How To Beat Kerry

gbh

Here's how you beat Kerry I think. Feel free to add your opinions.

(1) Put your biggest player on Donaghy. Or else find the biggest player in the county and train him with one purpose in mind, to challenge Donaghy cleanly.
Personally I think David Brady deserves an All-Star at full-back for the reason that he was the only full-back in the championship who neutralised Donaghy.

(2) A bit of cute hoorism - Kerry is the home of it... The key is to get away with as much as possible, plead innocence and ignorance, try to make out your opponent is fouling you and not the other way around.

(3) Put pressue on the ref before the game in the media to look out for dodgy tactics.

(4) Read Pat Spillane's autobiography, a how to guide on playing outside the rules...particulalry interesting the insight about how Kerry players would throw the ball to each other in the first few minutes to see if the ref would blow a free. If not then it was open-season. Great stuff Pat!

That's 4 for now...sure I'll think of others.

AthAnRi

Field as few Mayo Men as possible.

Dapos

gbh wrote:

Here's how you beat Kerry I think. Feel free to add your opinions.

(1) Put your biggest player on Donaghy. Or else find the biggest player in the county and train him with one purpose in mind, to challenge Donaghy cleanly.
Personally I think David Brady deserves an All-Star at full-back for the reason that he was the only full-back in the championship who neutralised Donaghy.

(2) A bit of cute hoorism - Kerry is the home of it... The key is to get away with as much as possible, plead innocence and ignorance, try to make out your opponent is fouling you and not the other way around.

(3) Put pressue on the ref before the game in the media to look out for dodgy tactics.

(4) Read Pat Spillane's autobiography, a how to guide on playing outside the rules...particulalry interesting the insight about how Kerry players would throw the ball to each other in the first few minutes to see if the ref would blow a free. If not then it was open-season. Great stuff Pat!

That's 4 for now...sure I'll think of others.

How about play as a better football team on the day, that's how cork did it.

Now how about thinking of a few ways to really critisise Kerry,

1) Think of something original to slag kerry about, not wat a losing manager says (Billy Morgan- Cynical for example)

2) Exclude wat Pat spillane or them ****ty tabloids say - (i know, ye would lose so much material)

3) Leave the Kerry fans out of it.

chubba1984

The best way to beat Kerry is at hurlin!

To counteract Donaghy play him from the front, he wins every ball in front of his man cos he waits til the last second to move under the ball keepin his man behind him, the problem wouldn't arise if full-back is in front of him. He's only one player anyway.

Dapos you wouldn't think of linin out the next day Kerry play Mayo, you'd nearly score yourself!!:D

Dapos

chubba1984 wrote:

Dapos you wouldn't think of linin out the next day Kerry play Mayo, you'd nearly score yourself!!:D

says the man in a county final!!!!!:D

Culchie

AthAnRi wrote:

Field as few Mayo Men as possible.

Yawn , you're getting a little tedious now Athenry...... Galway pretty much rolled over and looked for their belly to be tickled this year as well.

Carcharodon

gbh wrote:

Here's how you beat Kerry I think. Feel free to add your opinions.

(1) Put your biggest player on Donaghy. Or else find the biggest player in the county and train him with one purpose in mind, to challenge Donaghy cleanly.
Personally I think David Brady deserves an All-Star at full-back for the reason that he was the only full-back in the championship who neutralised Donaghy.

(2) A bit of cute hoorism - Kerry is the home of it... The key is to get away with as much as possible, plead innocence and ignorance, try to make out your opponent is fouling you and not the other way around.

(3) Put pressue on the ref before the game in the media to look out for dodgy tactics.

(4) Read Pat Spillane's autobiography, a how to guide on playing outside the rules...particulalry interesting the insight about how Kerry players would throw the ball to each other in the first few minutes to see if the ref would blow a free. If not then it was open-season. Great stuff Pat!

That's 4 for now...sure I'll think of others.

Sounds like you are just trying to rattle peoples cages by writing stuff like this, its pure rubbish and you know it.
If someone thinks the only reason why Kerry won was because of "dodgy tactics" then i feel sorry for them.
Just because Kerry players use their brain and are not as naive as Mayo players by just trying to win it by trying to play one way, i bet if Armagh or Tyrone played Kerry they would of tried anything to get the victory.
I hated watching Tyrone play and the tactics they used but you have to accept it and not be as bitter just cos they are winning, a win is a win at the end of the day
Put pressure on ref before game- sounds a bit desperate, why not bribe him at the same time.

gbh if i am correct, wasn't it you that hails himself as being the only person on boards to have played at a high standard, i am sure your fantastic but since you have this great knowledge of the game why not come up with some original ideas and tactis on how to beat Kerry

AthAnRi

Culchie wrote:

Yawn , you're getting a little tedious now Athenry...... Galway pretty much rolled over and looked for their belly to be tickled this year as well.

I was only joking man. You Mayo boys were better craic back in my College days. Also I'm predominently a Galway Hurling Suporter. That's even more painful than being a Mayo Football suporter. But I can take a slagging and My god we took one from the Cork Boys around this time last year. It's all part and parcel of being a GAA Suporter. That was 10 minutes after the Match. But it was all good fun.:D

And indeed they did roll over indeed they did.

Culchie

AthAnRi wrote:

I was only joking man. You Mayo boys were better craic back in my College days. Also I'm predominently a Galway Hurling Suporter. That's even more painful than being a Mayo Football suporter. But I can take a slagging and My god we took one from the Cork Boys around this time last year. It's all part and parcel of being a GAA Suporter. That was 10 minutes after the Match. But it was all good fun.:D

And indeed they did roll over indeed they did.

I can take a joke as good as the next fellah, but you've had a pop at Mayo on about 4 different threads today, and I must be feeling very sensitive.....we probably were better craic once upon a time.

AthAnRi

Culchie wrote:

I can take a joke as good as the next fellah, but you've had a pop at Mayo on about 4 different threads today, and I must be feeling very sensitive.....we probably were better craic once upon a time.

Any of the times I had a Crack at Mayo it was usually in response to posts like the OPs.

kevmy

Getting back on point if ya want to beat Kerry put a big cabbage and bacon full back on donaghy and tell him to rough him up a bit. His temperment is a little suspect from what i saw the last day when DB came on.
Then put Tyrone style pressure on the Kerry half backs and midfield to stop good ball coming in. Then put a fast player at centre back to counteract the straight runs through the middle.

And your right play as few Mayo men as possible our style of play plays right into Kerry's hands.
Personally i think if Tyrone get there act together next year and get the injured players back they will do exactly what i said above and beat Kerry.

AthAnRi

kevmy wrote:

Getting back on point if ya want to beat Kerry put a big cabbage and bacon full back on donaghy and tell him to rough him up a bit. His temperment is a little suspect from what i saw the last day when DB came on.
Then put Tyrone style pressure on the Kerry half backs and midfield to stop good ball coming in. Then put a fast player at centre back to counteract the straight runs through the middle.

And your right play as few Mayo men as possible our style of play plays right into Kerry's hands.
Personally i think if Tyrone get there act together next year and get the injured players back they will do exactly what i said above and beat Kerry.

I think if Mayo performed they would have given Kerry a run for it. Unfortunatley they had an off day.

Culchie

AthAnRi wrote:

I think if Mayo performed they would have given Kerry a run for it. Unfortunatley they had an off day.

TBH, I wonder.

Mayo style of play needs to be changed when playing Kerry.
Like Kilkenny trained completely with Cork in mind in the Hurling, Mayo need to work on an anti-Kerry plan .... it's the only county we seem to have a problem with.
It's ironic we have no problem against the Northern Teams or perceived 'physical' teams, yet when we face the 'pure footballing county' of Kerry, we are outfought, outthought, outmanoeuvered, .....outplayed.

That's why it's hard to say one county is 'better' than other.

e.g I think Mayo would beat Dublin 7 times out of 10 .... but I think Dublin would give Kerry a better game than Mayo would.

It's probably psychological at this stage, after beating Kerry in Killarney in the league, I hoped we had overcome that.... but NO !

Aido c

Instead of all the conspiracy theory’s – I have a simpler suggestion…

Field players who can kick with both legs, solo with both legs and yes hand pass with both hands.

In Kerry if you see a young fellow hopping a ball off the wall, you join him, complement him and then when his head is getting a little swelled, ask him if he can do it with his bad leg. That’s just standard procedure; I have seen it numerous times. If the kid gets in front of any manager and cannot do this than it’s already too late, it’s not the manager’s fault.

(its certainly not the Ref’s or Pat Spillane’s either)

It’s also quite romantic to state that David Brady ‘handled’ him – it’s also idiotic and a poor comparison. It does a major disservice to David Heaney. David Brady got the benefit of a tiered Star; he also got the benefit of a referee who simply would not pull up David Brady’s fouls because any additional penalties to Kerry would have ended the contest in the first Quarter. I have all the respect in the world for Brady. He does deserve credit for the physical approach he took, it was sorely wanted, he has played out of his skin this year, played through injuries. But there is a reason he did not start and I am annoyed at these disservices to Heaney. You simply cannot compare the two. Had Brady started on Star there would have been penalties, yellow, red cards and yes goals instead of just goals.

I am also very wary of the cult of praising players who come out of retirement, either you are available for selection or you are not, if you are not then you do not deserve the same credit as the players who are there year after year. Pat Spillane deserves credit for this, Look at his last season and more importantly the winter leading into it. The left leg of an 80 year old, numerous medals in his back pocket and he trained like a lunatic because he chose to fight for his place and not simply quit. If you speak of Spillane, this is what you should give credit to.

Mountjoy Mugger

A mate of mine suggested today that the only way to beat Kerry was to - ahem - stop feeding them angel dust.

Aido c

I have long held a theory on the Angle dust thing too, I mean look at the size of some of those people Star’s age, in the old days you would walk into an Irish Bar in New York and nobody was over 6’, they were all short stubby fellows.
Now look at the length of em. My cousin was telling me that in his day when he did his farming cert, they were taught the benefits and how to use angle dust; it is only common sense that it got into some parts of the food chain before they banned it.

gbh

I agree with the weaker leg thing. Its the same with soccer. Any player who can't at least take a pot on target with their weaker foot really shouldn't be a forward.

Conor Mortimor and Ciaran McDonald have the finest left feet in the country, no mistake, cultured, precise, etc. But this is also their weekness because you can bet the Kerry coaches told their players to make sure they never have a chance to shoot at goal from their left sides. It gets predictable after a time. Every Mayo forward needs to spend the winter working on their weaker feet and every Mayo coach needs to work on this as well. That's one thing that can be done. Sure even the minors were kicking points off their weaker feet on Sunday.

Mayo also need a conditioning coach if they don't already have one. A lot was said about John Maughan, but MAyo were usually in good condition when he managed them.

They also need to play as a team and look to pick out players in better positions.

Finally I hate saying this, but Mayo played like African teams in the world cup, naively, without a team structure, and became very rash when they got into the final third.

gbh

Also, I think that Mayo people have to get it out of their head that they aren't good enough. If you go around with that attitude then you are giving in to defeatism and pessimism.

What is needed is a rational approach to football not a hope for the best attitude, etc.

I hope there is actually some reform in Mayo football circles about how football is approached however and it becomes more player focused and not all the S***e that surrounds it with raising money and supporters making shows of themselves.

Another thing is that there are planty of 6ft 4 and 6ft 5 players playing in Mayo, but only one or two were in the panel Sunday. Already we had ruled ourselves out of playing a different type of game or combatting ariel superiority.

yurmothrintites

I think Keiran donaghy is overrated! David Brady nearly kept him totaly quiet in the match. Any forward can kick a ball over the bar if they stand beside the goals and everyone passes to them! David Brady deserves so so much credit, he is a magnificent player and was underestimated by maughan in 2004. He played phenomenol on sunday and you would wonder why he wasnt layed back more often! I just have alot of respect for the guy, and ger brady layed good too. He tried so hard the entire match and is a credit to himself for all the work he put into football this year. I know Ger and David personally and believe me they were in the gym or training EVERY DAY of the week.

news for you

Carcharodon wrote:

I hated watching Tyrone play and the tactics they used but you have to accept it and not be as bitter just cos they are winning, a win is a win at the end of the day

I think Tyrone played some great football last year in fairness. I cant see how you could "hate" watching them play, like i thought in footballing terms Tyrone were better on the day than Kerry last year, and we had mulligan's goal and things like that. In 2003 semi-final and final it wasnt good for the purist, but it was Tyrone's first all-ireland, and if we see what happened to Mayo in 2004 and 2006, you need a bloody tight defense to cope with Kerry's game.

UnitedIrishman

Ways to beat Kerry?

1) Stop Donaghy using a STRONG fielder of the ball. Someone who can burst through the back of Donaghy and win a ball over his head.

2) The breaks: Both in midfield and in the full back line. Make sure your first to everything. Paul Galvin's marker has to be very alert and sharp. In the full back line, the corner backs have to be willing to put their bodies on the line to stop The Gooch and Mike Frank picking up scraps.

3) Target the full back line. Mayo almost walked through the full back line when they were playing ball in. Fight fire with fire, put a target man in full forward and get the ball into hands. Make sure the corner forwards and half forwards run at the defence.

4) Stop the midfield from delivering balls into the full forward line.

5) Take your chances.

Erin Go Brath

The most effective way to stop Donaghy is to
double mark him or have one of the half backs playing
just in front of him, a sweeper if you like.
He's going to win most ball, being 6'5 and an athletic jumper.

Heaney is 6'1, which is tall enough compared to the average
person, but hes a midget stood against Donaghy, and hence
hadn't really a prayer in the final.

I think we're going to see a lot of teams putting their tallest man
on Donaghy next year to cut off this option for Kerry.

Match him with an equally physical presence is the way to go imo!!!!

REBEL CORK

Canty on Donaghey next season is really something to look forward.It was a real shame that he wasnt there for the All-Ireland semi as things possible might have been closer. A while away yet but really looking forward to Cork and Kerry in Killarney next year.

kerrywoman

REBEL CORK wrote:

Canty on Donaghey next season is really something to look forward.It was a real shame that he wasnt there for the All-Ireland semi as things possible might have been closer. A while away yet but really looking forward to Cork and Kerry in Killarney next year.

That is a meeting we all look forward to because hopefully star will be getting stronger all the time bring it on!!!!

blackbelt

I hate to burst somebodies bubble here but we are only fresh off this years season and a lot of teams haven't started back training yet.Who's to say that Limerick haven't started training again and that they don't have a few "stars" up their sleeve.

Limerick have been a thorn in Kerrys side these last few years in the Munster championship.Yes Kerry have beaten them all the time but nothing is set in stone.Lets wait until the Munster championship progresses before we talk about Kerry v Cork again.For all we know,Limerick could beat Cork in the first or second round....it all depends on form and the actual draw but a Kerry v Cork match is always a great match to experience.I had the pleasure of being at that in Croke Park this year for the first time on Hill 16 with the blend of Kerry and Cork...very entertaining stuff indeed

By the way,the way to defeat Kerry is to get the most physical team...big guys who are 6'2 who are specially trained in the "swarm" tactics.Most fans use the term "puke football" for this and having being trained in this myself by a man from Cavan (no names) its evident that it is an Ulster tactic

Its the only way I can see Kerry being beaten unless you can beat them cleanly like Cork did in Munster.Watch the Tyrone v Kerry match from 2003 and you will see what I mean.The score was 13-06.So swarm football as I like to call it is the best tactic.

panda100

Kidnap the gooch?

Beating kerry can be done. We (Limerick) nearly done it in the Munster final two years ago when we drew with them and if Longford had better backs then they would have creamed Kerry this year. If Limericks backs and Longfords forwards made a team,limford,then they would beat Kerry into the ground.

blackbelt

Not dissing this type of football anymore as people get upset.Not using the term puke football anymore as swarm is more appropriate and I'm not going to use this term Spillane made up as its ridiculous now.

Swarm football is effective.Its how you counter it that wins matches.I felt the Kerry defence was using this tactic against Cork in Croker.Masterson could have made that match closer by converting 45s but he doesn't have the distance in his kicks like Mossy Quinn or others have.

panda100

blackbelt wrote:

I hate to burst somebodies bubble here but we are only fresh off this years season and a lot of teams haven't started back training yet.Who's to say that Limerick haven't started training again and that they don't have a few "stars" up their sleeve.

.

Who have you in mind?We need another Midfielder along with John Galvin firstly. John Quane held the position for too long and scared all the good midfielders away cos the position was just dominated by him and no other players could get a chance. I agree with you that Mickey Ned has great plans up his sleeves but he cant get the players he wants because they all got far too pissed off with Liam Kearns and thrown in the towel when it comes to Limerick football.

Nalz

how to stop kerry?

sniper on the roof of croker is the only thing that springs to mind!!!!

blackbelt

Its up to management and selectors to recruit some new blood into the team.Clubs like Sarsfields and Adare would be a good place to start.Limerick actually have a pool of talent to choose from.IT Limerick and UL are also places where gaelic football can be scanned.

If only Limerick were more into football than hurling they would be a bigger threat to Cork and Kerry.Limerick need to work on their defence if they want to beat Kerry.Thats goes for all teams because they go on a goal spree.Kerrys defence is actually the weakest (and I use that term lightly) part of their setup.Cork made the mistake of walking into them instead of taking their points.It was evident in that match that all Cork had to do was take shots from further out and avoiding the Kerry defence as much as possible because Cork had a lot of ball possession supplied from defence rather than the goalie.

If you swarm the Kerry attack and defence,you may get results.

panda100

blackbelt wrote:

.Limerick need to work on their defence if they want to beat Kerry.Thats goes for all teams because they go on a goal spree.Kerrys defence is actually the weakest (and I use that term lightly) part of their setup.Cork made the mistake of walking into them instead of taking their points.It was evident in that match that all Cork had to do was take shots from further out and avoiding the Kerry defence as much as possible because Cork had a lot of ball possession supplied from defence rather than the goalie.

If you swarm the Kerry attack and defence,you may get results.

Totally disagree with you.Limericks defence does not need to be worked on. Not with the likes of Johhny Mc Carthyand John Galvin has beaten the Kerry midfielders in the past. Our problem is we cant score points. We lose matches cos we cant kick balls over or under the net. For years Limerick relied on Muiris Gavin,who was quite frankly awful and conor Fitzgerald,who wasnt much better either. If Limerick focus on their forwards and scoring points not wides against Kerry we will be Munster champions next year.

blackbelt

I'm not saying that the Limerick defense is bad,I'm just saying that all county teams need to toughen and strengthen their defense if they want to beat a team like Kerry.Kerry forwards are very clinical and accurate.You have the likes of Mike Frank Russell,Gooch and Donaghy scoring points from v tight angles that are far out.A swarm tactic would limit them to the ground in stead of kicking high balls into the full forward line.

Thats the only way I can see any team even competing against Kerry because otherwise,they have so many great players they will beat any team in nearly every corner/position of the field.Don't get me wrong,I don't particularly like to see too much swarming as it makes a game look like Aussie rules but such a tactic would limit Kerry and cut off space for them to move.Kerry are the best for using free space and making space.Swarming would cut off the proverbial oxygen.

kerrywoman

panda100 wrote:

Totally disagree with you.Limericks defence does not need to be worked on. Not with the likes of Johhny Mc Carthyand John Galvin has beaten the Kerry midfielders in the past. Our problem is we cant score points. We lose matches cos we cant kick balls over or under the net. For years Limerick relied on Muiris Gavin,who was quite frankly awful and conor Fitzgerald,who wasnt much better either. If Limerick focus on their forwards and scoring points not wides against Kerry we will be Munster champions next year.

As a kerrywoman living in Limerick and supporting Limerick hurlers I would not have bedgruged Limerick footballers a win over Kerry. You are write panda100 bout Limerick not being able to score. Keating had 2 great chances and he decided to go for glory and Darragh duly obliged. But please do not knock players who have given so much to Limerick i.e. Muiris Gaving and Conor Fitzgerald. As for being Munster champions next year I think ye have to find a few scoring forwards before that Crowly is simply not good enough

homerjay2005

you will not beat kerry as easy as some people make out ere. just stopping donaghy is not enough.

first off, you need 15 commited, experienced and hungry players, kerry were hungry this year, mayo had it 2, but lacked the experience to use this hunger.

you need to stop kerry getting possession, the likes of declan sullivan, paul galvin, tom shea and aidan o mahony pick up a lot of ball around midfield and kerry attack in droves from ere.

take out darragh o shea, the most influential player on the team and the primary source of kerry possession

a sweeper in front of the full forward line

good subs to match the strong kerry bench

a good manager that realises that you have to adapt your game to beat kerry, that there is no team (bar tyrone) that can beat kerry playing just pure football

tight corner backs

forwards that can deal with being heavily marshalled by the likes of marc shea, tom sullivan, tom shea and aidan o mahony

you need mentality, kerry peopl expect to be in croke park in august and september, every year