Mayo manager Rochford undaunted by the scale of his task

He accepts that the position of Mayo manager is a pressurised one but Stephen Rochford doesn't believe that the challenge is especially daunting. He took on the role at the end of last year after a highly-publicised ousting of his predecessors by the players.

The former Crossmolina All-Ireland club medal winner doesn’t however feel that the presence of such strong-willed players in his dressing-room demands careful handling.

History question

“I don’t particularly think of it as any more of a challenge than anything else; 2015 is a history question in many ways. I don’t want that to sound very dark but all my focus is about 2016.

"In the short-term it is about going into the National League and survival in that, accumulating as many points as possible and knowing that we are going to be doing that on the basis that we are going to be missing a lot of players, trying a couple of new players and a bit of experimentation in that aspect as well. That's really where my focus has been. It's not peeking in the rear-view mirror."

It’s a tribute to his reputation, having won last year’s All-Ireland club title with Galway’s Corofin, that there is so much buoyancy about Mayo’s prospects despite five seasons of coming close without closing the deal.

This is also a reflection of a strong back-room team, featuring amongst others Crossmaglen and Armagh All-Ireland winner Tony McEntee and Donie Buckley who has been involved with the previous two Mayo managements.

Rochford answers all questions cautiously, including whether he feels the team will need new players if it is to register the necessary improvement.

“Possibly. The current group have been there or thereabouts for a number of years with all due respect. Whether that’s the old faces in different places or if that’s one new face or the 2013 minor team now that the majority of them are 21 years of age or whether it’s a year too early for some of them but then again Diarmuid O’Connor got Young Player of the Year last year.

“There might be another player or two in that crop but I don’t think it’s a necessity personally. I don’t think it’ll be a case of everybody in the exact same 15 positions or something like that but we will be trying things out and seeing what we can get out of that.”

For the moment he must focus on the weekend and the trip to take on Cork, also under new management.

Not alone are there injuries to contend with but three Mayo clubs are still involved in the All-Ireland club series. Then there are others living in Dublin, who will train there during the week.

“It’s certainly not ideal. What you’re trying to do is work on your concepts and that at the weekends in the group sessions and hoping that whatever the skills aspects required get more focus midweek.

Big issue

“Come mid-April, late April we’ll be looking to pull everyone together on a more consistent basis and that has been the model under

James Horan

and last year’s management.

“We would hope that it’s not going to be a big issue but Mayo’s not getting any nearer to Dublin.”

Asked if he believes the tendency to concede goals in critical matches deserves more attention than the lack of ruthlessness up front, he is non-committal beyond saying that all teams would like to concede less and score more but his approach to the game in Corofin was ambitious.

“I suppose my philosophy on it is that we’re trying to move the ball as quickly as possible and the quicker you can move the ball into a scoring zone or scoring target, then the best chance you have.”