Updated 19.21
SLIGO MANAGER KEVIN Walsh has labelled Eamonn O’Hara’s criticism of him on last week’s The Sunday Game as ‘unfair’ and ‘unbalanced’.
O’Hara was hugely critical of Walsh’s management in the aftermath of their shock Connacht SFC quarter-final defeat to London in Ruislip.
But O’Hara’s allegations over the quality of Sligo’s training ‘have no basis in fact’ according to Walsh, who spoke this evening to Marty Morrissey on RTÉ’s ‘Six One News’
“The Sunday Game was very unfair, very unbalanced I felt it was very unfair in it’s presentation of the issues that did arise from Sligo and the London game.
“I suppose on top of that there was certain allegations made that have no basis in fact. In fact they were allowed to be made without challenge and debate.
“Eamonn’s entitled to his opinion as an analyst but however as a Sligo management and representing the Sligo management, we don’t agree with the opinions he expressed and we certainly don’t accept them as being valid.”
Walsh also insisted that it was O’Hara’s own decision not to be involved with Sligo this year and a result he cannot ‘comment with authority’ on how the squad is faring.
“He made his own decision not to continue with the Sligo senior football team for this year. This is obviously his right. But as a course of the consequences he’s not in a position to comment with authority about internal matters in the panel or to it’s management.
“Management in any county are entitled to review the panel based on performance, form and the emergence of any new or potential talent.”
Walsh, who guided Sligo to last year’s Connacht final, has earlier today received a boost with the the backing of his squad who have expressed their support for the former Galway All-Ireland senior winner.
While also earlier today O’Hara moved to defend the comments he made on The Sunday Game and insisted when speaking to The Sligo Champion newspaper that he was not engaging in a personal attack.
Former Armagh star Óisín McConville had told RTÉ Radio earlier this week that he was not surprised Walsh had opted not to keep O’Hara on the panel following the inability of the long-serving midfielder to commit.
“Óisín knows absolutely nothing about Sligo football, he should stick to commenting about Armagh,” said O’Hara. “This is not personal it’s about what’s best for Sligo football. There’s no benefit in Walsh staying as Sligo manager.”
