Ignorant is the nicest thing Harte has called me in years
I’VE NEVER minded taking stick on or off a football pitch, so I had no problem soaking up the criticism that came my way after my column in the
Irish Daily Mail last week. was a bit surprised with the response because all I said was that Kyle Coney is better than some of the current players in the squad and that Tyrone need to stop living off past glories.
I stand by both those statements.
A lot of people in Tyrone must agree with me, judging by the response I had through social media and a few ex-players also got in touch to say they backed every word I said.
Funnily enough, one former team-mate who texted to say ‘great article’ has since had a go at me in print! But after all the things that have been said and written about me over the years, I am well able to laugh that off.
I enjoyed Mickey Harte’s comments after the fantastic victory over Mayo, when he said he would let former players who criticised him and the team to ‘wallow in ignorance’. I presumed he meant me and I was chuffed to bits... it’s the nicest thing he’s said about me in years!
Anyone who shared that changing-room with me for 15 years will know I was never one to shy away from giving my verdict or challenging Mickey if I thought something needed to be said.
Maybe he didn’t like it then and doesn’t like it now, but he also knows that I have Tyrone’s best interests at heart. I absolutely loved wearing that jersey, which is why I’ve been so disappointed with the lack of fight and passion shown by some of the boys wearing it now.
What I said last week was no over-reaction to a terrible performance against Monaghan. It has been brewing up in me for a while – since last summer in fact, when Tyrone lost to Monaghan and Armagh in t he Championship.
IN 2013, the county got to an All-Ireland semi-final so last year should have been about building on that and getting to the final. Instead of that, we lost to two Ulster teams we had got used to beating. It should have been a big wake-up call.
To come out after a bad year and start a new season like they did in Healy Park two weeks ago was unacceptable, so it was great to see the response in MacHale Park. They were a different animal and it was the most committed display I’ve seen from Tyrone in a few years.
Mickey is really strong mentally and won’t be fazed by anything said outside the camp. The only pressure he feels is the pressure he puts on himself and if anything, it only makes him raise his game, as we saw in Castlebar.
You can be sure he used the criticism – particularly that from close to home – to his advantage. The media has been used in the past. Whenever Joe Brolly, Colm O’Rourke or Pat Spillane had a go, Mickey would tell us everyone was against us and we had to prove them wrong.
Criticism from the media seemed to turn some lads on. The changing-room was like a scene out of Braveheart sometimes with lads dying to get out there to shut them up. Blaming the media never got me going. I preferred to stick on my headphones and listen to a bit of love music, or maybe Philomena Begley.
Mickey always protected us from any outside attack, so he is totally right to be sticking up for his players and taking the pressure off them.
He says they need time to learn how to become winners but within the camp, I hope he is challenging them, because personally I think they have had long enough. Kerry were supposed to be rebuilding last year – and they finished the year as All-Ireland champions.
Former players such as myself, Peter Canavan and Philip Jordan have said some tough things about the team but I feel like I have earned the right to have my say and if any of the current players are annoyed by that and used it as motivation last week, then brilliant.
WE HURT when Tyrone don’t do well and we want them to join us as All-Ireland winners – so let’s see them show a ruthless streak in two weeks’ time and relegate Derry. Two years ago, they had a chance to relegate Kerry in Omagh and it turned out to be more like a challenge match. If it had been the other way around, Kerry would have destroyed us. Let’s see that these boys have learned from that and take a chance to put one of our big rivals down. That would be a win-win for us all. COMPILED BY MARK GALLAGHER
AND PHILIP LANIGAN
Mickey always protected us from attacks, he’s right to stick up for his players