One of my favourite footballers ever. Loved his determination and leadership as the THE best 6 of his generation
BUT
He is all over the place as a manager. He did a shocking job with Kildare and led them down the path they are now in. They had the making of a nice team with lovely natural scoring forwards. He turned them into functional big strong men with as much flair as 15 Glenn Whelans.
And now with Armagh.....i mean in a nutshell, if that was a tactic yesterday with the Goalkeeper....that was sheer madness. And the players are just not playing for him. Aaron Kernan "retired" Jamie Clarke on a break etc etc etc..... 2 lads who would make most teams in the country...

Legend, always will be, but no manager!

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 30/05/2016 11:24:08    1859894

Don't necessarily agree with you on your assessment of Kildare. Geezer led us to the Quarter Finals every year bar one. We got to an All-Ireland semi and desperately unlucky not to go further on a couple of occassions....
We were at our lowest ebb for a long time before he arrived.
He may have stayed a year too long but overall he brought Kildare forward.
Not every supporter in Kildare will agree with me but if Johnny Doyle comes out and says that Geezer was a legend and he would do anything for him - well that's good enough for me.

Dr.Watson (Kildare) - Posts: 208 - 30/05/2016 11:51:07    1859903

Yeah,great player but that doesn't always translate into great manager or vise versa.
He does seem to lack in terms of tactical ability.
Players leaving of course hasn't helped his cause so seems like Armagh are not in a good place at the minute.

Dubh_linn (Dublin) - Posts: 2312 - 30/05/2016 11:59:54    1859905

Good article from a couple of months ago.

http://www.hoganstand.com/Kildare/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=253924

Dr.Watson (Kildare) - Posts: 208 - 30/05/2016 12:04:43    1859909

Roger (Meath) - Posts: 472 - 30/05/2016 12:06:29    1859910

I don't think McGeeney is a bad manager, he took over Kildare when they were very poor and he made them very competitive, also they should have qualified for the AI final in 2010. His biggest failure as Kildare manager though is not winning Leinster, in fact they only made 1 final under Geezer but maybe the qualifiers suited them because he had an excellent qualifier record.

By 2012 Kildare seemed to be shot and it's hard to judge him managing Armagh because quite frankly Armagh a poor team and that's not entirely the managers fault. Look at Boylan, he was a great manager, he won 4 All-Irelands for Meath but even he couldn't turn the 02-05 crop into winners because the talent just wasn't there, simple as that. Geezer certainly doesn't have the same credentials as Boylan but he's in a similar situation.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 30/05/2016 12:44:25    1859929

I think he got the best out of the Kildare lads. Johnny Doyle and Emmet Bolton were top players, the rest he got to buy into his regime and were decent hard working players. The size of the Kildare support when he was in charge would be a reflection of the faith they had in McGeeney.
Armagh in fairness without Clarke won't be beating anybody (of note), just not good enough.

KerryKillers (Dublin) - Posts: 711 - 30/05/2016 12:51:01    1859932

McGeeney did nothing for Kildare football at no stage during his reign in charge did they beat a top team they got lucky with the draws they had up until a quarter final stage where they eventually lost. The teams they beat Kildare were always expected to beat and they would still be expected to beat those teams now. They never beat Dublin Cork Kerry Donegal Tyrone Mayo. He didn't win a Leinster so he was not a success.

Also he never allowed lads to tog for the club and when they were allowed play with the club he would have training the night before or morning of the club game and run them not stop so they wouldn't be able to tog for their clubs. He was a fantastic player probably one of my favourites but all he has been since he stopped playing is a success at getting money for no little result.

dubshurling7 (Dublin) - Posts: 1017 - 30/05/2016 12:51:41    1859933

I wouldnt regard him as a terrible manager but unfortunately he seems to be one of those managers that wants to reduce any sense of individualism within the squad. He is not alone in this, whereby they just a team of robots who will follow there every command.
I read a lovely article by Jamie Clarke yesterday who was very respectful of Kieran McGeeney but he knew the path the Armagh team was going down with style and tactics so knew himself he was better off out of it for his piece of mind and life enjoyment.

It is happening in Clare hurling too at the moment, except Clare have some exceptional hurlers and they all buy into their manager's demands! But as long as Clare are getting results media/supporters wont condemn Davy.
Some day too they might realise playing intercounty hurling or football is not a prison sentence.

woops (Kerry) - Posts: 2073 - 30/05/2016 13:03:46    1859936

Bash the manager time... Joe Brolly was back to his antics yesterday again. The reality is that Armagh are an average team , small county with a very successful recent past. We won as many Ulster titles from 1999 to 2008 than we did from 1884 to 1999, added to our 2 All-Ireland final appearances, U-21 all -ireland, Club, schools etc= we had a fantastic era.
But the reality is we have roughly 45 clubs, many if which are struggling to exist or field. In the last few yrs Phelim Brady's, St. Michael's Killean, Mullabrack have all folded. I won't be surprised if another one or two go before 2020.

We are a small county that must play to its potential, we aern't at the moment, the aura of McGeeny is gone, we know that, but Jamie Clarke walked away on his own accord, playing pub football in the Newry league. I do believe that McGeeney hasn't got it tactically but the reality is - do we have the players.... there were 2 Crossmaglen men on the field yesterday, Brolly says there should be more.Who ???, Morgan was luckly he wasn't sent off yesterday. Tony Kernan was good but he isn't consistent....... a great club team doesn't nessarily mean good county footballers. We have a lack of players from the main urban centers, Armagh City, Lurgan, Portadown and Newry ..... the players aren't there.
The one positive was that McGrane's young Minor team won well with players from all the main areas ( except Armagh City)...... we will keep the faith travel in big numbers and hope..... but the reality is we are average and we went in hope that Cavan wouldn't play well. Next yr Cavan are in Div 1 we are in Div 3 - fact. McGeeney has brought us out of 3 to bring us back to 3.

cuchulainn35 (Armagh) - Posts: 1676 - 30/05/2016 13:13:12    1859943

I thought they were a bit harsh on Armagh yesterday, as had the penalty gone in, It would have been a very tense finish.

Armagh weren't all bad yesterday, probably need some more tweaking, but on the right path

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3017 - 30/05/2016 13:58:38    1859953

To me that game didn't reflect very well on McGeeney as a manager.

Armagh were poor in 4 of the key tactically areas of the game yesterday.

Didn't retain possession from their kick outs.

Didn't put pressure on the ball as it approached their 45.

Didn't attack with pass.

Didn't penetrate the centre of the Cavan 45 and shot from terrible angles.

Those are some of the most important elements of the game nowadays. Armagh are on a hiding to nothing if the don't sort it out.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4247 - 30/05/2016 14:48:27    1859974

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 30/05/2016 15:27:24    1859998

The Kildare teams under him where the most overrated in history.
Touted as potential All Ireland winner but never beat a top ranked team.

RoyalBadger (Meath) - Posts: 571 - 30/05/2016 15:29:13    1860001

ros1 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1211 - 30/05/2016 15:39:28    1860007

Bit early to judge him, and he did an excellent job with Kildare.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 7908 - 30/05/2016 15:44:03    1860009

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 30/05/2016 16:06:34    1860031

read a lovely article by Jamie Clarke yesterday who was very respectful of Kieran Mcgeeney but he knew the path the Armagh team was going down with style and tactics so knew himself he was better off out of it for his piece of mind and life enjoyment.

Jamie Clarke is a fantastic player and fair play too him for wanting to enjoy life......however this dipping in and out off Crossmaglen and Armagh is getting very tiresome to be honest......yeah we get it, you're an individual and want to live life. But he has walked out of cross and Armagh.....travel fair enough but don't travel for a month then come back and take someone's place who has been training there backside off.
McGeeney took Kildare from nothing to a highly effective team.....as said they were very unlucky not to be in an all Ireland final and unlucky against Donegal after extra time in another quarter final. He probably stayed on one season too many but many managers have done this in the past....human nature I suppose.
On the goalkeeper situation I remember Monaghan putting in the great Darren Hughes I think a few years back. Was there no other goalkeeper in the whole of Armagh who could off come in and done a job......I know if there was a goalkeeping crisis in Tyrone I could name 4-5 keepers who could come in at short notice and do well. I wonder if Paul Hearty was asked? Played with Cross this year and is still excellent and Armagh though and though. Just a thought.

The_Fridge (Tyrone) - Posts: 2088 - 30/05/2016 16:36:04    1860042

He did an excellent job with Kildare??? They managed to beat an average Meath side under his tenure which was the best side they beat.He had some really good players like John Doyle at his diposal too.

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 30/05/2016 16:45:31    1860050

My evaluation of McGeeney as a manger is that he was desperately unlucky with kildare. in 2010 they lost narrowly in the leinster final to a last second free that wasnt a free v dublin, and after that, against down in a game they could and should have won. The following year they could have been 6 up had a goal not been disallowed against us in the quarter finals and they were pegged back and lost. I think that with armagh he is totally at sea, so I think that he will always struggle now as I am sure subconsciously he expects his team to struggle.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 30/05/2016 17:10:34    1860064