very tired of seeing us (Mayo) loosing games especially AI Finals we should have won, and seeing the same mistakes year in year out, ie. in our fullback line the high ball coming in on them and disaster each time, if it happened in an U 12 game the full back line would be changed before half time

culmore (None) - Posts: 1398 - 15/09/2014 15:04:11    1652228

culmore, what final should ye have won?
Ye lost to better teams in nearly all thise games
simple as that

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 15/09/2014 15:28:30    1652243

Its just unfortunate that he got to two finals and lost them both. Would loved to have seen Mayo win at least one of them.

When your not bringing home the goods people will question and will hope that a failed season will bring in a new manager.

For me personally in Tipp I was somewhat happy when Wexford beat Tipp in 2007 as I know it was the end of Babs and his 1960s style of hurling. We have been on the up ever since.

however for James Horan his a fantastic guy and i hope he gets involved in the set up of a team in 2015.

Wouldn't be surprised if he came down South to either Tipp , Clare or Limerick as a coach.

Is int that guy Maurice Horan who managed Limerick his brother ? Just a wild guess.

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 15/09/2014 15:46:21    1652255

WildPundit
County: Tipperary
Is int that guy Maurice Horan who managed Limerick his brother ? Just a wild guess

No he isnt. Maurice is from Ballinrobe and living in Limerick, different Horan's.

On Jimbo's issue you might have a small core but I say show me a Mayo fan that was happy we lost to Limerick? At that stage of the championship everyone is (or at least should be) supporting the county and this years was James's last anyway. The next man will have to ensure standards don't drop because Horan brought Mayo to a new level...couldn't finish the job sadly but football in Mayo won't stop because of that.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11232 - 15/09/2014 15:51:42    1652260

An awful lot of demons will be put to bed when they win one

The only thing that can cure the current mindset is to win the All Ireland

It would release a lot of pent up disappointment - boy oh boy there is nothing more unhealthy to carry on your shouklders

Such things manifest very ugly emotions

Mayo need a footballing exorcism!

If they could win one I think it would act as a spring board for future Mayo teams...

This pedigree of losing finals, it has to be a hugely unhealthy thing to have attached to a county - it's seeped into the mindset and that then leads to the type of unproductive negativity that James Horan has pointed out. I think there's a core of shame that hangs over Mayo and that manifests itself in almost a self harming manner.

The warped logic of almost hoping that your own county fails because you don't like the man in charge

I don't know... there's something quite odd about the whole thing and it must come from decades of losing

I think there is very much a curse on Mayo - and it survives through their own actions.

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 15/09/2014 15:57:43    1652264

I have great respect for James Horan & the work he has done with Mayo but his one big flaw, poor sideline strategy, has cost them dear in recent years.

To see Donaghy & the damage he was allowed to do beggared belief especially in view of what Murphy had done in 2012.

As soon as Donaghy began warming up on the sideline changes should have been made, but they werent. It isn't as if it was any secret what Kerry were going to do with him for God's sake!!

Whoever takes over will be walking into a great setup that is still short one or two players but make no mistake, they are one of the top teams in the country & will be again in 2015.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 15/09/2014 18:00:14    1652342

I have big time for Horan and what he has done for Mayo since 2010. That he is getting all this grief after 4 years of putting his life on hold (I think he has 4 young daughters) for the Mayo cause is very unfair. He did his utmost for the cause and as Bomber Liston said 'a tiny gust of wind in the right direction could have put that ball over the bar at the death' could mean they would now be looking at a final with huge confidence based on the their last game vs Donegal.

This is not a slight on Horan in any way but as McGuinness is so big on belief I wonder would he have brought All Ireland success to Mayo this past 4 years? I think he would have as the 2 sets of players are almost identical. Solid keepers, tight back lines, attacking half backs, possibly a better midfield in Mayo?, playmaking half forwards and a stronger Donegal full forward line suggests there is very little between them.

In my mind it comes down to lack of belief in Mayo while Donegal have solid frre takers. Mayo missed some very kickable frees in the All Ireland in 2012 to kill momentum whereas Murphy nailed all of his. In addition 2 weeks ago versus Dublin, Murphy scored a crucial tight free to get back to 7 - 3. This instilled further belief in Donegal at this point.

In my opninion Mayo are fit enough, strong enough and naturally talented, the next guy just needs to instill belief. At 52 minutes last year in the final shortly after Andy Moran got Mayo back in the game it was obvious in the body language that Mayo did not feel it. McStay drove Brigids on in this regards and beat a Ballymun team that is stronger than half the country's county teams. I think McStay has to get the job.

fintownsuburbs (Donegal) - Posts: 30 - 15/09/2014 18:28:32    1652356

Jimbo...

This happens in every county. Look at Tipp, there were fella's calling for O'Shea's head after the Limerick game (personally never doubted him, I worried we hadn't the players anymore!).

I know Mayo lads that hated Horan but passionately wanted him to succeed. Also Mayo lads- would it be fair to say there is a bit of a North v SOuth and West thing here?

roundball (Tipperary) - Posts: 2514 - 15/09/2014 20:47:48    1652413

Who exactly has/had a grudge with Mayo football within the county? An extremely small minority I will say. A few hacks who know f--- all about football. Maybe a few of them with scores to settle with Horan since he wrote for The Western. A tiny minority of football people might hold a grudge because players from their clubs didn't get in the squad or were in the squad but got little gametime. Surely they exist in other counties? The barstool hero looking at our lads losing another All Ireland telling us player X and Y were never county standard but that they themselves were mighty under 14 players but had to give up to work part-time and concentrate on their studies. Sure we've no All Irelands, we might never win one but for most of us, bar the barstool begrudger losers, we think that anyone good enough to wear a Mayo jersey is a hero. F--- the begrudgers.

Maigh Eo Abú!

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7346 - 15/09/2014 21:06:09    1652423

2013 was the one that got away. The management and players will have the most regrets about that one. It was setup to be their year. They were spectacular in the quarter-final. Did the business of getting through the semi-final and just did not deliver on All-Ireland final day.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7853 - 15/09/2014 21:22:43    1652437

Roundball the answer is Yes, there is a divide between North and the rest of Mayo, the biggest clubs for a long time were in North Mayo nainly the 1990s-2000s and majority of players and management were from the North (mostly from the Moy Valley region Ballina country) but in the past 5 or 6 yrs its west mayo which takes in Ballintubber which James Horan is from and Castlebar, before that it was East Mayo Charlestown and Ballaghaderreen (both more north east). North Mayo is a shambles at the moment (Knockmore the only exception) emigration is the main root of the problem. McStay is from Ballina which makes him a Nordie but his work with St Bridgets in Roscommon should make him a good canditate for the Mayo job as he shouldn't have any favouritism about players from his club or neighbouring clubs like managers in the past. Another dividise issue is teachers, students and office boys on the panel, they will always be seen as 'softies' until they win an Allireland, rural people will always believe right or wrong that farmers and construction workers should be on the panel as they are strong, tough and hardy and can take a belt or two. When Mayo won the AllIreland in 1936, 1950 and 51 the management travelled through North Mayo and other rural parts to get the strongest men they could find, farmers and builders for the county team and were successful

riverboys (Mayo) - Posts: 1389 - 15/09/2014 21:27:04    1652438

Don't think there was any negativity towards Horan from within Mayo.Had runs in with the County Board and he didn't like some negative comments in the local media about his perceived inability to make the big calls when it mattered. The ordinary fans in Mayo couldn't care less what part of the county he was from as long as he was successful.The media have to sell papers and the County Board are like most County Boards.Horan got 95 percent right and it was a couple of wrong calls that lost the two All Irelands.Nobody could legislate for the referee in this years replay although Mayo should have been cute enough to see out the first game.Although he didn't manage to win an All Ireland Horan is not seen as a failure within the county.

Llaw_Gyffes (Mayo) - Posts: 1113 - 15/09/2014 21:47:47    1652457

riverboys
County: Mayo
Posts: 67

1652438
Roundball the answer is Yes, there is a divide between North and the rest of Mayo, the biggest clubs for a long time were in North Mayo nainly the 1990s-2000s and majority of players and management were from the North (mostly from the Moy Valley region Ballina country) but in the past 5 or 6 yrs its west mayo which takes in Ballintubber which James Horan is from and Castlebar, before that it was East Mayo Charlestown and Ballaghaderreen (both more north east). North Mayo is a shambles at the moment (Knockmore the only exception) emigration is the main root of the problem. McStay is from Ballina which makes him a Nordie but his work with St Bridgets in Roscommon should make him a good canditate for the Mayo job as he shouldn't have any favouritism about players from his club or neighbouring clubs like managers in the past. Another dividise issue is teachers, students and office boys on the panel, they will always be seen as 'softies' until they win an Allireland, rural people will always believe right or wrong that farmers and construction workers should be on the panel as they are strong, tough and hardy and can take a belt or two. When Mayo won the AllIreland in 1936, 1950 and 51 the management travelled through North Mayo and other rural parts to get the strongest men they could find, farmers and builders for the county team and were successful

West Mayo has a lot of players on the panel because that's where the game is strongest at the moment- Mitchels were in the All-Ireland club final last year, Breaffy were in the county final, Ballintubber won two in a row not so long back. North Mayo clubs dominated for a long time, but had slid back in recent years.

As for the 36, 50 and 51 teams, all of those teams had players from West Mayo too. We're never going to win the big one until we forget about this divisive stuff. Good luck finding construction workers at the moment!

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 16/09/2014 09:20:15    1652483

Riverboys: What are you smoking and where can I get some?

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7346 - 16/09/2014 09:38:40    1652505

I haven't met anyone yet that speaks ill of James Horan or what he has done for the county. Most would like to see him involved in player development and not disappear from the scene. From the interview he is obviously upset to hear people thought he had no plan for Donaghy. He may have had a plan but it didn't work. Saying that there was a severe lack of alternative fullbacks in the squad as Sean McHale wasn't fit. I'm from North Mayo and while we like to think the best footballers are from the North, three of the main four senior clubs are in the relegation playoffs and the intermediate relegation play off had two north mayo clubs. Anyone who uses a lack of north mayo players as a stick to beat Horan with clearly knows nothing.

There are a few players around who might have the skills for county football but haven't the commitment so Horan was right to exclude them. Mayo have carried to many nice footballers who wouldn't put in the work for long enough. The team that played Kerry is the finest I have ever seen and despite losing midfield, dodgy referring and not being able to deal with Donaghy, their sheer talent and heart nearly won the day in Limerick. Those players will be back and it was Horan that brought them to the dizzy heights we are at.

It should be remembered that Kerry are sponsored by the biggest creamery in Europe, Dublin have the biggest sponsorship deal in GAA history and Donegals additional benefactors have recently been in the news. Mayo are sponsored by Elverys (who went into receivership last year) and owed €10.5 million on McHale park when Horan took over. They got to go on a training camp in Belmullet last year though.

All in all Horans achievement are as good as could be expected and a kick of a ball from an All Ireland. If the next man can't deliver an all Ireland all those giving out about him will be calling for his return (ask John Maughan what that's like).

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1109 - 16/09/2014 09:48:16    1652510

Roundball, there might be a divide between some grouchy old clubmen, but as regards the guys on the mayo panels there is no divide at all. As you say, this goes on everywhere. I recall paul caffrey getting some fair old stick in his time as dublin manager jimbo. In fact Gilroy wasn't exactly everyone's best mate when his tenure was coming to an end either - and he had won an all Ireland. Ugly emotions also?

There has actually been a lot of progress under horan. Obviously on the field, but little things off it also that indicate changes within the county. Little by little, the fans are being tempered to big days in croke park (still some ways to go there though). We are getting away from the 'all or nothing' mentality, as we are now more used to contesting big games and know we will be back. The players preparation also, and indeed application has jumped hugely. There is less and less of guys being in it for the wrong reasons. Mayo are becoming a more permanent fixture at the top table, rather than the sporadic visitor they were in the past.

One thing is clear from this though. A change was needed. Horan had grown weary of dealing with certain things and that is understandable, and indeed natural. Personally, after reading Kieran Shannon's piece about his time with mayo, I thought it was all too nice and the attitude was wrong. There was far too much standing back and admiring of the players going on. He didn't seem to realise that that application that he was waxing lyrical about was in fact the name of the game, everyone else was doing the very same. Maybe that attitude of being in awe of them was evident in leaving cafferkey on donaghy. Consider the other side of it, Kerry dropped marc o'se for the game. There is a definite difference in attitude there, that maybe comes with change.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 16/09/2014 10:40:19    1652544

GreenandRed
County: Mayo
Posts: 1129

1652505 Riverboys: What are you smoking and where can I get some?
Lets hear more from riverboys,. Hilarious

Miler (Mayo) - Posts: 1015 - 16/09/2014 18:11:38    1652821