IT WAS A mixed Sunday for inter-county teams with some experiencing the joy of promotion while others have to plan for life in a lower division next season.
Westmeath were one of those teams who had a bad day, as they were relegated to Division 3 after losing to Roscommon.
Westmeath manager Tom Cribbin spoke to Midlands Sport after the game and didn’t conceal his anger at the effort put forward by the team’s senior players.
“There are a few big players just not performing for us,” Cribbin said.
“I don’t know why or what’s wrong. When you have young Cillian Daly, probably one of your best players, and you are looking at poor young Shane Dempsey in his first year to come on and win matches for you when you have senior players, that’s f**king not on.”
Cribbin didn’t single out anyone in particular but by the sounds of it, he would have unfurled a scroll with about ten names on it.
“These big players are not standing up,” he continued.
“I don’t know what is going on with them but it’s the main lads. You saw the other lads, they put everything on the line. The smaller lads who are general average players, they gave it everything. But the big lads who should be standing out, leading, laid down. That is the real trouble with this team.”
Cribbin then questioned the appetite of his big name guys and said that the panel might move in a different direction as they plan for their first championship game against Louth.
“We might have to go on without a clatter of these players and start purely working on these young lads for the future,” he said.
Even when on the bench he didn’t get game time. The coach doesn’t like or trust him. Saturday once again showed just how wrong O’connor has been all season
O’Connor is just all wrong for Leinster.
He has a very big chance next season with Leinster during the World Cup, midfield won’t be as competitive so he should get a good run of matches.
Mark if Darcy doesn’t make the World Cup squad, he’ll play 12 with t’eo at 13. Then Madigan and sexton will be back so the midfield won’t be as easy to get into as you may think
That pop pass from O’Brien
Battle between him and Madigan for the 12 jersey next season.
It’s always to easy to see who coaches ‘just like/don’t like’. When Gopperth played badly it was ignored whereas when Madigan played mediocre or even if Reid played well decisions went against them.
It creates such a poisonous culture as some players start to feel entitled to spots and others feel it doesn’t matter how well they play they won’t get picked. Cody and Fergusson were masters at disregarding players identities and judging on match performance alone. MOC is such a stink manager.