Offaly’s house of hurt and horror

Outside of Kilkenny’s defeat to Wicklow last weekend, Offaly’s 12-point loss to Longford was the biggest deficit of the 15 Allianz League games.

Longford finished second in Division 4 last year, Offaly ending their 2011 campaign almost a full rung above them just outside the second promotion spot in Division 3.

But was it all that surprising? What’s transpired between the end of last year’s competition and last Sunday would have done nothing to dissuade anyone from thinking Offaly were in trouble.

There was the Leinster SFC first round defeat to Wexford, a painful defeat made worse by Michael Duignan’s accusations of indiscipline in the camp.

Fuelled by the remarks, Offaly restored pride with a qualifier win over Monaghan only to see their optimism burst by Limerick in the next round.

Tom Cribben stepped down as manager later in July, but it wasn’t until early November that Gerry Cooney was named his successor, Offaly’s fifth boss in seven seasons.

There are many opinions about why the county is in demise.

But at least one accusatory finger has been pointed towards the county board and recent managers.

“We have just fallen behind preparation-wise in the last five or six years,” said former player Roy Malone. “The last time we had a really decent management was in 2004 when Gerry Fahy was involved. That was the last professional, well-organised set-up we had.

“Since then, each management has to take responsibility for the disappointments. Players do too but if you have a culture of poor management you’re going to get poor discipline. There’s been a lack of organisation from the very top.

“Players have got used to a culture of poor preparations. It’s the manager who controls the team and therefore the discipline. He ultimately creates the whole climate and atmosphere.”

Ciaran McManus never actually announced his retirement from inter-county football but he’s no longer involved. After 17 seasons in which he played under 10 managers, he knows there aren’t many portents for optimism.

“Things are not going right at the moment. There has been a huge changeover in personnel and management and they haven’t knitted together yet.

“When you don’t have a winter programme of training because of the ban and new management coming in late, it makes life difficult. For that reason, I wouldn’t be quick to judge.”

Malone’s a Rhode man true and true and can’t fathom why, given their success at club level, neither Stephen Darby or Coffey were given the job.

“Both of them had plans. Conditioning would have been in place in September. But the county board hummed and hawed and pussyfooted around for months.”

In Malone’s mind, Offaly are not likely to return to former glories while a monetary gap exists.

“We’ve a small population and we’re a small county and because of that, the amount of money in the county isn’t huge.

“What’s happening now is the gap financially is growing. Dublin, Kildare, Cork, Tipperary... they have huge backing from ex-pats as well as inside the county. It’s the teams who have the money who are winning.

“Unless there is some sort of cap on the money given to preparing teams, I can’t see Offaly competing for an All-Ireland final in either football or hurling for a long, long time.”

McManus cites the resources problem too, but he points to the negativity in the county. Offaly’s tradition of winning All-Irelands casts an unrealistic shadow over a football outfit that are clearly have-nots.

“No matter what we do, it doesn’t seem to be right. We went down to Limerick last year expecting to win and it just didn’t happen. That was it. Nothing else.

“We don’t have a huge panel of players but if you want success it doesn’t just come down to that. The teams that are successful have the resources. I’m talking finance etc.

“Without money for the team and under-age structures being funded, you’re behind. But things are tight in Offaly.

“The fact is, we’ll have good times and bad times. In Division 3, all the management teams bar Roscommon [Offaly’s opponents tomorrow] are settled apart from us.

“We have a decent U21 panel, about eight of them are with the seniors. They’ve been working hard the last couple of weeks but they’re not the answer just yet. Lads can only be divided up so much.”

But in stricken times, plumping on youth is a resort.