Tullamore Tribune Revelations

[jimbob17]

While i must admit that change is for the better and that hopefully fortunes for the senior footballers will improve, something very disconcerting came over me today as i read the tullamore tribune.

Firstly, Tom Coffey is interviewed and straight away throws digs at the previous management for their failings and lack of "professionalism" with regard to training and treatment of certain players. If he was informed enough, he wouldnt have made some of those comments. While things obviously havent gone well, given the results, it is not his place to come in and ridicule previous management as he comes in the door and others leave. I hope that he can bring this high level of "professionalism" that he speaks of to the set up and I do genuinely wish him well in the process. I also hope that his successor, whoever it is doesnt knock him on the way out the door, whenever that may be.

Secondly, digs are blatantly thrown at "one particular man" on the selection committee back in October for him not getting the job. While, it is obvious that he was bitter about it, there is no need to be beating that drum now that he is in as most people reading would know who that "one man" is. It leaves sentiments of bitterness that doesnt need to be aired in public when coming in to a job. As I am saying this, i am thinking of the real bitterness and genuine envy of football people at the top of the tree in the county board and environs. Everyone appears to want to see the team do well, but not with "that man over the team". I have heard it more times with lines such as "sure what is his claim to fame" very common, or "they wont go too far with that fella". The begrudgery and negativity is unreal with all the top people playing their cards so close to their chest, looking around to see who will stab them in the back. To my mind, this is why Offaly GAA is rotten. Good, well meaning individuals wont go near the thing as the negative energy about everything is just so draining and this feeds in to the players. That said, I am not trying to take from Tom Coffey and genuinely wish him every success, but now that he is in there, he needs to become more media savvy and not get involved in slanging games that he doesnt need to as it wont do him any favours. There is a massive difference between being a county manager and a successful club manager as the media hangs on your every word.

Secondly, the Brian Connor interview was very interesting for a few reasons.
1 The respect in which he held the management or the guy in the backroom team who he didn't see eye to eye with. It might appear to some that the problem was on the managements side but i see things differently or maybe in a more balanced fashion, ie, that there was wrong on both sides. In the end however, he went for work so one cant blame the chap for that.

Kevin Corrigan put it very well when he said that it is the managements job to manage and the players job to train. When young Connor said that he missed a few training sessions and was surprised to be dropped astounds to me. WAKE UP BOY. That is what happens at this level. This is a different level to training twice a week with Walshe Island and going for a few pints in the Brewery Tap with everyone licking your a*se. When he claimed that a drinking ban for the duration of the league was too hard to take for all the lads who wanted to have a bit of craic, it really told me the mindset of some of these footballers. They are clueless when it comes to knowing what it takes at this level. While some are talented footballers, thats all they are. They have never done it when it counts. Many of them saunter around thinking they are something when in actual fact, they are mediocre footballers who would struggle to make a good club team in other counties. Meanwhile, the lillies are training hard 9 or ten times a week. Meanwhile Kevin Corrigan reports that players were told by management that they would be doing 2 tough physical sessions (last tuesday and thursday). He follows up by reporting that some players were not happy with the tuesday session because they felt it was too hard with some leaving the training pitch mid session as a result!!!! Did you ever hear the like of it!!! On the back of this, it was reported that the thursday session was substituted by a team and management meeting where Cooney resigned his manageral reigns.


One question; What has Brian Connor ever achieved as a footballer? I am not trying to knock the lad as i think he has loads of potential, more than most. But that is all it is. Everyone has potential to be better than they are... How many years has he played championship football? I know he left for the states last summer aswell and wouldnt play when his father lost his job as manager. He was a very promising minor and has potential to be a good senior but that is all. His fitness levels last year were shocking v Westmeath in the last league match of the year in Mullingar. His fitness levels were shocking this year in the Tipp game despite kicking 4 points from play. The fact that he scored this amount shows what he could become but he couldnt track his man who was responsible for setting up some Tipperary scores on the day. He misses another year this year for various reasons so at 23, he will be after training a couple of months only at county senior level. My point is not to pick on young Connor as he has a lot to offer in years to come but just to identify the general psyche of these young players that have come on the scene in the last 4/5 years. They were primed as Offalys saviours as they played in a leinster minor final. FELLAS, YE HAVE A LOT OF WAKING UP TO DO. Minor is so far from county senior, its unreal. When are we going to see some men about the place, young men with some spine and heart. Young John Maloney stepped up to the plate this year in his 1st year in the league more than any of these young so called "stars" who have been on the scene for the last few years.

While i think that the players are way off on realising how high the bar is to be an inter county footballer, i think the general football population including the media are to blame for some of this. That, allied with the county board who tend to appoint third rate people (to save a few bob) who dont know where the bar is either!!!

As for the article itself, how can a journalist justify giving such air time to a player who has never done it on the big stage, lauding his talent and loss to the county after scoring 4 points against Tipperary in a league match (Yea thats right, Tipperary!!!). I feel as if we are creating these monsters by making them think they are so much better than they are. Ciaran McManus was playing for offaly for 14 years before he got a 1 page spread on the tribune and it would make him sick hearing and listening to the stories of these golden booted youngsters. As Richie Connor said at half time one time in a championship day dressing room "Too many F&*king youngsters and not enough men" before nearly taking a door down. Its about time some of these boys started turning into men in my opinion!!!

[Long John]

Have to agree with Jimbob. Very over rated player. We are a county that seems to big up mediocrity.

Drinking ban too hard to take. Some of these lads are on another planet. They have no shame. Go out and get hammered by a mickey mouse Wexford team in the Championship and have the energy to be break dancing in the palace later that night, putting on a show.

Tom Coffey has a big job ahead of him if he is to enforce this tighter structure that he has spoken about. Offaly football has become embarrassing between management coming and going, terrible results, and players taking the mick completely. It seems Offaly football is in the news for all the wrong reasons.

[durra1]

In fairness to the journalist - he’ll do, and write whatever it takes to get the interview.

Heavy duty ego-massage is a vital component for journalists when securing interviews with local sports personalities these days.

Some local sports celebrities feel the same sense of entitlement as Premiership soccer stars – regardless of achievement. That’s not a slight necessarily directed at BC who I don’t know the man from Adam, just from what I hear from journalists on a whole.

If the journalist has any grasp of English at all he can set out the irony of a situation by big-upping feats in a mock-heroic way (in this case - lauding a player for scoring four points from play in a dead rubber fixture) and setting that against a players unguarded quote (In this case - a drinking ban for the duration of the league was too hard to take for all the lads who wanted to have a bit of craic)

The point being, you don’t want fall out with a player and potentially lose the trust of other players for future interviews which keeps you in a job.

But you can get the message across to the reading public with a bit of subtlety.

[RhodeRunner]

Firstly, Tom Coffey is interviewed and straight away throws digs at the previous management for their failings and lack of "professionalism" with regard to training and treatment of certain players. If he was informed enough, he wouldnt have made some of those comments. While things obviously havent gone well, given the results, it is not his place to come in and ridicule previous management as he comes in the door and others leave. I hope that he can bring this high level of "professionalism" that he speaks of to the set up and I do genuinely wish him well in the process. I also hope that his successor, whoever it is doesnt knock him on the way out the door, whenever that may be.

Secondly, digs are blatantly thrown at "one particular man" on the selection committee back in October for him not getting the job. While, it is obvious that he was bitter about it, there is no need to be beating that drum now that he is in as most people reading would know who that "one man" is. It leaves sentiments of bitterness that doesnt need to be aired in public when coming in to a job.

Seriously, what planet do you live on Jimbob? You and your kind is why the county is in the state its in!

Coffey is right to throw a dig at previous management! It was a shambles from day one, or should i say when cooney took the job as he enjoyed his two week break in the sun. There were only 20 lads training the last night he trained them. Some setup!

The "one particular man" you talk about is the very one that didn't want coffey or darby getting the job a few months ago, and a few years ago. lord devine jaysus give me patience. Will you get your head out of the sand. The sooner the click in offaly GAA and they're protectors pull plant the better! But the longer there's yourself around protecting them with that dribble the longer we stay a laughing stock.!!!

[bracknaghboy]

He follows up by reporting that some players were not happy with the tuesday session because they felt it was too hard with some leaving the training pitch mid session as a result!!!! Did you ever hear the like of it!!!

Like most things in life you get back out what you put in. If the above is true is doesn't surprise me one bit. If a chap gives up mid training session then he will do the same mid match. I assure you no Kildare players are giving up mid session......in fact they'd be ashamed to do so. Is anybody else getting utterly fed up with Offaly football?

[Lone Shark]

Coffey is right to throw a dig at previous management! It was a shambles from day one, or should i say when cooney took the job as he enjoyed his two week break in the sun. There were only 20 lads training the last night he trained them. Some setup!

Whether the previous setup was a shambles or not, that doesn't mean it's the right thing to do to say it in public. If Cooney was asking them all to train underwater because he felt water polo skills were transferable, it doesn't matter a damn now because he's gone. The only people who make statements like this are politicians, and others who also like to get their excuses into circulation in advance.

This isn't even about kicking a man when he's down - this is because there has been more than enough bad press about Offaly football in recent years and trying to draw attention to quite how dysfunctional we are helps nothing. Anybody who knows anything about football knows that Tom is on a hiding to nothing this year and even honourable defeat will be a big ask. He doesn't need to take shots at others to illustrate that we're starting from light years behind Kildare.

[RhodeRunner]

Coffey is right to throw a dig at previous management! It was a shambles from day one, or should i say when cooney took the job as he enjoyed his two week break in the sun. There were only 20 lads training the last night he trained them. Some setup!

Whether the previous setup was a shambles or not, that doesn't mean it's the right thing to do to say it in public. If Cooney was asking them all to train underwater because he felt water polo skills were transferable, it doesn't matter a damn now because he's gone. The only people who make statements like this are politicians, and others who also like to get their excuses into circulation in advance.

This isn't even about kicking a man when he's down - this is because there has been more than enough bad press about Offaly football in recent years and trying to draw attention to quite how dysfunctional we are helps nothing. Anybody who knows anything about football knows that Tom is on a hiding to nothing this year and even honourable defeat will be a big ask. He doesn't need to take shots at others to illustrate that we're starting from light years behind Kildare.

Do you know what's wrong with this Country Lone Shark? There's people who can say they'll do a job and there's people who can do a job! Very same applies here, There's a man who claimed he could do a job, AND COULDN'T! why take the job in the first place? He should have never taken the job in the first place if he didn't do his homework. That my friend is brutal management at OUR expense. Can you not see that not one of us keyboard warriors would have done any worse with Offaly football than cooney did? Any sports person in the world than wouldn't have a clue about GAA would have got us a better result.
Listen Tom's heart is the right place, I myself can understand him and his feelings for Offaly. He's OFFALY to the core! Football is his passion, Offaly is his passion. You upset that passion and anything can be said! The problem we seemed to be having in this Country/County is that we accept the big talkers and when we figure out their taking shite we do or say nothing about it.!! Prime Example THE COUNTY BOARD! They can Talk The Talk, But as long as they are OUR County Board they'll never walk the walk and you'll be bringing fuckall blow up sharks to Croke Park.

My whole point of that rant was if Tom Coffey want to slate an ex manager, He has every god giving right to!

Ps. (no offence to the shark)

[Lone Shark]

No offence taken whatsoever. That's what a GAA discussion board is for.

However all across Ireland, in every walk of life, people go for jobs that they are not capable of doing. I've gone for interview for jobs that would in theory be a bit beyond me based on what I've done so far, but I wanted to have a go and it was up to me to convince the people on the other side of the table that I'd learn on the job. Take that to another level - how many people in this country put themselves up for election to political office who are patently incapable of doing anything other than cute hoority and stroking? Then when they get elected, who's responsible - us for voting them in, or them for standing?

So I don't blame Gerry Cooney for going for the job - indeed if anything, the problem is too few people want to play for the county and want to manage Offaly, and the same is replicated at club level. However the people on the other side of the table were the ones charged with finding the best man, and that they patently didn't do.

Tom's passion is all very well, but that passion has to be controlled, and disciplined. I don't doubt that it greatly upset Tom to see what was happening to the county team, just as it did the rest of us - but from the moment he took the call and agreed to take the helm, he ceased being on Offaly supporter and became the Offaly manager, with a duty to act in the best interests of the county at all times - not act out of blind passion, swinging timber at everything that he deemed to be a legitimate target.

Also, I can't help but feel that you slightly contradict yourself when you give out about the county board doing nothing but talking, while praising Tom Coffey for doing the very same thing.

[jimbob17]

Coffey is right to throw a dig at previous management! It was a shambles from day one, or should i say when cooney took the job as he enjoyed his two week break in the sun. There were only 20 lads training the last night he trained them. Some setup!

Whether the previous setup was a shambles or not, that doesn't mean it's the right thing to do to say it in public. If Cooney was asking them all to train underwater because he felt water polo skills were transferable, it doesn't matter a damn now because he's gone. The only people who make statements like this are politicians, and others who also like to get their excuses into circulation in advance.

This isn't even about kicking a man when he's down - this is because there has been more than enough bad press about Offaly football in recent years and trying to draw attention to quite how dysfunctional we are helps nothing. Anybody who knows anything about football knows that Tom is on a hiding to nothing this year and even honourable defeat will be a big ask. He doesn't need to take shots at others to illustrate that we're starting from light years behind Kildare.

Do you know what's wrong with this Country Lone Shark? There's people who can say they'll do a job and there's people who can do a job! Very same applies here, There's a man who claimed he could do a job, AND COULDN'T! why take the job in the first place? He should have never taken the job in the first place if he didn't do his homework. That my friend is brutal management at OUR expense. Can you not see that not one of us keyboard warriors would have done any worse with Offaly football than cooney did? Any sports person in the world than wouldn't have a clue about GAA would have got us a better result.
Listen Tom's heart is the right place, I myself can understand him and his feelings for Offaly. He's OFFALY to the core! Football is his passion, Offaly is his passion. You upset that passion and anything can be said! The problem we seemed to be having in this Country/County is that we accept the big talkers and when we figure out their taking shite we do or say nothing about it.!! Prime Example THE COUNTY BOARD! They can Talk The Talk, But as long as they are OUR County Board they'll never walk the walk and you'll be bringing fuckall blow up sharks to Croke Park.

My whole point of that rant was if Tom Coffey want to slate an ex manager, He has every god giving right to!

Ps. (no offence to the shark)

Look, I am not trying to defend Cooneys management at all, in fact i felt it was quite weak which is not my point at all. My point is that a manager coming in to a job is very naive if he is going to go shouting his mouth off about the professionalism or lack of within a previous management. He doesnt need to do it. It is history, gone! and it doesnt set a good tone with the players. He should be just saying to the players, what has happened has happened, lets draw a line in the sand and move on, work hard and try and progress things in a positive direction. While i think you are parochial in defending the Ballyfore man, i think that there will be a time when Tom Coffey gets the sack and he will not like what is being said about him, and i dont actually think that he would be too impressed if he was dissed by his replacement as he gathered his belongings on the way out the door. I wish Coffey well, but the truth of the matter is that some of his points, namely regarding Niall McNamees injury were ill informed. He doesnt need to do this, so why do it. It reflects badly on him as a person, end of!!

Regarding your other points and "one particular man", you are totally misinterpreting my point. In fact i think you should read my post again to understand it fully. I am aware that there were candidates or a candidate against Coffey and indeed Darby, possibly for personal reasons or even personal gain. My point is however, that this is well known in GAA circles and again it does Tom Coffey no favours whatsoever coming out with that tribal personal crap after receiving the Offaly Football managers job. It is again totally irrelevant, and negative small town bickering that oul women would go on with. Players dont need to hear that kind of negative soundbite from a new manager who has yet to prove himself at the top level. In fact i do rate Tom Coffey as a manager and in time, he might prove a good one at county level. I hope he does for Offaly's sake.

To even suggest that i am protecting anyone is preposterous. If you ever read any of my posts you would realise very fast that i am totally anti the county board as i believe they exist in the dark ages. as for protecting "one particular man", how so? I actually know that "one particular man" is probably one of the reasons that Offaly is so far behind as he would have had a good bit of clout in the CB over the last few years and i mightnt be his biggest fan. Again, i think you should read the post again to fully understand what has been said!! I was actually trying to give Tom (your friend) a little advice that shouting your mouth off in public about your personal feelings is not the role of an inter county manager as it will only undermine your authority, intelligence and character. I hope he takes it as like i said previously, It is a massive step from managing a small parish club to managing a county football team with the tradition offaly has with the national and local media hanging on your every word!!!!

[Long John]

I think we are getting a bit carried away with the whole thing about Tom's comments about previous managers. Is he right in what he was saying, probably yes. Is it professional of him to come out with it, probably not. Either way I can see why he would say it. Theres a huge amount of frustration with Offaly football and where it is at the moment. Push the right buttons and some outbursts are bound to come from passionate Offaly GAA people.

What is the main talking point is Connors interview. It really shows the attitute within the camp and the mindset of alot of the players. I am still not convinced that we should blame the manager when things are not working. The players are responsible for the poor performances and the poor preparation. They are not brilliant footballers, so getting the max out of them is vital. Acting the egit in night clubs and throwing shapes around the bars of Tullamore is not the preparion of a county footballer. If they are willing to commit to a county panel. Then all this socialising has to stop. They can have a good night after the championship game and back down to business the next day. That is what it takes now. A drinking ban too hard to take. He's better off in Chicago if that is his attitude.

[townman]

Coffey is right to throw a dig at previous management! It was a shambles from day one, or should i say when cooney took the job as he enjoyed his two week break in the sun. There were only 20 lads training the last night he trained them. Some setup!

Whether the previous setup was a shambles or not, that doesn't mean it's the right thing to do to say it in public. If Cooney was asking them all to train underwater because he felt water polo skills were transferable, it doesn't matter a damn now because he's gone. The only people who make statements like this are politicians, and others who also like to get their excuses into circulation in advance.

This isn't even about kicking a man when he's down - this is because there has been more than enough bad press about Offaly football in recent years and trying to draw attention to quite how dysfunctional we are helps nothing. Anybody who knows anything about football knows that Tom is on a hiding to nothing this year and even honourable defeat will be a big ask. He doesn't need to take shots at others to illustrate that we're starting from light years behind Kildare.

Do you know what's wrong with this Country Lone Shark? There's people who can say they'll do a job and there's people who can do a job! Very same applies here, There's a man who claimed he could do a job, AND COULDN'T! why take the job in the first place? He should have never taken the job in the first place if he didn't do his homework. That my friend is brutal management at OUR expense. Can you not see that not one of us keyboard warriors would have done any worse with Offaly football than cooney did? Any sports person in the world than wouldn't have a clue about GAA would have got us a better result.
Listen Tom's heart is the right place, I myself can understand him and his feelings for Offaly. He's OFFALY to the core! Football is his passion, Offaly is his passion. You upset that passion and anything can be said! The problem we seemed to be having in this Country/County is that we accept the big talkers and when we figure out their taking shite we do or say nothing about it.!! Prime Example THE COUNTY BOARD! They can Talk The Talk, But as long as they are OUR County Board they'll never walk the walk and you'll be bringing fuckall blow up sharks to Croke Park.

My whole point of that rant was if Tom Coffey want to slate an ex manager, He has every god giving right to!

Ps. (no offence to the shark)

do you not think alot of the problems are the players are big headed fcukers and jump up nothings who think that they played for offaly they are something
there was a time that when you pull on the jersey for the county football it meant something its doesn't now they just want the free gear that comes with it now.

Ross Connors quote are a joke about drinking and the training we are down with kilkenny now, best of luck to Tom Coffey bet he will go the same as Cooney, Cribbin,
but sure lets blame the county board for everything they are the ones who train and they are the ones who go over the white line on match day and don't bother their arse.

its becoming a subject in offaly when players drop out off squads because they can't be bother their ho.e with hard training and puting the time and hard hours on the field
we blame the county board.

if offaly had Pat Gilroy or Jack o'connor over them we wouldn't still win nothing if the players weren't putting it in or looking after themselfs.
our last all ireland win was 1982 Eugene McGee was over them he wasn't a big name manger at the time .

the hurlers were the same in 1998 Micheal Bond came in no one knew him but offaly won the all ireland after why because the players went out and put everything into
it in training and on match day and gave 100 per cent everyday they went out.

right fair enough offaly might not have the talent to win the all ireland but fcuk me they should be better than division 4 and the displays that they have put in since 2006
are a disgrace, maybe you can blame the manger on one bad year but to keep blaming the manger every year is bullsh.t the blame has to lay at the players door.

[RhodeRunner]

Stick with me on this on lads!

4 things needed to run a successful Company

The Owner/Directors (County Board)

The Foreman (Manager)

The Employees (Players)

The clients (The supporters)

Step 1. For the Company to be successful. The Directors need to have a work plan and appoint the best foreman for the company.

Step 2. Foreman needs to get the respect of the employees to do the best work load possible

Step 3. The employees need to show that they respect the foreman and do the best they can so the clients are happy.


Simple as that lads.

Now lets see where its all gone belly up. Looking at it from a clients view of this Company ( Offaly GAA)

County Board do NOT have the respect of the employees or the clients. Company fails straight away!

The manager appointed by the County Board did not have the respect from the employees! (Why?) Cause he was not the right man for the job! I know it, he knows it! we all know it!

When you DONT have respect in the work place you're at nothing. You Cannot blame any player in Offaly for the shambles we're in at the moment.

It starts at the Top. That's where its wrong.

Move aside current County Board members! its time to let new faces in. !


If anyone wants to argue these points with me or debate about them, Don't waste your time!

Most of you will waste your time blaming players where's they are 3rd down the line for blame. Every action there's a reaction and its the actions from the Top that have us in this mess. No one else!

[Fargo Boyle]

Have you thought about entering The Apprentice Rhode Runner? With your model for a successful business you could impress Bill Cullen.

Anyway best of luck to Coffey. There will probably be an improvement as there usually is once new management is installed but still not looking too good for the summer. Even the Kilkenny footballers are laughing at us at this stage. Kildare will beat us by at least 10 points if not more. Just hope for a battling losing performance in the qualifiers before we can put another dismal year to rest.

[Hyper]

Alright Rhode Runner, I agree in that the CB have to shoulder alot of the blame but should the shareholders - the clubs - not take their share of the blame as it is they who ultimatly appoint the directors i.e the CB? If you want change at the top it has to come from the clubs.....

[Long John]

Headline on the hoganstand saying big names return for Offaly. Thought to myself oh have Slats and Mac returned. Unfortuantely the headline is very misleading. "Big names". Ive heard it all now.

The article also stated that Aidan Keenaghan has left the panel. Now that is disappointing. He has the attributes to make it as a county footballer. He will be a loss.