Horan must be alive to the perils of second coming in Mayo
Former manager clearly feels there is still plenty of talent to work with in the county
FROM James Horan’s point of view, perhaps the timing of his nomination for the role as the next Mayo manager could have been better. This weekend he’ll lead Westport into Mayo SFC quarter-final action. Sweeping the boards at underage level, they are seen as the coming club in the county.
Whether they are the men of today will be put to the test when they face Breaffy – who have contested two county finals in recent years and are powered by the O’Shea brothers – on Saturday evening in Elverys MacHale Park.
Confirmation that he is officially in the running to replace Stephen Rochford so close to such a big match is hardly ideal.
However, they were left with little choice as their hand was forced by yesterday’s lunchtime deadline.
In any case, it’s hardly a surprise. It has been widely expected that Horan’s name would be in the hat for the job he vacated four years ago.
Second-guessing managerial appointment processes in Mayo or anywhere else is a hazardous pasttime but there have been some heavyweight names linked with the post that is simultaneously one of the most intriguing and challenging roles in the GAA.
Jim McGuinness’s name was bandied about but that has since cooled as he looks to pursue a career in soccer management.
Mike Solan has established himself as a leading coach in the county after overseeing an All-Ireland U-20 final appearance this year following their U-21 success a couple of years previously.
Kevin McStay’s decision to step away from the Roscommon job also saw him linked to a return to his home county that almost came to pass before the illfated appointment of Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly. But once Rochford’s departure was confirmed, it felt like Horan was the most likely candidate should he want to return.
That he was reportedly nominated by his home club Ballintubber, with his agreement, is perhaps the clearest indication that he is ready to return.
One of the advantages of his appointment would be that he would know exactly the sort of environment he is facing.
Horan’s last game in charge was their agonising All-Ireland semi-final replay defeat to Kerry in the Gaelic Grounds in 2014. Of the team that started that day in Limerick, nine were on duty last June as Mayo’s 2018 season ended at the hands of Kildare in Newbridge.
The likes of Tom Parsons and Seamus O’Shea would surely have started too but for injury, bringing that number to 11.
Any new manager coming in would have to deal with that experienced core and try to marry it with some new blood.
Horan would know exactly what he has to work with and should be able to hit the ground running.
He can continue to blood the likes of Eoin O’Donoghue and former AFL hopeful Cian Hanley and hand more responsibility to the likes of Diarmuid O’Connor, who found some good form when moved to midfield towards the latter end of the season.
Veteran Andy Moran wouldn’t be surprised if the new man takes a longer-term view of the side and shifts some of the more-established players to the fringes.
“Do I see a lot of retirements? No,”
Moran said.
“Do I see a manager coming in, whoever that may be and letting a few of us go? Most certainly. I think that’s going to be the general cycle.
“We don’t know who it will be but if a manager comes in and says it’s going to be a three-year cycle and these U-20s are the fellas I’m going to bring through then that’s fine.
“It might take a year or two to get to where we are trying to get to.
“But this is all for Mayo football and
whatever is best for Mayo football all those Mayo footballers will do and the new manager will do as well.”
However, it also means breaking the ‘never-go-back’ rule.
In recent history, Jack O’Connor is the highest-profile example of a return that worked out as he led Kerry to an All-Ireland title in 2009. There are plenty more who it hasn’t worked out for.
Still, any return Horan might make would see him go in with his eyes wide open.
Horan would know exactly what he has to work with and should be able to hit the ground running