Jack O Connor a whinger or just trying sell his book

[SuperDooperCooper]

This appeared in the Irish News

JACK OF ALL TIRADES

Former Kerry manager Jack O Connor has claimed that "losing to Tyrone is worse than losing to almost anyone else", citing the "arrogance" of northern football as the reason for that.
The Dromid Pearse's clubman also argued that Armagh's All-Ireland final victory over the Kingdom "cut us deeply...went to the core of the team". Instead, O'Connor conceded that the Championship defeats to the Orchard County in 2002 and the Red Hands in 2003 and 2005 were three of four "landmark disasters in recent Kerry football", the other being the 2001 All-ireland semi final-thrashing by Meath.

In his book 'Keys to the Kingom' O'Connor also criticised Peter Canavan for "cynically" taking out Kerry forward Colm Cooper in the closing stages of the 2005 All-Ireland final. Defeat in that game was the only loss O'Connor's Kerry forward Colm Cooper in the closing stages of the 2005 All-ireland final in his three seasons in charge, winning the other two convincingly against Mayo, in 2004 and last year. However, he acknowledged that "Losing to Tyrone is worse than losing to almost anyone else. Not that there's much history between us. That's the point. There's an arrogance to northern football which rubs Kerry people up the wrong way. They're flash and nouveau riche and full of it."

O'Connor went on to explain the Kingdom view that successful Ulster sides talk too much: "Add up the number of All-Ireland titles the Ulsrer counties have won and it's less than a third of Kerry's total [actually the tally is 15 to 34, bit strange, only counting northern ireland teams, i dunno), but northern teams advertise themselves well.

"They talk about how they did it [you're the one writing a big book!], they go on and on about this theory and that practice as if they'd just split the atom. They build up a mythology about themselves. That doesn't sit well in Kerry where a man with four all-irelands would quietly defer to a man who has five."

Yet O'Connor revealed that he turned to Ulster in order to improve after 2005: "I plunder the Ulster GAA council website, which is full of essays and drills on tackling...I phone contacts in Ulster. What do Armagh do? What do Tyrone do? This is almost a betrayal of my Kerry blood, to be asking how they do things up north. One day I meet with a very prominent northern football man who knows exactly what they do. We sit for a few hours as he shows me drills, gives me ideas, opens up a new world of work to me."

O'Connor admitted that their 2004 All-Ireland victory was tainted: "Our journey didn't take us into the path of Armagh or Tyrone, though. We won, but deep down in our hearts in Kerry we don't feel as if that 2004 All-Ireland took football back for us."

The following year, Tyrone triumphed in the all-ireland final, and O'Connor acknowledged "We were out-fought and out-thought by a tougher team. That sort of thing hurts in Kerry. It hurts me." Still O'Connor complained about some of the treatment received by Colm Cooper: "After a good start Gooch got hit by a flake at a time when he was threatening to cut loose. It affected Gooch for 15 minutes before half time. He was out of it for a while."

The then Kerry boss also lambasted Tyrone goalscorer Canavan: "in the final minute of the game (which was a minute shorter than it was supposed to be anyway) Peter Canavan's last act on the big stage was to cynically take Gooch out of it...he knew too that no referee was going to send Peter the Great off in his hour of glory."

---

Phew. Anyways, what Canavan did wasn't a sending off offence he pulled Cooper down, Cooper then gave him a big of a dig because Canavan had fallen down too. Far worse things happen. The whole language of taken out suggests that he punched him or something, but things get exaggerated. If it could be constituted a rugby tackle, it was the weakest rugby challenge i've ever saw. It didn't matter anyway, Tyrone got the ball anyway, ref blew up. McMenamin did the exact same as Canavan except rougher seconds before to Tomas O'Se, McGuigan was "rabbit punched" in the stomach by Galvin in the first half, Canavan was dragged around like a piece of dirt in the first-half, but who cares about that i suppose.

O'Connor seems to be doing his best to wind people up anyway, plenty of publicity. And I don't know about our arrogance, considering people like Sean Walsh said the rules should be changed (and saying in 2004 that Kerry played football how it should be played), Spillane nearly combusted etc (and still goes on and on about Ulster football in the most patronising way in his articles in the sunday world).

In saying all this, still like O'Connor, great manager, and i'm wouldn't be too aware of the pressures he was under, he did a great job.

[Sandy Hill]

McGuigan was "rabbit punched" in the stomach ...................

[rrhf]

Ill buy his book but ive lost a lot of respect for him so far from reading the clips.  At least he dosent take a beating well and to all that doubted theres no question that he has unfinished business with Tyrone, his knock out at Canavan is immature,  Gooch tears, ffs. I suppose he never mentioned Daragh O Ses tackling against the young Cork midfielder in the ai semis this year.  Its over and done with.  He reaffirms that Kerry arrogance again unwittingly  even when they are accusing others of  being arrogant, a why do you not respect me attitude, accuses us of a neaveaux riche attitude, is this taken direct from Spillanes handbook.  To accuse a province is bullshit.
An interesting character, warts and all book should be even more interesting than he ever was.  he was after all a secoond rate manager in comparison to Mickey Harte and couldnt lace Peter Canavans boots on the field. in fact I think his chip on shoulder  is due to a lack of personal talent especially in a county where he was born surrounded by it.  He will in my opinion go down as an opportunist aiwinning manager of the highest order.  His graceful spoprtsmanship after the aif in 2005 must sadly now portrayed as disingenuous having sold his soul for a publishers gold.  Good luck to him. After all, how does it feel to be a common as muck double all ireland winning manager.  At least Spillane says it as it is.   

[Kerry Mike]

As far i i know Jack O'Connor has been on local radio today and has said his quotes in the book are exagerated and that he only got 50 cent a km and his phone paid for the year and a family holiday because he did not go on the team trip to Australia. Sean Walsh was also on Radio Kerry and concurred with this . So is this just the publishers hyping up the book in the week its launched and making a mountain of a mole hill.

If its true that Jack got paid you could also ask who pays for Nickey Brennan while he takes 3 years off from his job to be the full time president of the GAA?

This is just a bad week for a book launch, I am sure Billy Morgan will have any negative Cork comments printed out and on the dressing room door in Killarney on Sunday as if the fecking Langers did not need any more motivation to beat us.

[Mike Sheehy]

they go on and on about this theory and that practice as if they'd just split the atom. They build up a mythology about themselves.

Its a fair point. How much shite did we have to listen to after Armaghs win in 2002 i.e wristbands, new tactics as well as countless articles about the mystical togetherness of the team and the boys going back into the gym 10 mins after the AI blah, blah...

Then Tyrone follow up with Mickey Harte writing a book and more bloody mystical meg crap...jesus, it would do your head in.

[ExiledGael]

The mans a bad loser (as are a lot of people on here) but that's no bad thing in my book, don't respect him any less
You have to accept the All-Ireland champions, they earn the right to dish out whatever shite they want to the media/critics ie Armagh Tyrone and Kerry

His slur on Ulster is almost a clash of personalities in recent years

[Mike Sheehy]

At least Spillane says it as it is.

Finally, a Tyrone man who admits they play "puke football"

Thanks for your honesty.

[Mike Sheehy]

slur on Ulster

Nothing in what he says is a slur. Just some home truths.

Anyway, we are sick of listening to ye're shite about Munster and constantly demeaning us. Its time for some payback.

[GalwayBayBoy]

This appeared in the Irish News

JACK OF ALL TIRADES

Former Kerry manager Jack O Connor has claimed that "losing to Tyrone is worse than losing to almost anyone else", citing the "arrogance" of northern football as the reason for that.
The Dromid Pearse's clubman also argued that Armagh's All-Ireland final victory over the Kingdom "cut us deeply...went to the core of the team". Instead, O'Connor conceded that the Championship defeats to the Orchard County in 2002 and the Red Hands in 2003 and 2005 were three of four "landmark disasters in recent Kerry football", the other being the 2001 All-ireland semi final-thrashing by Meath.

In his book 'Keys to the Kingom' O'Connor also criticised Peter Canavan for "cynically" taking out Kerry forward Colm Cooper in the closing stages of the 2005 All-Ireland final. Defeat in that game was the only loss O'Connor's Kerry forward Colm Cooper in the closing stages of the 2005 All-ireland final in his three seasons in charge, winning the other two convincingly against Mayo, in 2004 and last year. However, he acknowledged that "Losing to Tyrone is worse than losing to almost anyone else. Not that there's much history between us. That's the point. There's an arrogance to northern football which rubs Kerry people up the wrong way. They're flash and nouveau riche and full of it."

O'Connor went on to explain the Kingdom view that successful Ulster sides talk too much: "Add up the number of All-Ireland titles the Ulsrer counties have won and it's less than a third of Kerry's total [actually the tally is 15 to 34, bit strange, only counting northern ireland teams, i dunno), but northern teams advertise themselves well.

"They talk about how they did it [you're the one writing a big book!], they go on and on about this theory and that practice as if they'd just split the atom. They build up a mythology about themselves. That doesn't sit well in Kerry where a man with four all-irelands would quietly defer to a man who has five."

Yet O'Connor revealed that he turned to Ulster in order to improve after 2005: "I plunder the Ulster GAA council website, which is full of essays and drills on tackling...I phone contacts in Ulster. What do Armagh do? What do Tyrone do? This is almost a betrayal of my Kerry blood, to be asking how they do things up north. One day I meet with a very prominent northern football man who knows exactly what they do. We sit for a few hours as he shows me drills, gives me ideas, opens up a new world of work to me."

O'Connor admitted that their 2004 All-Ireland victory was tainted: "Our journey didn't take us into the path of Armagh or Tyrone, though. We won, but deep down in our hearts in Kerry we don't feel as if that 2004 All-Ireland took football back for us."

The following year, Tyrone triumphed in the all-ireland final, and O'Connor acknowledged "We were out-fought and out-thought by a tougher team. That sort of thing hurts in Kerry. It hurts me." Still O'Connor complained about some of the treatment received by Colm Cooper: "After a good start Gooch got hit by a flake at a time when he was threatening to cut loose. It affected Gooch for 15 minutes before half time. He was out of it for a while."

The then Kerry boss also lambasted Tyrone goalscorer Canavan: "in the final minute of the game (which was a minute shorter than it was supposed to be anyway) Peter Canavan's last act on the big stage was to cynically take Gooch out of it...he knew too that no referee was going to send Peter the Great off in his hour of glory."

---

Phew. Anyways, what Canavan did wasn't a sending off offence he pulled Cooper down, Cooper then gave him a big of a dig because Canavan had fallen down too. Far worse things happen. The whole language of taken out suggests that he punched him or something, but things get exaggerated. If it could be constituted a rugby tackle, it was the weakest rugby challenge i've ever saw. It didn't matter anyway, Tyrone got the ball anyway, ref blew up. McMenamin did the exact same as Canavan except rougher seconds before to Tomas O'Se, McGuigan was "rabbit punched" in the stomach by Galvin in the first half, Canavan was dragged around like a piece of dirt in the first-half, but who cares about that i suppose.

O'Connor seems to be doing his best to wind people up anyway, plenty of publicity. And I don't know about our arrogance, considering people like Sean Walsh said the rules should be changed (and saying in 2004 that Kerry played football how it should be played), Spillane nearly combusted etc (and still goes on and on about Ulster football in the most patronising way in his articles in the sunday world).

In saying all this, still like O'Connor, great manager, and i'm wouldn't be too aware of the pressures he was under, he did a great job.

That'll be another 3 pages at least.

[Over the Bar]

A sub-standard opportunist manager if ever there was one.  Exited the big stage knowing that he couldn't achieve back to back AI's with his limited tactical ability.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

slur on Ulster

Nothing in what he says is a slur. Just some home truths.

Anyway, we are sick of listening to ye're shite about Munster and constantly demeaning us. Its time for some payback.

Jeez Sheehy, you are one bitter bollix, amadán.

[Rick O Shea]

A sub-standard opportunist manager if ever there was one.  Exited the big stage knowing that he couldn't achieve back to back AI's with his limited tactical ability.

There's been a lot of limited managers the last 18yrs then 

[Mike Sheehy]

And you are a windy p***k Fear an srath Ban.

[Mike Sheehy]

A sub-standard opportunist manager if ever there was one.  Exited the big stage knowing that he couldn't achieve back to back AI's with his limited tactical ability.

More shitetalk from tymoanies

He got a hell of a lot closer to back to back AI than bushy brow and Michelin man

[ExiledGael]

slur on Ulster

Nothing in what he says is a slur. Just some home truths.

Anyway, we are sick of listening to ye're shite about Munster and constantly demeaning us. Its time for some payback.

Dry your eyes Mike, Jesus yiz have the Sam Maguire down there every other year, you can take a bit of criticism when it resides elsewhere.
It's all jealousy, on both sides (though Munster is clearly weak as water)