Another away day

The Waterside man feels that too many players are carrying baggage and he hopes they get back to winning ways at Ards, this Saturday (KO 3pm).

“I just said to the players that I’m not going to keep making excuses for them. We have boys with baggage who are playing and when things aren’t going for them the petulance in the team is unbelievable,” declared Kee.

“But they don’t see it, I’m saying to them in the dressing room about the petulance, but they don’t see it, there are players who were huffing because they didn’t play on Saturday.

“See what you have to deal with in terms of managing players it’s unbelievable, players use to have integrity but now it’s getting harder and we have a lot of boys in there with damaged goods, we have a couple of experience boys in fairness who have a bit of understanding, but after Parky and Paddy (McLaughlin) that’s it.”

One man who Kee acknowledges that is working on his childish behaviour is midfielder Tommy McBride.

“It’s a working progress with Thomas McBride, last week against Ballinamallard he showed petulance but we worked on him this week.

“People close to him also have told him listen ‘you aren’t doing this, you aren’t doing that and you are going on like a child’, so in fairness he didn’t show any petulance at Tobermore, but he’s still showing petulance in what he’s doing.

“If I’m to be honest he’s one of our best players, he’s one of our most creative players, when we are on top chasing games, he’s the boy who can make something happen, he can score goals, he can make you a goal, so I’m not going to take off one of our most creative players and he’s young.

“(Sean) Friars is a creative player as well but he’s 32 and he slows the game down, Tommy doesn’t he adds a bit of speed to the game; I’m trying to get Friars to speed up his game but to be honest it’s not working.”

With Ards playing at Ballyclare Comrades’ Dixon Park ground, Kee is hoping their recent record there will help.

“We know it’s going to be another battle for us and if you lose two games back to back then it’s going to be difficult, confidence is low but as I said last week they have to pick themselves up and go again.

“But Dixon Park is a pitch where we have traditionally done well, but we need to be better in the last third of the pitch.

“Last week we did a training drill on both crossing and shooting so we are trying everything, but I’m not saying it’s perfect because I’ll have to examine what I’m doing at the minute because there is something not right in terms of producing a successful team.

“I’m not going to get involved in a blame game, we are all responsible, when a team wins the players get the credit and whenever a team loses the manager and coaching staff are clowns and I’ll take the hit at the minute.”

’Stute should welcome back John Curran from suspension, however Parkhouse continues to struggle with his hamstring problem.