Emotional intelligence is key for Corey

KILCOO boss Martin Corey revealed that becoming manager wasn’t something that was top of his agenda when he got the call from the Magpies but he is glad he took the leap.

A legend footballer with double Ulster winning Monaghan team, he took up a coaching role with his native county along with his twin brother Vinny as manager before joining the Meath management but just after the Down league started, Martin, along with Tyrone All-Ireland winning Joe McMahon and Derry’s Paddy Crozier joined the Kilcoo set-up and he was surprised with the role.

“I don't think it would have been this early if the truth be told. It wouldn't be something now that I would be chasing,” said Corey.

“And I got a phone call to meet and we had a chat. And, listen, I didn't see myself taking a number one spot now. I would have seen myself as a coach. That's probably it. That's what I would have been asked to do, come in and coach teams.

“Never to come in and manage teams. So, if Kilcoo was asking me to come in and coach but they asked me to come in and manage, so that was the question that was asked and that was the job I was given.

“I knew that there was some part of me wanting to do it and some part of me not wanting to do it. But in saying that, it probably came at the right time for me and I suppose I took a chance.

“I'm enjoying it. I'm learning and, listen, people don't understand, people have this perception of Kilcoo players. But they're good lads. You know, there's never a bad word and they are very respectful ways to me. I haven't seen anything of them that think any other way when they're playing either. I think they're a very hard-working team and, I'm definitely enjoying it.”

Having won six county titles as a player with his club Corey says that his style is pushing his players to find new limits and insists that he hopes he has picked up emotional intelligence that Cavan manager Mickey Graham had in abundance when Cory was coach alongside him.

“I suppose my style as a coach. I think it's probably more, probably, I don't know, to challenge players. I like to stretch them, get the best out of them,” Corey said.

“Even when the coach has not come right or things have not come right, I'd like to stretch them a bit. My style of management would probably be no different at the minute. Again, it's new to me, but I'm blessed to have Joe McMahon involved, and they do help you. I suppose Paddy's [Crozier] a wise head and he keeps me right. So, if I were to come in here without Paddy and Joe, we might be here having a different conversation and I just have to give them full credit.”

Being a manager is much more that setting out tactics and making sure each player knows their role, it can be learning when players need space, a listening ear and choosing when is best to use the carrot or the stick. Although the Magpies boss says he has got to grips with being responsible for his squad.

“I've learned that very quickly,” said Corey.

“Sometimes the best thing about being a coach is you just focus on coaching. You do get the odd call, but I suppose as a manager, like every manager in the country, you have to deal with other things that you're probably not used to and that's probably being the baptism of fire there. But again, it's not too bad.

“It's not that it's not challenging, but it's just part and parcel of being a manager. Everybody has to do it. So, all you can do is try your best. I suppose you've seen that. I think of somebody like Mickey Graham now. He's not a coach, per say, but a manager in the modern sense, he deals with all that.

“He gets things. An organiser, I guess, is a part of it, which is probably something you have to be in the day-to-day of a job like this, you know what I mean?

“Because you're suddenly accountable not just for what you're doing but for what everybody's doing. It's probably more emotional intelligence.

“You need to have that end of things. You need to know that you obviously have different players and there's different requirements and not every shoe fits every player. So, you have to work around that.

“You would have learned a lot of that from Mickey. Mickey would be a lot like that. He's a real player's manager. He would have that to the tee. When you see Mickey in operation, it sort of helps me in a way. I can use them learnings from Mickey and probably try to implement them here as best I can if the situation required it.”

Down boss Conor Laverty has not played a minute of the club championship this season. It’s not a player that likes to sit on the lines and at times his side has missed the guile that only Laverty brings.

Of course, having an inter-county manager along the playing staff could have its own dynamics but the Monaghan native insists that there is no power struggle and that Laverty is showing good form and has his part to play this season.

There’s no sense of a power struggle, it's not like that,” Corey said.

“Conor has his strengths. If Conor feels he needs to do things, he can do them. There's nobody held back around here. As long as whatever you're doing is for the right reasons. It doesn't matter if you're Conor Laverty or whoever. Conor is an experienced man. He knows the craic.

“Again, his emotional intelligence is quite high. He'll have conversations with you. I’ll tap into him. He'll tap into me. No difference in all the other players. But when he's here, he's here.”

It is set-up to be a cracking final to what has been fantastic club championship and it has showed that Down has talented players playing at a high level.