Monaghan manager Gabriel Bannigan is delighted to have Andy Moran in his backroom team, and has defended his colleague's time with Leitrim following comments made by Steven Poacher.
Leitrim were in the spotlight over the last two weeks after they failed to field a team against Fermanagh due to a lack of numbers, and therefor conceded the points.
This was met by heavy criticism from people who felt that fulfilling a fixture should be the minimum requirement of a county team.
Manager Poacher hit back by saying that they keep a small panel to keep the quality in the squad high, and implied that previous managers had sub-standard behaviours.
Speaking to Newstalk, the Leitrim boss explained what he meant when he says that previous managers did not create the right culture.
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For years and years, for counties like Leitrim, sub-standard behaviours have been accepted and this is, with all due respect, to previous management teams.
“But maybe because you stood on a bank and watched a club game with a former manager and was pally, pally. That was good enough for you to slip or to get away x, y and z”.
“I’m only using that tongue and cheek, that’s not what happened.
“But what I’m saying is, we need to change the culture and standard. The players want to change the culture and standards.
“Last weekend was obviously disappointing for everyone of course it was. The reason we carry a smaller panel is because some players can’t live to those standards and cultures that we are trying to achieve in Leitrim”.
As Moran was the previous manager of Leitrim over the last three years, there has been an assumption that this comment was directed at him.
The Mayo legend guided the county to promotion from Division Four last season and they enjoyed a decent run in The Tailteann Cup.
Speaking at the launch of the Ulster championship, Monaghan boss Bannigan defended his coach, saying that he would have being very professional during his time with the Connacht side.
"I don't know what Steven was referring to, so you'd have to ask Steven that, but I have absolutely no doubt that the standards that Andy Moran would have drove at within the Leitrim set up for the three years he was there, would have been at the at the very highest level.
"And I have absolutely no doubt that from a player engagement perspective and from an interpersonal perspective, Andy would have really engaged the players and got the best out of the players.
"The players would have would have responded to his management and his coaching style, so I don't know what Steven was referring to, but I can only assume he wasn't referring to Andy."
