Joe Kernan Resigns

[lynchbhoy]

Best of luck for the future Joe.
I am a long time admirer of the footballer and more so the manager.
How he created a Crossmaglen dynasty that largely revolved around a sublime gameplan and strategy (had good players though I'll admit - apart from having no decent full forward  )
Joe then took the bigger challenge and heightened expectation to do likewise for Armagh.
No one really expected him to succeed. But he did.
Maybe he did underachieve. Its hard at the top though. Armagh were there for quite a number of years now.

Best of luck Joe and enjoy your few months off, as I hope to heck that Derry county board get out the cheque book and sign you up once we lose Mr Crozier.

[Passing_Interest]

I've had some great days in life.......
Getting married, having 3 great kids, passing exams, winning Club championships, hell I even won £20,000 in a draw about 25 years ago..........

But nothing compares to the feeling of standing on the pitch with my arms wrapped round my Da, remembering my dead Granda's and crying like 2 babies as Kieran McGeeney lifted Sam for us.........

Thanks Joe.....for the best day of my life.

[his holiness nb]

Yeah whatever ye 'should' have met in 2006 too but Kerry and Laois spoiled the party.

Dublin "should" have won the last 11 all Irelands.
But they kept getting beat.
This "should" craic is easy  

[stew]

Joe has been great for Armagh football and he will never be forgotten for being the leader of the 02 team that brought us Sam for the first time but he did a lot more than that, we won three consecutive Ulster titles and a National league title and since he tookover we have been one of the best teams in the country.

I was always a big fan of Joe but his continued use of his son when he was obviously not our best option tarnsihed somewhat his legacy and effectiveness as a leader and he left himself wide open to criticism for taking care of the cross contingent, again to the detrement of the County as a whole.

When I look back years from now at Joes tenure with Armagh I will look at it with great pride, Joe gave his all for his County as player and manager and he owes us nothing and we owe him everything. I will also acknowledge that it was time for him to move on given his selections and the way he treated some of the men that got him over the hump and from that perspective I will also acknowledge that as great as he was he also had flaws in tactical nuances and also man management. Joe, enjoy retirement Sir and take pride in what you have accomplished on the field as a player, on the sidelines of your club team and also in the hotbed of Croker when we played every great team 02 had to offer and we bate them all.

[full back]

I've had some great days in life.......
Getting married, having 3 great kids, passing exams, winning Club championships, hell I even won £20,000 in a draw about 25 years ago..........

But nothing compares to the feeling of standing on the pitch with my arms wrapped round my Da, remembering my dead Granda's and crying like 2 babies as Kieran McGeeney lifted Sam for us.........

Thanks Joe.....for the best day of my life.

Thats the stuff pi. I am sure the Mrs & kids would be delighted to know who comes first in life

[Passing_Interest]

Say what you see full back 

[Onlooker]

I find it hard to see how any Armagh supporter could knock Joe Kernan after his service to that county as a player and manager.   Look at what Armagh achieved in his time as manager and compare it with any other decade in Armagh's history.  During his spell in charge, Armagh were consistently one of the top 3 teams in Ireland.    He had a great group of players, but got the best out of them.    Mine is just one of many counties that would be happy with half the success that Armagh have had for the last decade.  Joe Kernan was a great servant to Gaelic Football and this fact is acknowledged by fans all over the country.

[tevez]

Let's have a look at the contenders for the next Armagh manager. This is going to be a hard job, as the man who gets it will have to deal with high expectations and he will have to introduce a number of new players, but this if can be achived and the right man could take Armagh back to the top.
Not in any order
1. Grimley, seems like he had alot of influence when Armagh done well, 2003 2004 etc. Knows the players etc. But rumurs of him drinking with players etc doesn't fill me with the optimism I would like
2. J.Rafferty Was there this year but don;t know if he is the man for the job, tactially and would the players respect him and look up to him enough. Something tells me no.
3. P. Rafferty Done very well with the Under 21's. Knows the young players well, and would not e afraid to use him. Downside is that he has never been involved with county management. Have doubts,
4. McGeeney. Think of him more of a man at the minute to come in as an assistant manager. Think it is too soon for him to be the manager.

All of these men have good points, but I just have a slight gut feeling that none of them would be really the man for the job. Maybe they would I don't know.
What about somebody high profile from the outside. There would be no favourism, and the players would certainly look up to him.

What do you's think?  I haven't made up my mind yet!

[Pietas]

. Down are currently the laughing stock of Ulster they are one of the only teams in Ulster to have never experienced playing in an All-Ireland quarter-final.

We specialise in All Ireland Finals, we`ve never lost one. Armagh cant say the same. By the way in case you didnt know, we`ve won 5, you may have guessed it from my name, I think you still only have one  How many finals have you lost?
Boasting about your record in quarter finals isnt really much to shout about, come back to me when you manage more than 1 in a row 

As for Big Joe. Great manager, who brought Armagh their only success, but when the band wagon came off the rails the orange brethern gave him a lot of stick. Most of the bandwagon that were there in 2002 and indeed 2003 have deserted the team as was evident in Ballybofey this year. Joe complained about that, but you all gave him stick about that too.
Joe will go down in Armagh history as the first manager to bring Sam back to Cross (and the rest of the Orchard County), maybe someday you will all realise that and give him the credit he deserves. As for your fairweather supporters, any county even Armagh are better off without them.

But we can barely remember the liast time

[naka]

tevez peter mc donald has more credibilty than joh rafferty, he won an ulster with errigal ciaran and with this years  armagh under21s and if memory serves me right had o rourkes shot gone in the other side of the post against cork may have won an all ireland.
my gut feeling is geezer, marsden assisting  grimley

[orangeman]

Here's a question - i konw he already has made a comment that he wouldn't manage antoher county team -
But as winter approaches and he starts looking to 2008...... ok    ? If Dublin ( who have a big chance of winning an All Ireland ) came knocking on his door ( no disrespect to Pillar ) ...... would he go ? Managing a team like Dublin would mean a smaller chance of meeting Armagh - you know what I mean ?

[Uladh]

I don't now why people don't expect Joe to manage another county. He was interviewed for both the cavan and Louth Jobs unsuccessfully before he got the armagh gig for the second time.

[thebandit]

He did indeed, in the early '90s as joint manager with Paddy Mo

[naka]

5times  yes he was manager in 90 and 91

[GPA not OK]

I'd like to thank Joe for helping deliver an All-Ireland for Armagh. It was one of the best times of my life and likewise for many others. It's 20 years also since Joe played his last game for Armagh against Derry in Clones. As a GAA man he has given a hell of a lot to football in Armagh and I like to wish him well and hope that his sons can emulate his achievements in the near future, hopefully winning an All-Ireland medal as players.

It's difficult to know whether 2002 would have been achieved without Kernan at the helm. He set the standard high for himself and the team and their achievements were unprecedented. He didn't just manage and motivate the team. He seen to it that the county raised the funds to support a competitive county team in Armagh.

The same people that ridicule him now would probably have been there in 2001 sniping about McAlinden and Canavan who also delivered success under a heavy burden of expectation.  

The bottom line is that all three men combined to carry Armagh football to an unprecedented level and for me their success will always overshadaow their failings and none of these men do not deserve the criticism that has been levelled at them.

Armagh could possibly have won more since 2002, but it wasn't for the want of trying and no matter what so many armchair experts will say, I do not believe that another manager could have got any more out of this team.

For Joe, his failings have been blamed on specific mistakes, but when you consider that his successor must not only avoid the same mistakes, but do every other aspect of the job as well as Joe, we'll have bother finding a manager as good. Nonetheless, whether he sees it or not, it certainly is the right time to go for himself and the team.