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Post by taggert on Jan 22, 2022 12:13:52 GMT
Must say I have to disagree on PG. So are we saying that he should be in because the other 2 wont track back either or would only do so as half hearted as he does? See Tyrone game. That is a nonsense for me. As an aside, I think we should have Clifford and 1 from Spillane, Brosnan and PG inside. PG would be a last 10 mins option for me. With Seanie and Paudie we need other types of players. Dont think we can accommodate 3 shooters inside the full fwd line. My point is more that tracking ability isn’t the main deciding factor when we’re selecting the full forward line. To be fair to Geaney, under PK, he was usually tasked with coming back into the defence and I thought he did that well. Speaking of Tyrone is McCurry any better of a tracker than our lads? I don’t think so. I think Geaney and Brosnan and our other inside forwards are completely capable of staying with their man. Maybe it’s more an attitude thing if we’re worried about it, make it clear that it’s unacceptable for the corner forward’s marker to score. The whole Tyrone full back line scoring against us certainly was a negative. Only having 2 inside might have merit. It might allow us to keep the 2 inside forwards as well as Seanie and Paudie up if we have 2 working wing forwards. Then again if we’ve 3 lethal inside forwards it really worries the opposition. Paudie has a phenomenal engine so maybe an up and down the pitch, picking up ball everywhere role might suit him too. It’ll be interesting to see how it develops throughout the year. In agreement that this aspect alone is not and should not be a deciding factor in selection but the PG of '14 is long gone and the PG of '19 replay is gone too. I would live with the blemishes in his game if he were that force but for me at top tier county level, he is no longer. Not his fault, its natures. Again, my opinion and happy for him to stuff it down my throat later in 2022!!!! A key part of Tyrone winning the All Ireland for me was because they managed to kick points from distance (no matter the number on their back) in Ulster Final, All Irl Semi and Final and this is something we neec to work on - if all our shooters are inside, teams will simply put a mass of bodies back and leave no space. Who can kick points from distance for us - TomSul, Moran, Diarmuid, Seanie, David....Savage, others?
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Post by taggert on Jan 22, 2022 15:27:06 GMT
Facile victory for Kerry.
Geaney pick of the forwards along with Paudie. Spillane good first half but faded. Brosnan not great. Good workrate by Spillane in midfield and good goal by TomSul. Jack Savage played well for me - retained possession well and scored a great point and offers something different which we need. Hurley destroyed Jason Foley - again - from start to finish.
Cork were abject and are so naive defensively, they are like an u12 team. Suspect they will have a lot of bodies behind the ball in May.
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Post by Mickmack on Jan 22, 2022 16:06:50 GMT
My point is more that tracking ability isn’t the main deciding factor when we’re selecting the full forward line. To be fair to Geaney, under PK, he was usually tasked with coming back into the defence and I thought he did that well. Speaking of Tyrone is McCurry any better of a tracker than our lads? I don’t think so. I think Geaney and Brosnan and our other inside forwards are completely capable of staying with their man. Maybe it’s more an attitude thing if we’re worried about it, make it clear that it’s unacceptable for the corner forward’s marker to score. The whole Tyrone full back line scoring against us certainly was a negative. Only having 2 inside might have merit. It might allow us to keep the 2 inside forwards as well as Seanie and Paudie up if we have 2 working wing forwards. Then again if we’ve 3 lethal inside forwards it really worries the opposition. Paudie has a phenomenal engine so maybe an up and down the pitch, picking up ball everywhere role might suit him too. It’ll be interesting to see how it develops throughout the year. In agreement that this aspect alone is not and should not be a deciding factor in selection but the PG of '14 is long gone and the PG of '19 replay is gone too. I would live with the blemishes in his game if he were that force but for me at top tier county level, he is no longer. Not his fault, its natures. Again, my opinion and happy for him to stuff it down my throat later in 2022!!!! A key part of Tyrone winning the All Ireland for me was because they managed to kick points from distance (no matter the number on their back) in Ulster Final, All Irl Semi and Final and this is something we neec to work on - if all our shooters are inside, teams will simply put a mass of bodies back and leave no space. Who can kick points from distance for us - TomSul, Moran, Diarmuid, Seanie, David....Savage, others? The 10% or 15% improvement on 2021 thats needed has to come in two areas in my book; Forwards converting possession into scores Forwards not playing into the hands of well organised defenses and being stripped of possession. Kerry need to be kicking 5 or 6 points from play from around 40 metres. Brian Hurley showed how its done in the first half. Adrian hit the post with one effort and Paudies effort was flagged wide. Jack S showed the way in the second and of course DC slung over a couple. More needed in that department. Jack will draw confidence from this but no one was in his face today and the worry remains that he will react to every provocation. He clearly can made a difference if he can ignore that. A few lads that looked stale last year look to be mad for road this year especially PG and Adrian S. I liked the look of Dan oDonoghue too. Superb picture on stream and i think it was Sean oSullivan who was very good as co commentator.
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Post by The16thMan on Jan 22, 2022 16:09:09 GMT
Very average Kerry performance, we won by 12 but should have won by a lot more. Wasted a lot of ball, Brosnan and Burns were poor. Didn't do their cause any help. Seánie was average as well. Paudie and Geaney were the standouts, Spillane wasn't bad either. Backs were tight enough to stop any real goal chances from Cork. That was like a Kerry performance at only about 60%.
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Post by kerrybhoy06 on Jan 22, 2022 16:23:16 GMT
Good performance but cork were poor. Was disappointed to not see all the subs get a run as there was unlimited subs and I’d like to have seen Jack o Shea get on Geaney looked lively and a lot better than he has for the last couple of years.
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mike70
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Post by mike70 on Jan 22, 2022 16:39:30 GMT
Lads we all knew cork were poor going into this game, lots of new faces in there side, the result was as expected.
I think for kerry it was all about a run out and look at any patterns of play ahead of NFL, I think we saw that in the resemblance of a defence set up with good transition to the inside line, as well as some kick out experiments.
The next thing for kerry would be individual performances and getting games into likes of GW.
I don’t think anyone is reading anything into this GAME, other than a good work out for the kerry lads ahead of NFL, it is a pity that cork were not more competitive. I do think Ricken has 2 many players in his hands, he needs more focus on a tighter panel.
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Post by Whosinmidfield on Jan 22, 2022 16:48:31 GMT
Paul Geaney definitely the standout player today. Also thought Tadhg Morley was very good at centre back and Jack Savage impressed from the bench. The 2 Spillanes probably best of the rest. On the other hand Foley really struggled on Hurley. Also Shane Murphy mixed a few excellent kickouts with a few poor ones. Overall I think the McGrath cup has given the panel a few run outs so we should be at a decent level when taking on Kildare next week.
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Post by john4 on Jan 22, 2022 17:02:22 GMT
Tadhg Morley was unfortunately the stand out victim of the PK regime for me. He was persistently tried at full back, which he is not and never will be, he's a very athletic footballer and imo is better anywhere out the field. He has every right to feel that he's lost out on 3 years.
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mike70
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Post by mike70 on Jan 22, 2022 17:07:11 GMT
Tadhg Morley was unfortunately the stand out victim of the PK regime for me. He was persistently tried at full back, which he is not and never will be, he's a very athletic footballer and imo is better anywhere out the field. He has every right to feel that he's lost out on 3 years. Morley at 6 for me, solid, but keep him back, good reader of the game.
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Post by onlykerry on Jan 22, 2022 18:07:41 GMT
Interesting run out for Kerry and as stated above Cork offered little resistance - at the same time there were some lessons and insights. Shane Murphy gave a very mixed display - some brilliant kicks to players on the move but when the outfield players were static and Cork pushed up he seemed flumoxed. Nearly caught again with a turnover when he was miles from his goal and saved by Cork inaccuracy. Made one good save but seemed hesitant on another occasion under a high ball to Hurley. Foley's achilleas heel seems to be physically strong opponents and he seems to lack upper body strength to deal with them. Jack Savage played very smartly and moved the ball with speed - no sign of the old Jack who ran over and back with the ball before finally playing it - keep it up and he will be knocking on the door come championship. Tony Brosnan tried hard, too hard in some ways. He needs to relax and stop trying to win the game on his own - easier said than done if he is feeling under pressure to show what he can do. Paul Geaney was excellent with my only gripe being his final product at times - this is what has left Kerry down on the big stage and in this non contest he got on a lot of good ball but was not clinical with it always. Gavin White showed well at times but his ball handling showed signs of rustiness - should (and must) improve with games. All bar three of the bench got some game time today and it will be interesting to see what happens next weekend when the real season kicks off. Bemused by the comments above re-Moran. For me if he is not fit and playing Kerry's chances of winning Sam will be severely diminished - there is no sign of a stand out mid-fielder pushing him out of the team and this warrior is still one of the best mid-fielders in the country. Midfield was ok for us today but Moran/O Connor/Barry would still be the 8 & 9 candidates on what I witnessed. We badly need somebody to put their hand up in this part of the field.
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Post by misteallaigh abú on Jan 22, 2022 18:22:02 GMT
I was delighted to see Paul Geaney play as well as he did today. His pass for the first goal was sublime. He was excellent in possession and his finishing was very sharp. Killian Spillane was excellent, at times and Adrian was very good around the centre until he appeared to injure his hand. I really didn’t see the sense in bringing David Clifford in for the last 15 minutes when the game was over long before then. What was the rationale behind it? We know what he brings and what he is capable of so why bring him in instead of someone who hasn’t had as much game time? A good work out overall, the tackling and turn overs were very good and it was noticeable how much more comfortable on the ball the Kerry players were compared to their opponents. Granted there was a difference in terms of experience. Cork lacked a bit up front, apart from Hurley. I travelled to Carlow on Wednesday evening to see how Kildare were shaping up. Quite an experimental line up and I saw Kevin Feeley pulling up during the warm up. Laois dogged them for the evening and won on penalties. Kildare have major issues around the middle of the field, experienced players like Tommy Moolick would be an invaluable asset to such a young team and it showed on Wednesday evening. Kerry will account for Kildare comfortably next Sunday. Glenn Ryan is missing 3/4 of his best players and that will be a major disadvantage against us. It will be an interesting and eventful league, really looking forward to it and not having to worry about tickets, capacity etc.
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Post by givehimaball on Jan 22, 2022 18:43:08 GMT
Key stat for me is 31 shots from play and only 14 converted - a 45% conversion rate is very poor stuff, especially when the quality of the Cork defenders is factored in.
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Post by dc84 on Jan 22, 2022 19:09:04 GMT
Didn't see the match , never saw as much comments about a mcgrath cup before ! Can't wait for next Saturday when the real(ish) stuff starts!
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Post by southward on Jan 22, 2022 20:29:03 GMT
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Post by colinsworth1 on Jan 22, 2022 21:21:19 GMT
No one getting carried away here it’s early days and the opposition was weak today But am I right in saying it’s going to be ultra competitive getting a spot on this team this year If so that’s good news hoping for a few more new options too
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Post by royalkerryfan on Jan 22, 2022 21:58:25 GMT
Just watched the game, Very good performances for January. Cork were very poor with only Hurley a danger for them. Roll on Newbridge on Sunday.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2022 23:57:25 GMT
I remember Aidan O'Shea bullying our midfield in the 2019 league final and then I remember Moran stamped out O'Shea in the super 8s game in killarney, I think Moran still has a place in the Kerry team horse, he's a giant and I'd have him coming in for the last 20/25 mins if he'd be up for it. Yes, but that is so also three years ago at this stage. that's true horse but I wouldnt play him for 70 mins like PK did horse, I'd have him on in the last 20 to either manage the game or to try and win it. When was the Last time we won a tight game? If we were up by 1 or 2 points near the end of the game and the opposition were pressing our goalies kickouts who would you like out around the middle, Adrian Spillane Jack Barry Seán O'Shea Diarmuid or a fresh Monster like David Moran? I know I'd rather see a fresh off the bench Moran taking a mark and he has the ability to kick a booming 60 yarder into a Clifford or Geaney or killian . Hes also handy to have on the goal line for late frees.
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Post by Ballyfireside on Jan 23, 2022 9:59:00 GMT
Yes, but that is so also three years ago at this stage. that's true horse but I wouldnt play him for 70 mins like PK did horse, I'd have him on in the last 20 to either manage the game or to try and win it. When was the Last time we won a tight game? If we were up by 1 or 2 points near the end of the game and the opposition were pressing our goalies kickouts who would you like out around the middle, Adrian Spillane Jack Barry Seán O'Shea Diarmuid or a fresh Monster like David Moran? I know I'd rather see a fresh off the bench Moran taking a mark and he has the ability to kick a booming 60 yarder into a Clifford or Geaney or killian . Hes also handy to have on the goal line for late frees. Such conversation is interesting but we are relying on reduced insight, i.e. closed doors, media trained 'spokespersons', etc - even auld Bertie openly bragged about how had this down to a fine art, easy given his ability to pick winners in the betting shop! Marking the likes of Hurley and McShane is damage limitation - PK dispensed with Jason until he figured that out, or should I say until it was figured out for him vs Mayo in 2019 League final.
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Post by veteran on Jan 23, 2022 11:34:53 GMT
It was truly uplifting to be in Fitzgerald Stadium yesterday as part of an eight thousand crowd. Very likely it would have been larger if more tickets were made available. Fellows are always ravenous for football at this time of the year but of course another ingredient existed yesterday. People were anxious to discard the shackles which have been imposed on them over the past couple of years. They were as determined to frolic and cavort with the same abandon as young calves do when first released to the brightness and expanse of a field after being housed in the dark, confined space of a calf house for the fist couple of months of their lives. Then , there there was the reassuring presence of the blue haze of the McGillicuddy Reeks. A presence which signalled , to this old man at least, a comforting continuity , a sense of permanent beauty, in contrast to a world of suffocating change , to a world, during the last two years, of oppressive ugliness. Unsurprisingly, the visit to the Stadium on a perfect, crisp January day acted as a balm to the soul, hinting there will always be beauty in the world but sometimes we need to look that bit harder to find it.
The happenings on the field complemented the mood of the day. We witnessed open football, full of movement and entertainment. Of course, the Cork followers may not have been as entertained but even they can take solace from some individual efforts in a side which was essentially a team of youngsters. The game was too civilised to act as a barometer for the challenges which lie around the corner.
We had scarcely checked our our programmes when Cork got inside our defence. One of their forwards, cannot remember who, was one on one with our goalie but Shane made a wonderful save. Imagine the fillip that goal would have been to the young Cork side. Slowly but inexorably Kerry got on top and once Tom O'Sullivan goaled majestically the outcome became clear at an early stage. The young Cork lads did not roll entirely and they got good contributions from Rory Maguire, Mathew Taylor, Colm O'Callaghan and above all Brian Hurley, particularly in the first half. Cork were further handicapped of course when Kevin O'Donovan was black carded for foolishly hand tripping one of the Kerry lads.
The second Kerry goal was spectacular too. Micheal Burns, who seemed to be corralled at the time, put in a beautiful kickpass across the goal to Paul Geaney who finished in style. I think Paul hit another effort against the post. We left a couple of more goals after us and I think another shot hit the post in the second half, ? Killian. Another one was lost when Dara Roche failed to see PG rushing in to the clear space but rather shot for a point which was blocked. Dara rightly got an earful for that from a couple of his colleagues. Michael Martin saved smartly also on a couple of occasions.
As already stated, Shane made that fine save and in the first half delivered a few masterful kicks out. He was less proficient in that area in the second and kicked a few in the direction of Colm O'Callaghan who was probably the best fielder on the pitch. He also wandered away from home in the second half and if Luke Connolly's effort was on target the ball would have finished in the unprotected net. As far as I can recall he did AWOL in the Limerick game also and was nearly lobbed. Guard your net Shane.
I was very impressed by Dan O'Donoghue in the right corner. He was replaced by Brian O'Beaghlaigh who also impressed. I am not sure why Dan was replaced. ? Injured. Perhaps the number two jersey is between these two lads? Where does that leave Dylan Casey?
Jason Foley played poorly yesterday finding Brian Hurley too hot. Brian is a very good forward and a lot of backs will struggle against him. However, there were two instances in the first half where I was disappointed with Jason. He and Brian contested two high balls in isolation. Ideally, Jason should have been able to field those balls, he does have a height advantage. At the very least he should have been able to get a strong fist to the ball. Both balls finished wide , presumably off the hands of the Cork man. In other words Jason's hands did not got near the ball. A worry. If the right corner birth is between the aforementioned two lads would Jack be bold enough to try Dylan Casey at full back against Kildare? I am a fan of Jason and maybe his pace and height would be an asset at wing back? I am not giving up on the idea of him at full back but Daniel Flynn, presumably, is the next challenge. That could be bothersome.
Tadgh Morley was solid at CHB without being too commanding. Gavin White, understandably, was rusty in his handling. As I have said before, I do hope Jack advises him to be more economical in his bursts up field.
I know there are people here who are enthusiastic about playing Sean O'Shea at midfield. I have expressed my reservations. I saw nothing yesterday to dispel those reservations. I acknowledge that we are short in this area at the moment due to injuries and club commitments. I am assuming Liam Kearney is out through injury as well. In those circumstances needs must and Jack's hand may be forced. Adrian Spillane did well yesterday and likewise Paul O'Shea when he came on. In any case I am an advocate of Sean returning to the forty. I know Paudie can be very effective there but he can be equally effective on the wing where we are also shorthanded ,especially with Dara Moynihan injured. Greg Horan did little when he came on.
Jack savage got on a lot of ball, used it wisely and kicked two glorious points.
Paul Geaney retains his craft and class and I would be slow to put him out to grass yet. At. least not until we find better. Nominations please.
Tony Brosnan got on a good deal of ball and unsuccessfully took on a few difficult shots which we regularly see him execute profitably for Dr. Crokes. I would dearly love to see Tony get regular starts in the NFL. I am convinced the ability is there. The problem is will he get those starts if Jack is determined , as he seems to be , to play the golden boy as often as possible. Kilian Spillane certainly has to start regularly on the basis of the form he is in. That leaves PG. Why not play Paul sparingly and give Tony those starts. I will be surprised if Tony does not give a good return on that investment.
I have said previously that I feel Jack's project is all about 2022. Because of that, perhaps there will be less patience with guys who are finding their intercounty feet. We will be wiser as the NFL progresses.
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Post by thehermit on Jan 23, 2022 12:26:19 GMT
Well can I start of by saying that after nearly two long bleak years, there is something very very special about being able to be at a Kerry match again where their are no restrictions or sub-zero temperatures to ward off a crowd.
The fact the car was abandoned as far down as the fire station will tell you how big the crowd heading in was. Honestly in all my years going to League matches in Fitzgerald Stadium I never remember having to have such a trek from the parking spot to the turnstile. The amount of C regs too was staggering for a McGrath Cup game. Like the Dubs those Cork boys love Killarney (Munster Council take note and stop this mad talk about having our next game in May in that bloody Pairc Ui Rinn.
I'm not sure what I can say really add about the match as most of us were either at it or streaming it. But I'll just give a few impressions anyway to justify the purchasing price of the laptop. On Cork Mr Ricken must feel like the Roman Engineer that lay the first brick of Hadrian's Wall. There is a long, long way to go. Michael Martin is a fine keeper and unlike his father a man you can depend on to mind the house. Some fine saves that stopped the scoreline becoming embarrassing. The old warrior Brian Hurely took the battle to Kerry too, but he was like a man leading a highland charge who finds out there's no one else running with him as the enemy ranks get too close for comfort (what is with all the Scottish references??)Anyway aside for that Cork were utterly forgettable. They made a fight of it for 10-15mins and then it was all over bar the semantics.
As for Kerry a strong side played out a routine win. Paul Geaney is as good as I've ever seen him. I wonder is he an aficionado of Dylan Thomas, this man is not going gently into any good night. He is like a player reborn and only the white wood denied what would have been a brilliant goal. But he made amends soon after to square off a mighty performance by the raising of the green. If he isn't one of the first names on the team sheet for the League then I know even less about football than I fear.
Ditto Killian. He might only have scored 2 points but both had a beauty to them to brighten a grey January afternoon. This man has to start from now on. Brosnan was like Burns, they both played their part without you ever feeling the urge to name check them in conversations with the other patrons. Hopefully the Crokes man gets a fair amount of League time so we can properly judge him.
Paudie was Paudie - grit, heart, speed, skill, determination. If he gets the long career he deserves he will be the fan favorite of this team. And I am convinced he will show for many years to come the Tyrone performance was only opening night nerves on the stage he was born to perform on.
Can I just point out two more things while I'm on about the top half of the field. One - Jack Savage's point around the 50min mark was the kind of score that shuts up that rational voice in your head that bemoans all the time, money, emotion spent on following Kerry. A moment that makes you smile and nod and go, feck it, on my deathbed this will be the last thing I'll ever regret. Two- yesterday was the moment I realised I've actually been taking David Clifford for granted - if such a thing is possible. I suspect, like a few more on here, I was shaking my head when the board went up wondering what was the need to bring the boy on for a mickey mouse game long won. And then you watch the movement, the skill and the scores. I think after 2 years more or less away from live football you actually become a little detached to genius.
Reading this people my start to think I'm an optimist at heart, believe me there was plenty to work on yesterday. Midfield was not tested at all. It was a humdrum sort of performance overall, Kerry could easily have routed the rebels and put a 20 point gap up. Instead they went through the motions and not too much more.
Dan O’Donoghue is the real deal for me and the fact Casey with a 29 on his back came on without even being on the program convinces me Jack intends to use him liberally in the League. But Hurely claimed far too much ball too easily. Our defence still makes the heart jump far too often for my liking. I'll await the Dubs and their firepower in 2 weeks to see how much real progress has been made in rearguard.
But for all that I'll end where I began - the simple pleasure, taken far too much for granted before the last two years, of being at a game with a big group of friends and heading down town afterwards for a few pints. The pounding in my head reminds me I indulged too much in the latter. But its been a long, long time since I was able to do a pub crawl in Killaney and then later in Tralee. Yes on days like yesterday I drink too much more than is probably good for me, but what is a life not sweetened by the grain (never could abide the gape myself).
So I'm going to finally arise, make myself a strong cup of tea and sober up enough just to head into Tralee and shout on my second love, the mighty men of Munster.
Looking forward to Newbridge and hope to see you all there!
P.S. No sign of Holly Valance last night, but hopes springs eternal.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2022 14:39:23 GMT
It was truly uplifting to be in Fitzgerald Stadium yesterday as part of an eight thousand crowd. Very likely it would have been larger if more tickets were made available. Fellows are always ravenous for football at this time of the year but of course another ingredient existed yesterday. People were anxious to discard the shackles which have been imposed on them over the past couple of years. They were as determined to frolic and cavort with the same abandon as young calves do when first released to the brightness and expanse of a field after being housed in the dark, confined space of a calf house for the fist couple of months of their lives. Then , there there was the reassuring presence of the blue haze of the McGillicuddy Reeks. A presence which signalled , to this old man at least, a comforting continuity , a sense of permanent beauty, in contrast to a world of suffocating change , to a world, during the last two years, of oppressive ugliness. Unsurprisingly, the visit to the Stadium on a perfect, crisp January day acted as a balm to the soul, hinting there will always be beauty in the world but sometimes we need to look that bit harder to find it. The happenings on the field complemented the mood of the day. We witnessed open football, full of movement and entertainment. Of course, the Cork followers may not have been as entertained but even they can take solace from some individual efforts in a side which was essentially a team of youngsters. The game was too civilised to act as a barometer for the challenges which lie around the corner. We had scarcely checked our our programmes when Cork got inside our defence. One of their forwards, cannot remember who, was one on one with our goalie but Shane made a wonderful save. Imagine the fillip that goal would have been to the young Cork side. Slowly but inexorably Kerry got on top and once Tom O'Sullivan goaled majestically the outcome became clear at an early stage. The young Cork lads did not roll entirely and they got good contributions from Rory Maguire, Mathew Taylor, Colm O'Callaghan and above all Brian Hurley, particularly in the first half. Cork were further handicapped of course when Kevin O'Donovan was black carded for foolishly hand tripping one of the Kerry lads. The second Kerry goal was spectacular too. Micheal Burns, who seemed to be corralled at the time, put in a beautiful kickpass across the goal to Paul Geaney who finished in style. I think Paul hit another effort against the post. We left a couple of more goals after us and I think another shot hit the post in the second half, ? Killian. Another one was lost when Dara Roche failed to see PG rushing in to the clear space but rather shot for a point which was blocked. Dara rightly got an earful for that from a couple of his colleagues. Michael Martin saved smartly also on a couple of occasions. As already stated, Shane made that fine save and in the first half delivered a few masterful kicks out. He was less proficient in that area in the second and kicked a few in the direction of Colm O'Callaghan who was probably the best fielder on the pitch. He also wandered away from home in the second half and if Luke Connolly's effort was on target the ball would have finished in the unprotected net. As far as I can recall he did AWOL in the Limerick game also and was nearly lobbed. Guard your net Shane. I was very impressed by Dan O'Donoghue in the right corner. He was replaced by Brian O'Beaghlaigh who also impressed. I am not sure why Dan was replaced. ? Injured. Perhaps the number two jersey is between these two lads? Where does that leave Dylan Casey? Jason Foley played poorly yesterday finding Brian Hurley too hot. Brian is a very good forward and a lot of backs will struggle against him. However, there were two instances in the first half where I was disappointed with Jason. He and Brian contested two high balls in isolation. Ideally, Jason should have been able to field those balls, he does have a height advantage. At the very least he should have been able to get a strong fist to the ball. Both balls finished wide , presumably off the hands of the Cork man. In other words Jason's hands did not got near the ball. A worry. If the right corner birth is between the aforementioned two lads would Jack be bold enough to try Dylan Casey at full back against Kildare? I am a fan of Jason and maybe his pace and height would be an asset at wing back? I am not giving up on the idea of him at full back but Daniel Flynn, presumably, is the next challenge. That could be bothersome. Tadgh Morley was solid at CHB without being too commanding. Gavin White, understandably, was rusty in his handling. As I have said before, I do hope Jack advises him to be more economical in his bursts up field. I know there are people here who are enthusiastic about playing Sean O'Shea at midfield. I have expressed my reservations. I saw nothing yesterday to dispel those reservations. I acknowledge that we are short in this area at the moment due to injuries and club commitments. I am assuming Liam Kearney is out through injury as well. In those circumstances needs must and Jack's hand may be forced. Adrian Spillane did well yesterday and likewise Paul O'Shea when he came on. In any case I am an advocate of Sean returning to the forty. I know Paudie can be very effective there but he can be equally effective on the wing where we are also shorthanded ,especially with Dara Moynihan injured. Greg Horan did little when he came on. Jack savage got on a lot of ball, used it wisely and kicked two glorious points. Paul Geaney retains his craft and class and I would be slow to put him out to grass yet. At. least not until we find better. Nominations please. Tony Brosnan got on a good deal of ball and unsuccessfully took on a few difficult shots which we regularly see him execute profitably for Dr. Crokes. I would dearly love to see Tony get regular starts in the NFL. I am convinced the ability is there. The problem is will he get those starts if Jack is determined , as he seems to be , to play the golden boy as often as possible. Kilian Spillane certainly has to start regularly on the basis of the form he is in. That leaves PG. Why not play Paul sparingly and give Tony those starts. I will be surprised if Tony does not give a good return on that investment. I have said previously that I feel Jack's project is all about 2022. Because of that, perhaps there will be less patience with guys who are finding their intercounty feet. We will be wiser as the NFL progresses. great summary there veteran, a few things, Dara Roach was never going to pass to Geaney as Dara Roach is an individual and not a team player imo, and I mentioned that when I heard he was brought into the squad. Morley did well as you said, but I also noticed that any time he had to leave his centreback position that Adrian slipped in to fill the gap, is that a Paddy Tally tactic!? Savage was pure class, I'd love to see a half forward line of Savage at 10 Seánie at 11 and Paudie at 12, I think the passing abilities of these 3 lads will unlock any blanket defence plus they can all score from distance, 3 great footballing brains. You then have a choice of David and either Paul Killian or Tony inside but David should stay inside as much as possible as he can't tackle without fouling.
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Post by piggott on Jan 23, 2022 15:08:24 GMT
We dont seem to have any option for No 3, it has always been a problem position. Dwyer converted Johnno to the position in 75 and later Seanie in 84. Jason should be given a chance at no 5 before discarding him.
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Post by Mickmack on Jan 23, 2022 15:13:52 GMT
Jason has to be the cleanest footballer ever to come out of North Kerry. You would love to see him 'knocking some lad back on his f.... aarse to check out his pulse' to quote Paidi
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Post by Whosinmidfield on Jan 23, 2022 15:21:24 GMT
We dont seem to have any option for No 3, it has always been a problem position. Dwyer converted Johnno to the position in 75 and later Seanie in 84. Jason should be given a chance at no 5 before discarding him. Foley definitely won’t be discarded based on a McGrath Cup game! He had a good year last year. Now there is a debate whether he’s the man to fill the number 3 position for the year but he’ll be on the bench at the very least. Dylan Casey and Stefan Okunbor are the alternatives but both are very untested at this level. Full back is a very tough position especially for an inter county rookie, both would probably find it easier to adapt to inter county level in other positions. Both are worth a look at in training at number 3 though and then whoever impresses, in a league game or 2. At the same time, Foley is still in pole position and a good option. Hurley causes him awful problems, his style is obviously one Foley struggles with. When we’re looking at a full back I think we need to look at 2 things; can they handle the top full forwards we’ll come up against in All Ireland semi finals and finals, think Con O’Callaghan and Cathal McShane, and how effective are they as the last line of defence in front of the goalkeeper.
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Post by taggert on Jan 23, 2022 16:56:54 GMT
We need at least 1 or 2 of Dan O'Donoghue, Dylan Casey, Jack O'Shea or Stefan Okunbar to make the breakthrough to the first team as defensively, I think we are absolutely far too lightweight and as well as that have far too many players who want to sally up the field but are uncomfortable minding the house. I love when Tom goes uo the pitch as it usually ends in a score for him or a team mate. Great end product. White, on the other hand, will either trip, run into a blind alley, get turned over or nearly do something good. Far too often. Given we have Dublin in a semi, should we negotiate the hurdles up to that point, a full back line of Begley, Foley and O'Sullivan would be utterly bullied by Kilkenny, Con and Rock. Its compounded by light lads like Murphy, White, Crowley etc and expecting anything other than falling short with this rearguard is madness in itself. Looking forward to the league to see new faces and some old bad habits being curtailed.
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horsebox77
Fanatical Member
Our trees & mountains are silent ghosts, they hold wisdom and knowledge mankind has long forgotten.
Posts: 1,993
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Post by horsebox77 on Jan 23, 2022 18:56:24 GMT
Yesterday was a non event as a game as Cork were that poor with the exception of their number twelve, apologies I can’t remember his name and Hurley up front.
The win did not flatter us as we left three goals at least behind us. Starting inside, Shane Murphy made one good save and had two excellent kickouts to the terrace wing to his club mate White but these two were overshadowed by three or four horror kicks in the second half, for me he does not command his square, isn’t vocal enough. Ryan for me is in pole position to start in Kildare.
As ye alluded to Dan O’Donoghue has been consistent and comfortable on the ball and confident, he was demanding the ball yesterday and very vocal to colleagues, I am a fan of Foley and let’s be honesty Hurley is class and will trouble most full backs, I also think Tadgh was very positionally astute, but stay at home no need to sally up. I was impressed with the physicality of Adrain, he was getting stuck in and doing the physical donkey work in the middle, he was also floating into the hole when any half back get attacking. Seanie was very quiet yesterday but I think the lack of cover will dictate his positioning there for the time being,
For me one side of our play was very imbalanced and weak yesterday, the right wing Murphy, Burns and Brosnan didn’t cut it for me, if you cannot stamp your capabilities and step up against a sub standard Cork side, well can you step up against a Mayo, Donegal or a Dublin… considering that we have options and people fighting for places, the chances are lessening by the week to impress.
Veteran, I slightly disagree with you on Horan, in case you think I’m a Rockie and rooting for my own, I’m not, but Horan was involved in three turnovers, two of these resulted in points. He actually impressed me and I think he may offer more than Burns.
For me I’d be looking at reintroducing the likes of Breen if fit in the half line, on the wing maybe Horan and Savage, as it looks like O’Brien could be out and Burns failed to ignite, DC will also come in to partner Geaney and Killian.
For me Geaney was impressive but a good few went through the motions as Cork didn’t push us.
Still as a exercise, the McGrath Cup has given us options and allowed us shut up shop, we conceded no goal chances against Limerick and Tipperary, Murphy made one save in the first half but the second half goal chances were down to one defensive switch offs as opposed to the opposition attack ,,,, work in progress but nevertheless progress.
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Post by veteran on Jan 23, 2022 19:54:45 GMT
Horse, I suspect you are right about Greg Horan. It was difficult to keep track of everything with hordes of substitutes coming on. I may have been influenced by an incident in front of me when he telegraphed a pass which was intercepted.
I have no problem at all with Greg getting his chance. He deserves it on club form.
On a different subject . The Examiner reported on Friday that they were going to dispense with the water break for the NFL and that this was to be confirmed at Congress on Saturday. Does anybody know if this topic was discussed on Saturday.
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Post by Ballyfireside on Jan 23, 2022 20:49:57 GMT
Great reports and house compliments our Vet nicely.
While I find myself tempted to jump to the same conclusions as others on here, are we not over stating the evidence, not least that we know so little, e.g. I'd be surprised if they were told to go hell for leather?
I trust Jason as a Ballydonoghoor will prove people wrong, yet again - he isn't doing too badly against what are some of the best attackers the game has ever seen, and a defenders job is often a damage limitation exercise. No player is 100% in every aspect and I suppose a big part of team selection is crafting it so that they play to their strengths while eliminating any threats. I'm thinking Dwyer here and I suppose we were told more then.
Ballythefireside Quote of the day - A good attacker must score most of the time - let a defender beat his man only most of the time and he is the worst in the world in the eyes of us roughest type of effin' ainmhithe you could ever deal with.
P.S. I need to tighten this one up but I think the point is clear enough!
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mike70
Senior Member
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Post by mike70 on Jan 23, 2022 21:43:29 GMT
Great McGrath close out reports by the lads, well done. I do think I have seen improvement by Jason, I think he will be fine, I believe he is a conservative player and that’s what’s needed at FB, by all means experiment at training and have a back up.
I think for me as we transition to NFL, we have seen some consolidation in the squad, more guys being trusted, easier to do in the McGrath cup granted, but I think it may continue into the NFL, and I am a big believer in having a squad you trust in, that can give you different options to bring SAM home.
On too the NFL.
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kerryexile
Fanatical Member
Whether you believe that you can, or that you can't, you are right anyway.
Posts: 1,108
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Post by kerryexile on Jan 23, 2022 23:17:12 GMT
Veteran.
Brilliant.
....Then , there there was the reassuring presence of the blue haze of the McGillicuddy Reeks. A presence which signalled , to this old man at least, a comforting continuity , a sense of permanent beauty, in contrast to a world of suffocating change , to a world, during the last two years, of oppressive ugliness. Unsurprisingly, the visit to the Stadium on a perfect, crisp January day acted as a balm to the soul, hinting there will always be beauty in the world but sometimes we need to look that bit harder to find it.
Wordsworthesque.
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