Mayo badly served by safety first philosophy

Mayo fans are despairing as their footballers endure a torrid league campaign.

But things are not as desperate as they appear.

It’s a question posed in circles as diverse as economic forums, sociology lectures and self-help classes. In a sporting context we’re long used to teams and supporters bigging themselves up in late spring with talk of this being ‘The Year’ only to see the great delusion unfold in early summer.