In Focus.....Philip Jordan (Tyrone)

Philip Jordan kindly agreed to be our subject for our new In Focus section. Questions were posed by the posters of Global GAA and here is the result of our Q&A with Philip, I'm sure you will find it very interesting -

As a Tyrone man, let me say ‘thank you’ for all the great memories you’ve provided us with over the years. (Thomas Clarke) When you look back at your career, what stands out as your top personal highlight? Which of your All Ireland victories do you treasure most and why (Thomas Clarke/Real Kerry Fan/Jonsmith)

My own personal highlight was my last game for Tyrone. The result wasn’t what any of us had hoped for but Mickey told me on the morning of the match that I would be captain for the game. It was a massive honour to lead the team out at Croke Park & it wasn’t something I ever expected to do in a Championship match. It is the ultimate honour & something I am very proud to have done.

All the All Ireland wins were special in different ways. To be part of the first Tyrone team to bring Sam to the county is something I will never forget. Winning the first one is always the most difficult &, in the future, Tyrone teams won’t feel inferior to anyone because of that win. If we had only won 1 All Ireland people would always say we were a one-off. Winning in 2005 ensured we that could never be levelled at us. We all wanted to dedicate an All Ireland to Cormac & that was in back of our minds in 2005. The 2008 victory was so different to the others because of how far we came over the course of the year. We were constantly told that we were finished as a team & couldn’t win an All Ireland without Peter Canavan & Stevie O’Neill. The side in 2008 epitomised everything that a team represents-there was no star player for the opposition to focus on & a new leader stood up in every match.

Overall though the 2003 win was the most important as it paved the way for the 2005 & 2008 victories.

What did you and your team-mates find had the greatest amount of pressure, the quest to make the breakthrough in winning Tyrone’s first All-Ireland, or trying to maintain your status at the top? (Bald Eagle)

I don’t think pressure would be the best word to use as, strangely, I don’t think the teams I played for ever felt much pressure. We were always very relaxed in the build up to games, especially the All Ireland finals. Mickey always encouraged us to enjoy the build up to games & I think that showed in how we played.

I would say staying at the top was the most difficult thing. When we won the All Ireland in 2003 we felt that we would continue to improve & that there were more All Irelands in the team. However, the one thing that is a shock to the system is how much each team raises their level of intensity when playing against the champions. It took us a while to come to terms with that. At the top level a small drop in work rate is often the difference between winning & losing. Thankfully our team was very self motivated & settling for 1 All Ireland was never an option. Cormac said in our team meeting at the start of 2004 that we didn’t want to be looking back on our careers with only 1 All Ireland & those words have remained with the squad ever since.

You are considered one of the finest wing backs of your generation, what was your most satisfying victory in a Tyrone jersey and if you had the choice to play any other position where would it be? (Bocerty/RMDrive)

The 2008 All Ireland quarter final win over Dublin was probably the most satisfying victory. We went into that match written off by most of the country, including our own supporters. At that stage we had scraped through the qualifiers by the skin of our teeth & we didn’t look like All Ireland contenders. Everything we did that day worked & we produced an unbelievable performance, arguably our best ever. The obituaries had been written of most of the players & to prove the doubters wrong was very satisfying.

You have been described as Mr. Consistent. Was consistency something you focused a lot on in your performance? (RMDrive)

My main focus in every match was always to dominate my direct opponent. As a defender the main job is always to keep your own man quiet & I always set myself the target of doing that. I would always have been fairly good at analysing my own performances & I think that helped me to keep improving as a player. I have never considered myself the most talented footballer but I’d like to think I made the best use of what I was given.

In terms of preparation and playing style, how did Tyrone evolve over the last decade? (Thomas Clarke/Bald Eagle)

I think a lot of Tyrone’s playing style has developed naturally over the years. The majority of the team played from minor level right the way up to senior with Mickey as the manager. His philosophy has always been quite simple with hard work & attacking football being at the forefront. He has always encouraged players to express themselves on the pitch. We obviously took a lot of stick about our defensive approach in the later stages of the 2003 championship but, in my opinion, that came from a lack of belief amongst the players. If you look at the 2003 semi against Kerry, we played some fantastic football in the 1st half. The 2nd half wasn’t pretty &, ultimately that came down to us playing with fear. We had never imagined being 7 points up at half time against Kerry.

The level of preparation has increased so much in the last 10 years. Certainly as you get older the amount of time required is greater. The body doesn’t recover as quickly & the wear & tear injuries need managed. Last year I would have been doing something every day of the week. A normal week would be an extra speed session with the physio on a Monday night & some treatment, training Tuesday, S&C session & flexibility on Wednesday, training Thursday, S&C session & flexibility on Friday, pool recovery session & flexibility on Saturday, & a game or training on Sunday. I’ve been very fortunate in that I’ve got plenty back in return for the commitment though.

As a Dub I witnessed too many bad days at the hands and feet of the Red Hands! - Though thankfully not recently. Did you find that the lads upped it a gear when facing the Blues - especially in Croker? (Parouisa)

We loved playing Dublin in Croke Park & it seemed to show in our performances on the pitch. The Dubs supporters take a fair bit of stick but they bring a unique atmosphere to big matches. One of my greatest memories is the 2005 quarter final replay against Dublin. Dublin had scored something like 5-6 points in a row to come within 3 points. The noise inside the stadium was deafening, you could almost feel the ground shaking. I think most teams would have cracked in the same circumstances. At the time I remember thinking to myself that they were getting carried away as I had no doubts that we would win the match & Mugsy got a goal shortly after to finish the game.

Would you like to see new rules introduced to make football more attacking? If so, what would those rules be? (RMDrive)

I don’t think the rules of the game need changed. The media seem intent in criticising football which is in stark contrast to hurling pundits who constantly praise their own game. The rules of the game are not the reason that some teams defensive tactics have worked. Donegal’s tactics were roundly criticised last year. We showed in the opening 20 minutes of our Ulster Semi last year how to play against it. It was our own inadequacies after that that allowed their tactics to stifle us. The amount of deliberate fouling is something I would like to see stamped out of the game though. Cynical fouling slows down the game & some players seem to do it every game without punishment. A suspension after a certain number of bookings could combat the amount of fouling.

Tyrone have received a lot of praise not only for their winning start to 2012, but also because of the style in which those victories have been achieved. What have been your impressions of Tyrone’s performances and tactics so far this year? (Thomas Clarke)

I think Mickey has identified Peter Harte as the player the team should be built around. The key is finding out how best to utilise him. To date Tyrone have played a half forward at No. 6 & given Peter a free role. You could see how great a player he was going to become straight away when he entered the senior set-up. He has it all – great vision, can beat a man, kick scores, brilliant tackler & brave.

We all recognised last year that we needed to step up a level & the players have put in a massive effort to date this year. From talking to a few of the lads the intensity of the training has also been stepped up. They look really fit at the minute & the new players have injected genuine pace into the team. With Tyrone’s style of play, pace is vital & they seem to have that all over the pitch at present.

Several of Armagh’s All-Ireland winners have already made the transition into top level management. Which of your Tyrone team-mates could you see following them? Have you any plans to become involved in management, have you any desire to become Tyrone manager in the future? (Thomas Clarke/Bocerty)

Obviously Peter has taken on the management job of Fermanagh & been very successful to date. He was always someone who was likely to move on to inter-county management. He instantly gets the respect of players due to his achievements in his playing career. On top that his leadership qualities are unquestioned, while he has always had a very astute football brain. Brian Dooher & Ryan McMenamin are both natural leaders & I wouldn’t be surprised to see them move into management, while Ciaran Gourley has already been very successful with St Patrick’s Academy. But it is very difficult to know how successful someone will be in management. Being a good player doesn’t necessarily mean you will be successful in management.

I would only ever see myself managing my own club. I would be more interested in training a team as that side of the game has always intrigued me. I see it as a great challenge to try & improve players out on the training pitch & have them peaking at the right time of the season.

What do you think about the role that social media such as twitter plays in inter-county GAA today? People are now privy to the day to day musing and ramblings of many players - do you see this as a positive? (RMDrive)
I think players need to be careful themselves about what & how much they say on social media sites. It has caused problems in other sports where players have ended up getting fines for things they have said. As long as a player is sensible about what they say then I do not see any problems. Personally I would always have been very careful about what I said when I was still playing for Tyrone. You don’t want to be criticising another team or player as it may give them motivation further down the line. Since I’ve retired from county football I would be a bit more willing to give my opinion on issues.

Having been a member of the organisation early in your career, you’ve since become a high profile critic of the GPA. What led you to this change of opinion? (Thomas Clarke/Bocerty)

I believe there was a need for the GPA 7-8 years ago as some county’s weren’t treating their players correctly. As a county player all I wanted was adequate training gear, mileage expenses to be paid on time & good tickets for Championship matches for my family & friends. In Tyrone we were treated well the majority of the time. My opinion changed when the GPA balloted their members about whether they should go on strike if the GAA did not back their campaign for government grants. I think something like 90% of those that voted were willing to go on strike. I personally voted against it & the majority of Tyrone players that I spoke to at the time didn’t even bother to vote. I felt the GAA should have stood firm as the players would never have went on strike, certainly not the Tyrone players anyway.

I played for Tyrone because I love the game & my county. I dreamt about wearing the Tyrone jersey & winning an All Ireland from I was a child. I never needed a grant from the government to play for my county. The GPA’s argument is that players suffer financial loss because of their commitment to our games. From my own perspective, I would say I have gained financially from my involvement with Tyrone & the same would be the case for the majority of players on a successful team.

In my opinion the GPA would be willing to see a move towards professionalism if it was financially viable. I think that would take away everything that is great about our games. I’ve seen the pride that the people of Moy have in our achievements with Tyrone & it is the grassroots of our association that is the most important aspect. Professionalism would ultimately take away everything that is great about our association.

Tyrone have had mixed success in the All Ireland Series after winning the Ulster Championship, what changes, if any, would you as a former player like to see to the overall Championship format? (Bald Eagle)

I think the current situation of provincial champions having no second chance is correct. If anything we need to shorten the inter-county season. If you look at the Ulster Championship this year, the first match is on 20th May & the first semi final is not until 24th June. The preliminary round & first round matches could easily be played in half that time but ultimately gate receipts are the main driver at present. I would like to see the All Irelands finished up by the end of August. The fixture calendar is the biggest challenge for the GAA to solve going forward. In 2008 I played my last game for the club on 14th December & was back out in the McKenna Cup in the first Sunday of January. Some form of compromise needs to be reached so that the club season is completed earlier & club championship is played in good conditions.

What is your opinion on the future of the Compromise Rules competition, leaving aside the Cormac McAnallen factor? (Boxtyeater)

I was delighted to play in the Compromise Rules in 2005 as it meant that I was able to represent my country. However, beyond that I don’t see what benefit it brings to our games. From a spectator viewpoint I don’t think it is an enjoyable game to watch. It also comes at a time of the year when club championships are being completed. We need to remember our games do not have an international aspect outside of the Irish that have emigrated. We should concentrate on maintaining the international clubs that do such great work in keeping our games going.

Mickey Harte is very vocal about his views on the Compromise Rules and in players going to play with AFL clubs, what are your views on these topics? Would you have liked the opportunity to try your hand at AFL professionally? (Bald Eagle)

Like everyone I would prefer if no GAA players were moving to the AFL. We all want to see the best players playing & promoting our games. However, there is no way that the GAA can prevent this from happening. I would never try to stop someone taking up an offer to play in the AFL. The opportunity to play professional sport would be very attractive & does not come about too often. It is not something that would have appealed to me personally though. To move to the other side of the world on my own, away from family & friends is not something I would have done.

As part of a team that suffered an inordinate amount of tragedy over the years how did it affect you personally and as a group? Did you ever feel like walking away during these times or was it the opposite ie made you more dedicated? (Parouisa/Bocerty)

When Cormac died I lost not only a teammate, but a great friend. Everyone has to deal with death at some stage in their life & it was incredibly tough. I’ve always said though that we were all lucky in that there were 30 other people going through the same loss & that kind of support cannot be underestimated. As a group we helped each other through it & we had football as an outlet. I have no doubt that Cormac’s death made the group stronger & helped us over the line a few times. As a group we had that intangible that no other team had.

We all wanted to win the All Ireland in 2004 for Cormac but Mickey never made it a crusade. If we had constantly talked about winning the All Ireland for Cormac it would seem like we had let him down by not doing it. His name would be mentioned on occasions but I remember the night before the 2005 final when Mickey asked us to get into groups & write down the reasons why we wanted to win the All Ireland. I remember at the end saying to Mickey that we wanted to win it for Cormac, it seemed the right time to say it. Thankfully we did it for him.
Mickey played a massive role in guiding us through Cormac’s death & the fellas that were involved in the 1997 minor team said it was the same after Paul McGirr’s death.

Michaela’s death was very different though as we had to help Mickey & family through. It is at times like that that you realise how special the bond is between the group.

It’s hard to believe it is 8 years since Cormac passed away. What are your memories of him as a footballer and a person? (Thomas Clarke)

I knew Cormac from when I was 7-8 years old going to the youth club in the Moy. Our lives followed a very similar path thereafter as we both played school football together in St Patrick’s Armagh, played minors, U21’s & senior with Tyrone, as well as Sigerson football with Queen’s. Cormac was one of the most dedicated footballers I’ve played with. He constantly looked at how he could improve his own game, he soaked up everything his manager said & he was a born leader.

As a person Cormac was a truly great person. You almost felt inferior to him. He was a really intelligent guy, was well able to have the craic but knew when it was time to be serious. When he was serious you couldn’t give him cliché answers. Most of us just answer questions without thinking, but Cormac was always considered in his responses. He challenged you to be honest yourself. He achieved more in 24 years that most people could ever dream of.

Who was the best player you ever played with Tyrone and why, similarly who was your toughest opponent during your playing career? (Bocerty/Jonsmith)

It would be easy to not name a single player but one person is head & shoulders above the rest-Peter Canavan. Peter is without doubt the best footballer I’ve seen & to have played alongside him has been unbelievable. There have been many great players but what’s separates Peter from the rest is how good he is at key moments in games-his penalty in the 2003 Ulster final, free kick in the 2005 semi, his point in the 2005 final.

Declan O’Sullivan was probably my most difficult opponent. There are others that have probably given me a tougher time but I probably wasn’t playing as well at them times. I played at no. 6 to mark Declan in the 2008 final after having played well against him in the league that year. He is fantastic at running with the ball & so quick on the turn. I really struggled with him in the 1st half of that game.

If you had to buy a player for Tyrone, who would it be? If you had the option of selling a Tyrone player, who? Top secret! (Real Kerry Fan)

I would buy Stephen Cluxton if I could get 1 player for Tyrone. I think he is vital to Dublin’s success & he was probably the main reason they beat us in the last 2 years. His kick outs are exceptional & no matter how hard we tried to counteract them, he always found a teammate. On top of that he is one of the best shot stoppers about.

If I was to sell a player it would have to be Cathal “Gorgeous” McCarron just for making everyone else look ugly. On top of that it would give him more time to tweet, he’s a bit of a twitter #addict!

What are you views on the current saga regarding payments to managers? (Bald Eagle/Bocerty)

It is a very difficult issue to deal with by its very nature. I don’t think any true Gael would like to see payments to managers become legal. However, the majority would not expect an outside manager to manage their club or county team for nothing. I think what most people have a problem with is the manager who is solely interested in money. Everyone could name several managers that do the rounds of the club circuit & make a fortune out of it, yet the club gets little in return. The drive for success though will mean that there will always be a demand for such managers.

With Tyrone showing some great form through the NFL, who would you consider the most dangerous opponent in Ulster and do you feel there are any more All Irelands in this current Tyrone side? (GaaFan/Bocerty)

I think Tyrone are certainly favourites for the Ulster title this year with Down & Donegal probably their biggest challengers. This year is Tyrone’s best league campaign for some time but we must remember it is still Division 2 football they are playing. The most pleasing aspect from a Tyrone point of view is how many big victories they have had. Over the last couple of years most of our league wins were in tight matches & the team seemed to be missing that ruthlessness. They have been putting up big scores without Stevie O’Neill & Sean Cavanagh playing much. At present Dublin, Kerry & Cork are the top 3 teams in the country but Tyrone are much closer than they were at the end of last year. The signs are definetly encouraging at present.

Although your Tyrone career was pretty successful it’s fair to say the success at club level was a different story. For a team that contained so many County men have you any idea why the Moy were not more successful? (Bocerty/Bald Eagle)

It probably comes down to how you define success. I started playing for the club seniors in 1998 & we have spent 12 of 15 years in senior football since then. For a club our size that is a fairly good run. However, our club suffered massively with up to 4 of us playing for the county team. We do not have a massive pick & to have 4 of your best players missing from some matches, as well as the majority of training sessions is very difficult. Our performances in the senior championship have certainly been disappointing, especially in the last 2 years.

We are in Intermediate football this year & it may be the last opportunity for a lot of our players to get some club success. I have already lost 2 intermediate finals with the club so hopefully this year we can get back there & make it third time lucky. Our team has become relatively old over the last couple of years & we have some good young players coming through that should re-energise the team.

How highly do you rate the current All Ireland Champions Dublin and do you think they will go on to dominate the All Ireland to the same extent that Tyrone and Kerry did during the past decade? (Jonsmith)

You have to admire Dublin for how far they have come in the last couple of years. They had suffered so many crushing defeats in big games. The big change has been in the level of workrate within the team. Hard work has become the mantra of the team & they’ve really improved in the mental side of the game. You always felt that Dublin were great when things were going well but they lacked real leadership when it came to key moments in a match. Now the opposite is probably the case.

I personally don’t think Dublin will win the All Ireland this year. It is very difficult to defend the All Ireland, even more so when it is the first Sam for the players. In 2004 we believed that we had done everything right in getting ourselves ready to defend the title. However, no matter how much you try to replicate the work rate & manic drive from the previous year, it is only natural that it will drop off slightly. The same hunger just is’nt there.
As to whether they can go on & dominate over the next decade, I’m not sure. Dublin’s key players have reached their prime at this stage & will not be playing in 5 years time. They will need players like Paul Flynn & Diarmuid Connolly to develop into the leaders of the team. I think they will win another All Ireland in the next 2-3 years but I think next year is a more realistic target.

Finally, as some of our Armagh posters have backed out of asking you this, and I know you wouldn’t mind addressing the issue, I will ask the big question. All Ireland Final 2003, there have been massive accusations leveled against you that you dived to get Diarmuid Marsden sent off, what actually did happen in your own words and how did you feel about the accusations in the aftermath of the final? (Bald Eagle)

If you mention my name to any Armagh supporter that incident is probably the first thing that comes to their mind. I wouldn’t say it annoys me, but it certainly does frustrate me the way I was portrayed after the incident. I’ve had plenty of people give me abuse on nights out about it but thankfully I’m sensible enough to ignore them.
Some people have questioned why I ran at Diarmuid. Himself & Conor Gormley were tangling with each other & Diarmuid swung a punch at Conor which missed. I shouldn’t have run at Diarmuid but then again how many players wouldn’t react? My intention was to push Diarmuid out of the way but he struck me on the jaw first. For anyone to say I dived is total nonsense. It is just a pity that the cameras didn’t get the incident clearly.

Plenty of things have been said about me since that incident & Joe Kernan had a dig at me in his autobiography which probably disappointed me the most. In the 2005 Ulster final replay I was concussed from a punch from Paul McGrane which he later got suspended for. Despite not being able to remember 25 minutes of the second half, I still wrote a letter in Paul’s defence for his appeal at the request of Joe. Unfortunately that was not worthy of being included in his book.

* I would greatly appreciate it if guests reading this segment could leave some feedback on it and let us know what you think.

Folks, i would firstly like to say a massive thanks to Philip for agreeing to complete this Q&A session with us, he would have been well within his rights to ignore a request from a GAA forum, however he didn't and i must say he has given us some brilliant answers and a wonderful insight into the mind of an Inter-County GAA player. He has been a pleasure to deal with from start to finish and is just the same on Twitter, if you are on there then get following him on @PhilipJordan7.

Thanks to you all for asking questions, not all were selected however as the numbers were too huge so we had to select the most relevant ones so apologies if yours is not on there.

Please let us know what you think of the interview, personally i think you asked some brilliant questions with Philip providing some great answers for us.

Some good answers there, very diappointed that my deep philosophical quastion wasn't asked as it would have given a great insight into how the mind of Phillip Jordan works.

Absolutely brilliant stuff there. Many thanks to Philip Jordan for his time and for the candour, insight and humour - a true insight into the world of top level inter county GAA. A most enjoyable read and probably the best thread the site has seen.

Well done too to Bald Eagle for bringing this feature to the site -it is a real winner!

ps As a Dub I was a bit disappointed my question asking if it is true that all Tyrone players have cloven feet wasn't used ......

Well done and thanks.

great stuff altogether, his answers were like his performances on the field, very honest and no hiding away, thanks very much to Philip and to BE for facilitating this great feature of the site.

Long may it continue.

Great stuff here. Thanks to Phillip and BE.

A big thanks to Bald Eagle for organising and facililtating this excellent interview.

A huge thanks especially to Philly, for his honesty and willingness to answer every question that was asked of him. From the level of detail he has gone into in his answers, it is clear that he spent considerable time on it. For a top player to give his time for free in this way is very rare, but hugely appreciated by all who regularly post on this forum.

Really fascinating reading - thanks again!

[quote="Thomas Clarke"]A big thanks to Bald Eagle for organising and facililtating this excellent interview.

A huge thanks especially to Philly, for his honesty and willingness to answer every question that was asked of him. From the level of detail he has gone into in his answers, it is clear that he spent considerable time on it. For a top player to give his time for free in this way is very rare, but hugely appreciated by all who regularly post on this forum.

Really fascinating reading - thanks again! quote]

what else would you expect from a Tyrone man TC????

Top class article great questions , no cliched questions to fill space , hopefully this cqn become q regular feature

Excellent read alright. Reason the question was not asked Bald Eagle is because in no way did i expect him to admit he dived. Fair play to him thought for writing the letter in defence of Paul McGrane, was not aware of that.

This is very good. Well done to all concerned.

I'm disappointed nobody quizzed Philip Jordan about Tyrone's inability to overcome the mighty Royals over the years?

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:This is very good. Well done to all concerned.

I'm disappointed nobody quizzed Philip Jordan about Tyrone's inability to overcome the mighty Royals over the years?

perhaps you could have forwarded that question on yourself Loyal ??????????????

bocerty wrote:

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:This is very good. Well done to all concerned.

I'm disappointed nobody quizzed Philip Jordan about Tyrone's inability to overcome the mighty Royals over the years?

perhaps you could have forwarded that question on yourself Loyal ??????????????

In hindsight, I should have.

Have you any views on the matter?

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:

bocerty wrote:

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:This is very good. Well done to all concerned.

I'm disappointed nobody quizzed Philip Jordan about Tyrone's inability to overcome the mighty Royals over the years?

perhaps you could have forwarded that question on yourself Loyal ??????????????

In hindsight, I should have.

Have you any views on the matter?

i do - meet me at Healy Park on Saturday night and i'll give them to you Loyal

That was absolutely top class. I've read though it a couple of times and you can tell that Philip really put time and thought into the answers. I especially like that there was no shying away from any of the tougher questions.

Top sportsman and top man.

Enjoyable read, especially on the 2003 final.

Thanks for taking part Philip and well done again BE.

Insightful observations from Jordan. Excellent Q & A session. Thanks to all concerned.

i would say if Philip ever decided to go down the route of penning a book it would make interesting reading

great read great site im so excited well done philip your un honest man

This is getting some great comments both from here and twitter, i am particularly proud of the fact that my coaching hero, Adrian McGuckin tweeted us to say he thought it was a brilliant read! The man is a complete legend to me and countless Derry people! Great to see that PJ Ward read it and also gave some very positive feedback on it, i think it was a great follow up to his brilliant Q&A!

The brilliant thing about facilitating this is that i get to read all the questions first and more importantly i get to read the replies before they are posted on here!

Thanks all for the replies, I think I am correct in saying that this feature is unique to Global GAA and it is brilliant that GAA people give their time up to answer the questions posed by forum posters. I have a few different people and clubs in mind for the future with the next subject lined up already. I really hope that this feature continues to go from strength to strength and I am certain that all subjects will get the same respect regardless of GAA ‘stature’! This is a segment that is facilitated by me but owned by the posters of Global GAA, we are all fans and ask a different type of question to the hacks, keep it up folks and the big names will keep (hopefully) rolling in!!

I think Philip gave some brilliant answers to some potientially difficult questions, he said from the off that he was happy to answer questions on the subjects of Cormac and Michelle and fair play to the man for that. I really respected him as a player before this Q&A and though i only met him once (at the Ulster GAA Writers Awards) i knew he was a decent sort. I have always had a massive respect for that group of players in a sporting sense, it goes without saying that i had admiration for their mental strength to deal with everything thrown at them on and off the pitch! They are winners and fighters and that is what made that group so good.

The fact that this has had more views than all the other In Focus Q&As in less than a day of being live says it all really!!!

Well done BE and Philip.

Well done BE and fair play to Philly for taking part in the Q & A. Great read!

I see Johnston has taken a pop, presumably at Jordan for his comments on Johnston's move, on Twitter "Didn't realise diving and feigning injury in an all Ireland final to get a fellow player sent off was in the ethos of the gaa #potandkettle"

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While I don't agree with him, i do think that Seanie has as much right to reply, as Philly had to make his point.

Still, getting into a public slangling match with a well-resepcted, modern great of the game, is not the way to go about winning friends and influencing transfers. Further lack of judgement from Johnston here.