Cian O’Neill slammed reporting of his post-match comments last week as “sly and devious” after watching his Kildare side fall to Dublin.
O’Neill claimed the coverage was an example of why counties were increasingly reluctant to provide access to media.
Headlines after last weekend’s replay win over Longford had the former Moorefield man stating that the Lilywhites were ‘going to win that match’ in reference to yesterday’s Leinster SFC semi-final against the all-conquering Dubs.
“It was portrayed totally differently,” complained O’Neill after his side lost by 15 points.
“It’s moving away from the game here, but I was very disappointed with that (coverage) because I hear often time and time again about the media and how they struggle with access for managers or players.
“I think that’s a perfect example of why that access has been withdrawn and pulled back over the years.
“There was three or four (reporters) who were maybe in that room and the question was, ‘Now that you’ve progressed to next week are you going to Croke Park to take the defeat and then get ready for the qualifiers or are you going to try and win the match?’
“And I said, ‘We’re going to beat Dublin. We’re going up to beat Dublin, we’re not going with any inferiority complex.’
“But the question wasn’t referenced and obviously the rest of my answer wasn’t referenced. That’s disappointing.
“It was sly, it was devious and I suppose there was an element of instant gratification to try and get a headline - and I’m sure it did.
“But what do you do? I try to be honest when I answer questions and really what I was saying was, ‘We are going up to win the match - we’re not going up to accept defeat - and then see where it takes us’.
“I think anyone who was in the room knows exactly how that was conducted, that interview.
“I’m disappointed but it didn’t affect our preparations. It probably gave people plenty to talk about during the week, but swings and roundabouts.
“Ye will have less people talking to ye - ‘ye’ obviously being a generic point there before I get rattled on that one as well - if that keeps on happening.”
O’Neill insisted there were positives to take from the hammering as Kildare head into the qualifiers.
“When we did play as a team, I thought we worked the ball quite well,” he said. “But we were exposed a small bit and ultimately that’s where they hurt us.
“If you’re going to beat Dublin you have to take every single chance that you create, or at least the gilt-edged ones. That was probably the difference between the two teams”.
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