Whats gone on in the past doesnt mean much to me. Its total laziness and to be honest a bit stupid to assume that just because a bunch of lads are from kery that its going to be easy for them to win an all ireland. I dont think this is a great kerry team at all, but with Fitzmaurice at the helm they could be very succesful. They were underdogs in half their matches. At the start of the year I d say that McGuinness had the easier task in terms of winning the all Ireland. Lets see if Kerry have a documentary made about them, and if Fitzmaurice has a famous song written about him, or a statue erected of him depicting him as the son of God.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 24/09/2014 19:24:20    1656698

its total laziness on your part also to ignore the various variables involved and throw out some lazy remarks such as it being easier for mcguiness considering donegal were in div 2 and also have to play in ulster while kerry just had to worry about cork...fitzmaurice done a brilliant job and kerry finished up as a very strong team in my opinion with the return to form of donaghy and the emergence of moran as well as a few of the younger players such as crowley...on paper they arent like some of the other teams but with the return of the 2 other players involved may go on to be a very strong team in the future..what mcguiness managed to do with a pretty limited panel of players was nothing short of miraculous especially considering the tactics he employed were quite unusual and different hence the praise he has received

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 24/09/2014 19:35:33    1656705

a paddy power statue like?..what are you getting so worked up about?..of course people were going to get worked up in donegal as they are not used to winning whereas winning in kerry is often the norm...did you take any of that into account?

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 24/09/2014 19:36:42    1656706

You dont have to tell me about Mcguinness achievemnet. Youre preaching to the converted. I think its amazing what he has done. however,I still think that fitzmaurice simply got the better of him on sunday, but because his team wore a green and gold jersey with the keery goup log on it he wont get the credit.
Donaghy slagged off brolly for saying that kerry were finished, but to be honest I do agree that Kerry football isnt in a great place, which for me makes Fitzmaurice achievement remarkable.
If anything history was against this kerry team on sunday as we were reminded ad nauseum of their poor record against ulster teams in all ireland finals.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 24/09/2014 19:48:02    1656713

fitzmaurice has received huge credit already and deservedly so..look at the newspapers darragh o se has given him huge credit as have others..listen to second captains and they also gave him major props..look at the credit joe brolly gave him on the sunday game.....whats wrong with kerry football?..they were missing their star player and still won the all ireland..they have a new team and a lot of new players this doesnt mean they are weak or anything just means they took a while to develop...who in particular would you say is poor in the kerry side?..o donoghue is the top player in the country while crowley should get an all star at centre back...coupled with winning the minor and the returning players i would argue kerry football is in a pretty strong position..you dont have to win underage titles once you get the players out of them and kerry seem to have gotten a lot of the 2008 minor team who lost to mayo when compared with their mayo or tyrone counterparts...in kerry you are only usually given credit if you win a few and thats just the way it is..they have lofty standards compared to every other county

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 24/09/2014 19:59:07    1656720

Right Clondalkin let's address your points.

Kerry played defensively? we were murdered in Tralee in the Cork game so we had to tighten up.
that is a lot different than going defensive.

Did you see the score in the Mayo game?

When Dublin won playing defensive football in 2011 did you complain then? doubt it.

Dublin are a serious team but don't believe for a second that they just had a bad day against Donegal.

Dublin's suspect full back line was found out.

Dublin's Midfield was also found out.

If & when Cluxton retires you have a real challenge to overcome as you will need a midfielder who can field a ball.

The thing about Kerry is that our new players were considered unknowns outside of Kerry.
This was just lazy journalism as the likes Crowley & Geaney are sigerson winners yet not a word.
If they were DCU or Queens players then you'd know they have been spoken of.

But sure we are average as you put it Clondalkin... Well these Average lads will be back!

westkerry (Kerry) - Posts: 1250 - 24/09/2014 20:13:59    1656725

I dont think that this Kerry team is brilliant from an individual point of view. Donoghue is good as a scoring attacker but not against a side who defend like Donegal. They have got good players but not great ones. Donegal doesnt have a great tradition but guys like karl lacey, McFadden, Murphy, Durkan, the McGees and Ryan Mchugh are no mugs, and I dont see kerry without the Gooch, Galvin and O Se as being that much better in terms of individual talent.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 24/09/2014 20:14:22    1656726

So you admit you's went defensive against Cork? Cause that was my point to the poster who said you'd only 3 weeks to work on it and your just after admitting yourself you's did in July, so that answer my point. Of course you've good players but let's be honest here you's were blessed to beat Mayo in both games , first game 5 points down with a man up you ended up playing the hit and hope ball into Donaghy and you's got lucky second game played in limerick with a shocking referee performance and all of mayos best players off the field through injury in the second half and extra time, fair play again for winning Sam with a good team but nothing special. Actually I give you's massive respect for winning with such a team you's are the kings of Gaelic football no doubt about that and I've loved watching Kerry football over the years. 37 all Ireland's unbelievable no one comes close.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 24/09/2014 20:27:58    1656727

o donoghue is the best forward out there at the minute..who is a a good attacker v donegal?..look at the stats..almost nobody as inside forwards find it impossible to score against them..you name lacey and mcfadden yet they havent performed all year?..this isnt 2012 you know while mchugh is a limited footballer overall really who had 1 great game...galvin is retired a season now and gooch is going to be playing for kerry next year so hes part of the current side he just happened to be injured..you are comparing them to probably the greatest side in the history of gaelic football that kerry 00s side..give this team a chance at least!..they are only getting started and many doubted kerry in 03 after being hammered by tyrone and look what they went on to achieve..people are always looking to say that kerry are gone or finished look at 2009 where everybody was mad to dismiss them and look what happened..kerry have the best midfield in the country and donaghy at his best like he was in the last 2 games is as good as anybody around..overall i feel kerry are very strong for the near future especially if the minors progress into good senior players

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 24/09/2014 20:30:07    1656729

i agree with certain points you make westkerry in that the likes of geaney and crowley arent perceived as good footballers just because they werent part of successful underage sides or whatever doesnt mean they arent very good footballers which they have proven to be especially in crowleys case who was brilliant against mayo

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 24/09/2014 20:31:51    1656730

clondalkin and westkerry, you guys are on the wrong thread.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 24/09/2014 20:31:54    1656731

I never dismissed kerry during the 2000s but i didnt think that this team would win an all Ireland. Lots of young players just starting out, lots of players beginning to look at the finishing line.
This Kerry team didnt perform too well at times during the year either, so if they are as good as you say they are then I think its fair to say that some of the Kerry players werent at their best , no less than donegal.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 24/09/2014 20:44:37    1656739

Sorry lads mixed up my threads...

westkerry (Kerry) - Posts: 1250 - 24/09/2014 20:56:17    1656748

lots did though..yes kerry very poor in the league initially but would never judge kerry on league form anyway..brilliant against cork in munster took it easy against galway while at times very impressive against mayo and if not for some defensive mistakes could have won by more the second day...they are just starting out and i expect them to get better and better but yes the final was poor in that both teams were slightly off and set up in a cagey style where both were very hard to break down and play against..the short kickouts also robbed us of a great midfield battle which took place in the mayo matches

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 24/09/2014 20:57:48    1656750

We could go on all night about this fabio8. I think were going into 'agree to disagree" territory, but still I make the point that just because kerry didnt play well against Galway and Clare doesnt mean they took it easy.
For example, had donegal limped past clare, and looked shaky against Galway, I think you may have used that as evidence that they dont have a great team, and that the Jim McGuinness factor got them over the line, but with the kerrymen, if thet stumble past a team its because they took it easy??
I think kerry looked very porous and shaky against us in the quarter final.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 24/09/2014 21:19:24    1656767

Joncarter - you have a typical Irishmans begrudging mentality there , Jim McGuinness didn't write a song about himself , he didn't make a documentary or erect a statue . He doesn't interview himself either . It's the media who love him therefore he cannot help it . A sarcastic and pathetic thread . Well done though to Eamon Fitz , really do like the guy !

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 24/09/2014 21:34:41    1656775

well i feel they were very poor around midfield against galway then you look at mayo did to galways midfield..then you look at what kerry did against mayo in midfield..the same intensity just wasnt there..fitzmaurice has done a brilliant job and maybe his coaching and training has turned some of these kerry players into better than what they were before but this kerry side still has numerous brilliant footballers which you seem keen to ignore..mcguiness deserves all the credit he gets and he didnt ask for any of the stuff done about him did he?..all it comes across as is kicking a man when he is down and the usually begrudgery

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 24/09/2014 21:52:40    1656788

Another thing is that Jimmy McGuinness has worked damn hard to get where he is. It would have been easy for him having left school to just continue working at the freezer boats in Killybegs or to emigrate like so many others have. Instead he made a brave decision to return to school at the age of 24 and get his Leaving Cert and followed that up with his college and university qualifications. In the middle of all that he lost a brother in a horrible accident as well don't forget.

Our esteemed county board laughed at him on one occasion when he asked for a projector to present his ideas in an interview for the senior job. A lot of people would have thrown their hat at it by that point. Instead he took the u-21's to a whisker of an All-Ireland title and eventually got his chance with the seniors. The rest as they say is history. I often wonder what he could have achieved if he had got the senior job 3 years earlier than he did. Having the likes of Durcan, the McGee's, Lacey, Kavanagh, Toye, Gallagher, Cassidy, Hegarty, McFadden, Bradley etc in their mid to late twenties. Ah well.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9154 - 25/09/2014 11:10:26    1656834

Eamonn is a great manager, and showed he can get his tactics right. He comes across as a man well liked by all of his players, and all of kerry, which is a big achievement given the rivalry within the county down there! I think we will hear a lot more about him in the years to come. I also suspect that they will really relish a game against dublin next year, for obvious reasons, but more than likely will have to wait until the final as both kerry and dublin are on opposite sides of the draw.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 25/09/2014 12:12:47    1656872

Deep down kerry folk no they got lucky avoiding Dublin this year.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 25/09/2014 13:04:54    1656889