Cooney annoyed by attempts to undermine candidacy

Gerry Cooney has strongly hit out at what he has termed as an “orchestrated” attempt by Meath-based sources to undermine his efforts to become the next manager of the senior football team. He has also criticised what he sees as the lack of respect shown to members of his management team. The former Dunboyne and Meath u-21 manager is understood to have impressed in his interview for the Meath post and was considered at one stage a hot favourite to get the job. He had recruited former Meath players Andy McEntee, Darren Fay and Finian Murtagh along with strength and conditioning coach John Coughlan to make up his management team. Cooney claims there are forces in the county who are determined to undermine his efforts to become the next manager and they have been feeding information to reporters in the national media. He was specifically critical of an article that appeared in last week’s edition of the Sunday Times. “Some of the reporting of what happened has been, I feel, unbalanced. “The suggestion has been that this was a rushed, hastily put together management team, made up of people in opposition to anybody from outside becoming manager,” he told the Meath Chronicle on Tuesday. “I think that’s quite disrespectful because these guys are all very respected, former Meath players. They are guys who are currently involved with senior clubs and are very eager to have their say in the future direction of Meath football. “The article in the Sunday Times was I felt unbalanced. I believe it was orchestrated, the information was given to the reporter by somebody in the county who has a personal interest in this. Somebody who has an agenda in getting Seamus McEnaney into the job. “There was a lack of balance in the article, the suggestion that the management team was cobbled together without much thought. “It has the feel of an orchestration by some powerful people in Meath football who have strong media connections and used their contacts to give a certain impression. I’ve got plenty of calls of support from people who feel that there is plenty of coaching talent in the county.” He said that all the people on his management team had nothing but the future of Meath football in their interest. “What we’re suggesting is an investment in the long-term development and future of Meath football as well as working to ensure the county wins titles on an on-going basis.” Cooney, who played for Walterstown, says that he was offered coaching positions outside the county but turned them down because he didn’t identify with the particular counties involved. It is also believed that Martin O’Connell has been added to the Seamus McEnaney team.