'Go away and coach a team': Jack O'Connor launches broadside at Kerry pundits and critics

Jack O’Connor believes Kerry are judged by “different criteria” to other teams and has launched a broadside at pundits and critics within the county boundaries who, he said, should be ‘building people up’ rather than knocking them down.

The Kingdom boss was speaking soon after a remarkable All-Ireland quarter-final defeat of reigning champions Armagh on the back of a stuttering campaign that includes a bracing defeat to Meath in Tullamore.

All of which had made them, unusually, underdogs for a big game at HQ.

"Look, when everybody even down in our own county was throwing in the towel with us, I said in the dressing room after the Cavan game, 'Lads, I've been here before where we've been completely written off’.

“And a Kerry team written off in Croke Park are dangerous because it just takes a bit of the heat off. It allows them to play with a kind of freedom and abandon. That's what you saw there today.”

O’Connor also had words for critics outside of the Kerry border, referencing a piece by former Derry footballer Joe Brolly who made the claim that David Clifford was “the only Kerry footballer worthy of the name” in his newspaper column.

“Now, David is a great player but David will tell you that there was a fair supporting cast there today. We think we have a lot of good footballers but sometimes we're being judged on different criteria to other teams.”

The Dromid Pearses man referenced Dublin’s defeat to Meath in Leinster and claimed former Dublin players hadn’t come out “slating” the team or management after it. Unlike “a few pundits down our way” of late.

There’s another way of looking at that.

Many has been the ex-player who has popped up in the media and soft-soaped it when asked to scrutinise obvious failings among his or her former teammates. That’s pretty much the point that was put to O’Connor about the local critics.

He wasn’t having any of it.

"I'm not giving out about it from my own point of view. I just gave the example that I never hear Dublin's ex-players slating the team. They're loyal to the group and they're loyal to the county and they give their support. What's to be gained by slating people?

“It's the easiest thing in the world. I'm in the business of building people up. I'm not in the business of knocking people. I spent all my life coaching underage school kids, minors, U21s, seniors, at every level. I'm in the business of building people, not knocking people.

“I'd ask people who are knocking that group and knocking people involved with the group to look in the mirror and say, 'What have you contributed? What have you contributed to Kerry football off the field?' You know what I mean?

“It's very easy to knock people. Go away and coach a team. Go away and coach a development squad. Go away and coach a minor team. That's how you help Kerry football, not knocking people."

O’Connor was thrilled with the performance of his team who found themselves five points down before a scoring burst that knocked the stuffing out of the Ulster side. And there were words of praise for more than a few who made it possible.

Paudie Clifford, who made such an impact after coming on. Joe O’Connor after his switch to the middle. Micheal Burns, who had the game of his life. Sean O’Shea for his performance and his leadership. Gavin White. And David Clifford, naturally.

O'Connor singled out leader O’Shea who ‘rose to new levels’ and impact sub Micheal Burns who, O’Connor reckoned, ‘had the game of his life.”

Said O’Connor: “They were under huge pressure coming in here but performed in a cauldron, and even gave away a very bad goal. In the dressing room at half-time there was great leadership shown by the players. We had kicked thirteen points in the first half but the real purple patch was in the third quarter. We never relented after that.”

O’Connor said that breaking the Armagh kickout was key as Kerry attacked wave after wave.

“Men just rose to the occasion - Micheal Burns came on there and the man had the game of his life, kicked two scores and gave us great energy.

“Joe O’Connor went middle of the field, and what a game Seanie O’Shea had. People writing him off and saying Kerry were a one man team, and while David (Clifford) did his stuff, Seanie was phenomenal when we really needed him in the first half to keep us in the game. He lifted himself to new levels today.”

Said O’Conor: “Whatever about that performance, we had to try and go another step, and it was heartwarming to see how they did it – the performance of Meath was not us. But it did help being written off – when Kerry lads come to Croke Park written off they are dangerous.”

With defender Tom O’Sullivan limping off to add to Kerry’s injury headaches, the Kerry manager said it was critical that they got Paudie Clifford back on the pitch. “Playing so well was a huge bonus,” O’Connor said.

The Kerry boss was asked if this felt like the 2006 campaign when they lost a Munster final replay to Cork, struggled past Longford in a qualifier before rediscovering their mojo in the last eight when taking down Armagh in Dublin.

More like 2009, he said, when they had lost to Cork in Munster and scraped past Sligo and Antrim through the back door before demolishing Dublin in a quarter-final before, like ’06, going on to take Sam Maguire.

“There was ferocious determination in the camp that we weren't going to let the season fizzle out after the Meath game. It may have been difficult for Armagh not to listen to the outside noise where we were being written off and they were being written up. We know we have players who can perform here.”

He spoke more than once of his certainty that there was a big performance in his side and he praised the Kingdom’s fans, so often said to be reluctant to make the trip to the capital before a final, for their show of support on the day.

“The supporters felt there was another kick in the team. They've seen it happen before. They saw it happen in 2006, they saw it happen in 2009. Kerry is a proud county and we weren't going to fizzle out of the Championship without a hell of a fight. We saw that fight out there today."

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