Kerry GAA discussion thread #2

RedDevil55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120259451#Comment_120259451

We also beat Monaghan in the championship though? While our defeat to Kerry in the league was also repeated in championship.

munster87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120259496#Comment_120259496

I was just pointing out that Mayo had some good wins last February!

RedDevil55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120259512#Comment_120259512

The original post mentioned great Mayo 'performances' in Feb. Scraping wins vs Monaghan and Armagh hardly fall into that category!

cute geoge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120259308#Comment_120259308

You must have spent a good share of the last 10 years sleeping ,Kerry are looking like a one trick pony ,similat to '97 Kerry team

Mayo will be there or there abouts in August if they can build on their league form

munster87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120259548#Comment_120259548

Armagh were a top side last year imo. Was a very good result. Harsh on Monaghan too, they were stronger last season and it was in Clones.

Blackjack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120259605#Comment_120259605

For as long as you can remember anyways.

munster87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120259739#Comment_120259739

Aye.

This could be your year, I’d definitely remember that.

Forge83

I don’t think the loss was as bad as the scoreline showed. A combination of a very imbalanced team in skill and size from us and a huge Mayo intensity for a league game were the deciding factors. Still positives go be taken from the game. I thought Barry Dan acquitted himself quite well. Moynihan played well outside a few sloppy tackles(goes for the ball punch often without eyes on the actual ball). Plenty of new players got to experience real intensity for the first time and we got David and Sean back on the pitch.

On the imbalance point, I think we had too many similar type players. If Tony has the ball then most likely Paudie doesn’t have the ball. We want Paudie to have the ball as often as possible .Even Burns was trying to play that role at times. Also it’s Moynihan or Burns for me, never both together. Jack and Barry Dan too similar also. Think Stefan again is a similar type player. The sooner we get Diarmuid back the better. I’d strangely give Sean O Shea another shot there also.

Adrian was a huge huge loss for us which links straight to the lack on intensity. We missed his size in half forward line too. Our half forward line was tiny. I thought Donal was hard done by being whipped off so early, the few times he got the ball he took players on and went past them. Gave the ball away a couple of times and kicked a ballooner but wouldn’t be harsh on him considering he had never experienced that intensity before.While Dara Roche is a very efficient shooter, I don’t think he has as much to his overall game as Donal. I think David and Donal in the same lineup could be devastating.

On defence, Morley had a poor first half but maybe he was due one. It didn’t help that Warren and Murphy were both poor either side of him. I’ve said it time and time again that Murphy cannot defend, he’s great for movement and linking attack but forwards love seeing him one on one. I think he was last defender for 1-3 in first half.Thought Foley did reasonably well on O Shea. Murphy was solid enough in goals also and wouldn’t fault him for either goal. Would still expect Ryan to be in goals for Armagh if his shoulder is good.

Missing 3 first choice half backs in White, Breen and O Beaglaoich is hurting us most at the moment but if we get two of them back at any stage we will improve massively.

Watching the Armagh Roscommon game here with Armaghs goalie Rafferty playing in midfield/half forwards. I’m hoping he does likewise against us as if we turn him over, we will punish them big time 😆

kerryjack

Stayed in castlebar last night good crack, nice people love there football, great to see all the kids out on pitch that's the way it should be, kerry left pitch fairly quick, young lad hoping to get to meet David Clifford. Regarding the match felt sorry for the new lads that were bought in and were flying high last week and found the going hard last night what a difference a week makes, plenty question marks over a number of players and will they make it at top level movement up front was poor in the first half but Mayo backs were brilliant from the start. No need for panic, staying up now is the priority.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120261125#Comment_120261125

When Diarmuid comes back I would seriously consider puttting Barry O Sullivan in FF alongside DC. We really lack an option in there to kick.on directly. It would be a version of the 2009 twin towers. With DC playing the Tommy Walsh role and Barry the Donaghy role in close to the goal mouth.

Graham O Sullivan continues to impress and if Dan O Donoghue was in the form he was in early in the league last year it could allow GoS to be an option at half back. Taught Dylan Casey did well when he came on.

Basically last night we had too many small light players on the pitch.

Bass Reeves

Roscommon after beating Armagh, match next Saturday will be tricky any mistake and we could end up in a relegation battle. Monoghan beat Donegal and Galway beat Tyrone.

Forge83

As predicted all the big guns are back in for todays match. I would think Foley will track O Neill everywhere and it will be the main match up for us. Predicting a comfortable win with Rafferty turned over outfield at least once for a Kerry goal.

50HX

I think we will win but not too sure about it bring comfortable, our wing backs are susceptible to being beaten when ran at, armagh had a good comeback against mayo so wouldn't expect them to role over

I think most teams are a good few weeks ahead of us training wise

Could be mainly decided by the 2 free takers

Bass Reeves

Was at the game this evening. Very heavy legs by some players. Tight pitch would have suited Armagh in it allowed them to close us down in there half and control out scoring chances.

However Stefan Okunbor did a good job on Rian O'Neal early in the game. Barry Dan is proving a great find and when Dirmuid O Connor comes back Jack will have a bit of rejigging. Adrian did well again

Free taking left us down again. Kicked two into goalie hands and another couple wide I think. A couple that I taught Sean O Shea would take on, he left to David. David seemed to lack energy in his legs when took them. If two or three of those four went over we would have won easy.

Forge83

Absolute genius from Jack & Co to use Stefan on O Neill and keep him completely out of the game. It’s a new string to the bow for championship.

Grinding out the result from an Ultra defensive Armagh team. Depressing to watch but it will stand to Kerry later in the season. They knew if they tried to play football they would have been beaten out the gate.

Brosnan with a fantastic point under pressure. Donal O Sullivan causing chaos to get the insurance point. Tadgh Morley could play in the forwards after his display yesterday 😆

Is Barry Dan also a basketballer? He has serious vision and hands for a big man.

Rafferty got nailed twice which I love to see. Spillane got a yellow for one even though a perfectly fair shoulder.

Shane Ryan’s long pass out of defence when under pressure for one of the last scores was sublime, it’s something Shane Murphy doesn’t have in his locker.

Tyrone have to win next game or they will most likely be relegated. Going to Omagh will as always be a big challenge. I wonder are any of the other injured athletes anyway close to getting a spot on the bench.

Raoul Duke

Anyone got anything good to say about the last few games?

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120322337#Comment_120322337

Not too many from the Mayo game but a nice few from the Armagh and Tyrone game. We have played most of this league with half a championship team.

We lost to Tyrone with only one of our four top tier MF players playing. Okunbor did well but it was only his second senior game and his first at MF. With ten'ish minutes to go and a point down DC had the ball with three Tyrone defenders around him. He was managing not to foul the ball while being fouled 3-4 times before being dragged down and the ref give a free out to Tyrone.

Jack seems to be wrapping a lot of senior players in cotton wool if they have any niggles and knocks

We have seriously blooded 4-5 new players and allowed another 4-5 second tier players serious game time. My only fear is we get relegated by mistake in that we now need at least two points from our remaining two games. I hate to be going to Salthill looking for something to stay in D1.

I am just hoping that Jack is minding the likes of O'Bealoigh, Dirmuid O Connor, Been, White, Dan O'Donoghue and that Geany, Stephen O'Brien etc all come back fit.

Hoping as well that injuries to Okunbor, Barry Dan and Adrian Spillane are not serious. We will have a serious panel for the round robin games if all the lads are there.

On the Armagh match I taught out crossfield kicking was superb. Stacks is a tight pitch and the cold night helped Armagh players to cross over and back the field in bunches. That will not be as easy for them in late June and July on sunny day in a wide pitch.

dobman88

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120322337#Comment_120322337

While it's never nice to lose, it's not any worry.

Mayo seem to be doing what Kerry did for the league last year and are going all guns blazing. I expected their backs to be too tough for the forwards that started and they destroyed them, and that allowed them to go man to man which meant they were able to run at us and we all know Kerry hate teams running at them.

Tyrone celebrated everything. Absolutely everything, every foul, every catch, every point and the scenes at full time wouldn't look out of place on all Ireland final day. They were well fired up, got stuck into Kerry early and often and were full value for the win and we were still only a kick of a ball away so wouldn't worry a bit about it. Brain fart from Ryan for the goal but he made 2 good saves so willing to give him a pass this time.

Dug it out well v Armagh despite not playing very well I feel. The game against them last year, the result never seemed in doubt but I was worried at various stages last week so was nice to come away with the win.

Really makes the Roscommon game a must win to avoid relegation because you don't want to be going to Salthill needing a win.

Overall, if we manage to avoid relegation it'll have been an OK league with all the players that have had quite a lot of game time. They know what's required now and will know what to expect come championship.

Kumejima

I don't rate myself as a tactical genius but there must be something I'm missing? We race ahead against Tyrone by playing fast kick passing. Then we spend the rest of the game hand passing it out of our own defence giving them time to reorganise and trying to take it into contact or hand pass it around a crowded Tyrone defence?

We have two of the best place kickers in the country and some of the best kick passers but noone thought maybe a quick pass for a mark might be a good idea? No lets play Tyrone on terms that they proved they can beat us at all day? And lets do it for 40 minutes plus? Wasn't the semi final defeat lesson enough?

Wham am I missing? What would have been wrong with fast long kick passing the last day? Even a high ball into the danger area (less effective but worth the odd roll of the dice).

I've a feeling its Galway's year unless we play to our strengths. Its just worrying that Kerry can't seem to identify when something isn't working and adjust their play accordingly

technocrat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120325184#Comment_120325184

Pretty much sums up what I think too.

A few times Kerry were fast on the counter attack before the Tyrone defence had organised and we faff about looking left and right instead of taking the shot when the opportunity was there but instead indecision ruled the day and cost us valuable points.

Also as you say having 2 of the best forwards in the country and not using them to their full potential is wasteful.

Clifford and SoS should be positioned closer to the D.

Not overly worried but is a concern that Jack is not seeing the obvious going into a championship season.

dobman88

Stefan injured, again. Hamstring this time. Hopefully only a mild tear but you'd assume a couple of weeks at least.

Barry Dan was sick so should be back next week.

Adrian Spillane nursing a calf injury after Armagh game.

Not ideal for Stefan, I was hoping he'd have a big year.

kerryjack

Problem I have with Stefan is he doesn't score much or looks like scoring, looks the part alright strong and athletic looking,

highball14

He’s never going to be a scorer but that’s ok in my opinion you can carry one or two of them if they offer enough in other areas, sure Jack Barry very rarely scores. Stefan is very raw and is far off championship standard at the moment in my opinion. His handling, decision making on the ball and defensive positioning/situational awareness are much bigger weaknesses in his games and these were all exposed against Tyrone.

jack747

Would I be right in saying , if Kerry win there last 2 games in the League. Theres a very good chance that they'll end up in a league final? Anyone know the permutations?

PARlance

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120336475#Comment_120336475

How long have you got for the permutations... There's a tonne of them.

But if you we to simplify it and say that Mayo will more than likely qualify , then it if Kerry beat the Rossies and Galway, and Armagh fail to win their final 2 games, Kerry would be in with a great shout (not guaranteed) of a place in the final.

I think that 7 out of the 8 teams can still qualify for the final so there's an awful lot of permutations.

I was only saying a few days ago in the Mayo thread that Kerry are really good value at 10/1 outright.

Blackjack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120336475#Comment_120336475

Yes, but Kerry would probably need to make up score difference and also hope for other results to go in their favour.

I tried to write it all out but effectively you could have anyone of the 7 teams other than Donegal still in the mix for the finals.

If Kerry win both their games then the most Galway or Roscommon could end up with is 8 points. If either Monaghan or Tyrone win both theirs, then they would also be on 8 points with Kerry. You could potentially have 5 teams on 8 points - Mayo, Kerry, Galway, Roscommon and either Tyrone or Monaghan. The outlier is Armagh who could end up on 8 points but that would mean a draw and a win from their games vs Galway and Tyrone, which would exclude both those teams (assuming Kerry win both of theirs). In that scenario you could have Mayo, Kerry, Armagh, Roscommon and Monaghan all on 8 points.

if Armagh win both theirs, then they pip Kerry, but Kerry could still make second if Mayo lost both theirs, and Kerry make up the score difference but only if there is another team on 8 points as if there there are more than 2 teams on the same points, it goes on score difference. If only 2 teams, it's on the head to head.

Kerry would have a better record than most on the head to head by winning both theirs with only Tyrone or Mayo that could pip them on the head to head.

Donegal are out of the equation if Kerry do win both of theirs as the most Donegal can get at this stage is 7 points.

Games still to Play

Armagh vs Galway - 5 points and 6 points

Kerry vs Roscommon - 4 points and 6 points

Monaghan v Tyrone - both on 4 points now

Donegal vs Mayo - 3 points and 8 points

Tyrone vs Armagh - 4 points and 5 points

Roscommon vs Donegal - 6 points and 3 points

Mayo vs Monaghan - 8 points and 4 points

Galway vs Kerry - 6 points and 4 points

I stand open to correction on all of the above!

dobman88

Making the league final would be a disaster. Its time on the training ground they need. Not more league games.

It's just about survival now cos playing in division 2 would also be a disaster.

50HX

That's harsh on Tom o sullivan imo he's a good man marker, you can't take a one match outlier and label him after that

I agree with you on the Clifford's points but the caveat is that we played approx half if not less of a championship team in the league so far

Overall so far I think it's been a good league for us, only chance to try new players no point in playing a championship 15 in the league week after week

Some people are never happy though and just focus on one match at a time