PAT HOLMES AND Noel Connelly have aired their grievances about the player revolt that ousted them as joint Mayo managers in 2015.
It’s the first time they have spoken publically about their removal 14 months ago, which occured shortly after Mayo lost to eventual champions Dublin in the All-Ireland semi-final replay.
Speaking with the Irish Independent’s Martin Breheny today, the duo made a number of remarkable claims about their time in charge of their native county.
Holmes and Connelly pointed the finger at a “small number” of influential players within the Mayo squad, who were instrumental in removing the 2015 management team.
“If some egos aren’t checked and outside influences curbed, the problems will continue,” said Holmes.
“In time, memories of the trips abroad and all the other perks will fade and it won’t matter how many Twitter followers you had during your playing days. The only question that counts for players on top teams is: have you All-Ireland medals? As of now, no Mayo player since 1951 can asnwer ‘yes’ to that.
“If a small group within the squad are allowed to dictate the way they tried when we were there, it’s not good for Mayo football. If that situation is still there, the likelihood is that they will win nothing. That’s the bottom line as we see it.”
Breheny’s 5,000 word piece also details the letter the Mayo players sent to the county board, demanding the removal of Holmes and Connelly with a threat of strike action if it was not met.
The squad also insisted on having a “number of player representatives on the selection committee” to appoint the new manager.
A number of clashes between players and the management were highlighted, including a disagreement with Aidan O’Shea over a proposed appearance in The Toughest Trade, Alan Dillon questioning the logic of why Andy Moran was starting ahead of him, and Seamus O’Shea requesting that Rob Hennelly start ahead of David Clarke “as he preferred Hennelly’s kickouts.”
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So Seamie O’Shea wanted Clarke dropped….I wonder did he have any influence this year in the decision that probably cost them an all Ireland. Who the f*ck do these players think they are????
I haven’t read it yet. Was this in the interview?
It’s in the last line of this article.
Whether he did or not, that’s the inference.
Whether he did or not is the question. If he did “ask for Clarke to be dropped” then it’s a disgraceful thing to do to a teammate but in saying that the manager should have looked at the bigger picture. Piling pressure on a guy in an all Ireland final day was crazy, especially a goalie on a wet day. Hennelly is a brilliant keeper and im sure there are benefits to the O Sheas having their club goalie taking kick outs but when all things were considered the manager should have known it was way too risky.
But I’m guessing he just suggested that he would prefer Hennelly in goals rather than asking for Clarke to be dropped. Big difference
*Popcorn*
Absolute car crash. There’s no reason why Mayo can’t win an All Ireland, but not with that set up. Can you imagine a Dublin player trying that kind of nonsense. He’d be dropped like a hot snot.
Would Jim McGuinness have tolerated it? Never.
Lost 2 finals this year by 1 point in each. They are more than capable of winning with this set up….pass the popcorn
@nialls: Nearly never won the race. But keep telling yourself otherwise if it makes you feel good.
Mayo will be capable of winning an All Ireland when they have the bottle for it.
@paulJ There were rumour after the replay that the O’Sheas were instrumental in Clarke being dropped. The O’Sheas and Hennelly play for the same club.
Spot on comment naills. He simply told the management his preference. That should have been useful and appreciated by them even if they didn’t act on it. This outbreak of whinging by the former management duo proves the players were right to dump them.
What surprises me is how Aidan O’Shea can actually write a letter to the county board. Was it in crayon! They are exactly right though about twitter followers etc. I doubt when they are a sales rep and in their 40s anyone will care, and even less so if they don’t have an all Ireland medal. It’s all relevant. I did think the two boys were hard done by last year, given how Dublin won, but they have been vindicated this year by the collapse in the replay. It’s a few bad eggs in that camp, same bad eggs who don’t show up on the big day.
@AJB123: Collapse in the replay? They lost by a point….
Collapse in replay? 1 point loss against one of the best teams every to play the game….sober up man
@nialls the man questions the intelligence of one of the players then manages to show himself up as thick as 6 inch block! It’s the usual comments you can play a little game and count the number of times the word bottle is used in the comments section. Reading the comments on Mayo related article on the 42 has cured my insomnia I never fail to have a good nights sleep!
Spoddgy… He might be talking rubbish but seems to have hit a nerve with you!!! Anything you want to declare?
Aidan O’Shea lol…..he’s at the opening of every hen house west of the Shannon……I feel sorry for the genuine guys on the panel
There’s a lot of Dublin, Tipp and Kilkenny lads opening lots of stuff around the country, some genuine some less so, what’s your point exactly?
Kilkenny players ask for nothing when they go to these places…don’t know about the others
How do you know that Ruairí?
I know a few of them…have you any examples of kk players asking for money!
Very damning report on the mayo players and of course you could nearly guess the perpetrators.The Mortimers not far from it either.Glad that Connolly n Holmes finally got their say.Egos have always been a big part of mayo football and I can’t figure out why as they have absolutely nothing to show for it.
I’m sure one of the Mayo players will have a touching instagram post up later to clear things up
When all is said and done, and a lot is being said here, these guys are yesterday’s men and airing this stuff in this way is just sour grapes. They didn’t win anything and they got their go, simple as. Not only that but this year’s team went one better this year so they can’t have too much too complain about. Okay they didn’t win the bloody thing but neither has any team since ’51 so there’s no shame there either. Management is about managing the egos and getting the best out of everyone and making the final calls. You can’t go blaming the pressure put on by players requests as its up to you as manager to stand up and make the final call.
Well you’re saying its sour grapes but in fairness their reputations took a nice belt. Would you bring in 2 fellas to look after a team if their last job consisted of them being forced to resign as players decided that preparation wasn’t up to the levels needed…I think if that’s the crap they had to deal with from some players I think it’s fair enough they have their say.
Who needs Mrs Browns Boys on Christmas Day to entertain us, when you have Mayo just continuing to embarrass themselves time after time after time……
They are like a sit com at this stage
He said this and he said that and if we had done this and if he kicks that and waaaa wwwaaaaa wwwaaaaa wwwaaaa
Thanks Mayo…..Keep doing what you are doing, we love you for it!!!
And I thought we were bad in Limerick…….!
Gas tickets up there!!
Special mention to Galway man Martin breheny who help publish this tragic story!
The players would have served their time better by evaluating their own performances rather than that of the management team. A lot of them dont turn up on the big occasion.
Nialls, not too hard to score big scores when you meet the likes of London/Sligo and then go thru the backdoor meeting poor teams all the way through….it aint rocket science kid!
How many Mayo forwards would make the Dublin team? Not a single one
How many Mayo forwards would make the Kerry team? One, and only as a free taker
there in lies the difference
Mayo have decent forwards, Kerry and Dublin have quality forwards, match winners.
Mayo have 2 forwards that would make the Dublin team and equally Dublin have 2 backs that would make it on to the Mayo team…..kid
@nialls: the 6 Dubs forwards of
Connolly Flynn Kilkenny
Brogan Rock McManaman
or….
Throw in Costelloe or Andrews, there isnt a single Mayo forward would take any of their places. Cillian was shown up this year as a free taker and not much else, and the Dubs already have one as good as him in Dean Rock. The brother was good in Connacht and ineffectual there after, show me where I am wrong on that one?
Lee Keegan would get in the Dubs side. Keith Higgins too. After those two….I dont see much else that would.
And before you start screaming blue murder, I am neither a Dub nor a Mayo man so I can call it pretty fairly on that score.
One thing I will say for Mayo, if AOS was from Kerry or Dublin he would be a MF and nothing else, anc chances are he would be a much much better player mentally
Well they aren’t any worse than limericks has teams two teams of chokers!
O’Shea’ and Higgins run the show there everyone knows that, while Higgins has a bit of the talent that Aidan O’Shea is fecking useless, the most overrated clown in the country. Can’t shoot can’t catch loves whinging, time his team mates stood up to him and his under performances.
This is what happens when you allow the tail to wag the dog. Management is there to make calls.
This article was quite obviously written without the full article been read by the poster but the big question alluded to in some of the comments above is that if O’Shea asked last years management team to change goalkeepers did he do that again this year and if he did did he get his way ?
Surely if Rochford changed keeper due to player pressure he has to put his hand up now and be on his way.
This is the AI championship not the premier league. Managers don’t “need to walk” after one mistake and no players or fans are calling for him to quit.
The best thing Holmes and Connelly did (up to this point) was to say nothing. They are both legends in Mayo and always will be but it was obvious to everyone that there was just no connection between management and players. Unfortunate but true. They had to go and the county board was never going to remove them. Every team needs one boss who has the final say. I watched Connelly and Holmes during many games and they were always late making vital decisions because they were so busy discussing it.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Clare hurling duo go this year. Though they have 5 provincial and three all Ireland’s at underage together so are a slightly different proposition.
Hahaha everyone knows big oshea and his ego have a big say in everything that goes on in that mayo panel. It’s a real shame they let their egos get in the way because they have serious ability but maybe just haven’t got the steel to get that all Ireland . Up the dubs haha 3 in a row
They were not one of the best management teams around. To win an all-ireland you need a great management team along with great players. Rochford has proven this year that he is able to adapt to oppositions and get the best out of his players something Holmes and Connolly couldn’t. The pop at Aidan O’Shea was over him missing a week of football in February to go to the states.
Dublin are worthy champions but Mayo ran them to within a point over 2 1/2 hours of football this year Mayo would not have even made the final with those two in charge.
Under these two, Mayo won a provincial title and took Dublin to a replay. Under the current management, Mayo won nothing and took Dublin to a replay. It is hard to see how you can conclude from that that the current management are better.
Ultimately, I don’t think it matters: if you haven’t got scoring forwards, changing the management won’t help.
Haven’t got scoring forwards? You didn’t watch must football this year did you? Check the stats for the year. Mayo forwards scored more than Dublin forwards this year.
I have to agree, if Mayo could find two new talented forwards this team can win at least one all ireland before the decade is out.
@roland look at Galway won Connacht but still where they started never kicked on after it. 2015 Mayo fell away sharply at the end of the replay goals were easily got this year Dublin were closed down well and didn’t get the goals as easily that’s an improvement for me. Definite lack of firepower holds Mayo back
Only 2 ? they need 5, they won’t shoot from outside 25 yards they try to play there way in all the time even when there’s the opportunity to shoot, they over do it 9 out 10 times and cause they’re afraid of O’Shea. Stand up to them 2 and they might have half a chance
Not a clue Aidan! At least most others commenting here show some knowledge. Are you watching the United match? Surely Ibrahimovic should have got a black card for that foot block!!
Take off the blinkers the O’Shea muppet is the most overrated and his ego is even bigger the the whole of the Kerry and dubs squads but together, in one word he’s a w**ker and believe me I know
Rochford’s gets the best out of his players? If A O’Shea’s performances in the latter stages of the Championship were his best Mayo are in trouble.
That worked out well for them! Who actually selected the goalkeeper for the replay. DISASTER
I find it very surprising the likes of Donie Buckley and McEntee work in a camp where a few of layers are calling the shots?
Who the f**k does AOS think he is? Fair play to him he racks up good returns against London, Leitrim or Galway but let’s Cora Staunton would too. He’s played in 4 all irelands now and has done absolutely sweet fook all in any. Completely overrated wouldn’t lace any of the top players boots.
Embarrassing and spiteful. A classless move by two spiteful men that no doubt had the Mayo hating Martin brehany rubbing his hands with glee.
Mr mac there dead right speaking out Mayo will end up like cork if everyone kept quite
Doesn’t matter who manages that team, they will never win Sam, hopefully not anyway.
Heard this evening that’s it’s the o Shea’s daddy causing the hassle.If he was any use he’d still be in Kerry