‘Real supporters know what players go through’ - McNamee hits back at online critics

Finn Harps captain Tony McNamee has dismissed recent criticism of the team on social media, insisting that the players are focused on their performances rather than online negativity.

Harps began their 2025 season with a 2-0 defeat to Kerry FC, and in the aftermath, both manager Darren Murphy and his players have been on the receiving end of criticism from some quarters.

While McNamee acknowledges that feedback — positive or negative — is part of the game, he believes much of what is being said online comes from people who don’t fully understand the realities of playing at this level.

READ NEXT: St Eunan’s bow out of Tony O'Neill National Cup after penalty shootout defeat

“The criticism we get can be part and parcel of football,” McNamee said. “You will get people praising you one week and then you’ll get people criticising you the following week.”

The Ballybofey club has undergone significant changes in the off-season, with several senior players departing and a younger squad now in place.

McNamee, one of the more experienced figures in the team, says he pays little attention to the noise, though he acknowledges that younger players may find it harder to ignore.

“As one of the more experienced players, I don’t take much stock of it,” he said. “The younger players might take criticism to heart but, personally, I don’t care what people say.”

McNamee made a distinction between genuine supporters and those who, in his view, criticise without real knowledge of what it takes to compete in the League of Ireland.

“It’s nice to get praise, but I know that most people who are trying to support the club are genuinely loyal,” he said. “Real supporters know what players go through, and I feel that the comments on Facebook and Twitter are from people who haven’t played the game.

“In my opinion, it’s usually boys who are now old and have never played at this level, or they’re younger people who will never get to this level.”

The discussion around online criticism has come to the forefront after Harps manager Darren Murphy revealed he had been the target of personal abuse following the loss to Kerry.

Murphy stressed that he had no issue with football-related debate but drew the line when it became personal.

“There is stuff that goes online about the team I pick and football things — and I have absolutely no problem with that,” Murphy told Donegal Live.

“Everyone has an opinion on the game and that’s fine. When it becomes non-football related and it becomes personal, that’s completely different.”

The negativity was something the Harps squad addressed internally in the days following the game, with players urged to avoid engaging in online criticism.

“We the players discussed this at the start of the week,” McNamee said. “Some players were saying they’ve seen different comments on social media, and it’s important as a team that we don’t listen to them.

"We can only control a certain amount of things, and whatever we can’t control, we can’t worry about it.

“We can’t control what people say about us, so there’s no point in listening to it.”

McNamee’s comments come as Harps continue to rebuild under Murphy, working within tight financial constraints and with a focus on developing young players.

Murphy has urged supporters to take a broader view of the club’s situation, particularly given the club’s long-term ambitions around a new stadium.

“I have a problem when people say where we ‘should’ be but they don’t understand where we are,” Murphy said. “It can be a special place here, but we have to be realistic about the situation that we are in.”

For McNamee and his teammates, the priority remains what happens on the pitch, rather than what’s said online. With a long season ahead, their focus is on performances and results, rather than social media commentary.