GAELIC GAMES/Sean Moran: If all political careers end in failure, sports management isn't far behind them. There are exceptions: for every Harold Wilson who retires at the top there's a Pat O'Neill who also walked away after the peak of Dublin winning the 1995 All-Ireland. But in general they keep going.

Politics is probably less forgiving. One Meath 2001 would suffice to lose a party leader his job without the need for Armagh '02 and Tyrone '03. But a manager with a good track record gets the benefit of the doubt: "He deserves not to go out like that." Twice Páidí Ó Sé availed of that sentiment. Although many assumed he was going to make it thrice until the events of last week, such an indulgence would have been crazy.

But the intense passion that has always driven his involvement in Kerry football made the realisation harder than it would be for someone with more rational instincts. Lines began to be spun about how he wasn't really to blame for all of the setbacks - stuff Ó Sé in his heart knows is special pleading.

Yesterday's press conference brought down the curtain on his eight-year period as manager with a measure of dignity, slightly spoiled by the departing thwacks directed at the county executive. It has also been disingenuous of the outgoing manager and his advocates to denounce county chairman Seán Walsh for the manner of the communication. The Kerry chairman has always been supportive of Ó Sé, a support that has at times compromised his administrative function. Indirectly calling for Walsh's and others' resignation seems poor reward for the chairman's at times over-zealous assistance during last year's controversy over Darragh Ó Sé's red card.

Walsh was relatively sensitive in his wish to organise a meeting to smooth Ó Sé's departure. The very purpose of the call was to ensure the changeover could be achieved with minimal hurt feelings. Sadly this proved impossible.

Ó Sé had eight years in charge of Kerry. For the first phase of that period in charge his management revitalised the county's standing in the football world and the All-Ireland twice returned to its most accustomed home. Had he added a third last year - instead of losing the final by a point to Armagh - it would have made him the fourth most successful manager in the county's history. The case for a respectful parting was unanswerable.

But the case for a parting of the ways was even stronger. It wasn't just that the defeats of the past three years had been hard to take for Kerry. Rather it was the stasis that had gripped the team and its manager. Part of the blame lay with an inattention to detail.

Contrary to his comments after the Tyrone match, Ó Sé should have been familiar with the manner in which the Ulster team would approach the match. Kerry needed to be slicker and faster to spring the traps of a swarm defence. But part of the blame was no one's. Players simply get tired of listening to the same voice. They want a change. Only in exceptional circumstances can a coach keep going for as long as eight years and longer.

The players' response to the events of recent days has been predictable. They dutifully registered dismay over the manner of Ó Sé's departure - without specifying how the process could have been handled more smoothly by Walsh and his executive - but were equally careful to disavow any role in the selection of a new manager.

A friend in Kerry whose views are seldom off the mark and who is a county board delegate, made a telling observation on the whole melodrama. It was, he said, the result of too much talking into the sleeve and not enough plain speaking.

The situation was obvious from the evening of August 24th. After a dignified interval the outgoing management should have been asked if they were interested in continuing to serve now that their term was over. If that was their wish - as was their right - they should have been informed that alternatives would also be considered.

The matter could then have been deliberated.

Circumstances however conspired against this and ultimately too much tiptoeing around Ó Sé's sensibilities took place. But best not to dwell on that now that the situation is moving on.

In the end the same qualities that made Ó Sé such an ardent and effective servant of Kerry football temporarily blinded him to the correct course of action. It won't be much immediate consolation to him but Páidí Ó Sé's legacy will exclusively concern what he did for his county rather than the reasons for his departure and its awkward manner.

smoran@irish-times.ie.