Good on you soma, if drives me crackers that people think the only all Irelands Kerry win are easy ones, if that's the case why haven't we won one since, simple reason, we are not good enough. At least the Dubs realised by investing in a youth structure they would gain the benefits. Donegal may want to take a trip to Dublin to see how it works.
Kerry are working hard at the moment to get back to the top table, maybe in 5 years time we can win some more ''easy'' Sams.

kerryrowz (Kerry) - Posts: 833 - 06/07/2014 12:00:20    1614412

I never understand the abuse and disrespect your county gets on here kerryrowz. Kerry should be an inspiration for every county, of the 32 counties ye have the 14th highest population, yet continue to produce class footballers and great football sides. Lots of counties with a bigger population have convinced themselves they could never go toe-to-toe with Kerry because Kerry would destroy them, instead devising ultra defensive systems. That has nothing to do with how strong or weak the various provinces are, it is because traditionally there is huge work put in at underage in Kerry, and simply put Kerry has a greater love and respect for the game and its skills than most other counties.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 06/07/2014 12:26:35    1614425

@TheRightStuff you're a gas man. Donegal beat Derry who've bowed out to Longford who've bowed out to TIPPERARY and Antrim who've bowed out to LIMERICK. You're essentially saying Donegal have had a handy run and can have no complaints whatsoever even if ye are destined to meet the Dublin Region's challenge at some stage.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7926 - 06/07/2014 12:57:13    1614446

give it over lads please.. the amount of disrespect dished out by people to tipp and limerick football here is abit much,, if donegal or derry or antrim were in munster ye would win it once every 50 years... Tipp and limerick would beat most ulster teams

arravale (Tipperary) - Posts: 244 - 06/07/2014 13:29:16    1614472

Soma and Kerryrowz. Just to be clear I don't think most people here are having a go at Kerry. Kerry is a great county with great footballing history and some great current footballers. What people are having a go at is the current championship system which to some extent gives Cork and Kerry an advantage and to some extent gives Ulster teams a disadvantage.

That doesn't take anything away from players like Dara O Se or Colm Cooper. They and others like them are still super footballers and deserve the medals they won.

But, we live on one small island. Why not have a championship that covers the whole island - without any funny rules about this section or that section.

In terms of how unbalanced the system is...Kerry or Cork this year for example would only play 5 games to win the All Ireland. Tyrone for example would have to play 10 to win the All Ireland (unlikely I know - so just a theoretical example;) Had we not entered the back door we still would have had to play 8 to win the All Ireland. Surely you can agree that there is some disadvantage in playing 8 or 10 knockout matches instead of 5 considering if we lose a backdoor match its game over.

I know a lot of people like the traditional setup but I also wonder are there not some folks down in Kerry who would welcome a change to the competition and more matches in the summer? This year for example Kerry might only get 3 or 4 matches.

tyroneed (Tyrone) - Posts: 753 - 06/07/2014 13:35:07    1614481

tyroneed by constantly going on about soft all-Irelands, handy runs etc people are clearly having a go at Kerry, suggesting that the reason they have won Sam so often is because of the system rather than the class footballers and football sides they produce. It is nonsense, Kerry have won the All-Ireland so often because of hard work at underage and an excellent attitude to the game.
And Tyrone needed to win 7 games to win the All-Ireland this year (counting drawn games is silly), as opposed to Kerrys 5. Yes there is a difference, but the truth is it is the last 3 games that are hardest won since the qualifier system came in, the rest up to that point is just preparation for any of the serious contenders. If Kerry and Cork draw today it probably improves both teams chances of winning an All-Ireland, as it gives them better preparation for the tests ahead.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 06/07/2014 14:24:10    1614515

With Limerick easily beating Antrim as well, it just shows you how difficult it is to come out of Munster.

Prize for the most uniformed and daft statement of the summer.

For starters Antrim dominated yesterday but as in Division 4, against Fermanagh and then Donegal they shipped silly goals and plenty of them, the last being right at the death when being 1 pt down and pushing for an equaliser that left the gap as 4 points.

So no Limerick did not easily beat Antrim. On yesterdays evidence Limerick are on a par with Antrim and Fermanagh who are miles behind in Ulster.

As for Kerry I would not question their pedigree but they certainly do not reside in a province with as much of a challenge as what you get in Ulster and the shorter route to winning Sam is something similar to having Brazil start the world cup at the second round stage.

Naysayer (Antrim) - Posts: 2071 - 06/07/2014 14:24:19    1614516

So as Limerick get past Antrim thanks to a last minute goal and being given two penalties it means Munster is as hard as Ulster to come out of. Comedy gold Soma, you cheered this suffering Saffron up no ends, ta.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 06/07/2014 14:30:33    1614518

Correction on my post that rather than 1 pt in it at the death there were 2 as Antrim pushed and Limerick broke and goaled to leave 5 rather than 4 but the point still the same as it was a close contest the whole way through with Antrim shooting themselves in the foot, played themselves back into contention, shot themselves in the foot etc - bit like against Fermanagh only did not get away with it yesterday.

Anyway my interest was in whether the like of Limerick were around Antrim and Fermanaghs level or whether they were way on ahead and maybe on a par with the like of Derry or Cavan or better. Realistically yesterday told us nothing in terms of Ulster v Munster.

Good to see Kerry looking strong right now in the game against Cork - my fear is that Dublin will not find serious resistance this summer given what I thought was an overall lower standard about so hopefully today's performance so far says more about Kerry than Cork.

Naysayer (Antrim) - Posts: 2071 - 06/07/2014 14:43:16    1614533

Ah Saffron boys I am glad ye enjoyed that. When every second post on here seems to be an Ulster man telling us how difficult it is for Ulster teams, that every side up there can beat everyone else, the rest of the provinces are pointless processions etc, it is just enjoyable to throw the odd bit back.
I listened to the game on BBC Ulster yesterday and they made out Limerick were dominating for most of the game, and to be honest I am not sure why ye are suggesting that a goal from a penalty is less significant than any other goal. Remember Limerick are possibly the weakest side in Munster at the moment alongside Waterford. When Ulster went 12 years with just 2 teams winning it nobody suggested that Tyrone or Armaghs All-Irelands were less worthy because the Ulster championship was so predictable. Maybe recent results will help lads realise that other countys and provinces have proud, good football teams as well.
Finally, look at O'Donoghue and Ganey in the Munster final today. Do you think Kerry continue to produce forwards like this because they are in a weak province, or is there a little bit more to Kerrys success?

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 06/07/2014 14:51:23    1614539

Soma few things - I think you will find when folk are talking about Ulster they either say with the exception of Antrim (or at present Antrim and Fermanagh) or they do not mention it as it is taken as a given that Antrim are not considered to be in the mix.

I am not suggesting that a penalty is any less of a goal but just saying that Antrim have shipped goals all year long at an alarming rate. It is difficult to win any game even when having more scores than the opposition when you keep shipping goals.

Kerry produce good footballers like every other county but I would say they produce more than most not because of the province they are in but because of the tradition within the county regarding gaelic football, the success they have had and as a result what it means for many young people in the county to strive to wear the jersey.

Naysayer (Antrim) - Posts: 2071 - 06/07/2014 15:19:50    1614566

A question for the antrim lads.. How does the fact that Limerick scored 2 penalties make any difference to them being normal goals? John Galvin and Seanie Buckley were hauled down in the square when they would have scored certain goals. Antrim should have had 2 black cards! If it wasn't for Paddy Cunninghams frees Antrim wouldnt have been near Limerick. Comfortable win! No one gives the "weaker" counties in Munster any credited but there are one or two more scalps left in them in this championship (Tipp, Limerick, Clare)

treatystoner (Limerick) - Posts: 178 - 06/07/2014 15:21:34    1614567

Nah Soma, see I didn't think Antrim would get near Limerick yesterday truth being told. I wasn't at the game but from the reports and comments I read this game could have went either way and not the easy victory you suggest. One of the penalties should never have been as the free which led directly to it should have been to Antrim and then the last gasp goal put the 5 points in it. But when Limerick are 3rd or 4th in Munster compared to Antrim being 8th or 9th in Ulster and nothing between them I wouldn't be sticking money on Limerick lifting Sam just yet.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 06/07/2014 15:30:25    1614572

Soma , maybe you need to read my post more clearly . I stated that Cork and Kerry have had less problematic routes to the last 8. Just because we have had a relatively easy route this hardly justifies decades of a tougher route . Do you play football ?? It's amateur , there is a thing called conditioning and peaking , Kerry can traditionally peak for 2-3 months in August and September. In Ulster , sides could have 3-4 slogs in May / June while subsequently picking up injuries or suspensions . Kerry are an awesome GAA county and are rightly labelled as the aristocrats however don't come out with that nonsense that their all Ireland's were as tough as Tyrone or Armagh because they were not ! This topic is futile if people really believe Munster is on a par with Ulster .

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 06/07/2014 15:30:41    1614573

Naysayer look at the Donegal-Antrim match thread and you will see loads in there saying it wont be easy for Donegal, they would take a 1 point win etc, and some even predicting Antrim would repeat their win in Ballybofey from a few years ago. Now that little Limerick beat them it seems Antrim were rubbish the whole time?!
I agree with you on why Kerry produce class players, far more than any other county. Surely counties should try and copy this, rather than coming up with dire, negative systems to stop them at every age group.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 06/07/2014 15:31:18    1614575

TheRightStuff you have convinced yourself that the reason Donegal have only a couple of All-Irelands is because of the 'system' that allows Kerry to gobble them all up in a handy fashion. I don't think there is anything I can do to convince you otherwise but I will give it one more go. In 2004 Kerry started on May 23rd against Clare. I know you wont count this as a serious game, but the next outing was June 13th against Cork. They then won the Munster final by 4 points in a replay against Limerick, and went on and won the All-Ireland in September. 7 games in total, first 'serious' game against Cork on June 13th. Donegal started out on May 30th, a week after Kerry, and were finished for the year on July 24th when beaten by Fermanagh. It seems to me when they need to peak for 4 months Kerry don't struggle too badly at all! Your nonsense that Kerrys All-Irelands were not as tough as Armaghs or Tyrones shows that many ulster posters disrespect Kerry and their achievements.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 06/07/2014 15:55:23    1614601

oh offside rule how you make me laugh.. Antrim scored 2 points after they handed off Limerick players on both occasions and no frees were given. sure we might aswell cross off those two points so if were going on the basis of "what ifs" :)

treatystoner (Limerick) - Posts: 178 - 06/07/2014 16:09:52    1614616

oh offside rule how you make me laugh.. Antrim scored 2 points after they handed off Limerick players on both occasions and no frees were given. sure we might aswell cross off those two points so if were going on the basis of "what ifs" :)

treatystoner (Limerick) - Posts: 178 - 06/07/2014 16:10:22    1614617

Soma - do not refer to this rhetoric of disrespect when you refer to 'negative, dire system'. In 2004 , Donegal defeated all -Ireland champions Tyrone( a side Kerry couldn't beat) , we lost to a fine Armagh side in final. We didn't recover and lost to a Fermanagh side who could of beat Mayo. If you want to discuss respect , then perhaps park your patronising nonsense of 'negative football '. Kerry have produced some mesmerizing talent done the years but IMO they wouldn't of had as much success had they been pitted against Ulster sides earlier on. 02-Armagh 03-Tyrone 05-Tyrone etc .

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 06/07/2014 16:43:18    1614635

It is a fact that some counties have come up with dire, negative systems to try and stop Kerry at every age group TheRightStuff, there was a famous minor game where something like 5 defenders were booked for fouling 1 Kerry attacker. I think he got the ball 13 times and was fouled 11 times - that is both dire and negative. The fact it happened at minor level makes it particularly bad. Wouldn't it be better if counties spent time training and developing forwards to a standard of Kerrys, rather than coming up with tactics like that? And for every example you give of an Ulster team beating Kerry, I can give you plenty of examples of Kerry teams beating Ulster sides. Even in 2004 Kerry made the All-Ireland after a handy win against Derry in the semi-final. Had Fermanagh beaten Mayo, then I am fairly certain Kerry would have managed fine with them in the final. Had they beaten an Ulster team in the semi-final and final, would this have been Kerrys first hard earned All-Ireland?

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 06/07/2014 17:00:10    1614649