Last year as well I noticed a real mouthy side to Gooch - something I didnt like.
Mickoâs an interesting case alright sid - hopefully, MBB can give us some more low down on what was going on there in his last season.
Again, from the outside, it seemed the players were obviously respectful of his vast achievements in the past but they pushed for a âcoachâ or âtrainerâ to come in that year.
Heâs apparently still very much an advocate of laps and a hardfought game being sufficient for training and the players wanted more emphasis on tactics, conditioning and the likes and felt this training and Mickoâs motivational powers could only take them so far.
I think that was 2006 and Dublin gave them a decent beating in the Leinster semi-final and Micko was very public about taking back control of the training from yer man Fitzpatrick ahead of their qualifier game.
I recall they beat Tyrone then in the qualifiers on a pissing wet night in Portlaois - was watching that in a pub in Clones after Wexford had beaten Monaghan 0-8 to 0-6 - and Micko was giddy haring around the pitch in celebration at the end.
I canât remember who knocked them out in the end that season but I read an article with Fergal Byron last year and he mentioned that Micko took exception to the players looking for more modern training and he left on a bit of a sour note and hasnât really maintained any friendships with them.
It wouldnât be the first time I was talking scheidt so maybe MBB can clarify.
Think Mayo or Galway beat them in a replay that year possibly?
[quote=âgolaâ]Have to disagree with ya there pikeman. He was man of the match in the semi-final against Cork. Think it was the replay and remember him getting it on the Sunday Game. He was class on the day set up an unbelievable amount of scores and scored the winning goal in the last minute.
He also gave Conor Gormley a bit of a roasting in the All Ireland final scoring 0-6, four from play I think.
I was at the Monaghan game too and he played out around the half forward line pulling all the strings and laying off loads of ball even though he didnât score that much. He has a serious football brain.
I actually think the opposite of you and think his performances last year were underrated by a lot of people because of the standards heâs set himself. He was playing a new role in most games and not racking up the huge scores people expect of him.[/quote]
Iâd be agreeing with you there.
Also lads Gooch is around 5â11-6â0, and he ainât as skinny as he used to be. He is a brilliant centre forward as well as pointed out.
Bandage you are spot on there in everything you say.
I just think certain guys get carried away, without being condesending, they get ahead of themselves. Remember only 5 or 6 teams really have âsuccessfulâ seasons. You have the All-Ireland finalists, the 4 provincial winners and maybe one or two who improve dramitcally on the few years before. Possibly depending on the team the league been won may be considered a success as well. There is only one AI champions.
There is only so much a coach can do, and only some teams have the talent to be successful. Success really (especially in an amatuer game) is getting the very best out of a team, IMO.
And who would you have given it to?
Yeah it was Mayo. They went on to beat the Dubs with that McDonald point.
Red Barry, Michael Meehan and John Doyle are three that deserved one before Gooch last year.
[quote=âcaoimhaoinâ]I just think certain guys get carried away, without being condesending, they get ahead of themselves. Remember only 5 or 6 teams really have âsuccessfulâ seasons. You have the All-Ireland finalists, the 4 provincial winners and maybe one or two who improve dramitcally on the few years before. Possibly depending on the team the league been won may be considered a success as well. There is only one AI champions.
There is only so much a coach can do, and only some teams have the talent to be successful. Success really (especially in an amatuer game) is getting the very best out of a team, IMO.[/quote]
Yep, I agree with this too Kev. Looking at it simply from a Wexford perspective, our footballers were a huge success last year. A championship last four place and an undefeated league campaign was more than getting the most out of the team.
On the other hand, our hurlers saved a bit of face against Waterford but relegation to Division 2, the championship performance against Dublin in Nowlan Park and the Leinster Final hiding wasnât good enough and Meyler didnât get nearly enough out of the squad.
Iâm realistic enough to accept thereâs a number of better hurling teams than Wexford and I wasnât clamouring for Meyler to go because of some misguided belief that we should have won an All Ireland title, but team results and performances just werenât good enough all the same.
I take the point that some counties have unrealistic expectations (driven by both players and supporters) and the trend of questioning the managerâs position is ever increasing too.
I heard the McNamee boys are out of the country at the moment and wont be back anytime soon. How true that is, I dont know.
[quote=âBandageâ]Mickoâs an interesting case alright sid - hopefully, MBB can give us some more low down on what was going on there in his last season.
Again, from the outside, it seemed the players were obviously respectful of his vast achievements in the past but they pushed for a âcoachâ or âtrainerâ to come in that year.
Heâs apparently still very much an advocate of laps and a hardfought game being sufficient for training and the players wanted more emphasis on tactics, conditioning and the likes and felt this training and Mickoâs motivational powers could only take them so far.
I think that was 2006 and Dublin gave them a decent beating in the Leinster semi-final and Micko was very public about taking back control of the training from yer man Fitzpatrick ahead of their qualifier game.
I recall they beat Tyrone then in the qualifiers on a pissing wet night in Portlaois - was watching that in a pub in Clones after Wexford had beaten Monaghan 0-8 to 0-6 - and Micko was giddy haring around the pitch in celebration at the end.
I canât remember who knocked them out in the end that season but I read an article with Fergal Byron last year and he mentioned that Micko took exception to the players looking for more modern training and he left on a bit of a sour note and hasnât really maintained any friendships with them.
It wouldnât be the first time I was talking scheidt so maybe MBB can clarify.[/quote]
Nah youâre not too far wrong there Bando.
Micko deserves every man in Laoisâs respect for what he got out of the golden generation. Their talents had been pissed up against a wall for too long, and to be fair to Micko, only for him nothing would have been got out of them, bar a few fuckign minor medals.
The problem arises with Micko was after 06, when Westmeath took Laois in the replay. That Westmeath team should NEVER have beaten Laois. Fair play and well done to them on their Leinster, but had Meath (and a poor Meath side at that) not lost to Laois in the semi final, there is no way they would have allowed Westmeath win that Leinster Final.
After this the players felt that some change was needed. A few looked North and saw and heard what the Ulster boys were doing, and asked for Micko to take on a more meticulous approach to training. Micko did this, against his better judgment, and what we got was the whipping Dublin handed out in Croker that year in the Leinster quarter I believe. (Clancy getting clothelined early on knocked Laois back huge amount then as he was playing well and a big player for Laois).
Anyway, following that, Micko took back the reins, let go a few of the nutritionists, weights men, specialist trainers. He went old school and what came out of that was the win over Tyrone in Portlaoise while they were AlLl Ireland champions. That was one of my most enjoyable games as a Laois fan. Pissing rain in Portlaoise, stnading on the terrace, just the hardcore there again, some crack had that day.
I will never say a abad word about O Dwyer for what he gave us in Laois. The only pity is that we didnt get him in the late 90âs as the gold generation were coming out of minor, he could have sorted them out early on.
Its worth anyone hereâs while to go back and look at the team listings for the 96/97/98 All Ireland Minor Football finals. Take a look at the players on either side. See the difference their paths took. If I can find them, Iâll stick them up.
Without seeing them iâd say it makes shocking reading for Laois fans. I can imagine Tyrone, Galway and Kerrys Minors from those years got alot more out of it.
Westmeaths '95 team is pretty much the same isnât it?
Westmeath had one team though, Laois contested 3 All Ireland Finals in a row, and only lost out to Westmeath after a 2nd replay in the 05 Leinster Final.
96 was Laois v Kerry
97 was Laois v Tyrone
98 was Laois v Tyrone
The Tyrone teams, theyâre the ones you should look up. Shows what a good manager can do with talent, and how talent can go to waste when not managed properly.
98 teams, cant find other years yet
TYRONE: Pascal McConnell, Gavin Devlin, Michael McGee, Fran Loughran, Ciaran Meenagh, Darren OâHanlon, Peter OâNeill (0-1), Cormac McAnallen(capt), Kevin Hughes; Gavin Wylie, Martin Hughes (0-2), Stephen OâNeill, Aidan Lynch (0-4, 3 frees), Enda McGinley (1-0), Eoin Mulligan(1-4, 3 frees). Subs: Brian Mc Guigan for M.Hughes (43 mins), Ryan OâNeill for K. Hughes (46 mins).
LAOIS: John Graham; Robert Jones, Brian Gaynor, Colm Clear, Aidan Fennelly, Paudge Leonard, Brian McCormack (0-2); Brian Fitzpatrick (0-1), Johnny Behan (capt); Mark Dunne, Brian McDonald (0-7, 4 frees), Kieran Kelly (0-1), John McDonald, Pauric Clancy, Michael Clancy. Subs.Damien Walsh for Brian Fitzpatrick (46mins), Jamie Moran for J. McDonald(48 mins), Benny OâConnell for Michael Clancy (56 mins).(
there is a fair contrast there alright! some no names on the Laois team and all stars on the Tyrone one.
This was the 97 Laois side that beat Tyrone in the All Ireland Final
Laois: Michael Leigh, Paul McDonald, Eoin Bland, Thomas Mulligan, Diarmuid Mullins, Joe Higgins, John Paul Kehoe (0-1), Brian Fitzpatrick, Darren Rooney, Kieran Kelly, Shane Hennessy (0-1), Brian MacDonald (2-3), Stephen Kelly (1-3), Mark Hovendon and Billy Brennan. Sub: Tom Kelly for Hennessy.
Laois applauded Tyrone off that year in 98, nice touch
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/images/2008/0920/1221835127871_5.jpg?ts=1231748469
This article is well worth a read when it comes to these young Tyrone boys
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2008/0920/1221835127871.html
Fuck it MBB i was hoping for an emotion-less afternoon. Brilliant article.
I have tought this for a while but Tyrone ae definitely my No.2 team.
Same here.
Three All Irelands in the last six years. I thought when Canavan retired their soul had gone but what they did last year was truly amazing and a testament to the genius of Harte and what he has created more than anything else.
Their performance versus Dublin was as near to a complete performance as I have seen. 3-14 they scored with 3-13 from play. I would equate it to Milanâs hammering of Barcelona in 1994 European Cup final.
The way they just completely nullified the Twin Towers threat of Kerry in the final was superb as well. They had a plan of how to do it, drop Joe McMahon back in beside his brother as a sweeper, and it worked. That is where Mayo fell apart for years against Kerry and Harte susses it out more or less straight away.
And complete modesty from the man as well. A legend.
[quote=âSledgehammerâ]The Offaly footballers want their manager out.
This should be good. It was always inevitable that this player power stuff would spread from Cork into Ireland.[/quote]
Sledge was on the ball here and it made the media in the last couple of days. RTE are reporting that Connor has met with (what remains of) the squad and heâs also talked with the county chairman. The chairman is going to sit down with the players over the weekend so more news will be expected then. Itâs pretty clear that Kildare will pump Offaly in the championship so weâll be playing the Lillies in Carlow. I think they might be dangerous this year.
Richie Connor Resigns
http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2009/0208/offaly.html
Offaly chief Connor resigns
Sunday, 8 February 2009 16:19
Richie Connor has quit as Offaly senior football manager with immediate effect after the Walsh Island native tendered his resignation with the Offaly GAA County Board this morning.
It leaves the Faithful County searching for their fourth manager in as many years, with previous managers Pat Roe and Kevin Kilmurray also failing to see out their terms.
Statements from both Connor and Offaly Chairman Pat Teehan were released this afternoon through the Offaly County Board.
Connorâs 570-word statement shed further light on the time-line of events over the past week which led to him eventually resigning just five weeks into his term of office.
'I tendered my resignation as Offaly Senior Football manager to Pat Teehan Chairman of Offaly County Board this afternoon. While I regret this course of action I feel it is in the best interest of Offaly football.
'I considered my position earlier in the week when nine players contacted the County Chairman withdrawing from the panel on Monday last.
'However, as three of those players were not on the official panel of 30, only two of the players lined out against Roscommon, two more appeared as subs, and the other two were not part of the 24 man league panel for Sunday last, I felt that I could continue to progress Offaly football without these players.
'Two of the more influential players of this group had a history of leaving county panels in the past. On Tuesday a team player and a fringe panel player also contacted the County Chairman withdrawing.
'The team player had no issue with the team management but felt he could not afford the time away from his business if there was not a full commitment from all players.
âI then decided I would not make up my mind until I knew what the playersâ grievances were.â
'I called a meeting for Tuesday evening when all but one of the aggrieved players failed to turn up, and this player had very few concerns, all of which could be addressed.
'His main grievance was that he felt he was overlooked for a first team position the previous Sunday. Therefore I was still not in a position to assess the situation in full.
'On Wednesday I met the County Chairman and we agreed that the chairman should meet the players to discuss their grievances given that the players had made the unusual step of contacting the chairman in the first instance.
'This meeting was arranged for Saturday afternoon and 24 players attended. However, it transpired that 22 players had a meeting of their own the previous evening.
'At their meeting with the chairman following his address to them they failed to engage with him other than to say they had no confidence in the management team and 20 of the 24 players walked out of the meeting.
'Despite this a number of players subsequently distanced themselves from this action, and at least 19 players had committed to training in Walsh Island on Sunday morning. This was cancelled due to snow.
Connor added, 'I and my team management have now decided that in order to avoid conflict among the footballers themselves we will step aside.
'I would sincerely hope that if players have a grievance in the future they afford the manager the courtesy of bringing it to his attention, before putting it in the public domain.
'I wish to thank all of my backroom staff and I am grateful for the full support of selectors Ollie Daly and Mark Plunkett.
'I also wish to thank Physical Trainer Jimmy Dunne, Conditioning Specialist Sean Sweeney, Chartered Physiotherapist Michelle Crowley, Doctor Michael Haverty, Team Liaison Officer Eamonn Cusack, kit men Paul Corrigan and Declan Kelly, and anyone else who has assisted me during my five week tenure.
âI especially wish to thank the county board Chairman Pat Teehan for his help and support. I wish the players and whoever takes over every success in the future and hope that they have at least as much enjoyment and success as I had wearing the Faithful jersey.â
In his statement Teehan thanked Connor and his back-room team for their contribution to Offaly football.
âWhile I always respected and indeed expected players to air any grievances they had I was greatly disappointed that they did not at least give Richie Connor or county board officials the courtesy of discussing these grievances with them.â
Teehan paid tribute to the contribution Connor had made to Offaly football as a player, particularly in captaining Offaly to a memorable All-Ireland success over Kerry in 1982.
âRichie Connor owed Offaly football nothing and I regret that he has not been afforded a reasonable opportunity to give back some of his vast experience towards managing the Offaly senior football team.â
Teehan added, âI also wish to thank selectors Ollie Daly and Mark Plunkett and all the backroom staff for their commitment to Offaly football.â
Finally he said, 'While this is a very disappointing day for Offaly football we must now try to move forward and retrieve the situation as best we can in the best interest of Offaly GAA.
âIn this regard Offalyâs County Committee will hold a meeting tomorrow night to decide on the procedure for finding a successor to Richie.â