Rochford guided Galway outfit Corofin to All-Ireland club glory last March. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
By the time Rochford takes over the reins in Mayo, he may be facing the prospect of managing two high-profile teams at the same time.
Depending on Corofin’s progress through the Connacht senior club football championship (they play St Mary’s of Sligo next Sunday), Rochford could have a lot on his plate.
Managing a top level team of Mayo’s stature is almost a second job in itself but chuck Corofin in on top of that and he’ll need seriously good time-management skills or excellent delegation to ensure that both football teams are being handled correctly.
Mayo GAA chiefs are conscious that Rochford is a busy man in charge of the current All-Ireland club champions but that didn’t stop them making a play for the Crossmolina man.
Across the border in Galway, Corofin is Rochford’s immediate concern but once ratified, Mayo will demand plenty of his attention.
Should Corofin win Connacht, they’ll have an All-Ireland club semi-final to look forward to in February, at a time when Rochford will also be fine-tuning preparations for Mayo’s Allianz League campaign.
2. Managing the weight of expectation
Mayo lost two All-Ireland finals under James Horan. Cathal Noonan / INPHO
Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO
Mayo fans are desperate for an end to an All-Ireland SFC famine that dates back to 1951.
James Horan went desperately close to doing it in recent times, losing out in the 2012 and 2013 finals, but winning Sam Maguire is a task that’s proven impossible for any Mayo senior manager over the past 64 years.
Mayo fans become incredibly excited when there’s even the merest whiff of possible September glory and that can sometimes become more of a help than a hindrance.
How often have we seen ‘Mayo for Sam’ banners pop up in the most unlikely of places?
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The craving for the biggest prize in football has almost become a noose around Mayo’s neck at this stage and it’s only going to get even worse the longer the wait goes on.
3. Raising standards again
Player power ousted Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Mayo’s players obviously had issues with Rochford’s predecessors Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly, who were the victims of a heave.
Horan was a revered figure with the players and renowned for the meticulous nature of his preparations.
But there were some rumblings of discontent within the Mayo squad long before it became apparent that the Holmes and Connelly reign was doomed to failure.
Not even winning a Connacht title and going close to beating Dublin in the All-Ireland semi-final were enough to save the duo.
Rochford’s former Crossmolina teammate Michael Moyles spoke to us last month and explained how the new man will be a ‘great fit’ for the county.
But the question some Mayo fans are asking is this: is it managers to blame or are the players abdicating responsibility?
The jury’s still out on O’Shea’s best position in the Mayo team.
He rampaged through the Connacht championship in a more advanced forward role and was a leading contender for the Footballer of the Year award early in the campaign.
O’Shea bagged a terrific goal in the All-Ireland quarter-final victory over Donegal but Dublin had his measure over the course of two games.
So does Rochford stick or twist with O’Shea? Is the answer to leave the Breaffy colossus in attack or revert to a midfield role?
We should get some indications early in the 2016 Allianz League campaign but if O’Shea stays in the forward line, and specifically on the edge of the square, the quality of ball coming his way needs to be of a much higher quality.
Bearing in mind that Rochford is renowned for attention to detail, it’s safe to presume that he has his key men earmarked and privately bagged at this stage.
A number of names have been linked with backroom roles but the new manager’s first port of call will surely be coach Donie Buckley.
Kerry native Buckley was linked with Tipperary recently but moves to secure his services were met with a lukewarm response.
Buckley has been with Mayo for the past three seasons and looks odds on to be involved for a fourth.
Former Armagh star Tony McEntee, ex-Limerick boss Maurice Horan, strength and conditioning coach Barry Solan and former Ireland rugby international Gavin Duffy are other names who could join Rochford’s new set-up.
Solan was S & C coach for Mayo during the short-lived Holmes and Connelly reign and is also working with Premier League side Arsenal.
Mayo sealed a famous five-in-a-row in Connacht this summer with a devastating display against Sligo in the provincial final.
All appeared rosy in the garden at that stage as the Holmes and Connelly-managed team demolished Sligo by 26 points, knocking in six goals in the process.
But the failure to win the biggest prize of all grates with Mayo fans, many of whom are unhappy with the treatment of Holmes and Connelly.
Regaining public confidence is one of the key objectives for Rochford and failure to win the provincial championship in 2016 would be viewed as a massive backward step.
Six-in-a-row has a nice ring to it but Galway have shown signs of slow improvement in recent years and with Mayo native Kevin McStay and Fergal O’Donnell at the helm in Roscommon, they can’t be discounted either.
6 big challenges facing new Mayo senior football manager Stephen Rochford
1. Possibly combining two roles
By the time Rochford takes over the reins in Mayo, he may be facing the prospect of managing two high-profile teams at the same time.
Depending on Corofin’s progress through the Connacht senior club football championship (they play St Mary’s of Sligo next Sunday), Rochford could have a lot on his plate.
Managing a top level team of Mayo’s stature is almost a second job in itself but chuck Corofin in on top of that and he’ll need seriously good time-management skills or excellent delegation to ensure that both football teams are being handled correctly.
Mayo GAA chiefs are conscious that Rochford is a busy man in charge of the current All-Ireland club champions but that didn’t stop them making a play for the Crossmolina man.
Across the border in Galway, Corofin is Rochford’s immediate concern but once ratified, Mayo will demand plenty of his attention.
Should Corofin win Connacht, they’ll have an All-Ireland club semi-final to look forward to in February, at a time when Rochford will also be fine-tuning preparations for Mayo’s Allianz League campaign.
2. Managing the weight of expectation
Mayo fans are desperate for an end to an All-Ireland SFC famine that dates back to 1951.
James Horan went desperately close to doing it in recent times, losing out in the 2012 and 2013 finals, but winning Sam Maguire is a task that’s proven impossible for any Mayo senior manager over the past 64 years.
Mayo fans become incredibly excited when there’s even the merest whiff of possible September glory and that can sometimes become more of a help than a hindrance.
How often have we seen ‘Mayo for Sam’ banners pop up in the most unlikely of places?
The craving for the biggest prize in football has almost become a noose around Mayo’s neck at this stage and it’s only going to get even worse the longer the wait goes on.
3. Raising standards again
Mayo’s players obviously had issues with Rochford’s predecessors Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly, who were the victims of a heave.
Horan was a revered figure with the players and renowned for the meticulous nature of his preparations.
But there were some rumblings of discontent within the Mayo squad long before it became apparent that the Holmes and Connelly reign was doomed to failure.
Not even winning a Connacht title and going close to beating Dublin in the All-Ireland semi-final were enough to save the duo.
Rochford’s former Crossmolina teammate Michael Moyles spoke to us last month and explained how the new man will be a ‘great fit’ for the county.
But the question some Mayo fans are asking is this: is it managers to blame or are the players abdicating responsibility?
4. Where to play Aidan O’Shea
The jury’s still out on O’Shea’s best position in the Mayo team.
He rampaged through the Connacht championship in a more advanced forward role and was a leading contender for the Footballer of the Year award early in the campaign.
O’Shea bagged a terrific goal in the All-Ireland quarter-final victory over Donegal but Dublin had his measure over the course of two games.
So does Rochford stick or twist with O’Shea? Is the answer to leave the Breaffy colossus in attack or revert to a midfield role?
We should get some indications early in the 2016 Allianz League campaign but if O’Shea stays in the forward line, and specifically on the edge of the square, the quality of ball coming his way needs to be of a much higher quality.
5. Picking a backroom team
Bearing in mind that Rochford is renowned for attention to detail, it’s safe to presume that he has his key men earmarked and privately bagged at this stage.
A number of names have been linked with backroom roles but the new manager’s first port of call will surely be coach Donie Buckley.
Kerry native Buckley was linked with Tipperary recently but moves to secure his services were met with a lukewarm response.
Buckley has been with Mayo for the past three seasons and looks odds on to be involved for a fourth.
Former Armagh star Tony McEntee, ex-Limerick boss Maurice Horan, strength and conditioning coach Barry Solan and former Ireland rugby international Gavin Duffy are other names who could join Rochford’s new set-up.
Solan was S & C coach for Mayo during the short-lived Holmes and Connelly reign and is also working with Premier League side Arsenal.
6. Retaining the Connacht title
Mayo sealed a famous five-in-a-row in Connacht this summer with a devastating display against Sligo in the provincial final.
All appeared rosy in the garden at that stage as the Holmes and Connelly-managed team demolished Sligo by 26 points, knocking in six goals in the process.
But the failure to win the biggest prize of all grates with Mayo fans, many of whom are unhappy with the treatment of Holmes and Connelly.
Regaining public confidence is one of the key objectives for Rochford and failure to win the provincial championship in 2016 would be viewed as a massive backward step.
Six-in-a-row has a nice ring to it but Galway have shown signs of slow improvement in recent years and with Mayo native Kevin McStay and Fergal O’Donnell at the helm in Roscommon, they can’t be discounted either.
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GAA Gaelic Football into the west James Horan Noel Connelly Pat Holmes Stephen Rochford Corofin Mayo