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Fitzmaurice - Stay or Go?

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Is Fitzmaurice getting an easy ride from pundits and the media? Kerry were in a very strong position twice and didnt seal the deal. Went overly defensive at start of second half and handed the initiative back to the Dubs. An other score or 2 at that point for Kerry and it may have been a different story. I wonder if a Mayo team had blown a 3 point lead going into the closing stages I doubt very much Brolly or spillane would be saying that we died with our boots on in a game for the ages. The same old lines rolled out about being bottlers, lacking mental strength etc.

interested to here opinions from Kerry supporters. I think he will call it a day.

unclegerry (Mayo) - Posts: 1222 - 01/09/2016 09:40:59    1908958

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He only signed up for a one year extension and convinced a number of senior players to stick with it for one last push

He'll go and so will 3-4 other household names

100% legends of the game

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 01/09/2016 10:19:37    1908980

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If I were a Kerry supporter I'd want jack o Conor back purely cause he's managed the last 3 minor teams that have so much talent Jack knows these lads inside out. Imo Gilroy would of held us back in '13 if he didn't go , Jim knew all the underage talent coming through and wasn't afraid to use them I'm not so sure Gilroy would of done the same.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 01/09/2016 10:47:31    1908999

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if Jack O'Connor wants job he'll get but he will prob hang on with 21s for next year.

Gael85 (Dublin) - Posts: 1433 - 01/09/2016 10:53:15    1909006

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Kerry under Eamonn Fitzmaurice.

Games v Dublin (League and championship) - 9

Victories v Dublin - 2

Defeats v Dublin - 7 (including 2 AI semi finals, 1 AI final and a league final)

Keep him forever :)

Nah but joking aside, He is a good manager. Little bit of luck and they could be in a final in a few weeks time, their 3rd in a row.

I think if he wants to stay on he will. He will only leave on his own accord.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 01/09/2016 10:54:29    1909007

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Sorry I meant minor n 21 teams Jack has managed.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 01/09/2016 10:59:37    1909015

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To be honest I'm undecided. In the aftermath of Sunday I thought he should definitely stay, he got so much right and it seemed that with a bit of more luck we could/should have beaten Dublin.

But after watching the game back and reading and listening to the analysis over the last 3 days you can see that there were critical mistakes made as well in the final crucial minutes.

Taking off Geaney, I mean I can understand his logic in making the decision but it was still the wrong call. Why your best forward, why not Gooch who was tiring fast?

To me it singled a man who knows he has been beaten by Dublin before and is fearful of them. It was a conservative move when the game was there to be won if someone on the sideline was willing to show a little adventure.

Given that, I'm beginning to feel that perhaps he should make way.

Look in any other county that man would be a hero and I'm probably being over critical but that's the lay of the land in Kerry - success or nothing. Look at how Pat O'Shea was treated after 2008!

Eamon has done brilliantly during what in 2012 looked like some very bad years ahead. Not only did he win 4 Munsters and wrangle an All-Ireland out of us, but over 3 years he was rebuilt a side which, I think, has serious potential. The core of the team is entering its prime and we have so much exciting young talent to come through to augment them.

There's nothing to stop him coming back again down the road, but maybe, maybe someone else should be given a shot for a couple of years.

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 01/09/2016 11:05:33    1909019

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Replying To TheHermit:  "To be honest I'm undecided. In the aftermath of Sunday I thought he should definitely stay, he got so much right and it seemed that with a bit of more luck we could/should have beaten Dublin.

But after watching the game back and reading and listening to the analysis over the last 3 days you can see that there were critical mistakes made as well in the final crucial minutes.

Taking off Geaney, I mean I can understand his logic in making the decision but it was still the wrong call. Why your best forward, why not Gooch who was tiring fast?

To me it singled a man who knows he has been beaten by Dublin before and is fearful of them. It was a conservative move when the game was there to be won if someone on the sideline was willing to show a little adventure.

Given that, I'm beginning to feel that perhaps he should make way.

Look in any other county that man would be a hero and I'm probably being over critical but that's the lay of the land in Kerry - success or nothing. Look at how Pat O'Shea was treated after 2008!

Eamon has done brilliantly during what in 2012 looked like some very bad years ahead. Not only did he win 4 Munsters and wrangle an All-Ireland out of us, but over 3 years he was rebuilt a side which, I think, has serious potential. The core of the team is entering its prime and we have so much exciting young talent to come through to augment them.

There's nothing to stop him coming back again down the road, but maybe, maybe someone else should be given a shot for a couple of years."
He made only one bad decision -- but it was a crucial one-- and that was taking off Geaney (unless he had an injury of course). The call that needed to be made was to take off the Gooch...despite playing ok, he made mistakes throughout the game that he would never have made 4 or 5 years ago. For instance, the miss he had in the first five or ten minutes -- he would have put that over with his eyes closed when at his peak. And Fitzmaurice knew that, because he winced when he missed it. Towards the end of the 2nd half, when he kicked a weak shot into Cluxton's arms when a point was there for the taking, closed the case on it and he should have been taken off immediately after that crucial mistake.
Fitzmaurice is a good manager and is tactically ahead of most intercounty managers but those mistakes he made -- taking off Geaney and leaving the Gooch on the field -- are big ones from a Kerry point of view. If he was managing any other county in Ireland I'm sure he would be retained but considering the managerial talent available to Kerry. I would not be at all surprised if he came under pressure to step down.

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1902 - 01/09/2016 11:49:08    1909058

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Replying To PoolSturgeon:  "He made only one bad decision -- but it was a crucial one-- and that was taking off Geaney (unless he had an injury of course). The call that needed to be made was to take off the Gooch...despite playing ok, he made mistakes throughout the game that he would never have made 4 or 5 years ago. For instance, the miss he had in the first five or ten minutes -- he would have put that over with his eyes closed when at his peak. And Fitzmaurice knew that, because he winced when he missed it. Towards the end of the 2nd half, when he kicked a weak shot into Cluxton's arms when a point was there for the taking, closed the case on it and he should have been taken off immediately after that crucial mistake.
Fitzmaurice is a good manager and is tactically ahead of most intercounty managers but those mistakes he made -- taking off Geaney and leaving the Gooch on the field -- are big ones from a Kerry point of view. If he was managing any other county in Ireland I'm sure he would be retained but considering the managerial talent available to Kerry. I would not be at all surprised if he came under pressure to step down."
I'd agree with most of that although it will ultimately be Fitzmaurice's own decision.

He shouldn't be under pressure to step aside and if he wanted to stay on I wouldn't kick up any fuss.

Yet there has always been a suspicion down here that he was too loyal to the older guard. He was ruthless when he first took over but in the last year or two he seems to have gambled on the elder statesmen getting us out of trouble rather than trusting in the younger lads. That was evident both last September and on Sunday. But then again can you blame him given the caliber of players that we are talking about, Gooch etc.

I really don't know. There's a job to be done integrating the younger lads into the panel and I know the younger players in the set up adore Fitzmaurice.

He's a great fella, really decent and thinks a lot about the game.

It would be a shame if he ended and was known as the Kerry manager who lost to Dublin. Sport's cruel I suppose.

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 01/09/2016 12:18:31    1909077

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I hope he stays,
Eamonn is a terrific manager.
O Connor is not the man we need.

westkerry (Kerry) - Posts: 1250 - 01/09/2016 12:18:38    1909078

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Is Liam Kearns thought of as a future Kerry manager by Kerry supporters?

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7337 - 01/09/2016 12:49:53    1909092

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Tbh I don't think he's done a bad job at all, considering that Kerry were ageing when he arrived. But this is Kerry we're talking about, they demand the ultimate success and you get your P45 if you don't deliver consistently.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 01/09/2016 12:57:18    1909099

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I hope he stays. He is a very very good manager. Expectations were very low when he took over and excluding last years final, he has kept us competitive, and even won an AI in 2014. He has done exceptionally well to be fair. It will be his own choice ultimately.

If Fitzmaurice does go I can't see jack O'Connor wanting it at this stage. Maybe in a couple of years when we see what comes through from the underage teams.

GeniusGerry (Kerry) - Posts: 2105 - 01/09/2016 13:54:15    1909129

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Replying To PoolSturgeon:  "He made only one bad decision -- but it was a crucial one-- and that was taking off Geaney (unless he had an injury of course). The call that needed to be made was to take off the Gooch...despite playing ok, he made mistakes throughout the game that he would never have made 4 or 5 years ago. For instance, the miss he had in the first five or ten minutes -- he would have put that over with his eyes closed when at his peak. And Fitzmaurice knew that, because he winced when he missed it. Towards the end of the 2nd half, when he kicked a weak shot into Cluxton's arms when a point was there for the taking, closed the case on it and he should have been taken off immediately after that crucial mistake.
Fitzmaurice is a good manager and is tactically ahead of most intercounty managers but those mistakes he made -- taking off Geaney and leaving the Gooch on the field -- are big ones from a Kerry point of view. If he was managing any other county in Ireland I'm sure he would be retained but considering the managerial talent available to Kerry. I would not be at all surprised if he came under pressure to step down."
Unfortunately, I think such decisions are all made with 20/20 hindsight. If O'Sé coming on had shored up the defence and Kerry had nicked it, then he's a genius. If Gooch had been taken off and then Kerry were awarded a free near the 21 yard line, Hogan Stand side, people would be screaming that EF had taken off his best left footed free taker.

I certainly think he's earned the right to bow out on his own terms, whether its this year or further down the road. I think Kerry could do a lot worse than keep him on.

Kurt_Angle (Dublin) - Posts: 567 - 01/09/2016 14:09:10    1909135

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Jack's committed to the U-21's for 2017, I would put money on the Kerry U-21's winning the All-Ireland next year. So he would be out of the running.

Possibly Wallace after the success he has had with the juniors could be lined up IF Fitzy calls it a day.

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 01/09/2016 14:12:51    1909136

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Replying To TheHermit:  "Jack's committed to the U-21's for 2017, I would put money on the Kerry U-21's winning the All-Ireland next year. So he would be out of the running.

Possibly Wallace after the success he has had with the juniors could be lined up IF Fitzy calls it a day."
Question for you Hermit or any other Kerry person .

Would you's like to see Jack back in the hot seat of Kerry football .

I don't need reminding of his superb CV and his brilliant underage record of late however I got the feeling from a lot of Kerry people that he had ran his course with senior football .

I remember Galvin saying Kerry didn't know waft was going on in 2012 and I felt it was a dig at JOC.

Now I could be miles off the mark here as I know his pedigree is excellent .

Just wondering what's your thoughts on that ?

Looking from the outside . I'd say keep EF . Unlike Rory Gallagher , a least he tries different things in a match .

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 01/09/2016 14:50:28    1909153

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Replying To TheRightStuff:  "Question for you Hermit or any other Kerry person .

Would you's like to see Jack back in the hot seat of Kerry football .

I don't need reminding of his superb CV and his brilliant underage record of late however I got the feeling from a lot of Kerry people that he had ran his course with senior football .

I remember Galvin saying Kerry didn't know waft was going on in 2012 and I felt it was a dig at JOC.

Now I could be miles off the mark here as I know his pedigree is excellent .

Just wondering what's your thoughts on that ?

Looking from the outside . I'd say keep EF . Unlike Rory Gallagher , a least he tries different things in a match ."
It's a funny one about Jack and his reputation in Kerry.

You can't fault his record and he's proven to be one of the greatest managers of the modern era but for some reason a lot of people in Kerry GAA just don't like him. I guess there is an arrogance or something there that rubs people up the wrong way.

I'd like to see him back at some stage and I think that is his aim but he wants to bring this new generation through from minor to senior so it could be 2-3 years off yet.

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 01/09/2016 15:32:34    1909182

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Replying To waynoI:  "Kerry under Eamonn Fitzmaurice.

Games v Dublin (League and championship) - 9

Victories v Dublin - 2

Defeats v Dublin - 7 (including 2 AI semi finals, 1 AI final and a league final)

Keep him forever :)

Nah but joking aside, He is a good manager. Little bit of luck and they could be in a final in a few weeks time, their 3rd in a row.

I think if he wants to stay on he will. He will only leave on his own accord."
That's one of the best records any manager has against Dublin in the last 5 years.......I think he should stay and I think he will. I can also see the Gooch staying about and maybe O'Sullivan to give the experience. O'Mahony and O'Se will call it quits and Sheehan and Donaghy are probably 50/50. There's a wealth of underage talent in the Kingdom and they are well placed to have a lot more senior success in the not too distant future

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 01/09/2016 15:40:07    1909191

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Looks like Kerry people are looking at this as a 2 option thing -

1. Keep Fitz another year and give Jack another go then.
2. Get rid and give Jack the job now.


Are there any other contenders being considered (IF Fitzmaurice goes).

Liam Kearns maybe??

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5010 - 01/09/2016 15:44:59    1909196

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I feel the main problem with Eamonn Fitz was his loyalty to the old guard, just like Rory Gallagher in Donegal. Kerry have had the last 2 minor winning All-Ireland teams and as far as I am aware not one of those players has got any time on the senior team. He probably felt this was going to be his last year and didn't want to start integrating young players. However Kerry could have done with some younger legs against Dublin.

Tactically he definitely got some things wrong. He left Gooch on when he was out on his feet and took off Geaney, no sense to that decision. To be honest Barry John Keane or Donoghue should have started ahead of Gooch.

Green_Gold (Donegal) - Posts: 1873 - 01/09/2016 15:49:56    1909198

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