I’ve given you hard facts and statistics above to show how he never failed to turn up for his team and how the record books dispel your claims that he did nothing from play, he did more than anyone else over that period of time.
You’re obsessed with big, headline grabbing scores that the media focus on and clearly you either don’t appreciate the game on any kind of an intellectual level or you’re just ignoring this to maintain your obvious bias.
Indeed. Like cherry picking results from a certain number of years to try and justify separating Ulster teams in the All Ireland qualifiers.
You given flimsy statistics that aren’t substantive. Cooper regularly went missing when his side needed him. I am asking you to reference specific games where Cooper delivered in the crunch moments. He was a talented player but you’ve got to question his mentality, he let many big games pass him by. He too often failed to deliver when Kerry were under pressure. Which specific games do you contend the above with?
for this type of selective argument, is it only tight games Kerry won that count or is it tight games they lost as well? And why are games that werent tight not counted? If he was spectacular in a game that they won easy, does that diminish his abilities?
I always find it amusing his destruction of Mayo in All Ireland finals is downgraded due to it being Mayo. Yet Mayo would have beaten all comers on their route to the final. I’ve never once heard someone say Mayo never deserved to be in a final or anything.
so in essence we have to discount all his All ireland appearance winning performances and man of the matches in those “big games”. So despite Cork and Kerry beating Armagh and Donegal in 2006, they wont count because they beat Mayo who defeated Dublin in the semi final. Or in 06 it doesnt count because it was Cork they beat, despite Kerry beating Dublin in the semi final. Does being one of the only players to perform against Tyrone in 08 count? Or can we write off Tyrone as they only beat Wexford in the semi final and sure Kerry are perennial chokers against Tyrone. Does his performance in 09 final not count either, despite a masterful display?
your selective arguments dont stack up. any tight game Kerry lost, Cooper was generally up there as one of their leaders. He performed above average in pretty much all of the AI finals he played in. He was the best player in most of their victories. as he got older, his performances and importance lessened, much like every other player that ever was.
I’ll leave @croppy_boy continue his argument with you, but being selective that he doesnt perform in big games, but you cant count all his victories in the biggest game of the year is bullshit.
Armagh in 06 was all about Donaghy and Darragh O’Shea to a lesser extent. It was once again where a game was in the melting pot and Timmy didn’t want to know about it.
The Timmy cheerleaders are quite happy to ignore the elephant in the room. What was his greatest performance? When did he take Kerry by the scruff of the neck and deliver in big games when they looked in bother? No answers on either of these questions yet - the pattern is he lost more All Ireland finals than he won.
ok, so you dont want to count the AI finals he won as putting in a performance. A very pecular stance, but however.
So take the finals he lost then that you criticise him for.
2002 - his debut year, and he won an all star. 19 years old, in his first season and started the AI final for Kerry. Not a vintage performance, but scored 2 points from play when it was further out the field in the second half was Kerrys downfall.
Cant count 2004 because he won
2005 - top scorer for Kerry in the final. Suffered a facial injury in the 10th minute. Despite this, was the joint top scorer from play in the game. Again, the middle sector was the downfall with Kerry struggling to come to term with Tyrones tactics.
2006 - cant count because he won
2007 - cant count because he won
2008 - top scorer for Kerry in the final. Top scorer from play. Was their main threat. Sean Cavanagh at the other end had a fantastic game.
2009 - cant count because he won
2011 - top scorer for Kerry, top scorer in the game from play. Scored a crucial goal for them. Scored 2 points in the closing 10 minutes to put them 4 up. Dublin came back and won.
2014 - didnt play when Kerry won
2015 - ineffective in their loss to Dublin. Philly McMahon played outstanding on him. The beginning of the end of his career as further injuries impacted on him.
If you’re going to rule him out because of not coming good when games were in the melting pot and not scoring from play then you’re effectively saying Canavan didn’t have a good game in 1995 - which is not true.
