On Sunday afternoon after the stunning defeat by Fermanagh, Meath manager Seán Boylan made a point of shaking hands with the opposing players as they left the pitch in Clones, writes Seán Moran
By the time the team bus was ready to leave, Boylan had divested himself of the bainisteoir jersey and a young Fermanagh supporter had taken possession of what will presumably be a prized trophy.
All of which indicated that as usual Boylan's behaviour differs little whether it's the aftermath of defeat or victory. But there is now uncertainty about his future after 21 years of managing the county.
During that time there have been lows and times when serious challenges were mounted to his position.
But there have never been two successive years when Meath exited the championship against teams that wouldn't be considered in the first rank of All-Ireland contenders.
Last year's defeat by Donegal seemed to signal that Boylan was uncertain about continuing as manager, but he decided to allow his name go forward to the county board meeting in September, which annually decides the manager for the coming year.
In the event he was closely challenged by Eamonn Barry, the manager of Dunshaughlin whom he had taken at that stage to back-to-back county titles (the club has in the interim added another, plus the Leinster title). It is hardly likely that any less vigorous a challenge awaits Boylan this autumn.
Yet for all the grumbling in the county at what have been two very disappointing years, there will also be a strong desire not to do anything to mar Boylan's term of office even if it is coming to an end. His achievements have been enormous since taking over the job in the autumn of 1982, with the county winning four All-Irelands, eight Leinster championships and three NFL titles.
Nonetheless, there is a cruel symmetry to these things and it was being pointed out yesterday that Meath's fate in the years before Boylan taking over, losing in successive championships to Wexford and Longford, has been echoed over the past two seasons.
Ironically it is only two years since Boylan was at the peak of his powers. Meath's 15-point destruction of then champions Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final was seen as a triumph for the manager.
Since that day the county has not won a match in Croke Park.
Brendan Cummins, the former Meath PRO and a broadcaster with LMFM, said that it was hard to determine Boylan's intentions.
"He is impossible to second guess and he never jumps to a decision. After last year's defeat and, far more strongly, the defeat by Dublin in 1995, I thought he'd definitely step down.
"My guess is that he'll wait five or six weeks before making up his mind. My main hope is that everyone will treat his decision with the respect he has earned over the years. I'd hate for there to be any recriminations."
In Dublin, some recrimination has broken out already after the county's defeat by All-Ireland champions Armagh, which ends the season for last year's Leinster champions. Former player Paul Curran, a columnist in the Evening Herald, yesterday called for manager Tommy lyons to step down.
There is, however, unlikely to be any real pressure on Lyons who led the county to a first Leinster title in seven years last summer. Dublin always allow managers a set term of three years and the current management team still have a year to serve.
