Top five managers in the game

1 Jim Gavin (Dublin) His record says it all; he has led Dublin to three of the last four All-Irelands and four of the last five League titles. He has that ruthless streak you see in all the great managers, underlined by his dropping of Bernard Brogan last year. His response to that defeat to Donegal shows that Gavin (right) can adapt, but in so doing his team are no less easy on the eye.

2 Éamonn Fitzmaurice (Kerry)

What really struck me was how he was not in the least fazed when losing his first four games in charge. His faith in his football instincts were rewarded with that 2014 AllIreland win and the sense is that under his continued care Kerry will thrive again.

3 Malachy O’Rourke (Monaghan)

He showed us a glimpse of his managerial talent when he took his native Fermanagh to an Ulster final, and his ability to squeeze the maximum from modest resources has ensured Monaghan continue to punch well above their weight with two Ulster titles in the past four years. Whenever he walks away from the Farney men you just know that his phone will ring early and often. 4 Mickey Harte (Tyrone) The fire still burns brightly and last year’s Ulster win has teased us with the possibility that he could come back and win a fourth All-Ireland title. People can argue that he could have walked away but sometimes people just wish change for the sake of it. Tyrone may never have a leader like him again. 5 Colm Collins (Clare) There are several managers out there from relatively unheralded counties; Colin Kelly (Louth), Kevin Walsh (Galway) and Liam Kearns (Tipperary) spring to mind, but Collins has done incredible work beneath the radar. There has been no underage success to float Clare’s boat, which makes last summer’s run to the last eight and this spring’s Division 2 survival job all the more remarkable.