hugh20
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Post by hugh20 on Jul 3, 2015 10:56:16 GMT
Biggest selection is leaving Maher out, would have had him down as one of the guaranteed starters. The fact that Donnachdh waltzes back in with only 15 minutes of football this year might raise a few eyebrows, but in fairness he's a class act and it's a testament to how good he is that through the training nights alone he's convinced management that he's up to speed and good to go. For me, he starts ahead of Mikey Geaney, always, because he just is that bit better. On to the other Geaney being dropped I don't think he can have much complaints, I think Barry John was the better forward overall in the league. They came out with equal scores in the Tipp game, but I thought Barry John worked that bit harder and JOD's the best forward in the country so is always going to start when fit. I just feel having leaving Maher might costs us early on if we really want to control things from midfield, he's a very intelligent player, I don't know if Sheehan can grab a hold of things in there as much as him. It kind of makes sense leaving out Gooch, he had Johnny Buckley doing a lot of the donkey work for him against Tipp, which allowed him free reign around the 40, he won't be afforded the same luxury on Sunday. As well having that ace on the bench is pretty decent card to play. The worry would be O'Neil and Hurley destroying our full back line which continues to be our weakest line. Donnchadh a class act? I'm not so sure I would agree with that statement I don't think he possesses the skill levels that leaves one amazed like PGeaney, James, Gooch etc. However, he is a very good footballer and his work rate and determination is phenomenal and admirable. When fully fit he is a guaranteed starter for me. I agree with the rest of your comment.
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keane
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Post by keane on Jul 3, 2015 11:02:47 GMT
Christ I thought we were long past doubting what an absolutely brilliant player Donnchadh Walsh is.
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hugh20
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Post by hugh20 on Jul 3, 2015 11:16:19 GMT
Christ I thought we were long past doubting what an absolutely brilliant player Donnchadh Walsh is. I know how good Donnchadh Walsh is and how important he is for us and while he is very comfortable and competent n the ball, I would not brand him as "class act". This is a category that few players fall in to....James, Gooch, MFR, Maurice Fitz, Mikey Sheehy, etc. Not for one second am I questioning how good a player he is.
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Jigz84
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Post by Jigz84 on Jul 3, 2015 11:23:27 GMT
Christ I thought we were long past doubting what an absolutely brilliant player Donnchadh Walsh is. I know how good Donnchadh Walsh is and how important he is for us and while he is very comfortable and competent n the ball, I would not brand him as "class act". This is a category that few players fall in to....James, Gooch, MFR, Maurice Fitz, Mikey Sheehy, etc. Not for one second am I questioning how good a player he is. To be fair, Donnchadh has shown in the past that he can finish a goal chance as good as, if not better than the names you mentioned. I think he's a very skillful and intelligent footballer.
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hugh20
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Post by hugh20 on Jul 3, 2015 11:37:10 GMT
Ok that's fair enough.
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G_S_J
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With greatness already assured, history now awaits.
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Post by G_S_J on Jul 3, 2015 13:19:33 GMT
Biggest selection is leaving Maher out, would have had him down as one of the guaranteed starters. The fact that Donnachdh waltzes back in with only 15 minutes of football this year might raise a few eyebrows, but in fairness he's a class act and it's a testament to how good he is that through the training nights alone he's convinced management that he's up to speed and good to go. For me, he starts ahead of Mikey Geaney, always, because he just is that bit better. On to the other Geaney being dropped I don't think he can have much complaints, I think Barry John was the better forward overall in the league. They came out with equal scores in the Tipp game, but I thought Barry John worked that bit harder and JOD's the best forward in the country so is always going to start when fit. I just feel having leaving Maher might costs us early on if we really want to control things from midfield, he's a very intelligent player, I don't know if Sheehan can grab a hold of things in there as much as him. It kind of makes sense leaving out Gooch, he had Johnny Buckley doing a lot of the donkey work for him against Tipp, which allowed him free reign around the 40, he won't be afforded the same luxury on Sunday. As well having that ace on the bench is pretty decent card to play. The worry would be O'Neil and Hurley destroying our full back line which continues to be our weakest line. Donnchadh a class act? I'm not so sure I would agree with that statement I don't think he possesses the skill levels that leaves one amazed like PGeaney, James, Gooch etc. However, he is a very good footballer and his work rate and determination is phenomenal and admirable. When fully fit he is a guaranteed starter for me. I agree with the rest of your comment. Class act in the sense of his reading of the game and his intelligence, it's no fluke he pops up in dangerous positions from time to time to get goals. We might get bogged down in semantics here over what constitutes a 'class act', as with a lot of things it's subjective. What I was trying to get across was the importance of Donnchadh, along with a great engine he has a great brain. I'm not going to cut down M Geaney, but from what Iv seen he's not as smart a footballer as Donnchadh, I'm not saying ge'll never be because Donnchadh had plenty of growing pains as well. If the management are happy Donnchadh is fit, for me he always gets in the side.
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animal
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Post by animal on Jul 3, 2015 14:03:25 GMT
What do people think about the defence? The full back line looks slightly vulnerable to me. i hopewe do well enough in the middle sector to keep the pressure off them.
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Jigz84
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Post by Jigz84 on Jul 3, 2015 15:36:11 GMT
What is this? Everyone slating Donnachadh Walsh. Nobody is "slating" Donnchadh.
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Post by royalkerryfan on Jul 3, 2015 16:43:29 GMT
Donnacha's goal against Dublin in 2013 was one of the best you will see. How he beat Cluxton at his near post still amazes me.
Getting back to the game, I really don't like that line up. I have great faith in EF but I don't buy into this team Selection.
JOD hasn't kicked a ball all year. BJK mixes the sublime with the ridiculous. Not consistent enough for me to start. Either Geaney or Gooch for me has to start.
Heading down the road now... More nervous than I was before he named that team.
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Post by kerrygold on Jul 3, 2015 16:53:16 GMT
What do people think about the defence? The full back line looks slightly vulnerable to me. i hopewe do well enough in the middle sector to keep the pressure off them. The defence is more than about the back six in the modern game. Lets wait and see what Kerry have in mind for Sunday.
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Post by Mickmack on Jul 3, 2015 18:11:01 GMT
Kerry have more men for the trench war fare on the subs than on the pitch. This is Cork we are playing.
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fitz
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Post by fitz on Jul 3, 2015 21:59:31 GMT
Enright for Hurley. Think Fionn is picked for pace, reckon Cork will be trying Dec Sull pop passes into chest. Fast defenders needed. The half forward line is picked for work rate, to protect the midfield and half back line. I also think they could decoy drag Cork's half back line for Hamez and BJK to take short ball. I wouldn't be surprised to see James rotate and swap with O'Brien and move to centre forward with Buck moving to the wing
Maher most surprising but I think it is tactical, based on attack based platform from midfield to win ball and trigger chances. Anthony will be on at the appropriate time.
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Post by Mickmack on Jul 3, 2015 22:06:27 GMT
www.terracetalk.com/kerry-football/game/303/1995-Kerry-Vs-Corklast team to lose a Munster Final in Killarney. Quite a decent side too with Darragh as a sub. Darragh was a slow enough developer but by God did he get there. I remember the holy war on Kerry radio on the following day over Dara OCinneide at wing back. He was Kerry best forward at the time. Cork lost the semi final to JAYOs goal. I was at that semi final. You knew Cork's great team were fading at that stage.
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Post by greengold35 on Jul 3, 2015 22:13:15 GMT
This is a "horses for courses" team, not our best 15; if we were playing All Ireland final on Sunday doubt if this would be starting 15; we are picking on form in training, or so we are told, but if we did this we would have a different 15 each day. We have a team that can retain Sam, but question has to be what is the team! Enright on Hurley, Marc on Colm O'Neill; think Fionn will play wing back with Lyne or Killian to pick up Collins and put pressure on Cork up high- more than likely Lyne given his pace & accuracy. O'Brien on the "40", Buckley to drift in from the wing to midfield. Cork look predictable- Shields, Cadogan, Goold, O'Connor X 2, no new blood- Kerry by 4/5 with Gooch, Maher & Geaney all on in final quarter.
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Post by baurtregaum on Jul 3, 2015 22:37:46 GMT
This is a "horses for courses" team, not our best 15; if we were playing All Ireland final on Sunday doubt if this would be starting 15; we are picking on form in training, or so we are told, but if we did this we would have a different 15 each day. We have a team that can retain Sam, but question has to be what is the team! Enright on Hurley, Marc on Colm O'Neill; think Fionn will play wing back with Lyne or Killian to pick up Collins and put pressure on Cork up high- more than likely Lyne given his pace & accuracy. O'Brien on the "40", Buckley to drift in from the wing to midfield. Cork look predictable- Shields, Cadogan, Goold, O'Connor X 2, no new blood- Kerry by 4/5 with Gooch, Maher & Geaney all on in final quarter. Agreed re your match ups. The forecast is poor which will affect attendance. It is hard to know which team will play better in the wet. How do people see the Cork backs/ Kerry forwards matching up? Looking forward to this one now, a brave selection by Fitzmaurice but this will drive on competition within the squad and help eliminate any complacency.
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Post by skybluezone on Jul 3, 2015 23:07:57 GMT
Donnacha's goal against Dublin in 2013 was one of the best you will see. How he beat Cluxton at his near post still amazes me. Getting back to the game, I really don't like that line up. I have great faith in EF but I don't buy into this team Selection. JOD hasn't kicked a ball all year. BJK mixes the sublime with the ridiculous. Not consistent enough for me to start. Either Geaney or Gooch for me has to start. Heading down the road now... More nervous than I was before he named that team. Bit of a contradiction royalkerry. JOD hasn't kicked a ball,fair enough. But Gooch is in the same boat, and you want him to start?
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Post by agoalisworth3pts on Jul 3, 2015 23:50:17 GMT
Christ I thought we were long past doubting what an absolutely brilliant player Donnchadh Walsh is. just my opinion but think donnchadh walsh has been every bit as good as paul galvin for kerry if not a better just never really appreciated as much by kerry supporters
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Post by kerrybhoy06 on Jul 4, 2015 0:00:08 GMT
Just to weigh into the Donnchadh Walsh debate- I fall between the 2 opinions here! In no way is he "an absolutely brilliant player" but he is very much deserving of his place in the team.
Now let me explain- in order for a team to be successful it needs to comprise a certain amount of balance across all lines of the team and in general. Games are rarely won by playing your best 15 players- however, they are won by playing your best team.
Walsh brings something to the Kerry team that is vital and he is very much deserving of his place- I would say that he is brilliant at what he does but I wouldnt describe him as a brilliant player
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Post by royalkerryfan on Jul 4, 2015 0:07:41 GMT
Donnacha's goal against Dublin in 2013 was one of the best you will see. How he beat Cluxton at his near post still amazes me. Getting back to the game, I really don't like that line up. I have great faith in EF but I don't buy into this team Selection. JOD hasn't kicked a ball all year. BJK mixes the sublime with the ridiculous. Not consistent enough for me to start. Either Geaney or Gooch for me has to start. Heading down the road now... More nervous than I was before he named that team. Bit of a contradiction royalkerry. JOD hasn't kicked a ball,fair enough. But Gooch is in the same boat, and you want him to start? Gooch is the best footballer over the last 20 years. JOD is fantastic but he is not Gooch.
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Post by Mickmack on Jul 4, 2015 7:42:52 GMT
Big second half by Cork in the 2008 Munster Final
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Post by kerrygold on Jul 4, 2015 9:42:01 GMT
GAA bench is about as luxurious as a weekend on Lough Derg Páidí Ó Sé didn’t speak to Mick O’Dwyer for two years after he was put there
Keith Duggan
Sat, Jul 4, 2015, 10:03 First published: Sat, Jul 4, 2015, 10:03
Ah, the bench. Is there a more complex or analysed piece of furniture in the entire catalogue of GAA interior and exterior decor? Thursday night’s news that Colm Cooper had – as rumour predicted – been ‘dropped’ to the Kerry bench for tomorrow’s Munster final served to confirm that the Gael has a psychologically strained relationship with that plain and grimly functional seating apparatus. All counties struggle with the concept of the bench but nowhere is it more feared or analysed than in Kerry, where they have developed a niche and highly profitable line of psychoanalysis exploring the long-term effects of the bench on players and supporters alike. For well over a decade now, GAA managers have been earnestly assuring their public – and their players – that the team “is only as good as its bench”. This idea is often cold comfort to the same public, who scan the match programme over a choc-ice on match day and grumble to their neighbour that the bench is no f****ing good at all. “There’s no one on yon bench at all,” they will complain, as if their manager has chosen a reserve list of ghosts. Kilkenny’s Joey Holden in action against Wexford’s Conor McDonald. The full back will face a stiffer test against Galway’s Joe Canning at Croke Park. Photograph: James Crombie/InphoKilkenny’s firepower still looks formidable Séamus Harnedy: the return of their primary ball-winner will be a significant boost to Jimmy McCarthy’s Cork side. Photograph: Cathal Noonan/InphoCork still strong enough to end Wexford’s campaign Joe Canning no longer has to carry Galway forward line on his shoulders. Photograph: James Crombie/InphoGalway are always capable of surprising Kilkenny but it’s hard to see it this time Liam Dunne: “The blame comes back to me but there has to be consequences for players as well. We will be seeing the start of some fellas’ careers and the end of others’.” Photograph: James Crombie/InphoNo-frills Liam Dunne urges Wexford boys to lose baggage Éamonn Fitzmaurice made the move into management with what appeared to be seamless ease. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho Kerry flying under radar as they prepare to swoop again This 20-man lark is also of scant consolation to the players whose destiny it is to sit on the bench. When all is said and done, managerial tributes to players left on the bench are just a more humane way of telling them that although haven’t been picked to start, they haven’t been forgotten about – entirely. The traditional design of the GAA bench hasn’t helped matters. American sports stars recline on padded seats, passing their digits to the bored companions of movie stars; they have a full-waiter service to fetch them towels and cocktails and standby masseuses to ease any stiffness. The GAA offers no such frills to its players. The GAA bench is about as luxurious as a weekend on Lough Derg. It’s a bare and often unvarnished splinter-ridden thing, resentful in aspect and tucked away in the shadows of the dug-out, as if its guests were best off out of sight. Present but not there. In vogue In order to accommodate the fact that there are more very good players in most counties than there are starting places, the concept of the “20-man game” has been in vogue in recent years. For decades, managers were loath to turn to their bench and make a substitution: throughout the 1970s, in fact, making a substitution was like admitting to the world that you were wrong. There were a good few years when the substitutes of most All-Ireland teams could have brought a few kegs of beer and a ghetto blaster into their dug out. To be substituted was interpreted by the departing player as an absolutely mortifying humiliation. The only way around it was to affect an elaborate and unmistakable limp as you departed the scene, shaking your head as if you despaired of ever walking properly again. The corner forward was always the first man for the chop, victim of the sort of last-in-first-out policy which prevailed in GAA managerial thinking until Mickey Harte showed the world a new way by taking Peter Canavan off – and then putting him back on again. Most counties have their treasured stories of hitherto unremarkable players who suddenly went all Braveheart when sprung from the bench, casually knocking over stupendous points from all angles. A clamour for his elevation to the starting XV quickly followed but, mysteriously and inevitably, that magical form would desert the super-sub once he was required to play from the start. As a first-teamer, he started no fires. So it was accepted that the bench, for whatever reason, ‘suited’ the temperament of some fellas. But only some! It has become clear that most Gaels just aren’t emotionally or psychologically equipped for the bench life. The most famous case, naturally enough, belongs to Kerry, when the late lamented Páidí Ó Sé responded to Mick O’Dwyer’s decision not to pick him for the ’88 Munster final by not really talking to him for two years. In the end Páidí conceded that O’Dwyer was right and all was forgiven, if not forgotten. But the magnificence of the sulk is not diminished by Ó Sé’s admission that the manager was right. Ó Sé’s unhappiness was directed at the heartlessness – the torture – of the bench as much as at his manager. The man had started for Kerry all his life. He genuinely didn’t know what to do on a bench. He literally didn’t know how to sit still. A stranger would recognise that about him after five minutes flat. Páidí Ó Sé was basically an uncontainable bundle of energy and nerves in a crew-cut. Expecting a man like that to observe a Munster final with his boots on – just yards from the action but surplus to requirements – was a form of torture. Beautiful economy Of course in his more mature years, Páidí found himself in Mick O’Dwyer’s shoes and caused a minor outrage of his own by consigning Maurice Fitzgerald to the bench. As it happened, Maurice Fitz was the most imperturbable cat to ever to set foot in a GAA ground – apart from the appearance of Prince in Páirc Uí Chaoimh for 1990’s Nude tour. Fitzgerald played the game with such beautiful economy of effort and movement that it would have been no surprise had he taken a bench – or a full-on armchair – onto the field so he could relax while the ball was down the other end. There are still parts of Kerry where they just shake their heads and whisper darkly how no good ever came of ‘dropping’ Maurice Fitz. And now Colm Cooper, the perpetual #13, joins the list of demoted Kerry gods, sending a wave of tremors throughout the Kingdom. Questions abound. Was it even legal to drop the Killarney man without some sort of emergency session featuring all living former All-Ireland winners with five medals or more – and the entire Healy-Rae clan? Wouldn’t this set in motion an entire year of piseogs. The only previous time anyone could remember the Coop languishing – for that is how the true greats must reside on a bench – amongst the substitutes was when he was hobbling on crutches and had one of his pegs encased in Plaster of Paris. They still reckoned he was responsible for 1-2 that day – through pure influence. But to voluntarily not pick young Cooper is a different scenario entirely. True, he will sit among exalted company for tomorrow’s Munster final. And true, the bench has lost much of its stigma in recent years with habitual heavyweight teams like Dublin loading their reserve places with All-Stars and All-Ireland winners. The manager has lost his fear of the substitution. It is, after all, a 20-man game. Still, holding Colm Cooper in the wings seems like toying with the natural order of things. They did the same with Kieran Donaghy a year ago. And look how that worked out . . .
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Post by kerrygold on Jul 4, 2015 9:43:31 GMT
Kerry flying under radar as they prepare to swoop again Éamonn Fitzmaurice is hungry for more silverware after unconvincing league run
Keith Duggan
Sat, Jul 4, 2015, 01:00
In the litany of minor miracles concocted by Kerry last summer, their Munster final win against Cork has been almost forgotten. It takes a singular kind of genius to guide the most successful county in the history of Gaelic football into the All-Ireland championship under a cloak of invisibility but that is what Éamonn Fitzmaurice achieved last year. With Colm Cooper injured and a carful of senior figures bowing out, the Kingdom were discounted. They were given a pass for one year. People forgot and paid no notice. And then September came and went and Kerry were All-Ireland champions for the 37th time. It was a coup. Are they at it again? Consider Kerry in the league this year. True to form under Fitzmaurice, they have been flamboyantly ordinary. They gave the impression that they offer nothing for other serious teams to be worried about, even conceding an eye-watering 3-17 Cork. Their leaky defence was something Fitzmaurice was happy to reference at a recent press event. Cork defender James Loughrey: “Personally I’ll never forget the Munster final,” he said of last year, “and I’m sure a lot of the boys won’t, but collectively – it was just a game.” Photograph: James Crombie/InphoKerry hold aces in Munster showdown with neighbours This is where Colm Cooper is used to being, in the Kerry starting XV. Photograph: Donall Farmer/InphoGAA bench is about as luxurious as a weekend on Lough Derg “It’s something we’ve been looking at all year, to be honest, because we definitely conceded the biggest score in Division One. It is an area that we’re always working on and that we’ve had to work on. The Cork forwards are going to be a step-up again. If they line out similar to the way they lined out the last day, they’ve a lot of different scoring threats even coming from deep at half-back and so on. It’ll be a big test of us and hopefully the work we’ve done in the meantime will have helped.” Last summer Kerry proved that they could mix it anyway they chose. Their Munster final win in Páirc Uí Chaoimh was so emphatic – 0-24 to 0-12 – that the examination focused on what might be ailing Cork rather than what Kerry might do afterwards. Sauntered through Their quarter-final match against Galway was an exhibition of totally open football: the way that Thomas Flynn sauntered through the centre of the Kingdom’s defence made them look like a soft touch. But that was the day David Moran became a starter. They were outclassed by 14-man Mayo in the second half of the semi-final in Croke Park but were stubborn enough hang around and filch another chance. That was the day they rediscovered Kieran Donaghy. In the replay in the Gaelic Grounds, there were flinty and unflinching in what became an extraordinarily tough game. The future All-Ireland champions were born that night. In the All-Ireland final, against Donegal, they were out-and-out pragmatic: blanket defence, man-marking Michael Murphy all over the field. They did what they needed to do to win. The recent comments of Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney that Kerry – and Dublin – are the most physical teams in the game seemed to add substance to the theory that Kerry have become a different kind of football team in recent years. “I think that was him just being honest. I think that was him trying to pull Donegal’s tail more than saying anything about Kerry or Dublin,” Fitzmaurice says. “Look, there is a perception out there maybe that we were pushing boundaries. I don’t think we are. We wouldn’t have conceded the biggest score in the league if that was the case. Last year, we were under the radar, there was very little focus on us. “There are some very good referees out there, they know the story. I’m sure if we are pushing the boundaries too far we’ll be found out. We had no red card in the league, like.” It is a fair point – as is Fitzmaurice’s recent contention that Cork are “the most maligned bunch in the country full stop, football or hurling”. He wasn’t trying to butter Cork up so much as stating a fact. While the Cork side that won the All-Ireland in 2010 has largely broken up, they were criticised for not winning more rather than being lauded for that achievement. This season they’ve spent the league rebuilding and have looked impressive, even if Dublin’s ominously comfortable win in the final still leaves them entering the summer with question marks hanging over them. Still, Cork do frustrate people. The talent has been there in abundance for almost a decade now but they blow hot and cold. Minor waves Fitzmaurice’s former team-mate and player Tomás Ó Sé addressed the riddle of Cork recently. The minor waves caused by his remark that ‘Cork can’t be trusted’ distracted from the solidity of the points he made – that the defensive and attacking talent is there but that their issues lie in leadership. Chances are the observations weren’t lost on the Cork squad. If Fitzmaurice was bothered by the candour, he has managed to hide it well. “Look, with Tomás, that’s his opinion,” Fitzmaurice says. “I think that’s the attraction of him as a pundit. Outside of the dressing room, because he would have kept a very low profile in general, many people wouldn’t have known that he’s sharp on the game and very insightful and he’s honest and he’ll say what he’s thinking. That’s Tomás’s opinion and he’s entitled to his opinion but it definitely wouldn’t be my opinion and it wouldn’t be anyone’s opinion in the camp. I imagine Brian Cuthbert was rubbing his hands together in glee when Tomás said it because Cork are very motivated anyway. They’re more motivated considering the amount of bad press they got after the league final, even though they had a very good league up to that point, beating all of the famous ‘big four’ that are there, beating Monaghan above in their own backyard. Not too many teams do it.” The response was typical Fitzmaurice. It didn’t shirk the issue but it was understated. And it contained an interesting observation of its own. Tomás Ó Sé was such a steadfastly elusive presence during his decade-long Kerry career that it is still surprising to see him as he now appears on The Sunday Game: opinionated and good-humoured and direct. While he was playing with Kerry, all of that stayed buttoned up. It is the Kerry way. Keeping things in-house has been an obsession which set in during the late Páidí Ó Sé’s time in charge, and hasn’t left. Fitzmaurice has made the move from the smart, reliable defender to smart, understated All-Ireland-winning manager with what appeared to be seamless ease. He has never publicly come close to losing his cool or saying the wrong thing or making a false move. The pressures of managing the Kerry football team must be considerable – as RTÉ’s tribute to Páidí Ó Sé, Legacy, documented. But if Fitzmaurice feels it, he keeps it buried. Every day out has hidden landmines. If winning in Páirc Uí Chaoimh a year ago was such an unexpected coup, then winning on Sunday is no more than the Kerry faithful will expect. Or demand. The Kingdom have been unbeaten in Fitzgerald stadium since 1995. That carries its own pressure. That whisper: they have to lose there some day. “There probably is a bit about that but that’s not something you can really think about. It might be something you think about afterwards when you’ve won and you can say, ‘Jeez, it was good to preserve that record’. But it’s not something we can use for motivational purposes. Over those 20 years, certainly when I was playing, there was a couple of days when we were very lucky to maintain that record. “Bryan Sheehan kicked big frees a couple of times in ’09. There were days when Cork had us beaten and we barely got out of Dodge, so of course it’s a record you want to preserve but this is an independent fixture and we’re just focusing on the game and afterwards, if we have preserved it, brilliant.” Avoiding Dublin The nature of this year’s draw means that winner of Sunday’s final almost certainly cannot meet Dublin until the All-Ireland final, should both counties get that far. It is a measure of the threat that Dublin now present that Fitzmaurice is asked if avoiding Dublin is an incentive for both teams. It could be construed as a kind of insult: Kerry are, after all, the reigning All-Ireland champions. They have Colm Cooper back. But Fitzmaurice absorbs the question and its implications and offers an answer that defuses everything. “No, we’re not thinking down that road. We’re focused on Sunday and we want to win the game, win a Munster Championship, which is a big thing in its own right. Get a bit of silverware and we’ll start looking at roads and routes and everything else after that. All I know from experience is the qualifier route is full of potholes, so if you can win a Munster Championship and go straight to Croke Park, you’re happier. But we’re not thinking about that. It’s Cork; it’s Cork in Killarney. It’s a Munster final, it’s a big game and it’s a means to an end and after that we’ll start.” Start to think about it, just like they did last year. Almost invisible this year too – except they are the All-Ireland champions.
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keane
Fanatical Member
Posts: 1,267
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Post by keane on Jul 4, 2015 10:19:55 GMT
Just to weigh into the Donnchadh Walsh debate- I fall between the 2 opinions here! In no way is he "an absolutely brilliant player" but he is very much deserving of his place in the team. Now let me explain- in order for a team to be successful it needs to comprise a certain amount of balance across all lines of the team and in general. Games are rarely won by playing your best 15 players- however, they are won by playing your best team. Walsh brings something to the Kerry team that is vital and he is very much deserving of his place- I would say that he is brilliant at what he does but I wouldnt describe him as a brilliant player I'd recommend taking the first 20 minutes on Sunday if you're at the game and just watch Walsh exclusively. Every time a Kerry player is in trouble he will be there. There are very few players as good at reading the game, nobody but nobody makes better support runs, his link up play, ability to make space for others etc are all just superb.
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Post by buck02 on Jul 4, 2015 10:24:39 GMT
A bit like this time last year, its hard not to feel a bit uneasy going into this one as we have no real idea yet just exactly how the team are going. There were glimpses of "the good, the bad and the ugly" in the Tipp game but in the end Kerry seemed to be going through the motions with tomorrow in mind.
Kerrys backs generally perform when there are question marks over them, but it will be vital that Kerry protect whoever is tasked with marking Hurley and O Neill (Enright and Fionn?) - so I expect Peter Crowley to be giving plenty of cover to our lads in the full back line. Midfield is an area we can profit from I feel, especially with Maher to come on to steady the ship with 20 minutes to go. Up front, my main worry is that the likes of O Brien and Barry John will be that little bit too eager to impress (and maybe looking towards the bench) and be prone to taking some wrong options as a consequence of this.
Worse Cork teams have come to Killarney in the last 20 years and brought the tie to a replay so I think this will be closer than many expect. Still its hard not to look to both benches and think that in the last 20 minutes Kerry will have the better players on the pitch and I expect a 3 or 4 point win. I'll go with Kerry 1-16 Cork 2-10.
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Post by kerrybhoy06 on Jul 4, 2015 10:44:36 GMT
Just to weigh into the Donnchadh Walsh debate- I fall between the 2 opinions here! In no way is he "an absolutely brilliant player" but he is very much deserving of his place in the team. Now let me explain- in order for a team to be successful it needs to comprise a certain amount of balance across all lines of the team and in general. Games are rarely won by playing your best 15 players- however, they are won by playing your best team. Walsh brings something to the Kerry team that is vital and he is very much deserving of his place- I would say that he is brilliant at what he does but I wouldnt describe him as a brilliant player I'd recommend taking the first 20 minutes on Sunday if you're at the game and just watch Walsh exclusively. Every time a Kerry player is in trouble he will be there. There are very few players as good at reading the game, nobody but nobody makes better support runs, his link up play, ability to make space for others etc are all just superb. I guess in a way we are arguing semantics-I rate Walsh highly but reserve the classification of brilliant for very few players. I do think in his specific role- he is a vital player and is superb at what he does.
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keane
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Post by keane on Jul 4, 2015 11:40:29 GMT
I guess in a way we are arguing semantics-I rate Walsh highly but reserve the classification of brilliant for very few players. I do think in his specific role- he is a vital player and is superb at what he does. Yeah you're probably right. I would have no problem calling Michael Dara at his best as brilliant, which I'm sure other people will baulk at while agreeing with how effective he is so it's probably just a subjective definitions thing! I would say Donnchadh's actual skill level is quite underrated also with him being constantly referred to as a workhorse or a water carrier etc, but again you probably wouldn't disagree with me there either!
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keane
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Post by keane on Jul 4, 2015 11:44:22 GMT
Kerrys backs generally perform when there are question marks over them, but it will be vital that Kerry protect whoever is tasked with marking Hurley and O Neill (Enright and Fionn?) - so I expect Peter Crowley to be giving plenty of cover to our lads in the full back line. Midfield is an area we can profit from I feel, especially with Maher to come on to steady the ship with 20 minutes to go. Up front, my main worry is that the likes of O Brien and Barry John will be that little bit too eager to impress (and maybe looking towards the bench) and be prone to taking some wrong options as a consequence of this. In fairness to Barry John, he used every ball well against Tipp. He's definitely suffered from over-eagerness to impress in the past but if training is going as we're told it is he deserves his chance to start. Fingers crossed neither of the two lads feel they have to take too much on for the sake of impressing - making the right decisions for the team is obviously the most impressive thing of all! One thing I would say about Barry John is that he's always good against Cork. Even in the league game when a few guys struggled I thought he had a good game. Do people think there will be someone detailed to track Collins (Killian maybe) or will he be allowed to roam?
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Post by Mickmack on Jul 4, 2015 11:56:50 GMT
what was it again that Winston Churchill said in similar circumstances...
"We shall fight them on the benches"
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Post by Chinatown on Jul 4, 2015 12:14:27 GMT
what was it again that Winston Churchill said in similar circumstances... "We shall fight them on the benches"Quickly followed by (we hope), well Winston, what do you think of that...
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Post by Chinatown on Jul 4, 2015 15:44:29 GMT
Journey starts on 1700 from heuston. Seems to be bit of chaos over seat reservations, all part of the journey I suppose
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