Ratified last night as manager. Tony McEntee and Donie Buckley as coaches and Sean Carey of Kiltane as selector. Barry Solan continues as S&C coach and Medical team which includes Dr.Moffatt remains also. Impressive team on paper. Best of luck to Stephen and his team for 2016.

Do posters here still rate Mayo as top three in with a chance of winning the All Ireland or have we missed the boat? Fresh blood is needed as will be introduced no doubt. As Lee Keegan said they will be under pressure to deliver in 2016.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11231 - 01/12/2015 10:09:24    1810737

yew_tree & other Mayo posters

What do people think of the fact there was only one nomination for the job?

I think Mayo are still in the top 3 and 2016 is a massive year for Mayo.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 01/12/2015 10:40:54    1810742

Undoubtedly yew_tree, they will be strong contenders next year. With new team in place there will be a renewed effort I think and Connaught still look to be theirs to loose after that I can see them making the final again and well in with a big shout to claim that elusive title.

Dubh_linn (Dublin) - Posts: 2312 - 01/12/2015 11:03:44    1810748

I don't think there's an awful lot wrong with Mayo. They've proven over the last 5 years that they're a great team. But bad luck and a wee bit of poor decision making at vital times in big games cost them. The fact is that there are plenty of good footballers in Mayo so we should see them knocking at the door year in year out. Their time will definitely come and who knows, maybe under this current managerial setup they could finally do it. Am I right in saying that they'd likely face Ulster in an AI semi? Ulster football has gone back a bit so I'd fancy them to reach the final if that is the case.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9136 - 01/12/2015 11:15:48    1810754

slayer - One nomination is unusual but with what happened I am not surprised. That said I know from the player I was speaking too they are happy with Rochford.

Lockjaw - True it's Connacht v Ulster in the semi finals this year. I would not look that far ahead though yet. Connacht is getting competitive again as the last two years have shown.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11231 - 01/12/2015 11:33:55    1810758

Big question marks over Mayo,they will have to do better than last season top justify what they have done with the previous management etc.

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 01/12/2015 11:34:45    1810759

Lockjaw

You have to win it to be considered a great team.

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 01/12/2015 11:35:29    1810760

there must be serious money behind mayo to fund that set up...

lowballplease (Galway) - Posts: 935 - 01/12/2015 12:29:09    1810771

100% contenders and on the favourable side of the draw.. impressive group of coaches

AthCliath87 (Dublin) - Posts: 345 - 01/12/2015 12:34:06    1810776

Mayo definitely one of the top contenders. They've shown they can beat Donegal, Dublin and Kerry (last 3 counties to win Sam) in big championship matches. I don't know what their missing, luck, scorers or tactics but they've fallen just short time after time. I'd love to know Rochford's take on why they haven't lifted the big prize and what he intends to change to make the big leap.

Mickmick (Dublin) - Posts: 104 - 01/12/2015 12:34:59    1810777

ziggy32001
Big question marks over Mayo,they will have to do better than last season top justify what they have done with the previous management etc.

To be honest, no they don't - the process isn't defined by the result of one game. I don't see any question marks either, they are well established as an elite team and have been for quite a while.

But I sincerely hope the above spoof continues to come thick and fast over the coming year. It will give them a cause and push them even closer together. Im sure Tony McEntee will be cultivating a siege mentality on the back of it, and I think that is something we have been missing. For too long, we have been everyone's second favourite team. Now people dislike them, and knock their ability and character at every opportunity. Id imagine that would be quite motivational for guys of their ability. They needed something to make them forget about the mayo for sam - heartache b*lls*** that has hung over them, and in my opinion, impeded them. This episode could well be it. Beware the wounded lion as they say.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 01/12/2015 12:40:18    1810778

lowballplease
there must be serious money behind mayo to fund that set up...

Not really. Just committed countymen with everyone pulling their weight. Galway have almost twice our population and a city behind them. If they would stop fighting among themselves for 5 minutes they would be able to leave us in the ha'penny place as regards funding. We are an average sized county without big backers, yet we keep coming back and putting our money where our mouth is. Instead of knocking us, other counties would be better served trying to follow our example.

Re the setup, well you have buckley who has been there all along and you have M Horan and Solan who are mayo men anyway. People seem to be surprised mcentee is involved, but he hasn't gone any higher than a club manager, albeit a very successful club. Id imagine himself and rochford sing off a similar hymnsheet as regards tactical approach, plus this mayo team is an attractive prospect for any budding gaa person looking to make a name for themselves on the county scene. Id be surprised if any of them had to be asked twice.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 01/12/2015 12:56:50    1810782

Mayo will avoid the big guns in 2016

I think Tyrone will come out of Ulster - if they can find more scores, with their system - they could beat Mayo.

But as it stands, Mayo would still have the upper hand unless Tyrone can improve

Dublin will be going for back to back titles and Kerry are 100% capable of beating Dublin in the other semi-final

That's what Mayo have got going for them in 2016... they have the easier route, and they may well not even have to play Dublin - who are quite obviously the best team this decade

The players have backed themselves, in a very public manner but to date they haven't been good enough.. and they have been the one constant since their run began in 2011

They've had millions spent on them, they've had a number of managers and couches

Ultimately it's been the players who have failed, but given their lack of options.. they can only reach so far. Moving easily the best MF in the country into the full forwards tells a lot.

Mayo will need to add options to the current panel, which is shallow and they are only one or two injuries away from a major impact on their AI credentials

What they have going for them in 2016 is circumstance, but the same major question marks hang over them... but given the circumstances, those faults may not be exposed until All Ireland final day, and that's generally been this Mayo panels major problem.

Look great on the way... only to be exposed.

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 01/12/2015 13:28:01    1810797

TheMaster you know well that set up will cost a fortune! Come on now...!!!

lowballplease (Galway) - Posts: 935 - 01/12/2015 13:36:13    1810803

Connacht is getting competitive again as the last two years have shown.

That comment is deadly considering last year was the biggest defeat in connacht final ever (20 points).

It might be close between the rest but it isn't what id call competitive.

dstuction (Donegal) - Posts: 1209 - 01/12/2015 13:55:50    1810813

lowballplease, I can tell you it didn't, because frankly we don't have fortunes to spend. I doubt it was any different to an of the last few years.

Too many assumptions there jimbo, Kerry and Dublin could lose and they could all end up on the same side of the draw. We are due a shock this year.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 01/12/2015 14:34:31    1810835

Jimbob

Thats pressure in itself,people are expecting Mayo to stroll into the semi's maybe the final!

I think all they are missing is belief though when it comes to the crunch.If Mayo win one All-Ireland it won't be too long before they win another..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 01/12/2015 14:34:41    1810837

Not really fair dstuction, Roscommon were caught cold in the semi final by a poorer team, and the galway mayo game was a good spectacle. I could say the ulster championship is soft because monaghan only had to beat cavan and Fermanagh to get to the final, but then I know it isn't really reflective of the truth. Maybe you could expend the same honesty towards the Connacht championship...

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 01/12/2015 14:38:20    1810839

Sad when a new manager has to sell himself to a group of players by announcing a backroom team to impress them. The man is on the back foot from the start and shouldn't need to be announcing bells and whistles yet.

3 years with a review each year - so a single year and if he's great and the players don't cry next Autumn, he can do another year.

No way to build a winning team.

icehonesty (Wexford) - Posts: 2550 - 01/12/2015 14:39:55    1810840

dstuction
County: Donegal
Posts: 859
That comment is deadly considering last year was the biggest defeat in connacht final ever (20 points).

Well that aside Roscommon and Galway have put it up to us in the past two seasons.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11231 - 01/12/2015 15:01:15    1810853