Connor blows his top as Utd fail to punish hapless rivals

Date Published: 11-Apr-2011

Drogheda United 1

Galway United 1

Keith Kelly

A FURIOUS Sean Connor has warned his players that performances will need to improve dramatically or else they will face the chop when the transfer window opens in July.

The Galway United manager launched a scathing verbal tirade against his squad after their draw with Drogheda United on Friday night, slamming his side’s display as “unacceptable” and “the worst performance I’ve ever had as a manager”.

“I’m not happy, I’m not happy with one point, what we did in the second half was save a bit of face but that level of performance was not acceptable. We didn’t go out and compose ourselves, we looked frightened, looked nervous, looked edgy, they looked as if they never played football, and if they keep doing that we’ll be in trouble.

“These players have until July, and if they don’t improve I’m bringing in new players. Eduardo Duci is the only player who comes out with any credit, he got tight and closed people down, but the rest of them . . . I’m not happy.

“I don’t have the personnel now but I’ll have to take a chance on some of the young players, like Eduardo who has played himself into the team, and bring in new faces in July. Shane Keogh is another player who did well, he is a fantastic young player who should be nursed and encouraged, but how can you bring him into that, a team full of people with no balls, how is that going to help Shane Keogh and other young players?” an enraged Connor said after the game.

United had started brightly, but it was the home side who opened the scoring in the seventh minute, the goal coming against the run of play and being one of just three shots on goal Mick Cooke’s side had throughout the whole 90 minutes.

The goal rocked the visitors, who struggled to find any great composure despite clearly being the better of what was admittedly two very poor sides, and that is a major worry for the weeks ahead. Connor said he had no argument with the effort of his side, but it was the lack of application and awareness that cost his side a win that would have put them mid-table, level with Dundalk and St Patrick’s Athletic, and six points clear of their hosts on Friday night.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.