Mayo ready to mix it with anyone

FOOTBALL

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PREVIEW

POSITIVITY oozes from Kevin McStay's pores. It's obvious he's living the dream. Anyone looking for a living, breathing example of how Mayo football makes the heart beat faster should have been in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park on Thursday afternoon.

The senior team manager was holding court, the local and national media were in the room and all was good with the world. In truth, the Ballina man didn't have an armchair ride. He was asked about inconsistencies during games and across the season as a whole, game-plans, squad size, blanket defences and so much more. He answered so many questions that the seasoned scribes eventually ran out of queries and smiles danced around the room once again.

There were a number of take-aways from Thursday's gathering. Mayo have worked very hard in pre-season. Mayo will strive for consistency during games and throughout the season. Mayo will look to streamline their preparation in order to peak for championship. Mayo will go out to win every game. Mayo will look to improve their style of play and Mayo fervently believe they can compete with any team in the country.

Competitive

“The whole thing is more open now than when I came into the job a year ago. I feel there's up to eight teams who are capable of beating one another on any given day and we believe we're in the mix.

“When we ran down that tunnel in Croke Park at half time in the quarter final last year against Dublin there was a point between us and the All Ireland was wide open.

“You look at the squad of players we have. We've been in five grade-one national finals in the past five years – two All Irelands and three leagues and we've won two of them. Who's to say we're not in the mix, on a day when we're well organised, competitive, on top of the game-plan and ready to rock. We can be competitive with anyone. We know that.

“The challenge now for us is to make the little improvements – to score the point when we should be getting it, to score the goal when we should be getting it and if we do, that changes things completely. We'll be fighting tooth and nail to make sure those little moments can swing our way.”

McStay was accompanied at the meeting by team captain Paddy Durcan, attacker Darren McHale and selector Damien Mulligan. Understandably they were all singing off the same hymn sheet, and the sense of excitement about the upcoming National League was impossible to miss.

“Every year all the games are highly competitive and this year will be no different. Sunday is certainly a game we will be all looking forward to as will our supporters I'm sure. We've enjoyed being back training as hard as we would and once the league starts it will nearly be week-on-week right through the campaign and that's what you want as a player. These are exciting times,” Durcan said in reply to a query about Sunday's upcoming battle with Galway.

Learning curves

At the other end of the table, McHale was talking about his goals for the campaigns awaiting him.

“Last season was very frustrating for me because I missed a fair bit of time with injuries so the focus now is on staying available as much as possible and when I get the opportunities, force myself in there and make as positive an impact as I can on the pitch.”

McStay and Mulligan were effusive in their praise for all their players and the dedication they show for the cause. They explained an in-depth review had taken place across the winter and learnings were being taken forward into 2024.

“I'm really enjoying working with a hugely experienced management team, and an excellent group of players and I hope we all learn from each other. The learning curve bends both ways and we'll continue that. I'm looking forward to getting stuck in to the national league and continue to work with the lads,” Mulligan stated.

Then, McStay addressed the game plan. He explained how many teams set up in an ultra-defensive formation and the efforts Mayo are making to counter that obstacle.

“It's a very strategic game. There's nobody coming to face you who haven't thought very strategically about how they're going to go about it. They're not just going to throw 15 fellas out on the field and say 'mark your man.'

“We played teams last year who would be taking a 13-meter free in front of the goal and before he ever kicked it they'd have the other 14 players set up defensively back on their own '45. Now, you're hardly going to have a quick attack against that – it's simply not going to happen.

“Don't for a second think that we can't be better at different parts of our game. That was a big part of what we were at all winter. We've been tweaking it and we've been working very hard on the training ground for the past two months.

“We'll be looking to move the ball quicker, we'll be looking to move our offence quicker, can we move the defence in front of us quicker, can we get them out of position, can we find a gap, can we get good angles – all that. But bear in mind, the teams we're facing will be equally well-prepared.

“These games will be tight. It's not simple. We're hoping we can improve our attack and we're working very hard at it and we believe we're improving but the proof of the pudding will be in the eating over the next few weeks.”

The questions continued the answers flowed. McStay said retaining Mayo's spot in Division 1 was paramount and told everyone that squad numbers were still being pared back. He talked about 'Brilliant Basics' and goals and points and he talked about the great Mayo supporters. Kevin McStay loves to talk about Mayo football. Will he have a happy story to tell next Sunday afternoon, as he says himself the proof of the pudding will be in the eating.