I think Babs Keating has been very critical of his own county since his departure as manager,critical of players,ie wouldnt listen,dont know how to score goals etc etc,and in one of todays papers he says the current management should have consulted him on some issuses.Fact is he had his chance,earned no silverware, the camp was in turmoil, Brendan Cummins and Eoin Kelly on the bench, ended up with a defeat by Wexford in the qualifiers. Liam Sheedy has done a good job with Tipp, won a few Munsters, very, very unlucky in last years All Ireland, and no doubt they will be back again in the quailifiers again, they are not as bad as Sundays performance. Time to build a bridge n move on Babs, n dont call em sheep in a heap!!never know what damage they ll do!!

arabrebel (Cork) - Posts: 42 - 01/06/2010 11:53:05    663976

Babs is old school and speaks his mind and the media love it.... I don't agree with everything he says but he done a lot for tipperary hurling and for that reason i wouldn't say a bad word against him.

Hag_and_Cheese (Tipperary) - Posts: 6103 - 01/06/2010 12:21:30    664033

Heard all alright, expects them 2 be dumped out of qualifiers as well.. Hes a very funny man 2 be always running down his county!

Lofty (Monaghan) - Posts: 727 - 01/06/2010 12:23:13    664042

Its so predictable though isn't it? Big county suffers a bad loss, outspoken ex players / managers have carte blanche to say what they want and claim everything would have been ok under them. Had Cork lost, it would have been the same.

Tongo (UK) - Posts: 1795 - 01/06/2010 12:28:47    664053

Would expect Tipp to make at least the quarter-finals and could still go all the way. No one should listen to Babs - he is out of date, out of touch and he is irrelevant and the 'me feiner' in him keeps him going. Was he not the guy who played in an All Ireland final with no boots! He was once quoted as saying that he was up there with the Christy Rings etc. History.

lochgarmanabu (Wexford) - Posts: 1022 - 01/06/2010 12:34:34    664064

Article is available at

http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/babs-points-finger-at-tipp-failures-2202082.html

You have to take on board his comments about the half forward line all right. But Babs mentioned 'Hammering home' a point to players. I think that is the difference, Babs was able to do that 25 years ago but the game is different now. Players won't tolerate this. In a lot of counties (Kilkenny apart) the management style that worked in the 80's and 90's is still being employed and I think the players today want more of an input, the dictator style does not work.

Also, Babs mentions Fox & English. Well they had a mighty powerful full forward in between them in Cormac Bonnar, something Tipp don't have at the moment. When bonnar played the game in the Toronto Skydome in 1989, even the Canadian commentators remarked at his bravery, but also the amount of protective gear he wore, helmet, shin pads etc. Bonnar took and gave out a lot of physical play - maybe Tipp don't have that type of full forward these days.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 01/06/2010 12:35:01    664065

I've never been a fan of this man and every time he speaks he seems to justify my dislike of him. He had his chance as manager and we all know how that went.

nok02 (USA) - Posts: 534 - 01/06/2010 12:35:33    664069

We have been saying it all year, this Cork team are a big danger. They have really thrown the cat amongst the pigeons.
I think also that Galway are much improved this year from last year(not just saying this because they beat us). I could see them beating KK in the Leinster final.
Does this mean that Wexford meet Tip in the next round?

ColinWex (Wexford) - Posts: 901 - 01/06/2010 12:38:39    664079

Was listening to Newstalk last night and Nicky English was being interviewed
Whilst not being as critical as Babs he did have some comments to make.
In particular he was critical of the form of some of the bigger names (recent all star winners) and that they have not looked sharp in the league and that he is not confident that they can turn this around.
He also raised concers about the strength of the bench versus say Kilkenny and that Tipp have really only found one addition to the squad over the winter

Omar.d (Cavan) - Posts: 1141 - 01/06/2010 12:47:44    664092

I wonder whether Babs insistance that the Cork players 'should do their talking on the pitch' had anything to do with the performance they turned in? Like Hag I agree that Babs is one of the great characters of the game. A legend in his own right. One could argue that his ill disciplined comments sometimes work against him, but I'm sure he knows that, yet he has the courage to speak his mind anyway. This latest outburst could be just the tonic that Tipp require, and we could all suffer at their hands yet.

Hag, I'm not trying to start an arguement or have a dig, but there is a chance you may have a Pauline conversion here! You will not say a bad word against Babs because you love that he speaks his mind, and has done a lot for Tipperary hurling. In that regard I think your sentiment is admirable. Yet, on another thread I have pointed out that your criticism of Sean Og seemed to be of a slightly personal nature. Has Sean Og not done a lot for Cork hurling? How do you know that he does not speak his mind?

Again, I'm not trying to be a smart ass, start a row, or insist that I'm right and you're wrong. However, I would tentatively suggest, that for the sake of clarity in your own mind, you might entertain the possibility that your comments on Sean Ogs character were slightly OTT.

Culchie (Cork) - Posts: 799 - 01/06/2010 13:01:19    664112

When hasn't Babs not given out about Tipp. He's like a broken record. A fabulous player and servant to Tipp but boy is he negative about Tipp. A lot too negative in my view. Maybe this was the kick up the **** Tipp needed.

Puddersthecat (Kilkenny) - Posts: 1692 - 01/06/2010 13:03:21    664121

I don't recall Babs ever saying a good word about anyone. Other than himself of course. He does not like Corbett and Cummins and they don't like hime. Indeed they have some very interesting things to say about Babs and the time they beat Cork in the qualifiers in Thurles. Now there's one ;-)

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 01/06/2010 13:06:55    664132

This is the same man who said Donkey's dont win Derby's when refering to his time managing Offaly,yet they went onto win the AI through the back door the same year he left them.

bistokid (Dublin) - Posts: 65 - 01/06/2010 13:11:51    664140

Well I'd take nicky's criticsm on board a bit more and to be fair he has some valid points... but it's up to the tipp team to prove this wrong and I'm hoping they can.... hopefully a case of 1 step back 2 steps forward but their up against it.

Hag_and_Cheese (Tipperary) - Posts: 6103 - 01/06/2010 13:14:59    664152

I think Keating's criticism of the players as being the ones that have "failed Tipperary" over the past few years is unforgivable. The Tipperary hurlers have failed no one in recent seasons. I am a huge fan of the current Kilkenny team, was delighted to see them win a three in a row and ultimately pleased with them equaling Cork's four in a row last year, but I was under no illusion that the better team lost the 2009 final almost certainly due to Kerwick's terrible decision to award Richie Power a penalty. Yes Tipperary were disappointing yesterday, and yes they lost a semi-final to Waterford in 2008 that they should have won with room to spare, but to say that have failed Tipperary in recent years is simply wrong. Keating is self-aggrandizing commentator who himself failed both Tipperary and Offaly in the past as a manager and whose managerial successes in the late 80s and 90s were with a team that would have won what they under any manager. About time he kept his self-serving opinions to himself, and my best wishes to the Tipperary hurlers for the rest of the season.

Meath1986 (Dublin) - Posts: 247 - 01/06/2010 13:23:28    664167

Babs was cruelly shafted a few years ago by Tipp, with the way Sheedy performed on the sideline on sunday, Tipp may be better off with a proven winner like babs in charge.

Redfoot (Cork) - Posts: 388 - 01/06/2010 13:25:14    664171

Babs has done great for our county in the past, between the late 80's and early 90's, his role can not be forgotten. I do not agree though with all he says nowadays, particularly in the last few years, but the results are standing there, so we don't need to go into that.
However, in the article when he states that he made unpopular decisions in interest of the punters in the blue and gold, he is backing up on his words and decisions.
3 years ago, he tried a dictator go of it, it didn't work. Brian Cody makes his decisions for the team and the People too, and it does work. That's about it.
Babs needs stop taking the same Bitter Pills as the like of Johnny Giles. Hindsight after a match is not a quality.

premierfan (Tipperary) - Posts: 121 - 01/06/2010 13:35:33    664187

I think some Tipp boys thought they were gauranteed to get to another All Ireland final this year after coming so close to winning last year and took the eye of the ball, or sliothar, a bit. One thing for sure if Babs was there he wouldn't allow that happen.

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3748 - 01/06/2010 13:40:22    664204

ColinWex ye might meet Tipp , ye could also be drawn against Carlow, Antrim, or the loser of Dublin/Laois. Teams knocked out at this stage have a slightly easier ride to the quarters then the losing Provincial semi-finalists. Tipp will easily make the quarters and I strongly believe that if ye avoid Tipp in the next round ye have an excellent chance of getting there as well. Well Omar.d/madasbutter you are a gas man , I have no problem with your dual mandate but if you do start a thread as Omar.D be sure to log back in under the same name when continuing the discussion otherwise it starts to get confusing. Also I don't think its fair to contribute to the same thread using both your names as you are doing under the Gaza thread in the non GAA section. I know its all only fun and I actually enjoy your posts but on serious posts I think we should all be on a level playing field.

corkcelt (Cork) - Posts: 4388 - 01/06/2010 13:51:07    664219

Babs was cruelly shafted a few years ago by Tipp, with the way Sheedy performed on the sideline on sunday, Tipp may be better off with a proven winner like babs in charge.

Redfoot,

was it you (or maybe another Cork fan) who said that the current Cork team have the best available on the pitch unlike the tenure of Ger Mac where the best were on the sidelines?

Babs left out Eoin Kelly & Brendan Cummins from his championship teams in 2007, notably in the quarter final V Wexford. Wexford won with a last minute goal. Is there any parallel in the situations?

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 01/06/2010 14:24:55    664274