Erne job can be platform for Canavan
Tyrone legend Canavan is understood to be the prime candidate for the Erneside vacancy despite officials yesterday insisting an appointment won’t be made until next week at the earliest.
The interview process for the position left vacant by John O’Neill’s resignation following a disastrous season began last night and is expected to continue into the weekend.
Presuming the 2005 All-Ireland winning captain is appointed it will put him on a potential collision course with his former manager, current Tyrone boss Mickey Harte, as the sides could meet in next year’s Ulster final.
Long-term, three-time All-Ireland winning wing back Jordan believes Canavan will harbour natural ambitious about managing Tyrone himself.
There’s no sign of Harte leaving the position in the foreseeable future and, according to Jordan, this may have influenced Canavan to consider the Fermanagh position.
“Nobody in Tyrone expects Mickey to be leaving the Tyrone job in the near future,” said Jordan.
“If Peter is thinking the same way then maybe he sees Fermanagh as a stepping stone for the future. He’s probably looked at the likes of Kieran McGeeney going down to Kildare and making a success of things there and is thinking he could do it too.
“I don’t think it’s that relevant that he’s going against Tyrone or anything like that by managing another county. To get into inter-county management at the moment, looking outside the county was probably the only option.”
Canavan’s appointment would come as a timely and much needed boost to beleaguered Fermanagh officials, players and supporters.
They endured a nightmare 2011 season under O’Neill who was forced to deal with a player mutiny as they finished mid-table in Division 4 of the Allianz League. As a result, he had to field a weakened Championship side which suffered chastening defeats to Derry and, embarrassingly, London in the qualifiers.
Jordan, however, believes Canavan, who has managed at senior club and schools level in Tyrone, possesses inherent leadership qualities to help the troubled county.
“Just because you were a great player doesn’t mean you’re going to be a great manager but my experience of Peter is that he does have all the right qualities,” continued Jordan.
“He commands the respect of the players but I was always impressed by his perception of games and the flow of games. He would be able to pinpoint where things needed to be changed and what was missing which is a major skill. Not all great players have that.”
Jordan, who recently confirmed his own retirement from inter-county football with Tyrone, revealed that it was as far back as 2003 when he first realised what an extraordinary influence Canavan could be on a team.
“The 2003 All-Ireland final when he played it on one leg stands out for me,” said the Moy man.
“It was his mental strength that helped him get through that match and overcome the injury. It’s that type of character that real leaders possess.
“It probably told a tale about him that the manager was prepared to play a player on one leg. It was a show of faith in Peter and he responded by kicking five points from frees in the first-half. There was serious pressure on those frees and I think a lot of people forget what it took for him to put them over in those circumstances.”
Canavan quit as boss of his home club Errigal Ciaran last month after three years in charge. Under his guidance they won two Division 1 titles but failed to claim a Championship crown.
Former Fermanagh player Kieran Donnelly, who trained Errigal, and ex-Tyrone player Enda Kilpatrick are likely to join Canavan if he’s formally ratified in the new job.
Fermanagh’s first game of the 2012 Championship is a quarter-final tie against Down with Tyrone on the opposite side of the draw.
“I think both teams would be very happy to get to an Ulster final and meet each other,” said Jordan.
“I’m sure that’s a challenge Peter would relish. He’s a very driven person.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
