Cribben out, Darby in?

[InDublin]

I had to work and missed the match, but followed it via Twitter.
It must have been as poor a performance by an Offaly team, in any grade, at any time, ever in a championship game?
I imagine it is hardly worth analyzing.
The immediate question has to be, should the management resign this weekend to be replaced on a caretaker basis by Stephen Darby and whoever he may bring with him?
On the evidence of the scoreline today, I would say yes.
The only other question is, would it make any difference?
It's hard to know. Maybe, I suppose, is the answer to that.
I feel sick in the pit of my stomach.

[the bare biffo]

I believe if Cribben has any integrity he should resign immediately.
He has nothing else to offer.

[tipptopper25]

Just seen cribbin on Sunday game. How could he inspire anyone??? Worst post match interview I have ever seen from a manager.

[uibhfaillian]

Clearly Cribben is going to walk, if that post match comment is anything to go by.

[Bord na Mona man]

What Cribben was probably thinking is that loads of the players are going to go on the beer now and there is nothing he can do about it.

[john locke]

he looked like a lad that was headin for the door on sunday game ...... by choice but if needed he should be pushed

[jimbob17]

I am not sure if cribben walking at this point is necessarily the best thing. they have been working together all year and no matter what happens, he will be gone after the qualifiers, probably the 1st round if yesterday is anything to go by. for him to just walk away now is a cop out on his part and failure to take responsibility for his work with them and leaving someone else to clean up his mess...

Whatever happens however, he must be replaced early ie JULY with somebody with a good track record in managing football teams. What was Cribbins record before Offaly and he still got the gig?? It would give them a chance to see some games and work towards next year. I can think of a few names from both inside and outside the county that would do a right good job if given the chance. if he is from outside the county, he must be surrounded with intelligent football people who know the county scene inside out. He must also be surrounded by qualified support staff in relation to coaches, physical trainers, sport psychologists physios etc.

Remember how the tipp hurlers were a shambles only 4 years ago and see where they are now when they get a serious back room team that the players respect and adhere to. No more of these jokers and chancers that spout rubbish should be tolerated with our county senior u21 and minor teams because they are interested in football or hurling or are a former "legend". IT WOULDNT HAPPEN ANYWHERE ELSE!!!!!! time for the county board to decide whether they are going to be serious about supporting this team or not... Same goes for the hurlers as Joe Dooley will be gone at the end of the year too i would assume as this is his 4th year in the job...

[Lone Shark]

This panel, players and management included, have trained all year and that effort means that they are entitled to take their shot at the qualifiers. There's nothing to be gained from drafting a different manager or new players in now. The performance against Wexford is on their heads and it's up to themselves how they respond to that. They have the ability to collectively earn our respect back if they choose to do so. Time will tell if they do or not.

I would suggest that people lay off the manager for his comments after the game also. Bear in mind that Tom Cribbin had just seen his year's efforts reduced to nothing by a team that got no luck on the day, but who responded to that bad luck by throwing in the towel. Of course it would be upsetting and having to face the TV cameras immediately after would be no walk in the park.

I do agree however that the moment Offaly's exit from the 2011 championship is confirmed, the process should begin to see who will take over for next year. The club championships will resume in earnest later in the year and that is where players will prove or disprove their capabilities. There are one or two, but not many more, good candidates within Offaly. If they don't get the nod, or choose not to take on the role, we will have an outsider who'll need to familiarize himself with the players on the local scene. There's no point asking him to do that in November.

[the bare biffo]

This panel, players and management included, have trained all year and that effort means that they are entitled to take their shot at the qualifiers. There's nothing to be gained from drafting a different manager or new players in now. The performance against Wexford is on their heads and it's up to themselves how they respond to that. They have the ability to collectively earn our respect back if they choose to do so. Time will tell if they do or not.

I would suggest that people lay off the manager for his comments after the game also. Bear in mind that Tom Cribbin had just seen his year's efforts reduced to nothing by a team that got no luck on the day, but who responded to that bad luck by throwing in the towel. Of course it would be upsetting and having to face the TV cameras immediately after would be no walk in the park.

I do agree however that the moment Offaly's exit from the 2011 championship is confirmed, the process should begin to see who will take over for next year. The club championships will resume in earnest later in the year and that is where players will prove or disprove their capabilities. There are one or two, but not many more, good candidates within Offaly. If they don't get the nod, or choose not to take on the role, we will have an outsider who'll need to familiarize himself with the players on the local scene. There's no point asking him to do that in November.

Please dont start talking about missed goal chances as being bad luck and in any way absolving this performance. As you said elsewhere Loneshark there were 5 opportunities not taken, that makes missing the norm rather than the exception. Well coached confident players dont consistently miss those chances as Offaly did. Neither do I see any merit in talking about players giving up after Wexfords second goal. This performance was a disaster from the throw in and completely lacked any urgency, confidence or purpose. Was R Daltons handpass across goal straight to a wexford man, C McManus losing posession soloing out directly in front of his own goal, K Slattery carrying the ball into contact and hopping it just as he came to the wexford players, handing it over on a plate. These are just a few examples of stuff I am drilling into U-14's on a Saturday morning never to do. I just dont understand what Tom Cribben has been at. Either he doesnt know what he is doing or he does but cant get it through to the players. Either way he has failed miserably.

[black and red exile]

Tom Cribben only spoke the truth and what most of us are thinking if we are truely honest with ourselves, the man looked to be totally devastated, he must be pulling his hair out in frustration after watching his gutless team lie down like lambs in the second half after all the hard work since last January. After the London result yesterday we can't look forward to getting anybody now in the qualifers, every other team in the qualifers will look upon Offaly as being their punchbag on June 25th and who can blame them, as a supporter who witnessed the horrible early to mid nineties at least those teams never once lay down to anybody no matter how bad things got and believe me things did get very bad back then. Actually if Tom Cribben had any sense he should walk away from this lot of quitters now

[Lone Shark]

Of course our track record in front of goal is poor, but my point was that even a bad team would usually find a way to score one out of five chances, or another day Dalton's handpass might go unpunished, etc. I'm not arguing for a minute that the lads deserved a result out of that game, of course not - but I'm just pointing out that watching everything go wrong like that is bound to be difficult to endure, whether or not you have a part in it, and as such judging him by his post match comments is a bit harsh. That was all.

I wouldn't absolve that display in the slightest, it was abject, nothing else. I'd be amazed if Cribbin or any of the players felt any differently either. The issue now will be what do they do about it. That's why I'd like to see the same people there for the qualifiers - either they will redeem themselves a little, or else they will be embarrassed further. Either way they should stand and fall by their own actions, not just give up and hand over a mess to someone else.

[the bare biffo]

Of course our track record in front of goal is poor, but my point was that even a bad team would usually find a way to score one out of five chances, or another day Dalton's handpass might go unpunished, etc. I'm not arguing for a minute that the lads deserved a result out of that game, of course not - but I'm just pointing out that watching everything go wrong like that is bound to be difficult to endure, whether or not you have a part in it, and as such judging him by his post match comments is a bit harsh. That was all.

I wouldn't absolve that display in the slightest, it was abject, nothing else. I'd be amazed if Cribbin or any of the players felt any differently either. The issue now will be what do they do about it. That's why I'd like to see the same people there for the qualifiers - either they will redeem themselves a little, or else they will be embarrassed further. Either way they should stand and fall by their own actions, not just give up and hand over a mess to someone else.

Given that I doubt there is anything to be gained from the qualifiers and certainly nothing to be lost maybe there is merit in him and his panel trying to regain some self respect if nothing else. But according to John Reyneolds interview on 103 Cribben has left them off training for 10 days. Not my idea of corrective action if its true.

[Long John]

I agree Cribben has his faults and has to take responsibility for these bad results. He seems like a nice man, maybe too nice for the job in many ways. I have heard he is a very sound genuine bloke and theres no need to slate him, he know's himself the book stops with him and I can understand how demoralised he might have been after watching that game unfold as it did. His interview was pretty bad alright.

Now the bottom line on all this. The players, yes the players have to take alot of responsibility also for the shameful performance. Very few can hold their heads up after that to be quiet frank about it. For starters they dropped the heads with 20 minutes to go and this has been the norm of the football sides in the last 5 years. They have nothing in them. Its terrible to see.

Now correct me if I am wrong and I hope I am, but there is a good few lads on that team that enjoy the good life, the social scene. I saw a few of them again at the weekend who didnt seem too upset or downbeat after the game when they were out on the town. I just think if your heart is in it that much you'd be pretty sickened after that game. I genuinely feel this is a big part of the problem with our football teams. They obviously dont have the talent there at present to win titles but they certainly have enough to be beating Wexford and alot of other counties. Our lads just dont have the same hunger as these sides though. I think some of them in their own minds genuinely think of themselves as celebrities.

[southoffaly]

manager has to take full responsobility fair enough but as national media have said the players just arent there . if you have to come over to birr to pick players for your county football team ( they arent even senior ) what the hall does that say for the standard of football at senior club level . also a reality that needs to be faced and is happening at some senior clubs in hurling ,too many young lads dont bloody care , rather spend more time in the bloody pub .there is only so much management can do and how many of them when you talk to them have the biggest problem of pub v training with these lads .
the last time birr were getting for the club all ireland a couple of years ago ,if you saw what went on with the attitude of the young lads v the older ones you wouldve got some shock .they had no pride in themselfes never mind the jersey .and its got worse since then ( cant blame management theres nothing you can do about it , its up to individuals themselfs ) , every club has the same problem .and when the sh1te hits the fan in a game these very same players throw in the towel , could nt give a sh1te and be sculling pints that nite whitout a bother .
when you go around to the least successfull counties they all have the same problem .whats the answer ?

[the bare biffo]

manager has to take full responsobility fair enough but as national media have said the players just arent there . if you have to come over to birr to pick players for your county football team ( they arent even senior ) what the hall does that say for the standard of football at senior club level . also a reality that needs to be faced and is happening at some senior clubs in hurling ,too many young lads dont bloody care , rather spend more time in the bloody pub .there is only so much management can do and how many of them when you talk to them have the biggest problem of pub v training with these lads .
the last time birr were getting for the club all ireland a couple of years ago ,if you saw what went on with the attitude of the young lads v the older ones you wouldve got some shock .they had no pride in themselfes never mind the jersey .and its got worse since then ( cant blame management theres nothing you can do about it , its up to individuals themselfs ) , every club has the same problem .and when the sh1te hits the fan in a game these very same players throw in the towel , could nt give a sh1te and be sculling pints that nite whitout a bother .
when you go around to the least successfull counties they all have the same problem .whats the answer ?

One of the many Definitions of Managing / Management : "The process of planning, leading, organizing and controlling people within a group in order to achieve goals"

Football Management as distinct from Coaching is not so much about what goes on on the field as it is about leading and motivating a group of individuals and in so doing influencing their behaviour so that they contribute to the achievement of group goals.

So when you ask "Whats the answer ?" The answer is management. If the scenario you outline above is really the way things are then that is managements responsibility.

Just watched Tom Cribbens interview on RTE player, pretty dismal. Ok it was the immediate aftermath but he was the same last year. Basically shrugging the shoulders sure what can you do.