Fitzmaurice has produced an incredible All-Ireland winning achievement. Most of the Dubs are knowledgeable to recognise that we were not that far away in last year's semi-final. A major failing on our side was the lack of options from the bench. That was sorted during the league.
Having not been too far from making a final last year, the next progressive step was to make the final. When I said that earlier in the year, someone quipped was that Kerry's ambitions these days? Not at all was my response. Sure any county has to make the final first before looking at winning it.
My money yesterday morning went on the Kerry double. Ciarrai abu!

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7876 - 22/09/2014 16:24:35    1655500

First of all congrats to Kerry, they did their homework and it paid off.
They adapted their game plan because they knew they had to and Donegal never got to the level of the Dublin game.
Jim Mc Guinness stayed loyal to Colm Mc Fadden all year, but should have been called ashore by halftime. It was a tough year for
him, by his own standards as he was one of the main factors of our success in 2012 and possibly player of the year. However, just
as Eamonn Fitz made the tough call to drop O'Shea, only JMG knows why he didn't take the chance on one of the panel, after all they've
been in the squad for a few years?
This bunch of players and management owe us nothing.

catchtheball (Donegal) - Posts: 9 - 22/09/2014 16:32:25    1655510

catchtheball - Sure he couldn't go dropping the brother in law could he?

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1133 - 22/09/2014 16:47:46    1655522

jamesjoyce

Durcan's error was somehwhat forced after being frustrated by kerrry's work on his kickout's throughout the game. I wouldn't put that down to luck. Kerry had their homework done on his kickouts, he was panicking at that stage.

Jack Daniels (Westmeath) - Posts: 152 - 22/09/2014 17:18:36    1655537

Is it just me or are all these threads re bottling it and systems being found out created by mayo supporters, to make themselves in some small way feel better? In fairness, the system came up short yesterday, but against a similar system. Armagh, Derry, Antrim and Monaghan tried it this year and failed. It took kerry to unhinge us using the system. So I would say if that means it gets found out fair enough.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 22/09/2014 17:24:54    1655542

I wouldn't call what Kerry did yesterday, as a system. I think Eamon Fitzmaurice spotted the obvious, which is that Donegal's game plan is based on exploiting the opposition on the counter attack, so they became very defensive, and Donegal struggled to deal with it. Any talk of Kerry's system, is forgetting the fact that they conceded 1-16, and 3-13 over two games against Mayo. Also, in those two games, Kerry relied mainly on lobbing the ball into Donaghy.

PK57 (Louth) - Posts: 1656 - 22/09/2014 18:18:59    1655566

In fairness, there's no point in bringing up the league. League performance does not matter. Donegal went on a training camp in the middle of the league - a week long, grueling training session, that left them sore and exhausted for their league final with Monaghan. This was done in order to be in top shape for their championship opener against Derry, and to peak physically later in the year.
So the fact that Kerry lost heavily in the league to Cork does not matter.

This Kerry team doesn't have the star names of 2009 or 2011, but people said the same thing about Man Utd in 1996, when they won the league with Scholes, Beckham, Gary Neville and Nicky Butt, who no one had heard of before. There are a lot of boys on this Kerry team who will be in All-Star consideration for years to come.

Texas (Donegal) - Posts: 163 - 22/09/2014 18:58:47    1655576

Jack Daniels
County: Westmeath
Posts: 145

1655537
jamesjoyce

Durcan's error was somehwhat forced after being frustrated by kerrry's work on his kickout's throughout the game. I wouldn't put that down to luck. Kerry had their homework done on his kickouts, he was panicking at that stage.

Of all the foolish statements made here these past couple of days this is right up with the best of them.

I have never in my life seen a keeper panicking when taking a kickout, let alone one of the best keepers in the country.

Must be a Westmeath thing.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 22/09/2014 20:47:30    1655627

MuckrossHead
County: Donegal
Posts: 3229

1655627
Jack Daniels
County: Westmeath
Posts: 145

1655537
jamesjoyce

Durcan's error was somehwhat forced after being frustrated by kerrry's work on his kickout's throughout the game. I wouldn't put that down to luck. Kerry had their homework done on his kickouts, he was panicking at that stage.

Of all the foolish statements made here these past couple of days this is right up with the best of them.

I have never in my life seen a keeper panicking when taking a kickout, let alone one of the best keepers in the country.

Must be a Westmeath thing.


gosh Muckrosshaed I would have expected better from you. Of course keeper's will panic. If they can't find a free man and they know that if they kick it up the middle it will come straight back. they are frantically looking for an outlet and can do exactly what Durkan did. I have seen other keepers do exactly the same when under severe pressure.
so to say the post above was foolish is indeed foolish.

Do you mean to say that Durkan was under no pressure and just miskicked the ball ?

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 23/09/2014 10:16:03    1655749

22/09/2014 18:18:59
PK57
County: Louth
Posts: 1286

1655566
I wouldn't call what Kerry did yesterday, as a system. I think Eamon Fitzmaurice spotted the obvious, which is that Donegal's game plan is based on exploiting the opposition on the counter attack, so they became very defensive, and Donegal struggled to deal with it. Any talk of Kerry's system, is forgetting the fact that they conceded 1-16, and 3-13 over two games against Mayo. Also, in those two games, Kerry relied mainly on lobbing the ball into Donaghy.

You're dead right. It was a plan, not a system. It took a massive effort however. Not many seemed to have noticed how Donegal were shut out in the 3rd quarter where they do most of their damage. It wasn't really down to any fault of their own. They were putting in a massive effort but our lads had the answers.

22/09/2014 18:58:47
Texas
County: Donegal
Posts: 58

1655576
In fairness, there's no point in bringing up the league. League performance does not matter. Donegal went on a training camp in the middle of the league - a week long, grueling training session, that left them sore and exhausted for their league final with Monaghan. This was done in order to be in top shape for their championship opener against Derry, and to peak physically later in the year.
So the fact that Kerry lost heavily in the league to Cork does not matter.

This Kerry team doesn't have the star names of 2009 or 2011, but people said the same thing about Man Utd in 1996, when they won the league with Scholes, Beckham, Gary Neville and Nicky Butt, who no one had heard of before. There are a lot of boys on this Kerry team who will be in All-Star consideration for years to come.

Kerry used the league effectively. People read too much into the results than the performances bar the last game which was awful to be fair.

Agreed fully on your final point. Who looks for star names?! Was Ryan McHugh a star name at the beginning of the year? We had players who were not known nationally. As has been seen, the quality was there. It was great seeing them make such great strides all year and before 3:30pm on Sunday arrive very much under the radar.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7876 - 23/09/2014 17:55:37    1656181