Derry v Kerry AISF Sunday 16th July 4pm

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

From my reading of this thread some Derry posters seem to think they've been poor to middling for most of the year, yet in the same breath think there's exponential room for improvement & it will all come good v Kerry, seems foolproof. I think their performances this year are indicative of where they're really at, a good systematic team with 2 great players but not in Kerry's league. Their system will eventually fail as Kerry have too many good footballers and will punch holes in it increasingly more as the game goes on. As I said previously fair chance McGuigan and / or Glass accidentally get buried early doors. I expect Kerry to win by 5-7 pts.

Agree with some of that but remember that we are Ulster Champions for the last two years.  Some credit and respect please.  We have reached Division 1 from Division 4.  Some credit and respect please.  We are in the last 4 of the All Ireland Championship for the second year in a row.   Some credit and respect please.  Not bad for a team with 2 great players.  Pure jealousy leaked out there.  If Kerry want to bury a few, which is unlikely, let them try.  Neither Glass nor McGuigan will be easy buried.

That's all fair enough, though would you have achieved all that without out-of-county managers, who seem to be able to harmonise the warring Derry club/locality factions? 

[screenexile]

From my reading of this thread some Derry posters seem to think they've been poor to middling for most of the year, yet in the same breath think there's exponential room for improvement & it will all come good v Kerry, seems foolproof. I think their performances this year are indicative of where they're really at, a good systematic team with 2 great players but not in Kerry's league. Their system will eventually fail as Kerry have too many good footballers and will punch holes in it increasingly more as the game goes on. As I said previously fair chance McGuigan and / or Glass accidentally get buried early doors. I expect Kerry to win by 5-7 pts.

Kerry and Dublin have been poor to middling all year bar their last game... it's possible to raise your game and I'm hoping we do that.

There's also a case that Tyrone are muck and Mayo didn't  perform in that second half!

[markl121]

From my reading of this thread some Derry posters seem to think they've been poor to middling for most of the year, yet in the same breath think there's exponential room for improvement & it will all come good v Kerry, seems foolproof. I think their performances this year are indicative of where they're really at, a good systematic team with 2 great players but not in Kerry's league. Their system will eventually fail as Kerry have too many good footballers and will punch holes in it increasingly more as the game goes on. As I said previously fair chance McGuigan and / or Glass accidentally get buried early doors. I expect Kerry to win by 5-7 pts.

Would you prefer we just didn't bother then? Up against it yes, anything can happened and half the county will be down there on Sunday, some belief helps.

[bennydorano]

From my reading of this thread some Derry posters seem to think they've been poor to middling for most of the year, yet in the same breath think there's exponential room for improvement & it will all come good v Kerry, seems foolproof. I think their performances this year are indicative of where they're really at, a good systematic team with 2 great players but not in Kerry's league. Their system will eventually fail as Kerry have too many good footballers and will punch holes in it increasingly more as the game goes on. As I said previously fair chance McGuigan and / or Glass accidentally get buried early doors. I expect Kerry to win by 5-7 pts.

Kerry and Dublin have been poor to middling all year bar their last game... it's possible to raise your game and I'm hoping we do that.

There's also a case that Tyrone are muck and Mayo didn't  perform in that second half!

I think Mayo uncharacteristically folded against Dublin, I didn't think they were genuine AI contenders to begin with as they were/are a team in transition. Monaghan have more reason for optimism than Derry imo as I think Kerry are much better. However I don't think Monaghan have another gear to go into from the Armagh game, Derry do but they'll need to go up a gear or two to even get within 5 pts imo. I've been wrong a lot, just my opinion.

[Derryman forever]

On the 45th minute of the quarter final, Tyrone had coughed up possession 15 times.  Not sure what score was conceded as a result but even at 30% that is 5 scores less for Tyrone Also.  So its not unrealistic to hope that Derry are less profligate than that ,and do as expected and control the game a little better.
I do think Derry at this moment in time are a better team than Tyrone, even should an argument be made that tyrone have better players
We have every reason to be hopeful if not optimistic.

[Derryman forever]

From my reading of this thread some Derry posters seem to think they've been poor to middling for most of the year, yet in the same breath think there's exponential room for improvement & it will all come good v Kerry, seems foolproof. I think their performances this year are indicative of where they're really at, a good systematic team with 2 great players but not in Kerry's league. Their system will eventually fail as Kerry have too many good footballers and will punch holes in it increasingly more as the game goes on. As I said previously fair chance McGuigan and / or Glass accidentally get buried early doors. I expect Kerry to win by 5-7 pts.

Agree with some of that but remember that we are Ulster Champions for the last two years.  Some credit and respect please.  We have reached Division 1 from Division 4.  Some credit and respect please.  We are in the last 4 of the All Ireland Championship for the second year in a row.   Some credit and respect please.  Not bad for a team with 2 great players.  Pure jealousy leaked out there.  If Kerry want to bury a few, which is unlikely, let them try.  Neither Glass nor McGuigan will be easy buried.

That's all fair enough, though would you have achieved all that without out-of-county managers, who seem to be able to harmonise the warring Derry club/locality factions? 

What has this got to do with anything?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Just an observation, is that allowed, like?

[Estimator]

Some Upper Cusack tickets on sale now for the game.
Didn't expect it to be open at all.

[JoG2]

Some Upper Cusack tickets on sale now for the game.
Didn't expect it to be open at all.

Online last night, central too

[tbrick18]

From my reading of this thread some Derry posters seem to think they've been poor to middling for most of the year, yet in the same breath think there's exponential room for improvement & it will all come good v Kerry, seems foolproof. I think their performances this year are indicative of where they're really at, a good systematic team with 2 great players but not in Kerry's league. Their system will eventually fail as Kerry have too many good footballers and will punch holes in it increasingly more as the game goes on. As I said previously fair chance McGuigan and / or Glass accidentally get buried early doors. I expect Kerry to win by 5-7 pts.

Agree with some of that but remember that we are Ulster Champions for the last two years.  Some credit and respect please.  We have reached Division 1 from Division 4.  Some credit and respect please.  We are in the last 4 of the All Ireland Championship for the second year in a row.   Some credit and respect please.  Not bad for a team with 2 great players.  Pure jealousy leaked out there.  If Kerry want to bury a few, which is unlikely, let them try.  Neither Glass nor McGuigan will be easy buried.

That's all fair enough, though would you have achieved all that without out-of-county managers, who seem to be able to harmonise the warring Derry club/locality factions? 

Perhaps with outside management Tyrone wouldn't have had so many players leave the panel over the last couple of years 

[rrhf]

On what logic?

[Wildweasel74]

2 great players? McKinless a better half back than anything Kerry have, Rodgers to.

[bennydorano]

I think Kerry have one great player, so by my standards 2 is very good.

[imtommygunn]

You're a tough crowd Benny 

Tbh parts of what you say I would agree with. Derry play very much to systems etc and they haven't really played a team yet who's good enough to break that system down. This weekend they probably will play a team who's good enough to break that system down.

It's really hard to know how this will go and how Kerry will react to Derry's system. If they find a way then I think it's them by about what Galway did last year but if they don't this could be a dogged affair like Kerry Tyrone 2 years ago.

[tbrick18]

You're a tough crowd Benny 

Tbh parts of what you say I would agree with. Derry play very much to systems etc and they haven't really played a team yet who's good enough to break that system down. This weekend they probably will play a team who's good enough to break that system down.

It's really hard to know how this will go and how Kerry will react to Derry's system. If they find a way then I think it's them by about what Galway did last year but if they don't this could be a dogged affair like Kerry Tyrone 2 years ago.

+1

I personally think Derry have 6-7 players that would get in any side. McKaigue, McKinless, Glass, Rogers, McCloskey, Ethan Doherty, Shane McGuigan.
There's a strong supporting cast there too with Conor Doherty, McEvoy, Paul Cassidy.
We are light in the forward division right now, but I do think when Murray and McWilliams force their way through or recover from injury that will improve us massively. Perhaps get Emmet Bradley back in the fold too.

That's not saying I think we are better than Kerry.
But I do think if we put in a performance where we dont lose focus, maintain the high energy game we have and stick to the system, that we have the players that can really hurt Kerry whilst also having the players to make sure the Kerry attack don't run riot. We'll never restrict them to small scores such is the talent they have, so we have to do what we can defensively and hope the attacking game clicks on the day.

There's a lot of ifs and but there, so conversely, if it doesn't click and we don't restrict the Kerry forward unit, we could get a hiding.

My hope is that Kerry will focus heavily on restricting McGuigan, which will allow us to get our half backs and half forwards more into the attacking positions. I'm sure Kerry will have a plan to stop Mcloskey running from deep too, so it just remains to be seen how effective he can be.

I'm really looking forward to it. It is a free swing for Derry imo. Written off playing current AI champions, no massive expectations from within the county other than a hope to pull off an upset, and a stepping stone towards progression with Div1 football on the horizon next year.
And we all love a shock in football - maybe this will be it