“IT’S A MIRACLE for the lads there.”
The opening post-match statement from Tom Cribben summed up a crazy, madcap Gaelic football afternoon.
He oversaw his Westmeath team perform an incredible comeback in yesterday’s Leinster semi-final as they claimed a landmark victory over Meath.
How did Cribben’s team manage to fashion such a dramatic turnaround?
“We went with a complete different layout for the second-half. We went a bit stronger in the half-back line to attack from there rather than letting them pull us around.
“We decided to go for it and just convince them that we’ve done it in the last two games. There was no Braveheart stuff, it was common sense.
“It’s a miracle for the lads there. At the start of the year, I saw something special in that group of lads. We knew they have fierce character and getting them to gel as a unit was the whole secret to making it happen.
“After the first 15 (minutes), I was worried. We were a bit at sea in the first-half there. Their game-plan was very, very good.
“We’ve a lot of young lads playing there and they just have that belief to keep working. That, no matter what happens, it’s a stepping stone this year.”
It’s been an amazing revival for Westmeath considering they were relegated from Division 2 during the spring with Cribbin criticising some of the players after they suffered the drop.
“There was a lot to do with my own frustrations and the team’s frustrations. We’re the only Division 2 team at the moment that’s after reaching a provincial final.
“That’s why I was really frustrated at, we should have been staying in Division 2 minimum. I could see the quality in team and all the players.
“hey were there the Tuesday night (after relegation), they worked really hard and here we are a number of weeks later.
“That was our goal of the season, to try and get to a Leinster final, break the hoodoo. That was our goal early on in the season.”
Originally published at 11.27
FAI have just announced Jose Mourinho will take over from Stephen Kenny after the 2022 World Cup. He will manage the under 10 side in the meantime to gain experience of international football.
@James Lenihan: Jose doesn’t play kids. What are the FAI thinking
Starting his own bus company..
@Seán Ó Daimhín: more trophies than klopp the flop
@Scorpionvenomm: yeah, Utd fans like Mourinho, have been deflecting all day with that statement, what Klopp and Liverpool have to do with the article is just the feeble attempt at banter that just makes you look silly, like a kid in the playground, “my Da would bate your Da”.
@Scorpionvenomm: God youre a bitter repetitive goose. I hope you choke on those words come the end of the season.
@Scorpionvenomm: a bus full of trophies
Davy Fitz translator
Back to Italy probably, either Milan side would take him
They are only EIGHTEEN points behind Manchester City. They are NINETEEN points behind league leaders Liverpool.
@Gary Dempsey: How many premier league titles are they behind city and Liverpool???
@Pj Windgap: The article is about jose mourinho not Manchester United. Absolute fools banging on about their 20 times, which is exactly what you all slated Liverpool fans for , for years.
@Pj Windgap: pj mindgap
@Pj Windgap: hahahaha United fans love a good history lesson. Jose was too good for you lot
I hope Jose gets his spark back he was great when he first came to England
@irishoverseas: Course he will, the team are a disgrace, easy to pin it on one person, the lot of them bar one or two are a disgrace.
Jim McGuiness assistant in America
Dundalk?
Too much player and agent power now in football it has ruined it
@Billy Thompson: how?
Kilkenny Senior football team needs a big name manager
Saudi Arabia national team
@Brian Les: He’d have to get out of their embassy alive
@Finbarr Cooper: Wow. Just wow.
Jose Mourihno`s spending on transfer fees thrughout his career id mind boggling, in fairness all he did in the early part was either start with a good squad or throw money at it and buy a squad instead of developing.
He sold
Lukaku
De Bruyne,
Salah,
To mention just a few.
I think he had 28 Chelsea players out on loan at one stage.
Here is a calculation of Mourihnos transfer expenditure since first coming to Chelsea, all those years back
United 2016 – 2018 = Transfer expenditure: £419,490,000
Chelsea 2013 – 2015 = Transfer expenditure: £318,555,000
Madrid 2010 – 2013 = Transfer expenditure: £163,350,000
Milan – 2008 – 2010 = Transfer expenditure: £140,220,000
Chelsea 2004 – 2007 = Transfer expenditure: £334,237,500
Total = £1,375,852,500
He has actually spent more at United than any other club he has been with.
@Pixie McMullen: he’s spent more because transfers have exploded in price in the last 3 years, it’s all realtive
dundalk fc will sign him as a replacement for stephen kenny.
He could become assistant to the highly qualified Stephen Kenny when the latter assumes the throne in two years time, and Mick Mccarthy is told to hump it & make way for the League of Ireland maestro
@Jane Aelst: bow to the British empire
The Donald Trump of football
2 1/3 season.
Dripsey GAA?
He’ll be back. Maybe in Italy. Don’t think it was a managerial problem at United. Them upstairs need to take at least some of the blame. Hope he gets his mojo back.
He is so miserable all the time. Thanks be to almighty, that nobody will have to see his face for a while at least.
What’s your point. …?
Realistically, he will probably take over a team like Leiscester or Villa and do alright.
Even in that photo of him being unveiled as United Manager he looks disinterested. It seems he’s lost his hunger and his tactics are out dated, sad as he was compelling to watch when he first arrived in England.
They’re closer to the bottom than they are the top!
Ireland job after stephen Kenny