Every GAA manager who’s discarded top players should take note of this refreshing wake-up call

What's that old saying? To treat everyone equally, treat them differently.

Human beings are complex. They're emotional. They're sensitive. They're different. It's the easiest thing in the world for a manager to do, walk into a job and make a statement by getting rid of some big personalities. It sends a message that this guy isn't pissing about and it gets everyone else in line for fear that they'll be next. What it also does though is get rid of some of your best players. Then what? Statement made. Talent pool depleted. Brilliant. Listen, no-one's arguing that you shouldn't draw a line and lay firmly down the minimum of what is required and demanded from your players. You can't have people coming and going and doing whatever they like when they're there and you certainly can't have the rest of the squad seeing this. Setting standards is crucial for any manager but there's also no point in drawing a line if your key players aren't going to get over it. As much as it might pain you to do, you have to help some of those lads across that same line because otherwise you're not going to win very much. It seems like everyone is picking fat from Roscommon's carcass at present because it was only last year that they looked on the brink of something and, now, they've lost every game, been relegated, and we're hearing talk of a three-year plan. https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/839905268276285440 Kevin McStay has been operating without some big names - some have retired, others are away and then there are a few who just aren't in the squad for one reason or another and, when things are going as badly as they are, lights get shone on those problems. On The GAA Hour football podcast, Meath great Cian Ward had serious questions over why the Rossies were going without these men. He couldn't understand it and it his reasoning was pure logic.

"He [McStay] made a comment that morale in the team is great and there's a great team spirit and all this. I'm going to be honest, I don't think a manager can ever actually say that because, if there is stuff going on, the players don't come to the manager and tell him," Ward said. "This is the sort of stuff that goes on in the background where the players could be talking amongst themselves and they could be giving out about the manager. You could be picking up good results and all the players could be saying, 'this manager's a complete eejit'. "The job of the manager is to get the best out of the players at his disposal. In order for him to get the best out of the footballers in Roscommon, he has to have the best footballers in Roscommon playing for Roscommon. And sometimes you don't get to do exactly what you want to do as a manager but you have to try and get these guys on board.  "I'm not saying it's all McStay's fault now, far from it. But you have to have serious questions about how they could have such a fall-off. The quality clearly has dropped significantly from last season."

Listen to the full debate (from 7:30) below along with Colm Parkinson who is asking why would Roscommon be going full tilt at this time of the year anyway.