With Mayo sitting second from bottom on the Division 1 table of the National Football League, David Brady explained to Friday's OTB AM why he believes James Horan must do more to challenges the county's established players, and part with those who have shown themselves not to be up to it anymore. 

After earning what David Brady considered a fortunate point in their drawn National Football League opener with Donegal, Mayo, defeated by Dublin in Castlebar last weekend, travel to Meath on Sunday for a match that may have some bearing on who is relegated to the second-tier in 2020.

"I am being harsh and I will be harsh," assured David Brady on Friday's OTB AM as he assessed Mayo's performances thus far. "There are too many of the same errors, mistakes, patterns of play that are not coming out with a positive."

The furthest they have been from All-Ireland contenders in a decade according to Brady, the Ballina native believes that manager James Horan ought to be doing more to combat Mayo's unwanted consistency and freshen up the current playing squad.

"Have the senior players been challenged from a managerial point of view," he asked. "Are we giving younger players on the fringes that are going to be there tomorrow a chance? The likes of Brian Reape, Fergal Boland or Ciarán Treacy, I thought we had a crop of players who were able to compete.

"I would say, and I'm being straight here, the likes of Stephen Coen hasn't in any way grabbed a game, hasn't controlled a game or been consistently good.

"At that level, for a guy of his experience, that has played from minors, U21s, Sigerson Cup and has all the medals, for me, he has not controlled a game from a midfield perspective. That is what you want from a midfielder.

"Being 'OK' is not enough and I do think players need to be challenged. The only two being challenged on a consistent basis, and you can see this from team selections, are the goalkeepers!

"I think the young players are good enough and they have to, have to be given the opportunity."

10 August 2019; Mayo manager James Horan ahead of the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final match between Dublin and Mayo at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

The second year of James Horan's return to the role of Mayo manager, Brady conceded that he appreciates the difficult circumstances under which Horan must operate.

"Listen, there is pressure on any Mayo manager that comes in because even a National Football League isn't enough," assured Brady, "you need to win the All-Ireland.

"For James, these are his players who have delivered in the past. However, I do think there needs to be a fundamental rawness to the way that the Mayo team is now assessed."

Nevertheless, even this must come with certain conditions that Mayo don't fall too far in the process of rebuilding.

"Oh, Jesus no, there is no way that any Mayo manager or supporter will ever accept being demoted from Division 1," an adamant Brady stated. "Why would you have to pay the price by having inadequate performances from everyone else [because you're blooding young players]?"

A fine line for James Horan to walk, David Brady is confident that Mayo do possess the players to have an impact on the championships in years to come if some role can be found for them quite quickly.

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