Martin Carney has called for the appointment of an independent facilitator to mediate in the Mayo football crisis.

County board officials are due to sit down with player representatives Keith Higgins (captain) and Cillian O'Connor (vice-captain) tonight following the no confidence vote in joint-managers Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes. There is mounting speculation that the pair will resign after just one season, with bookmakers having installed Corofin All-Ireland club winning manager and former Crossmolina player Stephen Rochford as favourite to take over. 

"If the 27-7 vote is accurate, then management have no other option but to fall on their sword, but if it is not accurate and is being orchestrated by a group of players from within, then I believe management have to tough it out," former Mayo and Donegal star Carney told MidWest Radio.

The RTE co-commentator added: "If there are issues there between players and management, then they have to sit down and thrash out their disagreements. Bring in an independent facilitator to oversee all this and try and come together to reach a consensus that will allow everybody (to) move forward for the good of Mayo football," 

Another ex-Mayo star, Eugene McHale, has claimed the players' vote was connected to changes in the backroom team.

"As a former player, I do not like criticising other players, but I feel the Mayo players have got this one badly wrong," he is quoted in the Irish News.

"This Mayo team demolished Sligo in the Connacht final, played a brilliant tactical match against Donegal and almost beat the All-Ireland champions (Dublin) in the All-Ireland semi-final. Of course, nobody gets everything right, but this team has come very close for Mayo and the management should be given another chance. For the players to make this move without any real reason is a bit bizarre also."

"I believe it has much more to do with some changes to the backroom team last year. Last year, some of them did not want Liam McHale in the backroom team, so I am asking the question what do they want?"

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