The Tony McEntee I know

If I was a Mayo footballer looking for some home truths, I would seek an audience with selector Tony McEntee, writes Oisín McConville

Now, when I say home truths I mean brutal honesty, warts and all. If you like your wake-up calls sugar-coated, filtered or in some way diluted, then it is best to steer clear of my friend.

I’ve know few straighter talkers than Tony Mac. An example of his directness goes back to his first year on the Armagh panel. We had been summoned to a hotel in Tyrone for an early season clear-the-air, cards-on-the-table meeting. Willie Anderson, the Ireland rugby legend, facilitated the meeting with Brian McAlinden and Brian Canavan in attendance. We had to proclaim our strengths and our weaknesses and we were then put into groups to suggest a few things for our team-mates.