FORMER Armagh ace Steven McDonnell has branded RTE pundit Joe Brolly's scathing criticism of Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney as "disgusting".
The Derry man who, alongside Colm O'Rourke, analysed the Cavan and Armagh Ulster SFC clash last Sunday, claimed McGeeney "hasn't a clue" as regards modern systems of play, that players "swear allegiance to the cult of Kieran" and that eight Crossmaglen players are not on the panel because of "a lack of imagination, the lack of fun in the group".
McDonnell, who played on the same All-Ireland winning Armagh team as McGeeney, echoed the sentiments of former Orchard boss Paul Grimley, who described Brolly's comments as "poisonous": "I saw Paul Grimley’s interview and I would fully agree with what he’s saying," he said.
"[Brolly has] absolutely gone too far. I’m sure Kieran is open to criticism in relation to game plans, if things don’t go well and decisions that he makes but... how can Joe justify saying that Kieran McGeeney hasn’t a clue?
"We don’t know what’s going on in the background within Armagh, we don’t know what’s going on in the training field as well. To be allowed to come out with statements like that live on TV is disgusting and I think the broadcaster has to take a long hard look at themselves as well.
"Joe Brolly has a history of coming out and criticising people live on TV and I don’t think there’s any place in the GAA for anything like that whatsoever. We all remember a few years ago, he publicly humiliated Paul Grimley as well [and] last year Marty Morrissey was publicly humiliated. You get away with it once and that’s about it. Kieran’s like everyone else - he’s open to fair criticism, but that that’s not fair - he is not given an open forum where he can respond to something like that."
McDonnell robustly defended the coaching abilities of his former colleague and stated there should be no doubt the Mullaghabawn man has nothing but the welfare and improvement of his players in his heart and mind.
"Kieran McGeeney is doing the best that he possibly can for Armagh and, from my own experiences of playing with him, his blood bleeds Armagh," said McDonnell.
"I’ve had experience of playing under Kieran, albeit he was in a coaching capacity with Ireland down in Australia in 2011. I can assure you he’s a top class coach and any of the Ireland players who played on that particular tour would back me up in saying that his coaching techniques were fantastic."
The Killeavy man, in insisting that Cavan, who beat Armagh by eight points at Kingspan Breffni Park, are "at the minute" simply a better team, pointed out the Armagh players will know they didn't play to their potential.
"That’s the simple fact," said McDonnell.
"That’s the way it goes and, when you cross that white line, the players have to stand up and perform and Armagh players will be hurting at the minute. They’ll assess the situation and they will all realise themselves that they didn’t perform near the level that they should have been at in terms of trying to beat Cavan."
As regards the assertion by Brolly that eight Crossmaglen players were missing from the Armagh ranks, McDonnell was particularly irked: "Well, I absolutely wouldn’t agree with that," he said.
"And I would love to know who the eight Crossmaglen players are that he’s talking about because, while Crossmaglen are a fantastic club team, there are not eight Crossmaglen players that are county standard. I would say five of them are county standard and that’s it, but… to be using that all the time… it’s not the first time that he has come out with statements like that."
McDonnell also suggested Brolly should try his own hand at management: "I would love to see the likes of Joe Brolly, instead of sitting in a TV punditry arena, having the balls to maybe come out and become a club manager or a county manager and see how tough and difficult it is," he said.
"Because I can assure you it’s not the easiest job in the world and anyone who has the courage to stand up and take a team, particularly at county level - knowing that there’s going to be knives in the back inevitably - it’s certainly a tough task."
