Peter Keane loses sympathy as Kerry manager knew the stakes

Keane’s statement did not tally with what Kerry players were uttering privately

Former Kerry manager Peter Keane. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Last Monday evening, David Clifford and Seán O’Shea spoke to Radio Kerry’s Terrace Talk to promote the senior football championship draw.

Presenter Eamonn Hickson took the opportunity to ask them about the recommendation to Jack O’Connor as Peter Keane’s successor three days previous. Both men kicked for touch. “As players, our job is to go out on the field and play and everything outside that is left to the people in charge in the county board,” replied O’Shea. Clifford may as well have read from the same script: “Like Seán said, it’s our job and our focus to get ready for next year and hopefully throw ourselves back into a full season again.”

Clifford and O’Shea are two generational players. They may not yet have Celtic Crosses but the respect for the pair is supreme. If they had an issue with Keane’s ousting, they would have been heard.

But they didn’t offer anything, which according to Keane’s statement did not tally with what they and their team-mates were uttering privately. Claiming “all the players” told the selection committee that they had a strong preference for him to remain in charge was a big one for Keane to make. Certainly, there was backing for the manager in the group but to intimate he was unanimously endorsed by the squad is on the ambitious side.

The executive would surely not have moved to commence an interview process without consulting with the players. If they were so united behind Keane then there would have been a reluctance by officials to effectively serve him with constructive dismissal by informing him he would have to reapply for the role.

Luck sure deserted Keane this year. The semi-final situation was quintessential Catch 22. It was on the back of speaking to him and his panel that the game was played. Had he that time back, he might have insisted Kerry move on and straight into an All-Ireland final against Mayo, untested and undercooked as they would have been.

Covid didn’t help him last season either but then it helped very few and it was with that other extra-time loss to Cork in mind and the lack of an All-Ireland title this year that others put themselves in the fray as alternatives to Keane’s set-up.

Dara Ó Cinnéide wasn’t one of them yet accepting to be part of the Stephen Stack ticket, the widely respected former captain was prepared to challenge Keane. “[I] suppose their race was run because historically three years is what you get in Kerry to win something,” he said.

Like Mickey Harte last year, Keane played the Covid card. But to give him another few years with this golden generation of young footballers was a risk the selection committee were unwilling to take.

Before the statement, Keane had sympathy. Highlighting that Kerry lost the semi-final by one point in extra-time to the would-be winners, he now has pity. He doesn’t mention that for the 20 minutes his team had an extra man in the second half of normal time, they were outscored.

Keane will have support at Monday’s board meeting but he knew the stakes.