A LINE has been drawn in the sand. But an almighty battle lies ahead for Mayo to get their management team in place right now.

Monday night's county board meeting saw Mayo GAA do what they should have done — admit their wrongdoings and issue a proper apology to Kevin McStay for how his departure was handled.
It needed to be done.

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The whole thing was a mess they didn’t need, and while credit where it's due for the County Board acknowledging their mistakes, this was basic damage control that should never have been required in the first place.

As I wrote in these pages last week, they made the right decision in acting decisively, but the final piece of the execution - a simple press release – was the issue.

But now there are much bigger tasks ahead.

NO GUARANTEES

THERE was a very funny and viral debate that took over social media a few months back about whether one gorilla could beat 100 humans in a fight.

For some reason, it became this massive online phenomenon that had everyone from teenagers to analysts breaking down the logistics with deadly seriousness.

It was stupid, but hilarious. The perfect recipe for virality. The comment sections were gold — half the people convinced that human intelligence and teamwork would prevail, the other half backing the gorilla's raw power and unpredictability.

Nobody could agree on the answer, but everyone agreed on one thing: it would be absolute chaos with no guarantees for either side.

Well, right now Mayo GAA feels like they're staring down that gorilla — except the gorilla is the mammoth task of appointing not just one manager, but a complete overhaul of their entire underage structure.

Because it's not just the senior job that's vacant. The minors, U-19s, and U-20s managers have all stepped down too.

Four vacant positions. Four crucial roles that will shape the future of Mayo football. It's a complete clean sweep, an empty vessel and a clean slate that presents both enormous opportunity and massive risk.

THE RIGHT CAVALRY

THE process outlined at Monday's meeting sounds thorough enough on paper. The Management Appointment Committee will be expanded to include external representatives with HR backgrounds.

There'll be scenario-based presentations, competency interviews, and all the corporate buzzwords that make it sound like they're hiring a CEO rather than a football manager.

Mayo can have the slickest interview process in the world, but if they don't pick up the phone to the right people, it’s not worth the paper it’s written on.

Nigel Reape made a brilliant point on the Mayo Football Podcast recently about getting James Horan involved in this process. Now, Horan has ruled himself out of management, and that's fair enough — the man has given enough to Mayo football.

But surely someone of his calibre needs to be involved somewhere? Edwin McGreal echoed similar sentiments on social media. It feels like an absolute waste not to use Horan's skills and experience in some capacity.

Be it as a consultant in the recruitment process, a coaching advisor, or even as a de-facto director of football — Mayo need to show that level of ambition.

Yes, he has a big job in corporate Ireland and it probably won't be possible, but that's the type of thinking Mayo need to embrace.

JOINED-UP THINKING

HERE'S where the opportunity lies, though. One of the biggest issues about Mayo GAA in recent years has been the lack of joined-up thinking between the various management groups.

You had the seniors doing one thing, the U-20s another, and the minors marching to a completely different beat.

Now, with four vacant positions, Mayo have the chance to appoint a cohesive structure from top to bottom, with a mandate on how the next 3-4 years should pan out.

The early rounds of the club championship are earmarked as the target for having the new management in place.

That's ambitious, but it's also necessary. The longer these positions remain vacant, the more damage is being done behind the scenes.

Seán Deane seems like a natural fit for the U-20 job. He was unlucky not to get it last time around and has showed through his years with minors, and now with Breaffy, he understands what it takes to get a tune out of players.

BATTLE STRATEGY

BUT the senior job remains the elephant in the room. In many ways the Mayo job is a poisoned chalice.

Nothing less than an All-Ireland title and you’re deemed a failure. Your past work and sacrifice for the county will be soon forgotten if things don’t go well.

Just ask Horan, Rochford, McStay et al. They need someone who can handle the media circus, the political minefield that is Mayo GAA, and the weight of expectation that comes with the green and red.

But they also need someone with fresh ideas. Someone who can look at the squad McStay inherited and see potential. Because there is huge potential there.

The new rules have changed the game fundamentally. Mayo need a manager – and underage coaches - who are going to fully embrace this new way of playing.

More importantly, they need someone the players will buy into.

So who are the frontrunners? With Oisin McConville and James Horan ruling themselves out, the race tightened.

Andy Moran and Austin O’Malley seem the two most likely. No one can question their credibility either, but both equally carry risk.

The only thing we know for sure at this stage is that a proper process has been set in place.
But processes don't win All-Irelands — people do.

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