GAA 24 September 1997
Maughan may sit on the line
Tom Kelly gets the views of the Mayo boss before his second All-Ireland football final
Mayo manager John Maughan has castigated sections of the media for their 'unfair and personalised criticism' of long serving Mayo player Dermot Flanagan.
In a clear reference to former Meath star Colm O'Rourke who angered Mayo supporters with his comments about the Ballaghaderreen-born defender in the Sunday Independent, Maughan said the attack was below the belt.
He said: "During my time as manager of the Mayo team, Dermot has made an outstanding contribution. Personalised attacks of this nature on him are totally wrong and unjustified. What I read was wrong and I think it is correct that I should take issue with it. Dermot Flanagan has given loyal and dedicated service to Mayo football, and he does not deserve this kind of criticism."
O'Rourke wrote that perseverance was one of Flanagan's virtues, but he was 'not good enough at the highest level several years ago.' He continued: "It is very hard to see him improving since then unless the quality of corner forwards has deteriorated alarmingly and that is not the case with Kerry."
Maughan, one of the most articulate managers in the sport, spoke candidly about his side's build-up to their second successive All-Ireland final.
He said: "We have been a bit unfortunate with injuries, and the loss of Kevin O'Neill at this time is particularly significant. Kevin Cahill was also undergoing surgery the same weekend that O'Neill was in hospital."
"Our biggest concern at the moment is a virus which has hit the camp. Pat Holmes was out of action for a week, and John Casey was also effected. It is important to our preparations that the virus does not spread. I am a bit worried about it, to be honest. Our county secretary, Sean Feeney, was also hit with the bug. The virus would sap energy from the players at the worst possible time."
"Apart from those factors, everything has been going well for us. Our final challenge match against Donegal was a good work out. The fact we were in the final last year counts for a lot. There is no substitute for experience."
"I felt before the semi-final against Offaly that our players were very relaxed. It is a big thing for players to play in Croke Park in front of 60,000 people aa well as a television audience. But ten of our players had been there last year, and the experience stood to them.
"I even sought advice myself last year from other managers to see how they handled the whole All-Ireland final experience and so on. That's one thing I don't have to do this time."
Maughan stated his team were a lot fitter now than they were last year.
"Our training has changed a little bit. We did the same stamina work and weight training, but there has been a greater emphasis on rest. We trained 187 times last year, but cut that down to 161 this time. That's a lot of togging out.
"There was not the same pressure put on the players to train over the Winter period. We had set ourselves a target in the league last year, but our league campaign was not near as important in 1997."
Maughan did not think the pressure to win next Sunday was more intense than last year.
"From my own point of view, I don't think it is. Obviously I cannot speak for the players. But I have noticed that the hype and atmosphere on the street is far lower key. The same intensity among our supporters is not there. But people are expecting us to win this time, which was not something we experienced last year."
"If you recall, we were considered to be travelling in hope rather than expectation for last year's semi-final against Kerry. Connaught football was not highly rated at the time. After beating Kerry, we started to believe that something could happen here. Things are different in that respect this year.
"We were written off after the Connaught final win over Sligo and played reasonably well against Offaly. The bookies have Kerry favourites and that is just about right."
Maughan said he was not disappointed his team registered 17 wides in the semi-final win over Offaly.
"I would have been disappointed if we had not been creating the scoring opportunities. I know we wasted a lot of good chances, but I felt we may have shown them too much respect early on and our forwards snapped at their chances before composing themselves.
"There should have taken an extra step or two and made sure of the scores. The conditions on the day played a part as well. I spoke to the players afterwards and they said they found it difficult to hold their feet.
"In the final analysis, however, 17 wides was an awful lot. But I would not mind having the same amount of wides the next day if we go on to win the game."
He accepted that last year's defeat by Meath left its scars.
"I suppose we all carried a bit of baggage after it. It was a final we felt we should have won.
"What disappointed me most of all were the accusations made in the Press about the team. I was particularly annoyed to be labelled as whingers. We are not whingers. We never were. If we were, we would not have come back like we did.
"Apart from that issue, we took a lot of positive things out of the defeat. We felt we were good enough to come back. By reaching the final again, it shows we have a great deal of resilience and character.
"An important factor this year has been the emergence of a number of young players. It highlighted the fact the conveyor belt was working in the county.
"These young players have done very well for us. With one or two exceptions, this team is a very young one.
"They had not a lot of football played for Mayo up to last year which proved a very long campaign. But they have recharged their batteries and come back even stronger."
The Mayo boss did not hide his annoyance over the treatment by certain local 'Press people' of the team following the incidents at the end of the Connaught football semi-final in which Colm McManamon was sent off.
"It was a time when we should all have stuck together and be together. But one or two did not on that occasion and I was disappointed."
Maughan said he was happy with Liam McHale's performance as full-forward against Offaly.
"He played exactly how we wanted him to play."
He described Fergal Costello as outstanding. "He has come on a ton. Of course he would have been more involved last year only for a shoulder injury."
He believed Kerry were a stronger and fitter side than last year.
"They have brought in a few new players like full-back Barry O'Shea. I saw him in action a number of times and he really impressed me. The Kerry midfield is much more mature and physical with Dara O Sé and William Kirby."
"One of the question marks about them last year was that they lacked a little bit of physique. Brian Clarke at full forward gives them that edge they were missing. They have definitely improved. There is no doubt about that. But so have Mayo. Although I think the loss of Kevin Cahill was quite significant from our point of view."
"He was playing particular well before the injury. I would like to think that the changes, barring the ones forced upon us, has strengthened the team as a whole. I think we are stronger in key positions than last year. I think it is worth nothing that our defence has played extremely well in Cahill's absence. Pat Holmes has slotted into full-back and is doing a very good job."
Maughan, who admitted to sheading a tear when hearing in Cyprus in 1995 that Mayo lost to Galway in the Connaught final, said nothing would give him greater pleasure than seeing his charges capture the Sam Maguire Cup.
"My players have been magnificent. They are a dream to manage."
He revealed getting to the All-Ireland last year was 'not part of the plan.'
"We exceeded all expectations last year. This was the year we were planning to be there."
Maughan is a man passionate about setting goals and fulfilling them. If he says this is our year, you can start to believe that it may well be. There has been no reason to doubt him so far.
