Andy Moran: "I am just going to tell them to go for it"

Mayo manager would be happy to see his players throwing off the shackles against Kerry

MAYO players have been waiting for the opportunity to represent their county on All-Ireland final day since they were children, manager Andy Moran has said.

“This is an opportunity, and what would 30 other counties give to be in Mayo’s position on Sunday?” Moran said as the build-up to the big game against Kerry in Croke Park next Sunday gathers pace.

He adds: “There were amazing scenes for Wicklow and their supporters after the Tailteann Cup final. It is such an opportunity for these young (Mayo) men to produce what they want to produce on a football field. They have been wating for this opportunity since they were young children, and I am just going to tell them to go for it.

“We are going to be underdogs, but we are confident in the work we have done. And hopefully that will produce the result. We will just have to wait and see.”

The Ballaghaderreen native, who was appointed in the off-season last year, says that the Mayo job is a 24/7 task.

“I think James Horan (former manager) had a great line when he said that even when you are not there, you are there. This job is 24/7, and when the lads ring you then you have to answer the phone. My kids were on about going to watch Toy Story 5 for the last six weeks, but that is not going to happen until this championship is over!”

But the run to the All-Ireland final has re-energised Mayo supporters, who really gotten behind the team this year.

Moran observes: “Some of the current players have never felt a reaction from the Mayo supporters like this before. To be honest, I have never seen anything like it before. It is great to see and I love it, and it does show that the team is progressing and that people want to talk about Mayo football. This year our supporters have really drove our players on.”

Andy recalls an encounter with a former Tyrone player recently which gave him hope that Mayo were going in the right direction.

“A prominent ex-Tyrone player stopped me afterwards after our All-Ireland Series match against Tyrone when we were going for food post-match in Healy Park and he said to me: ‘Andy, that was the best championship game that we have seen in Healy Park in years, and I wouldn’t be surprised if one of these two teams get to an All-Ireland final'.

“We said after that game that it would be a shame if this campaign ended next week as we felt that things were moving in the right direction, and then we got past Meath. Our players up front were beginning to click and our defensive system was getting better, around the middle of the field we were getting better, and Jack (Livingstone) made his championship debut in goal, and we felt that the dial had moved a tiny bit in our favour.”

An exciting young team, it's no wonder that Mayo fans are happy to back their team again. Moran, for his part, says he loves players who are willing to express themselves on the pitch.

“I love expression, fun and enjoyment. What is the point in putting in all of these hours at training if you can’t express yourself? It is not all about abandonment, and they play within the system. For example, Kobe McDonald would nearly be the top assister in our team, but he always plays with freedom.”

Moran would love to see McDonald continue to play for Mayo in the years ahead but understands that the Crossmolina native has to experience the life of a professional athlete.

“It wasn’t to be for (recently retired Dublin player) Ciarán Kilkenny, so who knows? I am not going to write his script. Let’s wait and see.

“It is the professional athlete point of view, and he (Kobe) has the chance to go and do this for his life. I am never going to talk a young fella out of doing that and it his choice. I would have a great relationship with his dad (Ciaran) and I am very grateful that he is playing this year at senior inter-county level, and we are absolutely delighted to have him.

“I think everyone involved in football would love him to stay and play for Mayo but you have a chance to be a professional athlete, and you have to go and experience that.”

Mayo’s team spirit and resolve seems to have been galvanized during the five weeks after the Roscommon defeat in the Connaught Championship.

Explained Moran: “That five-week block allowed us to settle ourselves, and we got the likes of Eoin McGreal, Kobe McDonald, Darragh Beirne back fully into our group after their Under 20 campaign. The older and experienced group of players such as the likes of Jack Coyne, Jack Carney, Enda Hession, Jordan Flynn and Ryan O’Donoghue showed great leadership from there on in.

“I remember we travelled up to Ashbourne to play Meath in a challenge game on a Thursday night, and Ashbourne is four and a half hours away from Belmullet.

"Ryan O’Donoghue had work the next morning and he played 50 minutes in that game and went to work the next morning, after the long drive home. That game and experience is one of the reasons where we are today.”

In many ways, Mayo are a much-changed team from the one that played Kerry in the league back in March. What learnings did Moran take from that encounter in Tralee?

“Our shot efficiency was way below where it needed to be,” he remembers. “I don’t like using stats as I think there is more to the game than that. I think we actually got more shots than Kerry that day, but our shot efficiency was low due to Kerry’s pressure on the ball.

“We started a few different players that day, but if you are not on your game against Kerry they will rip you apart. If you want to play them and go after them and put pressure on them but if you are not on your game, they will hammer you. And you need to be ready for that challenge.

“The biggest learning for us is that we were 0-9 to 0-3 in that game after 20 minutes and I think at half-time we ended up heing 0-12 to 0-9 down. And I remember the wind just really took off during the second half and I thought, 'We are in a bit of bother here'. It went well until about the 20th minute and then it just fell apart, and you just need to be on your game playing Kerry.”

Moran saw Kerry up close again in their All-Ireland semi-final against Dublin, a game he found it to be a tactical battle.

He said: “It could have swung on the smallest of things. I thought Dublin did really well, and defensively they were brilliant, and they just couldn’t put enough scores on the board to put them through. Kerry found a way to win the game.

“That is where you get your learning from. You are probably never going to fully keep the Cliffords out of a game, but you might learn how you can minimise it.

"Paudie Clifford had an influence on that game and Seán O’Shea also got a lot of minutes behind him, and you are just learning how these players are progressing through their injuries and getting back into action, and they seemed fairly lively against Dublin.”

So, where is the winning and losing of the game next Sunday?

Moran mused: “The midfield battle is unbelievably important. It is a huge function of the game. I think teams now are getting better at setting up if they lose the kick-out.

"If you have a wind blowing against you in the league, then the midfield battle is absolutely huge. In Croke Park, the midfield battle might not be as big as it was back in February, but it is still a huge part of the game.

“When these new rules settle, threes (goals) and twos (two-pointers) will win All-Irelands and big games, and we will need goals.”

The goal on Sunday is to win, and Moran and his backroom team have the players well set up to execute.