Richie Connor set to become new manager

[redser]

[quoteHe'll need to bring in about 100 players for trials after the championships have finished and pick an established 24/30 man panel to train over the winter.
][/quote]


Roe did the same thing. Brought in a crazy number of players and i mean some of the lads called in was a joke. They would struggle to make most club teams.

I totally agree that a new freshness is needed and some new players. Its getting the best players in there is the problem. Richie will give it his all and will do everything needed to get Offaly back battling with the big guns. We wish him very well.

[azoffaly]

Best of luck to the big man, I'm afraid he'll need it. At least he should make lads passionate about Offaly, which was sorely lacking this year.

On a side note, how is Ollie Daly a selector?

[The Biff]

Lads, try to remember what many around here thought when Joe Dooley was proposed for the Hurling post? Lack of experience? No winning record? Good players dont make good managers?

He didn't turn out too badly after one year, did he? I hope he gets at least 2 more years before anyone considers reviewing his progress.

Richie probably has more experience that Joe had. How about a bit of "Faith" from "The xxxxxxxx County"! I'm not saying this in a patronising way, but sometimes you've just got to take a chance on a guy.

Best of luck Richie. It's probably a very good time to facing into a Leinster Championship. Only Wexford have any reasonable basis for realistic optimism for next year. Progress for us is a serious possibility in 2009 but still should not be a prerequisite target imposed on the new Management team. I'm just saying that it's a good time to be starting a new regime.

[Hyper]

For what its worth the commitee that was appointed to pick the new manager had agreed that whoever brought the best package to the table would be the man for the job. However they all agreed that Laz Molloy had achieved this but one of the commitee objected to him being in charge of Offaly and so we have Richie. The interview process was a joke with very few questions being asked. Lads this job was in the bag for Richie long ago - even on this site it was suggested on the 13th or so and the interviews were held long after. "for fcuks sake" as Pat Roe would say what is Ollie Daly doing here - he was the man who persuaded Roe to stay on last year and then jumped ship himself from the Chairman's post -albeit from ill health - has he recovered sufficiently? What exactly did Richie Connor bring to the table? He has been known to insult various managers in the not so distant pass for their team selections etc and worse in cases. These are not the credentials that befit a County Manager. Its all a fcukin' joke.........

[Kevin]

For what its worth the commitee that was appointed to pick the new manager had agreed that whoever brought the best package to the table would be the man for the job. However they all agreed that Laz Molloy had achieved this but one of the commitee objected to him being in charge of Offaly and so we have Richie. The interview process was a joke with very few questions being asked. Lads this job was in the bag for Richie long ago - even on this site it was suggested on the 13th or so and the interviews were held long after. "for fcuks sake" as Pat Roe would say what is Ollie Daly doing here - he was the man who persuaded Roe to stay on last year and then jumped ship himself from the Chairman's post -albeit from ill health - has he recovered sufficiently? What exactly did Richie Connor bring to the table? He has been known to insult various managers in the not so distant pass for their team selections etc and worse in cases. These are not the credentials that befit a County Manager. Its all a fcukin' joke.........

To Hyper,

Just so I understand the proceedings as described above...are you saying that the committee were in full agreement that Molloy had the best package, but that one of those on the committee still objected to his appointment (even though he agreed that he was the best choice)? Sounds like a really interesting committee style decision.Not questioning YOUR information, but scratching my head all the same. If it went down as you describe, it is indeed very disappointing.

SInce we are where we are...Richie has now entered the glass house. His moves will be open to scrutiny and if he was one to cast judgement on others, he should not be surprised if he is treated similarly. In the end his popularity as manager will be in correlation with his results. If things don't go well and he manages to piss people off, it won't matter anyway.

To All,

Good luck to our manager and our team this coming year. As our last All Ireland winning captain and a man who together with his colleagues played as if football was a matter of life and death - may he inspire, lead and remind everyone of what its like to...

Pull out the close ones.
Put fear once again into our opponents.
Be the team that nobody wants to play.
Be the team with the least resources at our disposal, but still relentlessly post results as if we had an en embarrassment of riches.
Be hated for our success
Let everyone know that we are the Faithful County and we are never beaten.

Rant over. Roll on!

[the Untouchable]

Lads, try to remember what many around here thought when Joe Dooley was proposed for the Hurling post? Lack of experience? No winning record? Good players dont make good managers?

He didn't turn out too badly after one year, did he? I hope he gets at least 2 more years before anyone considers reviewing his progress.

I don't see how Joe Dooley's term in charge can be viewed as a success...we got relegated in the league, finished bottom of the table with 1 point in total, including losing to Laois!!! We then got whipped by Kilkenny in the champiosnhip, bet a Limerick team that was in disarray, only to lose to a Waterford team that also were dissarray!!!

I don't think Joe has improved us any great amount, people can talk about pride and passion...but its about winning matches and we won 1 game all year!!!

I hope people expect Richie to do a little bit more this year!!!

Slan!!!

[black and red exile]

Was at the Birr v KK semi final yesterday and I was quite alarmed in how people are totally against the new management set up without even giving it a chance. There are two things that we can be certain of for 2009.[1] It will be an improvement on the joke of a set up on the last 2 years and [2] You can guarantee that the Offaly team managed by the big man will not throw in the towel like this year's vintage did on July 19th last against Down in Tullamore.
Best of luck Richie for next year, it's going to be a tough road back but now we have a man steering the ship that knows what its like to wear the tri-colour with pride.

[sIR bIFFSALOT]

He has been known to insult various managers in the not so distant pass for their team selections etc and worse in cases. These are not the credentials that befit a County Manager. Its all a fcukin' joke.........

I know what you're talkin' about Hyper, I hope to God nothin like this happens on the national level!! I wouldn't expect great things from him unfortunately, I would see him as the opposite to Mickey Harte but that approach can be effective with some players. All we can do now is get behind him and the team, and let's face it, it would be very hard to do worse than this year.

[Bord na Mona man]

Unlike a few here, I will reserve judgement on Richie until next year and we have seen what sort of mark he makes on the team.

However I will say now, this seems to be another example of the Offaly mindset to savage an internal appointee from the off. Look no further back than Kevin Kilmurray and Joe Dooley for evidence of this.

Sadly it has all the hallmarks of inferiority complex many GAA people in Offaly have, that so many seem to flat out believe an Offaly man is incapable of running a county team properly.

Managers don't have to liked and popular to do the job effectively. Whether people like, or don't like Richie Connor is utterly irrelevent. Ger Loughnane was more disliked than liked at grassroots level in Clare GAA.

Connor's job is to get the best out of the 15 Offaly footballers that take the field next year. Not be liked by the fans or by certain clubs. I would say a man who isn't afraid of telling some home truths might be exactly what this Offaly panel requires.

[Lone Shark]

There are two things that we can be certain of for 2009.[1] It will be an improvement on the joke of a set up on the last 2 years and [2] You can guarantee that the Offaly team managed by the big man will not throw in the towel like this year's vintage did on July 19th last against Down in Tullamore.

I fervently hope that this will be the case, but there is no such guarantee. Things can always get worse, sadly.


That is not meant as a slight on Richie, but who's to say we don't end up right back in division 4 and lose by ten points to Westmeath instead of six? It shouldn't happen, but it could - under any manager.

[Silken Thomas]

Eh I'm not exactly overjoyed with the decision...

For me there was one outstanding indiginous candidate ie. Stephen Darby
There was also one relatively cheap but potentially fantastic other candidate ie. Séan Dempsey

I'd like to think they were contacted at least and not left fester in Johnstownbridge and Laois respectively.


Sure Richie comes across impressively in Kings of September and he has inter county experience( Laois 1990-1993) but I think it would have been better if Richie got involved with a progressive coach.

What Offaly needs is;
* Major physical develoment
* A plan A and B
* Proper coaching to improve one sided players
* The development of proper leaders
* The best players involved
* The termination of social lives
* More respect for the qualifiers
* Finally the believe that the effort will be rewarded


Richie will command respect but for how long? If he can address these issues and more, who knows?
Experienced players recognise good trainings and poor ones.

If it's a case where the players are roared at and shouted at and ran up hills like dogs I really can't see where the improvement in Offaly can come from...
And more crucially Richie would be better off staying around to put Walsh Island senior for the 2010 championship...

[turk]

I support and endorse Richie Connor's appointment. I think we need to determine what lads want to play, and get them lads playing gutsy stuff. that's the number one priority as i see it. leap into them lads

[Silken Thomas]

I support and endorse Richie Connor's appointment. I think we need to determine what lads want to play, and get them lads playing gutsy stuff. that's the number one priority as i see it. leap into them lads

I know what you mean. The great P Diddy said 'A life without passion is unforgivable'.
Seriously though all joking aside being mentally prepared and the willingness to scrap will be vital. Dying for the jersey is a cliché but true nonetheless.

I think we need more than that though. This blood and thunder attitude. Take our disgusting 2005 quarter final exit to Laois. We won everything resembling breaking ball but hadn't the skill, nous or craft to take the scores.

Take the likes of Nigel Grennan. A pacy tidy player who could have a good future in the Offaly shirt. If Offaly were to play Dublin tomorrow he invariably would put tabs on the likes of Conal Keaney or Bernard Brogan. Both players who follow religiously a progressive gym programme( let's ignore too the superior diet, forward coach etc.).

Automatically we are expecting Nigel Grennan's passion to override 20 pounds and more of muscle mass( be it upper or lower body). It can't happen. These mismatches will happen all over the field. Boys against men.

The steady stream of solid players between 18-22 have to be conditioned now. The inter-county game has evolved.

[redser]

Rhode
N McNamee
A McNamee
N Darby
J kIlmurray
P Sullivan
P Kellaghan

Tullamore
S Dooley


Clara
O' Hara
T Deehan
S Brady

Shamrocks
P Kelly
N Coughlan
L Mooney
PJ Ward

Gracefield
N Smith
K Slattery

Ballycumber
N Grennan
R Guinan

Ferbane
A Keenaghan

Shannonbridge
J Kelly

Edenderry
J Hurst
B Quinlan

Erin Rovers
R Fox
D Kelly

Tubber
C McManus
N Browne


St Rynaghs
G Rafferty

St Brigids
S Casey
K Casey
D Egan

Doon
J Coughlan

Walsh Island
A Mulhall
W Mulhall

From what ive seen in the champ i think the names listed above would be the best squad available. I know there will be question marks over the inclusion of the likes of Pascal but in my opinion he has something to offer when used correctly. That is when hes put in the full forward line and told to stay there. He can take brilliant scores but hasnt the work rate for playing as thord midfielder or whatever other stupid role he has been given in recent years.

Brian Darby had a decent county final but ive seen enough of him to know hes a decent club player but nowhere near county standard. Shane Sullivan is another who isnt county standard.

I know i only included 1 Tullamore player but been fair who else could be included. Cathal Daly has retired from intercounty and the rest work well as a unit for Tullamore but are by no means wonderful players. Keane and McConway are not county standard defenders. Their image men who need to thrim the ego's.

Im sure theres a few otther players that could be added to the mix but the main thing is that Offaly need players who want to win and win wearing the green white and Gold.

[True Red]

I would add Sean Pender and Adrian Murphy (if he could be persuaded to give it one year)from Edenderry.

But then again I am biased