MAYO legend Lee Keegan blasted county board chiefs for their handling of Kevin McStay’s ousting as manager.
With a year to run on a four-year term, McStay and his backroom team were axed at a Mayo GAA management committee meeting on Wednesday night.
And Keegan told SunSport: “It’s the most disrespectful and least empathetic thing you could see.
“With his health and everything else, the likelihood is that Kevin might not be able to fulfil a managerial role.
“It’s just really disappointing that we can’t seem to do things in a proper manner in Mayo.”
McStay and his management team, which included Stephen Rochford and Donie Buckley, were ‘relieved from their roles with immediate effect’ according to Mayo GAA in a statement.
Their tenure was cut short following a season that saw Mayo fail to advance from the All-Ireland group stages.
Rochford deputised as McStay was absent from the sideline for the recent games against Tyrone and Donegal due to health issues.
Keegan added: “It’s probably no coincidence that it happened at a time when he had the pressure of managing Mayo.
“That could have been a factor because it’s a high-pressure thing when you’re dealing with massive expectations.
“People want mountains to be moved and it’s just not realistic.
“That’s one of the reasons why it’s so disappointing that it has ended like this.
“Kevin gave it his best and should have been shown more empathy and respect. Maybe as a management it ran its course after three years and that’s fair enough.
“But at least let them present their findings and let them have their meeting. It’s not good enough for the players and it’s not good enough for Mayo in general.”
News of McStay’s exit emerged on the same evening that saw Antrim express gratitude to Andy McEntee in what Keegan felt was a more fitting tribute.
The 2016 Footballer of the Year said: “Andy McEntee didn’t have a lot of success there but it’s not the point.
“They showed a bit of class in their statement and how they handled it.
“We’re talking here about Kevin, who’s a man that has given a lot to Mayo and to GAA.
“But it’s just as if they had a meeting, decided he was gone and that was it. Nothing from Kevin, Stephen, Donie or anybody.
“I played with Mayo long enough, so I know the situation and I’m not surprised by this.
“But we’re into the knockout stages of the season, a brilliant All-Ireland quarter-final line-up this weekend, yet Mayo are in the headlines again and we’re not even in the Championship.”
Bookies have installed former boss James Horan, ex-Mayo star Andy Moran and All-Ireland-winning Cuala boss Austin O’Malley as front-runners to succeed McStay.
But Keegan said: “When you look at how they’ve been about it, would you want to work under that? That’s the other side of it.
“This is a good Mayo side with really good players. But what would put you off is working with that county board. You couldn’t trust them.”
