All I've heard on here since last September is luck and average, luck and average to describe the All Ireland champions.

No average team has ever won an All Ireland and anyone who would dare claim this Kerry side are 'average', are only showing up their own pettiness at seeing the Kingdom back where they belong.

Clondalkin I would love you to come on here and give me a detailed explanation for why this Kerry side are 'average' compared to Dublin,Donegal,Mayo or any other county team of the last 2-3 years. You won't though because you know your only talking Bull-crap.

As for luck, show me any team that has never benefited from a bit of luck, and I'll show you a team that never won anything:

Kilkenny 2014, the late free by Tipp to win the match is a fraction wide and it goes to a replay -luck
New Zealand 2011, the referee in the World Cup Final decides to give every marginal call to the All Blacks when France were clearly the superior team on the day - luck
Donegal 2012, Q-final versus Kerry a routine high ball hit into the parallelogram is fumbled by the Kerry keeper and hits the back of the net giving Donegal the vital score - luck
Dublin 2011, All Ireland final Cluxton converts the winning free for an non-existent foul on a Dublin player awarded by the ref - luck
Dublin 2013, Semi Final v Kerry, McManamon scores the vital goal in the dying moments yet admits he was actually going for a point - luck

excreta, excreta....

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 06/01/2015 11:44:38    1680846

Dublin 2011, All Ireland final Cluxton converts the winning free for an non-existent foul on a Dublin player awarded by the ref - luck

Incorrect, it was a foul, tough call but it was a foul, listen to the commentary of the game on Kerry FM, not luck, as for 2013, I think we would have beat ye without Kevin's brilliant goal :D

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8597 - 06/01/2015 12:01:54    1680851

Watch out for Tipperary in Munster I have a feeling we are going to take Kerry in Thurles should we get over Waterford!!!!

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 06/01/2015 12:34:42    1680867

All I'm saying Realdub is that on another day a referee might not have awarded a free at all. Also Kevin's goal in 2011 final largely came about because the Kerry defence was caught of of position for a split second with Declan O'Sullivan and not a reconsigned defender being all that was between Kevin and the Kerry goal, again that's just one of those things.

To say Kerry were somehow the beneficiaries of good luck and other All Ireland winning teams aren't is just typical begrudgery pure and simple.

Anyway Kerry have had frightful luck in the 4 years before 2014 so no harm to get the rub of the green last year.
2010 Q-final they butcher 3-4 goal chances they would have put away in their sleep another day.
2011 Final, I've mentioned above the breaks Dublin got
2012 Q-final, the Donegal goal that should easily have been dealt with
2013 Semi-final, Kevin McMannion's crucial goal
They are just a few examples. Swings and roundabouts though, I'll take a bit of luck any day because that's what the best teams do they make their own luck.

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 06/01/2015 13:10:44    1680874

In order to defend the All Ireland the side that next achieves the feat will have to be insurmountably better than the chasing pack. In recent years there is no reason to suggest such a team is out there. Dublin should be strong this year, Donegal too, Cork and Mayo could come and lay a claim, the incumbents also have a good side too but like the others before them they are not head and shoulders above to the level that is required to defend it.

I expect Kerry to be beaten this year, Dublin have issues to resolve in midfield and defence and it's difficult to see another win without them problems being addressed. Perhaps this could be Mayo's year at last?

seany16 (Dublin) - Posts: 1658 - 06/01/2015 13:31:04    1680884

TheHermit

Every team needs that wee bit of luck to land Sam. Compare the All Irelands in 2012 & 2014. In the early stage of the 2012 decider Mc Brearty goes for a point, it hits the post, goes through a defenders hands straight to Mc Fadden who scores a goal. Fast forward to the early stages of last year decider, the kerryman goes for a point, Lacey half blocks it down and it falls straight to Geaney who scores a goal. Small margins but you need them to win a title some times.

When it comes down to it, Mayo seem to be on the wrong side of luck all the time so when they eventually get the rub of the green in a big game I hope they land Sam.

Tir Conaill Abu (Donegal) - Posts: 1671 - 06/01/2015 13:46:29    1680892

Ah Hermit come on man you got every bit of luck going in the two semi finals and final last season fair play to you's with such an average team. Kerry teams of the 00's would hammer last seasons kerry team out the gate.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 06/01/2015 13:47:36    1680893

Benny,if only you could bottle that legendary Cork optimism(:

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 06/01/2015 14:07:34    1680899

Ha wildpundit by name,wild pundit by nature.The irony of saying yell beat Kerry IF ye beat Waterford.When is the last time ye beat Kerry?.Im sorry,but even with yere improvements,Kerry will be taking their place in the Munster final.Nothing surer.Terrible to say,but ye havnt a smidgeen of hope.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 06/01/2015 14:14:47    1680905

Dublin 2011, All Ireland final Cluxton converts the winning free for an non-existent foul on a Dublin player awarded by the ref

The odd Kerryman has bandied this about after the All-Ireland in 2011. In fairness though most Kerry people don't go in for that and freely admit that it was clearly a free.

BJK clearly trips Kev Mc. Not a single Kerry player complained at the time, as they all saw the same foul as the rest of it. I remember hearing Weeshie Fogarty declaring it a clear free in after Spillane had attempted to make a controversy by saying it wasn't after the game.

The funny thing about it is that it isn't even a case of interpretation that can happen in football. It was almost as clearcut a decision as I've ever seen. Pity the likes of Spillane couldn't take it at the time of defeat or The Hermit now, but credit the majority from the Kingdom who could.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13718 - 06/01/2015 14:18:06    1680907

Hermit, I wouldn't even grace half of the petty comments on here remember, 37 all-Irelands and counting, we have now been lowered to the level where a poster states Tipperary will beat us in thurles, LOL, Hermit let us continue to enjoy our time as all-Ireland champions and not waste energy on the keyboard, ahem warriors on here, remember the proof is always in the pudding and over the years we have gorged on same.

mlcollins (Kerry) - Posts: 440 - 06/01/2015 14:33:54    1680919

All the Kerry lad's on here are all quick to have a pop, on about luck and all this crap. No bad teams win All-Irelands. Last year was very average as a whole a bit like 2010.
I have always said the team with the biggest regret will be Mayo. They were far superior to Kerry in the First game. What saved Kerry on the day was no great football as spillane would like to claim a hopeful high ball into the square saved the day. And some shocking refereeing decisions in the replay also done mayo.
I feel Mayo would have beaten Donegal in the final only for a very poor refereeing performance and not a great Kerry team.

jacktheDub (Dublin) - Posts: 944 - 06/01/2015 14:37:02    1680921

History books show Kerry won it in 2014, thats all that matters. No one was good enough to beat them in championship and good luck to them. I regret Connollys goal chance and what might have been , same as Mayo lads wonder what if they stayed composed in first game against Kerry near the end. or second game for that matter. Donegal will have regrets over the uncharacteristic mistakes by their keeper .Kerry got the rub in 3 close battles last year,but they stayed composed and won. Victors will always be deemed to have got the luck when a close battle has been won.
Its good we arent only talking about one team hammering everyone else ,sure wheres the craic in that :)
Roll on 2015 championship.

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 06/01/2015 14:59:41    1680934

Well if a "not a great team" beat the best ever Mayo team, then Mayo are a busted flush, ps. for any of the knowledgeable gaels that have actually viewed the two games in their entirety they will have come to the conclusion that the better team won but alas there appears to be a lack of objective insight on here and pps. Dublin were lucky to win the all-Irelands of 2011 and 2013, this great team myth was buried last year, later this year I hope Dublin will last long enough in the real championship and not the joke that is called the leinster championship that we will get to meet them, this I can assure you is every kerrymens and womens wish, bring it on. Loving the underdog tag already.

mlcollins (Kerry) - Posts: 440 - 06/01/2015 15:03:53    1680941

MesAmis, your off on some tangent and not taking in my overall argument at all. The only point I'm raising is that all teams need luck to win; Dublin had there share of luck in the 2011 final like we had this year.

Are Dublin not deserving of their All Ireland in 2011 because they got a bit of luck here and there at vital times, of course not. Neither are Kerry in 2014.

No real GAA fan in Kerry belittles your All Ireland success in the last four years or thinks its isn't deserved. Now most Kerry people like myself have huge regrets with the fact Kerry left such a commanding position slip in the last 6 minutes in 2011, but that's nothing got to do with begrudging Dublin winning it.

I'm looking forward to the next Dublin v Kerry rematch in the championship, hopefully we get it at some stage this year. Considering the motivation both teams will have it could make the 2013 semi look like a Junior B challenge game in mid-January...

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 06/01/2015 15:22:45    1680951

No doubt about it kerry with 37 titles are the kings of Gaelic football and I love watching Kerry teams play and in Gooch they have the greatest forward of all time IMO, but nothing will change my mind that last years kerry team was a very lucky average team.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 06/01/2015 15:53:52    1680967

Can't see past the Dubs this year. Kerry with Gooch and Tommy Walsh returning will be there abouts but very hard to see a team win back to back, we seen that with Dublin last year. Mayo and Donegal will be interesting with the new management teams

ShortGrass_1 (Kildare) - Posts: 223 - 06/01/2015 16:25:00    1680980

Jesus lads it's great that a new footballing year is upon us. I couldn't look at last year's AI final again if you paid me.
Wild chat and predictions for this time of year though but I suppose it's all a bit of craic.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9155 - 06/01/2015 16:42:36    1680989

TheHermit
County: Kerry
Posts: 324

1680951
MesAmis, your off on some tangent and not taking in my overall argument at all. The only point I'm raising is that all teams need luck to win; Dublin had there share of luck in the 2011 final like we had this year.

All teams need luck. I agree with that sentiment.

However you said that Dublin got lucky in 2011 because the free should not have been awarded, which is untrue as the foul was clear to all to see.

We got away with Kev Mc's double hop going unpunished in Bryan Sheehan territory with the scores level. That is a bit of luck, Barry John Keane fouling Kev Mc was not luck.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13718 - 06/01/2015 17:12:21    1680998

Hermit,

I've no problem with Kerry winning last year, they deserved it because they rode a little luck and finished the job just like only Kerry can, I never said they were average as average teams don't tend to win AIs. I just questioned your terminology, it's all good in the hood, roll on 2015!

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8597 - 06/01/2015 17:28:01    1681005