Taking out the shit from Leen, this seems to be what Fitzmaurice said about the incident and Sherwood. Not sure any of it is really reflecting badly on player or manager, heâs in fact quite sympathetic to Sherwood and the difficult posistion he was in when he came on. He says Sherwood was tasked with picking up McManamon, but then mentions a âswapâ which would suggest Dublin swapped, but then says âwe switched for a kick outâ which then suggests Kerry made a swap. Regardless, I donât think he hangs anyone really.
[B][I]âWe were picking all year on training form. Hindsight says Brian McGuire was an experienced campaigner⌠should we have put him in at that stage? I donât know, but we discussed it. Jack was flying, and I had told him the week of the game that when McManamon came on, he was the player to mark him. He knew, he was the only one who knew.â
âI had a chat with him afterwards,â Fitzmaurice says of Sherwood, who has also started 2014 well. âHe was disappointed. Heâs a tough character, thatâll stand to him. These things probably take you by surprise â the noise, the speed of the whole thing, when you come in as a sub, itâs very hard to get your second wind. Youâre everywhere.â
âHe wasnât on Kevin McManamon for the goal,â smiles the Kerry coach, âand afterwards I wanted to know why. There had been a swap and he hadnât stayed with McManamon. We switched for a kick-out. It was Marc (O SĂŠ) who was on him, but Marc got caught under the kick-out and was out of the play. But Marc shouldnât have been on him. [/I][/B]
Just donât see the need to mention him at all. Like I say, he seems to be using a national newspaper interview to respond to local criticism and justify his decisions. In doing so, he specifically mentions this sub and why he was brought on to shackle McManamon but wasnât able to do so. I donât think itâs necessary and feel heâd be better served to take the usual generality laden âwin as a team/lose as a teamâ approach. Of course, his words make for a much better insight but I wouldnât say the player needs reminding about it in the papers 6 months later.
I canât believe he admitted/actually did make a thing about it after the game as he suggested. Not the time to be questioning who fucked up in an All Ireland semi final. Why didnât he ask the Gooch why did he go missing in te 2nd half?
I really donât think Kerry had the footballers in the field fresh or fit enough to win that game. The classy forwards were shattered and the rest if them donât have the class. There was no Moynihan or Fitzmaurice or Mike Mac to break up the field and make something happen. The O Seâs were bollixed or tied up watching Brogan who was causing havoc.
I think way way too much was made of MDMâs intervention and itâs the media and even it seems the Kerry management looking for a âturning pointâ or someone to blame.
A manager should be taking the blame or deflecting it or simply saying âweâre not good enoughâ. I think Fitzmaurice might be slightly deluded about the talent he has available to him, especially at 2-9.
Armagh playing quite well in horrendous conditions at home to Down. Jamie Clarke and Ciaran McKeever really are a class above anyone else on the Armagh side.
Yes, Armagh will be disappointed with that. Been very impressed with young Rafferty in midfield, Tyrone are crying out for a player like that right now.
That was an encouraging display from Armagh despite the result. Ciaran McKeever was outstanding, probably the best centre half back in the country after Gormley.
