Mayo have four weeks to get ready for Sligo
Mike Finnerty
LAST Thursday night the Mayo senior football squad returned to the training field in Castlebar for the first time since losing the National League Final against Cork.
John O’Mahony had picked his 30-man squad for the championship earlier in the week so a few faces were missing from the dressing-room. Men like Barry Kelly, Ger McDonagh, Mikie Sweeney and Lee Keegan, who had been part of Mayo’s plans during the spring, had been dropped, and so were conspicuous by their absence.
On the flip-side, another familiar face, Billy Joe Padden, had been included for the championship while fringe players like Alan Feeney, Neil Douglas and Shane Nally had also made the cut.
In essence, Thursday night’s get-together represented the end of the beginning of the 2010 season. The league was over. The championship was starting.
By all accounts, there was very little talk about the game against Cork itself, or the performance, but the squad were put through a rigorous work-out, played some football, and then left McHale Park to concentrate on their club league matches last weekend.
Over the next four weeks the players will face into a hectic schedule; sandwiched in between challenge games against the likes of Donegal and Cavan this month, and a round of club league matches, is a six-day training camp in Portugal.
There are also a number of other challenge games in the pipe-line and another round of club league matches before Mayo face Sligo in the Connacht championship on June 5. Plenty for all concerned to be getting on with then and a few key items on John O’Mahony’s to-do list.
1. Address the League Final issues
THE League Final performance and subsequent defeat threw up a whole plethora of issues of varying different sizes and importance. If days like that are not to be in vain, both the Mayo management and players need to learn from the experience.
Mayo now have four weeks to work on things like winning primary possession from their own kick-outs; sorting out the centre-half back conundrum; deciding on their preferred midfield partnership and where to position Aidan O’Shea for the summer.
There are also pertinent questions to be answered about why Mayo heads dropped long before the end of the game at Croke Park, why some individuals just failed to fire, and why the collective performance was so lethargic.
As John O’Mahony has often said, sport is not an exact science so addressing these issues will be one thing. Coming up with solutions will be another day’s work entirely.
2. Make the most of training camp
MOST of the Mayo squad will fly to Portugal next Sunday for a six-day training camp where they will get an opportunity to get through a huge amount of work, both on and off the field.
There is plenty to be done on the training ground in terms of tactics, coaching, systems, attitudes, intensity and game-plans, while meetings between management and players will present both sides with a chance to discuss the burning issues of the day.
In hindsight, this training camp could not have come at a better time for all concerned. It will present John O’Mahony with a chance to communicate with the bulk of his players on a face-to-face level in an environment where Mayo football will be the only item on everyone’s agenda.
It will also allow the players an opportunity to train hard, form bonds, and focus on the tasks ahead without the distractions of work, study, and everyday life. There is plenty to talk about and much to be done on the evidence of last Sunday week.
3. Get the key players performing AGAIN
IF Mayo are to make an impression on this year’s championship they are going to need big performances, every day they go out, from their key men.
That means that the form, fitness and mood of the likes of Ronan McGarrity, Trevor Howley, Tom Parsons, Trevor Mortimer and Andy Moran are of paramount importance.
McGarrity has only played 35 minutes of football in the last eight weeks so will need plenty of game-time and tough training sessions before locking horns with Sligo’s abrasive midfielders next month.
Trevor Howley’s situation is very different. The Knockmore defender is a fine footballer but it now seems almost certain that he is not the answer to Mayo’s centre-back question.
Despite the fact that he has played there for each and every one of Mayo’s games this year, he doesn’t look comfortable in the position. Mayo need Howley in their team for his ability and aggression, but deciding on where he can be best utilised, and who should wear six for the summer, is a top priority.
Trevor Mortimer also needs to make use of the next few weeks as he gets ready for his 11th championship campaign. The team captain has not been at his best this spring and will have been disappointed with his performance against Cork. When he plays well, the team plays well, so it is vital that the experienced half-forward finds his true form again or is given a different role to help the team.
Andy Moran was also largely ineffective at Croke Park and because he helps to set the tone for Mayo (as evidenced by his seismic shoulder on Graham Canty in Pairc Uí Chaoimh), he is another player that needs to be at his best by the start of summer. Ditto Tom Parsons, who was largely anonymous against Cork.
Mayo did not become a bad team overnight but they need to use the next four weeks wisely. If not, the next bad performance could be much more costly.
