Brian Flanagan: 'County Board criticism poorly timed, but holds no water with me'

Kildare manager Brian Flanagan during today's loss to Kerry. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

While accepting he is far from blameless in a brutal year for the Lilywhites, Kildare boss Brian Flanagan said last week’s county board criticism of his team amounted to poor timing and that pointing fingers at the manager “is a well-worn path in this county”.

At last Tuesday’s June meeting of the Kildare County Board, Kilcock club chairman Brendan Nurney said Kildare had gone “backwards” during Flanagan’s two years at the helm.

“I was in Salthill last week, horrific, it’s hard to watch. U20’s brilliant, minors great, but it just stops when they get to 21. Football has gone backwards in Kildare at senior level. I don’t think that I’m the only one in the county that thinks it,” Nurney, as reported by the Kildare Nationalist, told the meeting.

When asked about county board criticism following the conclusion of a season that included relegation to Division 3 and back-to-back double-digit championship thumpings, Brian Flanagan’s reply ran for 95 seconds.

“I think the timing of it was poor, first of all,” he began.

“The year wasn't over. It is now. Whatever conversations have to happen in the next few weeks, I'll live with that. I'll sit down with Mick [Cullen, Kildare chairman] in time and we'll review the year in detail.

“Blaming the manager is a well-worn path in this county. Very few managers last 25 years, particularly home-grown managers that haven't had to face that. Personally, I pay very little attention to it. It doesn't hold a whole lot of water with me. People can say what they want to say at these meetings. As I said, I felt it was poorly timed.

“As regards my own future and what that means, today is not a day to be making decisions. We are after being knocked out of the championship. We are all very, very disappointed. There is emotion in that dressing-room. There is all them things. But there is also a group of young footballers that need time, that need patience.

Seán O'Brien of Kerry in action against Brendan Gibbons and Kevin Feely. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

“We need to widen the lens. It's a simple thing; bad season, blame the manager. I am not blameless here, not at all. If we widen the lens and look at Kildare strategically, culturally, in every way, there is a bigger discussion to be had.

“Not here and now, but there is a bigger discussion to be had around committing to a strategic plan for three, four, five years - and it will take that to get there - that puts the senior football team front and centre, and we go after this with everything we have.

“But it will require the support of all stakeholders, from management, players, sponsors, fans, clubs, everybody. And stuff like the comments last week don't help in that regard.

“I am very much bought into this journey, and I believe in these players 100%. But as I said, the year needs to be reviewed properly, and I'll do that in the coming weeks with the chairman.” Reflecting on their 14-point championship exit, Flanagan said their All-Ireland series games away to Galway and Saturday’s home fixture against Kerry showed the step up in “physicality, athleticism, and skillset” that Kildare must get to.

“I am proud of our lads, the effort and the shift they put in for 70 minutes. But the last two games, the scoreboard tells its own story. We are obviously 13, 14 points off the top sides.

“The last few weeks have felt like a ruthless examination of our gameplan, our abilities, and where we are at in that overall picture, and we have to accept that it is 13 points now at this stage.

“We scored 17 points both days. That is not going to be enough to win these matches. Both games we conceded three goals, most of which were our own making. Can't do anything about that, but proud of the players, proud of how they fought to the end, but unfortunately, it was too big of a mountain to climb today.”