'Maybe it's an addiction' - McGeeney unsure of future after All-Ireland exit

BBC News

18 hours ago

Armagh boss Kieran McGeeney was coy about his future after his side's All-Ireland reign was ended in devastating fashion by Kerry in Sunday's quarter-final. The Orchardmen beat Kerry in last year's semi-final, but were no match for the Kingdom this time around as Jack O'Connor's side struck 14 unanswered points in an inspired second-half display to win 0-32 to 1-21. McGeeney, who was appointed Armagh boss in 2014, said his future is "hard to know" in the immediate aftermath of his team's championship exit. "I sit down every year [to reflect], and my thing is always about players," said McGeeney. "It's all about the players first and foremost and what they want and how much they want to push on. "My appetite for football has always been the same. I love it, I enjoy it despite the abuse, it's just one of those things - maybe it's an addiction. I haven't even thought about that [the future], to be honest."Having masterminded Armagh's 2024 triumph, McGeeney is in rarefied air as someone who has captained and managed his native county to the Sam Maguire Cup. Despite his success, however, the 53-year-old says he is not immune to criticism, which he feels is primarily aimed at managers in the GAA world. "Whether it's the GAA themselves or the supporters, the GAA manager is the person who gets blamed for everything," added McGeeney. "I always find it amusing from the outside looking in at people doing their jobs and how they're graded and nobody ever looks in the much too much."While admitting he has made his fair share of "mistakes", McGeeney added: "It's amazing how everybody else tends to have a mirror that goes out the ways rather than looking back at themselves."Armagh led Sunday's quarter-final by a point at the break and extended their advantage to five before Kerry took over in unstoppable fashion. The Kingdom's 14-point salvo was delivered in a 13-minute spell when the Munster men destroyed Armagh in the middle of the field and scored everything they looked at. "We had 11 out of our 13 kick-outs we lost," observed McGeeney."It's one of those days. Seanie, no matter what he hit, was putting them over and everybody else was joining. "It's 15 minutes you'd like to forget, but it happens in sport. We've done it to other teams, so you have to take it on the chin and move on."