Disillusioned Brennan threatens to walk away

DERRY manager John Brennan took this one badly.

The man from Lavey claimed he is disillusioned with football as a result of refereeing decisions which have gone against his side in the last two weeks and has threatened to walk away from his role with the county and the game in its entirety.

Brennan was fuming after the Ulster final when Donegal were awarded one penalty and his side denied another and he felt they were hard-done by again on Saturday when Enda Muldoon’s 19th minute goal was cancelled out for a square ball.

Time and a remote control may yet calm him down.

TV replays suggested referee Syl Doyle was right to rule out Muldoon’s effort, Donegal’s spot kick the week before was debatable at worst but there is no doubt but they were due a penalty of their own that day and the cumulative effect of so many marginal calls has left its mark.

“My term is up,” said Brennan after the defeat.

“I don’t go for interviews. I do my own thing. At this stage of life I decide what I do with my life. I’m disillusioned with football at this moment in time and unless I can see that we are allowed to speak with officialdom...

“I feel belittled by putting a team out and nobody is going to belittle me. I have a standard and it’s why I didn’t go for the Derry job before. I want a standard of management, a standard of playing and a standard of officialdom.”

Brennan widened his criticism of refereeing to officials in general throughout the year and claimed there are glaring inconsistencies on view from the men in the middle who he accused of taking a ‘Sergeant Major’ approach with players.

Adding that he was frustrated and annoyed, he promised that he would “seriously consider” his future if he looked at the replays and found that his team were denied a legitimate goal after a game when they had just six days to clear their heads after that Ulster final defeat.

Brennan was equally critical of last week’s affair but, to his credit, refused to go over old ground this time and instead complimented Kildare who he said kicked some wonderful scores and showed more appetite for the contest.

“Losing is disappointing. I don’t like losing. I don’t blame the six-day turnaround. Kildare have played three weeks in-a-row and maybe they have more expertise at it than we have. I give credit to Kildare.

“They were the hungrier team, far hungrier. I would always like to think that I put out a team that is hungry for success but they outworked us, particularly in the last five minutes of the first half.”

Whatever about the goal that wasn’t, Derry were in serious trouble at the far end where they eventually conceded 19 points to a Kildare side that opted to keep the scoreboard ticking over with points even when goal chances presented themselves.

Brennan’s response wasn’t to call defenders ashore but rather some of his forwards whose big reputations didn’t save them from the crooked finger when their markers swept upfield to lay the groundwork for so many Kildare’s scores.

“We replaced star players out there, as we had to,” said Brennan. “I don’t care who anyone is, if they are not performing they will be replaced. I don’t care who they are but that leaves a big hole and we have been through turmoil this year with injuries.”