by Orla Bannon

Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney has had his say on RTE pundit Joe Brolly's criticism of him following the county's Ulster SFC defeat by Cavan.

Brolly said McGeeney "hasn't a clue" about inter-county management after the orchard county's eight-point defeat at Kingspan Breffni Park 12 days ago and alleged some Crossmaglen players didn't want to play for him, a claim later rejected by star forward Jamie Clarke.

Speaking for the first time since Brolly's rant on 'The Sunday Game', McGeeney shrugged off the controversy and media circus which followed it.

"I am flattered by Joe's obsession with me," he said.

"The more you talk about him, the happier he is.

"That's what it's all about.

"He likes to be the centre of attention and that's grand. Let him batter away."

McGeeney and Brolly shared the same dressing-room in 1993 winning a Sigerson Cup together with Queen's University.

In a stinging attack on 'Geezer' on May 29, Brolly said that being a great player wasn't a qualification for being a great manager, and made unfounded claims about Armagh's players playing minimal club football.

When asked if the comments had upset him or his family, the 2002 All-Ireland winning captain said: "I don't really know what I can say about it".

"I can't stop people having opinions and if people want to dress opinions up as facts, that's a different thing.

"I am not really into facilitating people's obsessions with things.

"I am sure he is a nice fella. I've met him a couple of times and he seems grand, but he likes to be the centre of attention.

"Honestly, it is water off a duck's back to me.

"Some people take what he says seriously, I can't help that either.

"We have a great bunch of fellas and I'm trying to do my best. I am not doing as good a job as I would like."

County chairman Paul McArdle appeared on last week's 'The Sunday Game' having asked RTE for a right of reply to counter some of Brolly's claims and declare the county's support for their team boss.

When asked if he was aware of the move in advance, or had sanctioned it, McGeeney simply responded: "the county board are trying to do the right things".

"They have had a tough time over the past couple of years in getting the county back on its feet, paying old bills.

"They are very progressive, there is great work being done in the academy structures and although we haven't had much syccess at underage, we are definitely going in the right direction."

McGeeney's Armagh team play Laois in the first round of All-Ireland football qualifiers on June 18 in Portlaoise.

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