Kildare GAA supporters hail the great Frank McGuigan

Battered Tyrone need to be rebuilt, declares McGuigan
by Paul Keane

Thursday, August 25, 2011

FORMER All Star Frank McGuigan claims he foresaw Tyrone’s hammering by Dublin, insisting the once mighty Red Hands need a major overhaul.

The Tyrone great typically pulled no punches in his assessment of the current team’s fortunes, saying "Mother Nature has crept up" on them.

What’s most worrying is McGuigan’s admission that his two sons, Tyrone forwards Brian and Tommy, may retire with a host of other veterans over the winter.

He said Brian, 32 in January, is the more likely to leave and hit out at boss Mickey Harte for substituting him against Dublin.

Even if Brian had stayed on the field, however, it is likely he would have been powerless to prevent Dublin steamrolling the 2003, 05 and 08 All-Ireland champions.

"I knew that Tyrone were coming to the end of their tether," claimed McGuigan. "You can’t go on forever and that Tyrone team have been together for a long time. I noticed that the defence was slowing up a lot and I dreaded the day that they would get a hammering. It came against Dublin. It made Dublin look a lot better than they are.

"You’re always hoping against hope that the opposition won’t be good enough and maybe they’d get away with it. But the defence is a bit slow and we lost the midfield battle too."

Tyrone did run up a big score on Roscommon to set up the clash with Dublin, though McGuigan was dismissive of this.

"Roscommon — what have they done?" he asked.

"It’s just one of those things. Mother Nature has crept up on Tyrone. It’s time for a rebuilding process."

But McGuigan doesn’t see much talent coming through.

"The way I look at it, we need a lot of young players and I don’t know where they are," he continued.

"I don’t see them in Tyrone to be honest with you."

McGuigan fancies Donegal to beat an over-hyped Dublin team this weekend but argues the Ulster champions shouldn’t be in the semi-final at all. "Donegal shouldn’t be there," he maintained, referencing Tomás Connor’s quarter-final goal for Kildare which was ruled out for a heavily debated square ball infringement.

"Kildare beat them in my eyes. How these umpires and referees — I have been preaching it for years — how do they get it wrong on a day like that? These Kildare players put in a massive effort. They got a perfectly good goal and it’s disallowed — that’s not on the cards at all."

Asked if it ever happened to McGuigan as a player, he replied: "No, it didn’t. And if it did the referee or the umpire wouldn’t have been going home!"




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I like the cut of that mans jib. He speaks he truth.

Fairplay to him. Hes dead right. We were robbed full stop. now I know we didnt convert the other chances etc, but we were robbed. In two ways might I add- 1 the lads were too tired, so we should have gotten an extra week and 2- the goal shold have stood.

Very bitter little man , oh a chainsaw for christmas

vodafone2011 wrote:

Very bitter little man , oh a chainsaw for christmas

Who me?

Getting an extra week is horse shit, the dates are there, that's what happens when you go through the back door. Obviously the decision for the goal was THE critical event. Ancient history though.

Frank was some player, I'll never forget the clatter of points he got in the Ulster final way back when with right and left, or maybe twas an All-Ireland semi-final. Woah, obviously I'm forgetting a bit. But I'd never heard of him . I've since learned that he was a legend by then, having come back from America to play. There was a Laochra Gael programme done on him a few years ago.

Anyway, I think Dublin might squeak this by a few points but it'll be tight.

lilywhites on tour wrote:

vodafone2011 wrote:

Very bitter little man , oh a chainsaw for christmas

Who me?

Jesus no , sorry for the confusion , Frank Mc GUIGAN

vodafone2011 wrote:

lilywhites on tour wrote:

vodafone2011 wrote:

Very bitter little man , oh a chainsaw for christmas

Who me?

Jesus no , sorry for the confusion , Frank Mc GUIGAN

haha alright! tis grand

Frank McGuigan is the football equivalent of Babs Keating. Great player in his day but he sure comes out with some nonsense in the media.