Keely: Rico’s knocking of Jim’s legacy was out of line

HOW dare Damien Richardson dismiss the achievements of Jim McLaughlin.

When I saw Rico on Soccer Republic on Monday night, I got myself comfortable.

Already this season, the tone of his criticism of Peter Hutton angered me.

But it was his comments on Monday about Jim’s legacy that really got under my skin.

He was talking about great teams and included his own Cork side — the one built for him by Pat Dolan.

But he was off-hand about the Shamrock Rovers four-in-a-row side because, he maintains, Jim was able to buy all the best players.

It shows Richardson up. Jim didn’t buy all the best players — sure he bought me.

What he did was something only good managers can do — identify good players even if no one else sees it.

Maybe Rico should look at what Jim did.

As I said, he bought me and I know no one would have considered me the type of player to be in a league-winning team.

He also let Alan O’Neill go and signed Jody Byrne, which I don’t mind saying sounded like a crazy move at the time.

Signing Noel Larkin and playing him up front was also a move that no one expected. Noel King arrived as a coach at a time when he was past his prime and was not a title-winning signing.

Neville Steedman was another unheralded acquisition and he was hugely important.

Then you had Harry Kenny and Peter Eccles, who were already there, and John Cody playing for the third team as a left-back.

Jim saw him and thought he and Kevin Brady would be the best partnership in the left side in the league — and he was right.

Now, Jim also signed Pat Byrne, who was a star before he came to Milltown.

But signings such as that were rare, yet Rico is on TV suggesting that the secret of his success was always buying the likes of Byrne.

You look at Jim’s record. He won 18 trophies with Dundalk, Rovers and Derry, including three Doubles and one Treble.

He is a League of Ireland legend and doesn’t need onetime league winners dismissing his successes as nothing more than victory for the cheque book.

And to say it about Jim, who unfortunately is in no position to defend himself, really got to me.

Luckily there are plenty of us who can speak up on his behalf.

Then there was Rico’s view of the FAI in the wake of their AGM last Saturday.

He said that if the officials had questions to ask, he was sure they asked them and he seemed happy to leave it at that.

I was surprised by his comment because he’s never been short of an opinion and I also think he had it wrong.

Firstly, there was no Any Other Business on the AGM agenda so if anyone had any questions, they couldn’t ask them.

And all that I am hearing about that gathering tells me there is something very wrong with how Irish football is conducting its business.

There was security outside the hotel and there was a standing ovation for a chief executive, who was also told he is the best chief executive ever.

All it brought to mind for me was a cult.

This is not about John Delaney, this meeting is supposed to be about Irish football.

Yet, presentations on the league, player development and on every facet of work being conducted by the FAI did not bring people to their feet!

Everyone’s buzzing to BATE them



YOU wouldn’t believe the hype in Dundalk this week.

Even the buzz around the town after last year’s league win has been surpassed as it seems everyone is on board in backing the team.

As a League of Ireland diehard, I love seeing it and long may it continue.

Having watched last week’s 2-1 defeat by BATE Borisov on a dodgy stream, I believe they have a chance of beating them at Oriel tonight.

Irish sides have enjoyed great European results, from Shels to Shamrock Rovers, although most of those games were backs-to-the-walls wars where goalkeepers were crucial.

But last week, Dundalk were the better team. They played BATE off the park and had the chances to win.

The result didn’t bother me at all because you just know Dundalk can only play one way and I can see them going for it again.

The plastic pitch should also be an advantage. I’d say BATE were appalled when they trained on it yesterday.

Everyone around the town knows our team has a great chance.

Beat BATE and next up it is likely to be Hungarians Videoton, who are nowhere near as strong a team.

Win that tie and you’re in the Champions League play-offs and guaranteed to get to, at worst, the Europa League group stages.

We’re talking big money then, a minimum of €1.3million and that’s the type of cash that can set a League of Ireland club up for years.

Fortunately, I had my tickets before last week’s result because you can’t get them for love nor money now.

Morons still out in force



MY appearance on Soccer Republic last year is best remembered for me calling anyone who was at Shamrock Rovers’ friendly with a Liverpool XI a moron.

Obviously, not enough people are listening because I hear UCD had their biggest crowd of the season so far when their reserves took on a Liverpool XI.

Looking through the names of the Liverpool players, I’m not even sure it was their reserves, it looked more like a development side and there was a massive crowd.

Now, people can spend their money whatever way they want but why would you watch two reserve sides instead of tomorrow’s Europa League game against Slovan Bratislava?

Only a moron would favour a rubbish game over a big European clash.