SPLITTING HEIRS
CILLIAN O’CONNOR insists Mayo can be seriously competitive in the National League – despite many of their players being based in Dublin.
Of the 21 players that competed for Mayo in the 2017 All-ireland final, 11 of them were based in the east for last year’s League – forcing a virtual split in the camp in terms of training and preparation.
It’s why Aidan O’shea admitted ahead of last year’s campaign that a title success was probably out of the question.
O’shea said in late 2017: “Is it possible for us to win a League title? I’m not quite sure with our situation. It’s a matter of tapering it and, to be honest, staying up.”
Speaking at yesterday’s launch of eir Sports coverage of the League,
O’connor estimated that a fifth of this year’s panel are based in Dublin.
But he said this shouldn’t prevent them from pushing for a first League title since 2001 under boss James
Horan (right). O’connor said: “It’s just a challenge with the way it is. But it’s something that I don’t think should stop you being competitive.
“It’s just an obstacle, a little challenge. Counties have different stuff that they have to deal with. “I think we are better off focusing on how we can organise it to have the least impact on our performance. I remember under James before getting to a League final, against Cork in 2012, a couple of points in it, so we’ve shown before we can do it. “The split would have been the same that year too. So it can be done, it can be managed. Maybe it’s not absolutely ideal but it’s not an excuse for losing a game.”
Mayo begin their campaign at home to Roscommon on Saturday week Prolific attacker O’connor won’t make it after underdoing knee surgery in December. He reckons he should be back training early this year.
His first game back could be the February 23 clash with Dublin at Croke Park – the ultimate barometer for how the team are faring under Horan. But O’connor said that despite losing All-ireland finals to Dublin in 2013, 2016 and 2017, Mayo won’t plan their season around beating the Dubs and breaking their five-in-a-row bid.
He said: “I don’t think, given how our season ended last year, we’re even thinking that far. We just need some stability, to get a good start, a good base of training and hopefully a good start in the League.
“I don’t like motivating myself through negative things, ‘ruining his year’ or ‘stopping their record attempt’. I think if we look at ourselves first and see can we max ourselves out, that will be the big drive.”
O’connor reckons that losing to Kildare in last year’s qualifiers won’t diminish the expectancy among supporters.
He said: “If you’re relying on reduced expectation and then we go and put up a big performance, be it even in February, the rollercoaster could take off again, crazy stuff again.”