IN THE IMMEDIATE aftermath of Kildare’s loss in the football qualifiers to Tyrone on Saturday, Kieran McGeeney told reporters it was too early to decide on his future with the Lilywhites.
However, in a separate interview with Kildare-based radio station KFM, the former Armagh footballer launched a sensational broadside and a number of former players turned pundits ‘that are there for entertainment’ and should be ignored. McGeeney added that many of the individuals [he did not name names] were cowards as players and cowards now.
McGeeney said, “That’s sport like, you know, but you just have to keep going; there’s knocks. There are people out there that will tear you apart. The thing about it is — and you tell them that — I played with a few of those boys and them fellas were cowards when they were playing. They’re cowards now when they tear these fellas apart.
“You have to accept that from people. There are good people out there too. They’ll analyse the game and see the sloppiness. You have to take that stuff on the chin. That’s good analysis of a game. You’ll take that, you have to learn from that and move on. The naysayers and the people that are there for entertainment, you just ignore them and get on with it.”
McGeeney speaks to the media after his side’s 1-11 to 0-12 loss. (©INPHO/Donall Farmer)
McGeeney also lamented the sloppy play that allowed Tyrone some points ‘they didn’t deserve’ but praised his panel as a very proud bunch of fellas destined for success in the near future. He attempted to avoid criticising referee Joe McQuillan, who sent off Kildare’s Peter Kelly and who needed a Garda escort off the field in Newbridge amid unpleasant scenes.
“Listen,” he said, “you better not talk about referees, their assessments. [It is] something that seems to be beyond everybody’s comprehension so you just let them at it.”
To listen to the full interview on KFM, click here >>>
Geezer is the biggest charlatan out there. 6 years and if anything they’ve gone backwards. If you have to write slogans on your wrists for motivation then there’s something wrong.
I wouldn’t say it to his face though, he’s fairly close to getting his black belt.
Gone backwards? Shows how much you know. This is the first year they haven’t made the Quarter Finals, a Semi in that time too. Won Division 2 last year, made Division 1 Semi this year after been the bookies favourite to be relegated. The squad is far stronger than it was 6 years ago too. Fair enough he hasn’t won serious silver but realistically a Leinster is as much as can be hoped for and that’s hard achieved with how good Dublin have been the last few years. Kildare not good enough to win an All Ireland and you’ve never heard McGeeney, any of the players or anyone in Kildare say otherwise. The only people who build them up are the media, is that Kildares fault?
A bluffer. Glen Ryan is the man for that job, and I dare say he’d do it for half the price ‘geezer’ is charging the county board.
Gone backwards? You obviously dont know what you’re talking about.
@ Cash. leave Glen Ryan where he is. Us longford folk would love to hang on to him for the foreseeable future. ……..
It started getting silly with the whole Seanie Johnson affair. Kildare football became a laughing stock, and if reports are right in this mornings independent Johnson’s going back to cavan.
He’s should sign for Monaghan now shur
Agree. The Supporters Club signing of Seanie and putting him up in an apartment in the K club was farcical
6 years and no real silverware. Not many managers keep their job with those stats.
Its he referring to eamon ohara saying 6 years and no silverwear… its time to go?
Nope, I’m referring to Geezer.
Where else would a spoofer get €100k plus per annum ….if I was him I would try to stay on too.
In fairness, Spillane has had a go at him every single chance he gets
“what are dublins chances this year Pat?”
“will Michael, dublin is the county nixt to kildayre and it’s really time fir migeeny to mouve on now, hes hid six years and they’ve gan nowhere”
“that’s not what I asked Pat”
“what you askt is irrilivint Michael, this issue is iv vitil importince”
I heard a rumour this morning that he had stepped aside but I don’t know if someone had just misheard something about this interview on the radio and assumed the worst.
Either way I think he’s probably done all he can with Kildare at this stage.
ah he has to go really 6 years and there hasn’t been much improvement if anything they have gone backwards. after the time where they nearly got to All Final thought they could go on and challenge for honours but didn’t happen for some reason. if anything the players spent too much time in the gym and too little time on the pitch practising basic skills like shooting
Kildare not a bad basketball team
Ah yeah Kieran deflect away from the fact your panel simply isn’t good enough in particular your forwards and the fact that your game plan of tryin to play the man instead of the ball didn’t work. Sure if all else fails they could blame the ref as usual. 6 years in the job and all that has improved for Kildare is their fitness and you won’t win silverware on fitness alone. Time to pack up and move on Kirean
Bye bye …. Next please
Why are Gaelic footballers so sensitive!
Because they give up all their spare time, no social life in the gym for the winter come the summer three nights a week training expect to go into work thats if they have work! but ask any g.a.a player is it worth it? we all know what they will say”!!
Poor hard done by footballers!
The way they train now and commitment levels! They’re like professionals
I forgot… Do not criticise footballers, their a sensitive bunch! “I suppose” “at the end of the day like” “lookit”!!
His comments say more about the mentality of this guy and his values.
I wouldent want my son playing for this angry man. The bad behaviour is reflected sadly in the pitch. This guy is a THUG. Hopefully he is unemployed next week and has no influence on future kids of our country. The GAA must act to cut out this negitive abuse of others.
Idiotic comment
Deluded you are
Not his biggest fan, bit of a spoofed… But a thug?? What are you talking about lad?
You’re mental Frank. What’s that on your shoulder? Oh yeah, it’s the worlds biggest chip!!
Kildare haven’t gone backwards far from it. However there is a strong squad emerging here. Kildare lose most of their games on the sideline. Against Dublin he didn’t make a change until the game was gone, along with other games that were in the melting pot which they went on to lose. Kildare were their usual self (U-21s semi final included) by kicking wide after wide on Saturday when there are good forwards on the bench and they havent made any Championship progress since getting beaten by Down two years ago. That’s not good enough considering the money McGeeney is on.
He is pretty naive on the sideline, but make no mistake about it, those last 2 losses were on the pitch. Some of those Kildare lads couldn’t catch or solo the ball when the game was in the melting pot… That’s not a tactical issue, that’s a skills issue
You watch the Donegal game two years ago, the Meath game and first half against Cork last year and tell me different. You will never see a manager worth his salt let his team lose against the same team twice like they did against Dublin this year.
So when Thomas O’connor drops every ball that goes into him and Cribbon and Kelly start soloing the ball into the oppositions hands…That’s McGeeney’s fault? Players have to take some responsibility there as well.
i have to agree with both….the players look second rate in the skills department but is that too much training in the gym and not enough on the pitch…i know mcgeeney puts a lot of emphaisi on fitness and bulk….kildare forwards must have the worst record in ireland when it comes to putting the ball over the bar…the players are there but the emphasis is in the wrong place and i think thats mcgeeneys fault….also he has made them a better team but he lacks the tactical nouse of say mcgiunness or say a sean boylan….there are times when games are slipping away and he just cant make that tactical substitution that can swing the game back in kildares favour…watching them against dublin…when kildare played the second high ball into O’Connor he should have realised then it was not working and that all the dubs were doing was breaking the high ball….as i say he has got them fitter than any kildare tea have ever been but as another person commented…fitness doesn’t win football matches….scores win football matches
I’m not defending McGeeney here, I’m a Meath man I couldn’t care less how they get on but it’s a bit rich for supporters to come on and lay all the blame at his feet. If the players are not there, which they aren’t, your going nowhere.
McGeeney had lost games in the line before, no doubt, he can be very slow to make changes, however, some of the basic mistakes made by Kildare in the last few weeks has nothing to do with tactics or game plans, it’s about basic skill levels… And bar a few players, they are not up to standard
robert im not slating mcgeeney either but i do feel he does place an awful lot of emphasis on fitness and not enough on skill…the players are certainly there but i think his brand of football does not cater for the more skilful player…lobbing balls up to the big full forward is not the way the game should be played…neither is hand passing the ball to death out of the back line…the good teams have that sussed and have their players back in place by the time the ball comes over the halfway line…mcgeeney has brought kildare on in leaps and bounds and i am the first to say that….but the blueprint for winning football matches is quick ball from back to front…the players are there as i have said you only need to look at the performances of the U21s (apart from the semi final performance in which i have to say mcgeeney wasant great either) and also the minors who walloped dublin before having a good win against longford
I suppose what I’m saying is I don’t think Kildare have the footballers. I don’t know the club scene in Kildare but I’ve haven’t heard many supporters complaining that better players are being left out? Whatever system you play, if you are kicking wides then you are creating chances.. When the cops are down Kildare seem incapable of converting those chances.
I can’t comment much on the underage teams, I only seen the u-21′s semi final, and it was the same old story… Too many wides when under pressure.
For my money, the only good footballers, and I mean that in the skilful sense, are Doyle and young Kelly. I don’t see them having anyone else that can consistently kick a ball to where they want it to go.
agree 100% with your comments but if there was less time spent in the gym and more time on the pitch i feel they could improve…they have been woeful in front of goal but with the right coaching they could be better…the likes of fionn dowling and the guy from st laurences his name escapes me can moulded into accurate point scorers…i think its getting the balance right
Point taken alright, but at the end of the day every footballer in the country has access to a pitch and a bag of football’s… Nothing stopping them getting extra practice in. Because if they could kick the ball over the bar when the chips were down, they would be very dangerous
yes but the tactics employed are outdated aswell… this craic of hand passing the ball from the back has been well and truly sussed…all the good teams play quick and insisive football back to front…look at dublin and even meath the speed seems to be a better substitution for size…dublin have insisive footballers whos first instinct is to get the ball forward as quickly as possible
and you are spot on about every footballer having access to a pitch!
Isn’t it the manager the main person who has to ensure that these players have the basic skills to be named on the pitch? Despite all these mistakes that the players you mentioned made, they were still left on the pitch for a significant amount of game time.
Andrew,
Correct and right, yet I have yet to hear a Kildare supporter complain that the best team is not being selected… So what’s that saying, that McGeeney is picking the best team he can?
Again, I don’t see the manager as being blameless, he has his faults. But the players are getting an easy ride here, they were the ones kicking the bloody thing wide, not McGeeney?
It’s easy be critic,but results speak for themselves they haven’t moved on much since he took over,maybe they’ve gotten fitness levels up & physically bigger but football skills haven’t!! For the money his on its been poor return!! His had his chance time for new coach!
Take your beating McGeeny! Tyrone took the foot off the pedal in first 15mins of second half as they frsutratingly have a habit of doing. But kept composure and were deserving winners.
Criticising commentators and referee decisions is sore loser syndrome.
after your thinly veiled secterian dig at armagh on sunday meave id rather be able to enjoy the banter on here without having to tolerate dinosaurs of old northern ireland like yourself
Sorry but I can’t help it if Armagh have dropped out of the GAA stratosphere like flies! ;)
Also: you’ve taken me up wrong if you think anything I say is anything other than a little ribbing. And def not sectarian. Apologies if anything I said was construed as that!
Just double checked every post I made on Sunday and there was absolutely nothing that can even be inferred as sectarian. The only time I mentioned Armagh was when referencing the style of football Donegal play was conceived by Armagh and developed by Tyrone.
Turncoats like Seanie Johnson dont belong in the game.Club and county me arse. A lot of fuss over a clown.. And McGeeney is an ape in a tracksuit…..
Bad last two games . They were awful against the dubs.. seem to be lacking the same passion this year in championship…. Maybe to many young players????
Too many average players
Yea John Doyle is a young player
It’s time for Kildare to seek a manager with new ideas. Yes they have an emerging panel and has shown improvement at under age. Team is physically fit but their skills are lacking along with scoring ability. Without Johnny Doyle the score board would be looking a lot worse. Johnny can’t go forever. As for Seanie Johnson the whole affair is best left to the history books. A debacle that has made the county a laughing stock and in all reality what has he contributed. Apart from turning the neutral supporter against the lillies. Great supporters but their expectations are a little too high.
They don’t call them the “lily whites” for nothing apparently so..
How much is he on, also he is not a thug I like him, but someone else needs a shot at managing Kildare.
6 years is a very long time to be in charge of any county team. To be fair to McGeeny he has done his best and has brought stability to Kildare. What would the likes of Offaly do if they had a bit of the time and effort that Mcgeeny has put into Kildare. He may have taken a chance with the young lads but at least he took the chance. Too many inter county footballers are allowed to play on for far too long these days as we saw with Graham Canty for Cork when they played Kerry. All in all he has done reasonably well with the proof that maybe fans expect a little too much these days!
He is a bluffer, nothing behind all the bull s talk out of him, constant failure from kildare
Goodbye try try try again?