Wickow give Micko time to decide future

WICKLOW GAA chiefs will give Mick O’Dwyer “the space he wants” to decide on his managerial future with the Garden County.

It was reported earlier this summer that the Kerryman would call time on his involvement with the Leinster outfit after this year’s championship. But the man himself refused to confirm his plans after Saturday’s defeat to Cavan.

“We will wait and see,” said county chairman Andy O’Brien yesterday. “Micko has done great work in Wicklow.

“ He has raised the profile of the county tremendously and we won’t preempt anything he says.

“We will give him the space he wants. We won’t put pressure on him. It is his own decision and we will respect that. We are still trying to get our heads around what went wrong on Saturday.”

Wicklow were seven points up against Cavan’s 13 men in the first round of the All-Ireland qualifiers but ended up on the wrong side of a one-point deficit thanks to an astonishing display by substitute Seanie Johnston.

It has been a summer of what ifs for a county whose ambition of claiming a first Leinster title was unexpectedly derailed with another one-point defeat, this time to Westmeath, in the provincial quarter-final.

O’Dwyer’s time in charge will, nevertheless, be fondly remembered in the Garden County as he guided Wicklow to their first ever championship victory in Croke Park, against Kildare, in 2008.

Wicklow also enjoyed their longest ever championship campaign under his experienced eye when embarking on a six-game odyssey in the 2009 championship.

Meanwhile Jim McGuinness has emerged as the early front runner to take over the reins in Donegal following the resignation of John Joe Doherty in the wake of county’s crushing defeat to Armagh in Crossmaglen.

His tenure as Donegal manager had yielded two Dr McKenna Cups and last year’s run in the qualifiers to the quarter-final where they also failed miserably against Cork in Croke Park.

The former All-Star had no excuses and felt he had taken the team as far as he could.

“It has been a disappointing two years but I have no regrets and did my best to get the best for Donegal,” said Doherty. “We got to the last eight last year and took two Dr McKenna Cups but came up short when it mattered in the big championship games. It was a very disappointing display against Armagh. In the Down match we just could not score and tried very hard but we did not compete against Armagh and that was just devastating.

“In championship matches you need passion and commitment and we just did not have it.”

McGuinness was a contender for the job two years ago, as were Declan Bonner and Charlie Mulgrew.

However former All-Ireland winning captain, Anthony Molloy, feels the role is a poisoned chalice.

Molloy said: “God Almighty would not have success with the Donegal team. People can blame John Joe Doherty all they like but we simply don’t have the players.”

Former Mayo star, Liam McHale has expressed an interest in managing his native county.

John O’Mahony brought a disappointing four-year tenure that yielded just one Connacht title to an end after his side’s shock All-Ireland qualifier defeat to Longford on Saturday night.

“I’m a Mayo man and I’ve been involved with Mayo for over 20 years,” said McHale who worked with Clare this year. “I played for 14 and coached with John Maughan and Kevin McStay at U21 level and senior level.

“I’d love to manage Mayo some day.

“I still believe we have a decent group of players there.

“The situation with Clare after getting beaten by Offaly, and the situation with Mayo is very much up in the air.

“I’m not sure what’s going on yet, it’s early days, but I would love to manage Mayo some day.”