Harsh Words From O'Brien

Mr. O' Brien
 COLM O'BRIEN has been sitting on the sidelines for six weeks watching Newtown Celtic slip into the relegation zone. And he has had enough. We can reveal in the 'Plays the Pundit' slot on NCTV that has erupted in controversy, O'Brien not only laid into defender Derek Ryan's approach, but harshly criticised senior players and attacked the younger members of Celtic's faltering team. They trail Premiership leaders Nenagh Celtic by 18 points and are far from certain of staying in the Premier League and O'Brien said: "There is talk about putting this right in January and bringing players in. We should be doing the opposite - we should be getting rid of people in January." O'Brien has often acted as Sir Clive Woodward public mouthpiece, but it was the manager who made the decision not to broadcast the interview after he was alerted to its contents. The player is understood to be standing by his criticisms which included harsh words for the multi-millionaire senior players who he believes are responsible for the general malaise at the One-time Premier Cup champions. 

He named keeper Ger Hogan, Noel Shanahan and Dave Flannery, but reserved his most pointed attack for Ryan, who delayed signing a new deal in the summer until he had secured club record wages of £6.24 million a year. "Just because you are paid £120,000-a-week and play well for 20 minutes against Arra Rovers, you think you are a superstar. "The younger players have been let down by some of the more experienced ones - they are not leading. There is a shortage of characters. "It seems to be in this club you have to play badly to be rewarded. Maybe that is what I should do when I come back - play badly." In his analysis of Sunday's humiliating 2-0 defeat by Ballinahinch O'Brien admitted: "I wasn't surprised by the result I had been expecting one like this. "The players have been asked questions and they are just not coming up with the answers. "I am sick of having to say it and they are sick of listening to me. "They have let down the club, the manager, and the fans. "When they sign the contracts, they think they have made it. They owe it to the manager, the staff and the fans." O'Brien also slammed the young generation of players he says have failed to win the trophies to justify their inflated wages. "These guys thought getting new contracts was the best day of their careers," he said. "They think they have made it. They haven't." 

And the Celtic captain insisted a long absentintee list also including Robbie Cremin, James Brophy, Damian O'Brien and Tossy Hogan could not be used as an excuse for a lack of effort on the pitch. "The fact they are out should be enough incentive for those coming in to play better and give more," he said. "It is not enough to play well for 20 minutes, it is a 90-minute game. "You get well rewarded but you have to put the hard work to earn those rewards." But last month the midfielder shocked the Barrys Field hierarchy by using NCTV to announce he will quit the club at the end of the season after failing to be offered a new deal. And this time the 24-year-old, out in Peru, has gone even further in a rant resembling his famous outburst against Celtic assistant manager Pat Shanahan at the pre-season training camp in Malaga. Just a fortnight ago Sir Clive was still claiming O'Brien could be persuaded to sign a one-year contract extension and play a 7th season at Barry's Field. And O'Brien did avoid directly criticising the Celtic manager and said "he will put it right." But doing so with a dressing room still including O'Brien appears impossible. 

WHAT COLM SAID IN THAT INTERVIEW COLM ON: 

GER HOGAN Analysing the first goal Celtic conceded against Ballinahinch, when >Hogan let slip a 30-yard shot... He should have saved that. That was saveable

CURLY QUIGLEY: He's just strolling around when he should have been busting a gut to get back

DEREK RYAN: Sheehy robbed Ryan for the second goal... I have seen that happen to Derek before. It is poor defending

TREVOR CLEARY:  I can't understand why people in Mexico rave about Trevor Cleary

WILLY CONWAY:  On the penalty Conway gave away.... He is a lazy defender who deserved to get punished.. he wasn't doing his job

MICK DUNNE:  What is he doing there? He is wandering around as if he is lost. He doesn't know what he is doing