Kerry V Meath AI SF Semifinal 30th August 2009

[Declan]

I've watched it again twice since Sunday Hardy and there is serious scope for improvement.
I think we can play much better.

I'd agree with that first sentence but I honestly don't think that Meath are anything other than a very average side. I've watched a number of their matches over the last couple of seasons and have seen a fair few of these lads playing for their clubs and just don't see how they can beat Kerry. Maybe I'll be proved wrong but I think they are operating at a level below the top tier. Agree with Hardy though re the huge improvement re aggression and breaking ball but unless Kerry go back to performing like they did against Longford after the first 20 mins and parts of the Sligo game I think they'll win by 5/6 points. 

[Billys Boots]

Even though Kerry are primed to be peaking now, I can't help but feel that they themselves will feel that they won't need the same level of performance against Meath (as they produced against Dublin), and this could make it a much tighter affair (in terms of scores anyway).  Kerry (and O'Connor) may be only thinking of Tyrone at this point, however hard the Kerry machine are trying to (make them) avoid that mistake. 

And there's no guarantee that Tyrone will have Cork's measure either.  I still have a feeling that the Cork side may not have enough bottle for Tyrone (or Kerry post-July).

[Hardy]

I agree with all of that Billy and Kerry's possible (and certainly inadvertent) eye-off-the-ball approach going into the game may be our biggest advantage - just as Mayo can't have been immune to complacency on Sunday and that undoubtedly helped us. The psychology matters hugely.

One interesting little thing from watching the 2001 video - Seán's selectors that day were Coyle and O'Brien - the last two county managers. More to the point and to our disadvantage, Jack O'Connor was on the sideline for Kerry that day. That may be a significant motor of motivation for the Kingdom.

[meathie]

yea the motivation is deffinitely there for the Kingdom after 2001, but for our lads the motivation comes from that bad loss in 07. A number of players commented on this straight after and in the papers since. They really felt sick after that defeat with Cork and felt that the team was muc better than that scoreline suggested and they wont want that happening this time. so as well as O Brien showing them the the 01 game, I think he'll be showing them the 07 one too.

[blanketattack]

What age are the Meath players? Anyone with a couple of minutes of spare time?
P O'Rourke 20 ; E Harrington 24, A Moyles 30ish, C O'Connor <25; M Burke <25, C McGuinness 23, C King 24; N Crawford 27ish, B Meade 23; P Byrne 24, J Sheridan 24, S Kenny 28ish; D Bray 23, C Ward 23, B Farrell 24.  (also S Bray 26).

Its a young enough Meath team, still plenty of years in them for an All Ireland. The ages i put in might not be totally accurate but are close enough.
Meath shouldn't get past Kerry but stranger things have happened. I think alot depends on how the Meath players go into the Match. If they have the belief that they can win and play from the first minute, it could get very interesting.

Thanks for the info. That's almost the perfect age profile. Not too young or not too old. It's similar to the age profile of the Kerry team in 1978!

[Royalranter]

What age are the Meath players? Anyone with a couple of minutes of spare time?
P O'Rourke 20 ; E Harrington 24, A Moyles 30ish, C O'Connor <25; M Burke <25, C McGuinness 23, C King 24; N Crawford 27ish, B Meade 23; P Byrne 24, J Sheridan 24, S Kenny 28ish; D Bray 23, C Ward 23, B Farrell 24.  (also S Bray 26).

Its a young enough Meath team, still plenty of years in them for an All Ireland. The ages i put in might not be totally accurate but are close enough.
Meath shouldn't get past Kerry but stranger things have happened. I think alot depends on how the Meath players go into the Match. If they have the belief that they can win and play from the first minute, it could get very interesting.

Thanks for the info. That's almost the perfect age profile. Not too young or not too old. It's similar to the age profile of the Kerry team in 1978!

Its not a bad age for them. And a good few of them have been playing together with the county up through t he age groups and were on the minor team that reached All ireland Final circa 02. I don't think they're quite ready to win an All Ireland just yet but with a few more long runs in the championship, they could be a big threat in years to come

[Jinxy]

yea the motivation is deffinitely there for the Kingdom after 2001, but for our lads the motivation comes from that bad loss in 07. A number of players commented on this straight after and in the papers since. They really felt sick after that defeat with Cork and felt that the team was muc better than that scoreline suggested and they wont want that happening this time. so as well as O Brien showing them the the 01 game, I think he'll be showing them the 07 one too.

But Mayo supposedly had plenty of motivation to beat us on Sunday.
And Tyrone in '07.

[meathie]

yes absolutely, but thats what I mean. There will always be motivation factor from somewhere, at the end of the day motivation alone will not get you through a game.

[Jinxy]

I've watched it again twice since Sunday Hardy and there is serious scope for improvement.
I think we can play much better.

I'd agree with that first sentence but I honestly don't think that Meath are anything other than a very average side. I've watched a number of their matches over the last couple of seasons and have seen a fair few of these lads playing for their clubs and just don't see how they can beat Kerry. Maybe I'll be proved wrong but I think they are operating at a level below the top tier. Agree with Hardy though re the huge improvement re aggression and breaking ball but unless Kerry go back to performing like they did against Longford after the first 20 mins and parts of the Sligo game I think they'll win by 5/6 points. 

We have an above average forward line, a competitive midfield but defensively we aren't great.
I'd be worried that we dominated the midddle third of the field yet Mayo still scored 1-15.
If our defenders function better as a unit against Kerry we definitely have the attacking options to give them a fright.

[INDIANA]

yea the motivation is deffinitely there for the Kingdom after 2001, but for our lads the motivation comes from that bad loss in 07. A number of players commented on this straight after and in the papers since. They really felt sick after that defeat with Cork and felt that the team was muc better than that scoreline suggested and they wont want that happening this time. so as well as O Brien showing them the the 01 game, I think he'll be showing them the 07 one too.

I doubt it- most of the kerry team weren't playing that day. Those sort of defeats only have relevance to the guys who were actually playing.

[Billys Boots]

yea the motivation is deffinitely there for the Kingdom after 2001, but for our lads the motivation comes from that bad loss in 07. A number of players commented on this straight after and in the papers since. They really felt sick after that defeat with Cork and felt that the team was muc better than that scoreline suggested and they wont want that happening this time. so as well as O Brien showing them the the 01 game, I think he'll be showing them the 07 one too.

I doubt it- most of the kerry team weren't playing that day. Those sort of defeats only have relevance to the guys who were actually playing.

I agree, it's in the mists of time - it's only recent encounters that wind teams up, from a motivational perspective.

[blanketattack]

yea the motivation is deffinitely there for the Kingdom after 2001, but for our lads the motivation comes from that bad loss in 07. A number of players commented on this straight after and in the papers since. They really felt sick after that defeat with Cork and felt that the team was muc better than that scoreline suggested and they wont want that happening this time. so as well as O Brien showing them the the 01 game, I think he'll be showing them the 07 one too.

I doubt it- most of the kerry team weren't playing that day. Those sort of defeats only have relevance to the guys who were actually playing.

Yeah, I think Darragh Ó Sé and Mike McCarthy are the only remaining players from that day. Tomás Ó Sé was  suspended and Tom O'Sullivan came off injured early on.

[bcarrier]

2001 will be factor alright. Those oles may yet come back to hunt the royals.

Darragh has never played on a Kerry side that has beaten Meath in championship.

Miike McCarthy, Tom O'Sullivan & Darragh played. Tommy Griffin came on as a sub.

Kerry Selector Eamon Fitzmaurice played. Noel Kennelly can tell his brother about it. 

[thejuice]

OK, midfield. How do we stack up against the Kerry men. Crawford and Meade are having a good year, I wonder if things would have been different if they started against Dublin.

We've done reasonably well on winning breaks as well after the Dublin game with lads like King playing where he belongs and Peadar Byrne playing well. While we are 2nd best to Kerry I still think we should still come away with over 45% of the kickouts won.

[meathie]

So Kevin Reilly is out for deff. Its a pity. I wouldnt have started him anyway but it would have been good to have him on the bench if needed. well we'll have to make do, we can still win