Kerry V Cork 2pm Killarney

[orangeman]

It's all set up for a Cork raid on Killarney. Even when Cork have bad sides they were always well fit to put it up to Kerry ( and vice versa ) so whilst I'm not predicting a Cork win, don't rule it out altogether.

[twohands!!!]

I'd take Kerrigan & O'Connor ahead Doherty, Andy Moran, Ronaldson & Diarmuid O'Connor.

Individually Cork have a lot of outstanding footballers unfortunately for  them collectively they under performed for far too long now. Its easy to blame the management but in this case I would, tactically Counihan & Cuthbert appear to be way out of their depth.

I think you are being attracted by Kerrigan's flashy pace - I'd say if you saw any stats in terms of his effectiveness when in possession you'd run a mile. Can't argue with O'Connor - just a lovely kicker of a ball.

Overall Cork have a couple of outstanding intercounty footballers and a lot of reasonable-ish intercounty footballers - for a county the size of Cork it's fairly unimpressive stuff. By rights they should be the natural competitor to Dublin in the resources/money/playing argument but the GAA is booming in Dublin and dying in Cork. They'll have a lovely grand stadium as Frank's monument and no decent teams to play in it.

You look at the Cork squad (missing no-one with injuries) and how many players do you see who are are likely to be really contending for All-Stars, even if things go well for Cork this year.

It's not just tactically Cuthbert is poor - his man management of the squad has been very poor - he's pulled a fair chunk of younger lads in and then dropped them again. The vibes I've heard out of Cork is that last year there was a horrible atmosphere in the camp, this year things are better in morale terms but that's more down to the fact the players realise he's doing the best he can, but he's simply not up to it in terms of competing with the top managers. It's noticeable that he's been in the media a lot less this year - only doing the bare minimum - (he wasn't even at the last press day in Cork)

Counihan might have been weak on tactics but his man-management and that side of things was superb - he had huge respect from the players. Where things could get mighty messy if Cuthbert gets the notion into his head that he might want another term - if that happens expect a lot of blowback.

[Syferus]

Counihan was a poor manager too. Even the year Cork won the AI under him they managed to look average. Why they chose his replacement from the same brain-trust I'll never know but there's always been a hell of a lot wrong with Cork football from what I've seen.

[Canalman]

Counihan was a poor manager too. Even the year Cork won the AI under him they managed to look average. Why they chose his replacement from the same brain-trust I'll never know but there's always been a hell of a lot wrong with Cork football from what I've seen.

Disagree about Counihan. Thought he was a very good manager. The silverware won under his watch was impressive.  Could maybe have won another AI I admit.

The football played by Cork against us in 2010 (AISF) and 2011 (NFL Final) was at times brilliant.

[yellowcard]

Very peculiar Kerry line up with a strong looking bench and Galvin not even making the match day 26. Given the strength of some of the players they have left out and Cork's fragility I fear for Cork in this match and I have a feeling they could suffer a heavy defeat.

[Syferus]

Counihan was a poor manager too. Even the year Cork won the AI under him they managed to look average. Why they chose his replacement from the same brain-trust I'll never know but there's always been a hell of a lot wrong with Cork football from what I've seen.

Disagree about Counihan. Thought he was a very good manager. The silverware won under his watch was impressive.  Could maybe have won another AI I admit.

The football played by Cork against us in 2010 (AISF) and 2011 (NFL Final) was at times brilliant.

League titles? Christ we know all about being a league team. It isn't good enough. Counihan couldn't read or react to games. He is the poorest manager to have won an AI in my lifetime IMHO.

[Canalman]

Counihan was a poor manager too. Even the year Cork won the AI under him they managed to look average. Why they chose his replacement from the same brain-trust I'll never know but there's always been a hell of a lot wrong with Cork football from what I've seen.

Disagree about Counihan. Thought he was a very good manager. The silverware won under his watch was impressive.  Could maybe have won another AI I admit.

The football played by Cork against us in 2010 (AISF) and 2011 (NFL Final) was at times brilliant.

League titles? Christ we know all about being a league team. It isn't good enough. Counihan couldn't read or react to games. He is the poorest manager to have won an AI in my lifetime IMHO.

The teams that won the league the last 15 years or so bar Derry have won  the AI also. I personlly would  never sneer at a league win.

Honestly  think too many people read too much into Counihan's deadpan manner and made wrong assumptions. I have never seen a poor manager win an  AI.

Counihan imo anyway was a very good manager.

[JoG2]

I'd take Kerrigan & O'Connor ahead Doherty, Andy Moran, Ronaldson & Diarmuid O'Connor.

Individually Cork have a lot of outstanding footballers unfortunately for  them collectively they under performed for far too long now. Its easy to blame the management but in this case I would, tactically Counihan & Cuthbert appear to be way out of their depth.

I think you are being attracted by Kerrigan's flashy pace - I'd say if you saw any stats in terms of his effectiveness when in possession you'd run a mile. Can't argue with O'Connor - just a lovely kicker of a ball.

Overall Cork have a couple of outstanding intercounty footballers and a lot of reasonable-ish intercounty footballers - for a county the size of Cork it's fairly unimpressive stuff. By rights they should be the natural competitor to Dublin in the resources/money/playing argument but the GAA is booming in Dublin and dying in Cork. They'll have a lovely grand stadium as Frank's monument and no decent teams to play in it.

You look at the Cork squad (missing no-one with injuries) and how many players do you see who are are likely to be really contending for All-Stars, even if things go well for Cork this year.

It's not just tactically Cuthbert is poor - his man management of the squad has been very poor - he's pulled a fair chunk of younger lads in and then dropped them again. The vibes I've heard out of Cork is that last year there was a horrible atmosphere in the camp, this year things are better in morale terms but that's more down to the fact the players realise he's doing the best he can, but he's simply not up to it in terms of competing with the top managers. It's noticeable that he's been in the media a lot less this year - only doing the bare minimum - (he wasn't even at the last press day in Cork)

Counihan might have been weak on tactics but his man-management and that side of things was superb - he had huge respect from the players. Where things could get mighty messy if Cuthbert gets the notion into his head that he might want another term - if that happens expect a lot of blowback.

up until a couple of seasons ago I would have agreed, but for me, Kerrigan is much more of a 'team' player of late.

Really looking forward to this game. If Cork are organised defensively, if Gould and O'Connor can somehow make a show of it in the middle, if Hurley and O'Neill are provided with enough ammunition,  it may be all to play for in the final 10 mins.

Kerry by 4

[Syferus]

If Cork are organised defensively. It's like saying if the Pope was a Muslim.

[Put Up That Flag]

If Cork are organised defensively. It's like saying if the Pope was a Muslim.

Lads pay attention to what this top analyst says, he said that James O' Donoghue was a poor player last year and that Kerry would get nowhere in the championship,  so pay attention to his analysis because he was bang on the money last year.

[Maroon Manc]

I'd take Kerrigan & O'Connor ahead Doherty, Andy Moran, Ronaldson & Diarmuid O'Connor.

Individually Cork have a lot of outstanding footballers unfortunately for  them collectively they under performed for far too long now. Its easy to blame the management but in this case I would, tactically Counihan & Cuthbert appear to be way out of their depth.

I think you are being attracted by Kerrigan's flashy pace - I'd say if you saw any stats in terms of his effectiveness when in possession you'd run a mile. Can't argue with O'Connor - just a lovely kicker of a ball.

Overall Cork have a couple of outstanding intercounty footballers and a lot of reasonable-ish intercounty footballers - for a county the size of Cork it's fairly unimpressive stuff. By rights they should be the natural competitor to Dublin in the resources/money/playing argument but the GAA is booming in Dublin and dying in Cork. They'll have a lovely grand stadium as Frank's monument and no decent teams to play in it.

You look at the Cork squad (missing no-one with injuries) and how many players do you see who are are likely to be really contending for All-Stars, even if things go well for Cork this year.

It's not just tactically Cuthbert is poor - his man management of the squad has been very poor - he's pulled a fair chunk of younger lads in and then dropped them again. The vibes I've heard out of Cork is that last year there was a horrible atmosphere in the camp, this year things are better in morale terms but that's more down to the fact the players realise he's doing the best he can, but he's simply not up to it in terms of competing with the top managers. It's noticeable that he's been in the media a lot less this year - only doing the bare minimum - (he wasn't even at the last press day in Cork)

Counihan might have been weak on tactics but his man-management and that side of things was superb - he had huge respect from the players. Where things could get mighty messy if Cuthbert gets the notion into his head that he might want another term - if that happens expect a lot of blowback.

Kerrigan hasn't made the most of his talent, he's been nowhere near consistent enough for cork but that may stem from the management and that he appears to get shifted around.  James Horan was worried enough by Kerrigan by giving Keegan a man marking job on Kerrigan or so it appeared to me. I'm not claiming he's outstanding but he's a superior player to Moran, D O'Connor, Doherty and Ronaldson.

[twohands!!!]

Kerrigan hasn't made the most of his talent, he's been nowhere near consistent enough for cork but that may stem from the management and that he appears to get shifted around.  James Horan was worried enough by Kerrigan by giving Keegan a man marking job on Kerrigan or so it appeared to me. I'm not claiming he's outstanding but he's a superior player to Moran, D O'Connor, Doherty and Ronaldson.

That was a game where Cork's named half-forwards were Kerrigan, Mark Collins and Colm O'Driscoll, with both Collins and O'Driscoll's roles involved them drifting back to help their defence for long periods.
The other 3 Cork forwards in that game were Hurley and O'Neill who were inside near the goals while Gould played an attacking link-man midfielder. Basically it made a world of sense for Keegan to be marking Kerrigan and Keegan handled him fairly comfortably - Keegan ended up with a point while Kerrigan ended up with no score which I think gives a fair reflection of who won that battle. Cuthbert left both Donnacha O'Connor and Paddy Kelly on the bench but it was no surprise to see them replace Collins and Colm O'Driscoll. 

I would agree that Kerrigan has been shifted around a bit by management and they don't seem to have the best idea  of how to use him effectively (but it's not like he is the only one the management don't seem to have a clue how to use effectively - this is the same management team who tried Paddy Kelly as a centre-back and wasted time in the league trying to see if Cadogan might be an option at midfield) but the management haven't been helped by the fact that in a number of games where he has been given his shot he has failed to impress and the fact that he hasn't developed his game very much in all the time he has been involved with the Cork team [although I think that can be levelled at a fair few Cork footballers ; it seems that for a serious chunk of Cork footballers their development seems to stop once they stop playing U21 football. ]

[orangeman]

Kerrigan is a serious talent. I'd love to have a player like that available to me.

[larryin89]

Value in cork at 5/2. Kerry not a great side at all .

[cuconnacht]

Kerry Team :

1. Brendan Kealy Kilcummin
2. Fionn Fitzgerald Dr Crokes
3. Marc Ó Sé An Ghaeltacht
4. Shane Enright Tarbert
5. Jonathan Lyne Killarney Legion
6. Peter Crowley Laune Rangers
7. Killian Young Renard
8. David Moran Kerins O'Rahillys
9. Bryan Sheehan St Marys
10. Stephen O'Brien Kenmare
11. Johnny Buckley Dr Crokes
12. Donnchadh Walsh Cromane
13. Barry John Keane Kerins O'Rahillys
14. Kieran Donaghy (C) Austin Stacks
15. James O'Donoghue Killarney Legion
Fir Ionaid
16. Brian Kelly Killarney Legion
17. Colm Cooper Dr Crokes
18. Anthony Maher Duagh
19. Paul Geaney Dingle
20. Mark Griffin St Michaels/Foilmore
21. Michael Geaney Dingle
22. Aidan O'Mahony Rathmore
23. Darran O'Sullivan Glenbeigh-Glencar
24. Tommy Walsh Kerins O'Rahillys
25. Jack Sherwood Firies
26. Paul Murphy Rathmore

Additional Information:

Additional Squad Members

Paul Galvin Finuge
Alan Fitzgerald Castlegregory
Pa Kilkenny Glenbeigh/Glencar
Padraig O'Connor Killarney Legion
Philip O'Connor Cordal
Kieran O'Leary Dr Crokes (Recovering from an Achilles Tendon Injury)

Substitutes Bench -

The Kerry substitutes bench contains five players who started against Donegal in last year's All Ireland Final – Brian Kelly, Aidan O'Mahony, Paul Murphy, Anthony Maher and Paul Geaney.

Marc Ó Sé - Marc Ó Sé will play his 82nd Championship game for Kerry on Sunday thus surpassing his brother Darragh with whom he currently shares 81 Championship appearances for The Kingdom. Their other sibling, Tomás, played 88 championship games for Kerry which is a record.
Colm Cooper is in 4th position in the all time Kerry Championship appearances list on a mere 77!

The Lynes of Cleeney - A link with Sunday's game

The Lynes of Cleeney, within earshot of the Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney, are a very well known footballing family who played their Club Football with Killarney Legion. Denny, Jackie and Fr Mickey all won All Irelands with Kerry at senior level – and Denny captained Kerry in the Polo Grounds final in '47, a game in which Jackie also played. Jackie went on to train Kerry to 2 All Ireland titles in '69 and '70. Their sister, Maura, married Tom Spillane and was of course mother of Pat, Mick and Tom of Kerry Golden Years fame - Sunday's No. 5 Jonathan Lyne is a grandson of Denny Lyne. Jonathan, who made his Championship debut against Clare in 2012, and made his full championship debut against Tipperary in this year's semi final, started in all of Kerry's seven AFL games this season.

Wonderful post Frank.I`l be dropin this one in the laps of the vet exiles this mornin(accreditation to yourself of course)this is their meat and gravy type info.The appearance figures look so small for lads who`ve been around so long and as towards the Lyne family well what can one say marvellous heritage there and long be it so.Great post.