Tyrone v Kerry All Ireland Final 2008

[orangeman]

Some hacks simply believe that a brilliant footballer is one who has just stepped out of a book: Big brown tanned legs; galloping strides and a green/gold geansai on his spine. What's a great footballer? Someone who executes the skills of the game with the fewest mistakes and is consistantly a major player in the game. Preferably two-footed in the solo and shot selection. Someone who intelligently uses the ball by hand and foot and also uses the grey matter when not in possession. Someone who'll condition his body to compete at the highest level. Put all that in a big cauldron and you'll find the majority of that Tyrone starting 15 in it.

That's just about it - throw in 100% commitment and you're there.

[Tyrone Dreamer]

Took this from The Kerryman :
Kerry management made serious errors of judgement
Wednesday October 01 2008

THE fallout from losing a third All Ireland final to Tyrone in six years hit home last week as Kerry supporters surveyed the wreckage of a damaging defeat in which the reigning champions were outsmarted and outmanoeuvred both on and of the field.

So many things went wrong that it is difficult to pinpoint why Pat O'Shea's men, with so much at stake, contrived to play what was arguably their poorest football of the whole year (excluding the league final against Derry and the Munster final defeat by Cork). Three defeats in major finals in one year is bad enough, but when the most calamitous failure comes on the biggest day of all before a sellout crowd in Croke Park there is justifiable bewilderment.

With so many top players under-achieving it was, perhaps, understandable that supporters would find it hard to deal with a situation that was so untypical of Kerry in an All Ireland final. Being beaten so comprehensively in the end hasn't been the only shock.

There were also some poor decisions by management that have compounded the overall disappointment. All of this is perfectly understandable. Kerry supporters demand high standards and they are entitled to expect only the very best on a day when everything is on the line. They didn't get that nor anything remotely near it.

Tyrone's claustrophobic gameplan undoubtedly contributed to what unfolded. Kerry didn't play poorly just by accident; they were presssurised into making numerous mistakes. By now, Mickey Harte is an exhaustive student of Kerry football, which he knows like the back of his hand. Consequently, there is nothing that would have spooked him in terms of tactical innovation.

Harte is a top-class practitioner who would have guessed correctly that the opposition had nothing new in their armoury – which they hadn't. Any fool could have told him how important it was to eliminate the threat of Cooper, Donaghy and Walsh who had signalled their devastating potential well in advance. Equally important, he would have to ensure that pressure was exerted on outfield players in a way that allowed little quality ball being directed into this area. Some of these pressure tactics included obstructionist fouling that mostly went unpunished by the referee.

By moving the tenacious and destructive Conor Gormley to left full-back Harte was clearly intent on presenting Colm Cooper with his biggest test to date. The two McMahons, mostly unrated up to now, were handed the mammoth task of defusing two of Kerry's key players, Kieran Donaghy and Tommy Walsh. When Kerry's front line of attack wasn't functioning and with several fouls being ignored by the referee Tyrone were on their way.
By his own high standards, Kieran Donaghy had a complete off-day with little going right for him. From the start his normal animation appeared to have gone missing and he looked completely out of sorts with himself. In any event it came as a huge surprise to see him being marked out of it. Obviously, his recent injury must have been a factor. He had done little training and for whatever reason wasn't even a shadow of the great player we know him to be.

The Kerry selectors made their first blunder of the day when deciding late in the first half to bring Donaghy outfield to play as a third midfielder. This suited Tyrone down to the ground because it took the opposition's main play-maker away from his normal domain and brought him into an area where he made no impression. Secondly, it clogged up a sector where Kerry were already marginally on top. Absolutely nothing was gained from that experiment.

Tommy Walsh filled the vacant space in front of goal but was getting nothing off his marker. After an early knock the Kerins O'Rahilly's man became a peripheral figure although he did have one half-chance of scoring what would have been a vital goal.

Walsh is a midfielder by inclination and when he blasted the ball against the advancing goalkeeper he did what most outfield players in his situation would have done. Had he chosen to jink the keeper his physical strength would have given him a chance of putting the ball in the net. Alternatively, he might posssibly have been fouled for a penalty.

Colm Cooper was Kerry's lone scoring threat in attack with Declan O'Sullivan foraging deep in defence where he did some great work. He also contributed spasmodically up front and his late goal attempt (had it come off) might have saved the day. With Eoin Brosnan and Bryan Sheehan ineffective on the wings, Kerry's attacking threat was minimal throughout.

Keeping Darran O'Sullivan under wraps for the whole season was a mistake. The Glenbeigh/Glencar clubman is a forward of real quality having proved himself repeatedly when coming on as a sub over the past few years. During the league campaign earlier this year he was among the top five players on the team. The question must arise therefore: Why has he been held in reserve when he should have become a first-choice regular long before now? To deny him that opportunity is not just ill-advised, it is morally wrong and unjustifiable.

Similarly in the case of Tommy Griffin whose exclusion was mind-boggling. After performing so well in both games against Cork the Dingle publican appeared to have done everybody a big favour by sorting out the notoriously troublesome full-back position. That was the presumption, but things turned out very differently. To the absolute bafflement of supporters Griffin was dropped for the next game, the All Ireland final! Making a wrong call in the heat of a big game is an occupational hazard, but when a decision is made in the cold light of day that flies in the face of reason it is hard to acccept.

Paul Galvin's introduction on the 58th minute came far too late. If he was to play a meaningful role he should have been brought on much earlier and allow him, say 10 minutes, to adjust to the pace of the game. Admittedly, he didn't look right after coming on but, given more time, he might have made some kind of impact.

In fairness, the selectors did make some good moves during the year. The introduction of Tommy Walsh in mid-season was a master-stroke while the bold and adventurous step of trying to convert Griffin into a full-back was working until the blueprint was discarded. Micheal Quirke was a success in the replay against Cork. Similarly, the late arrival of David Moran that day reaped rich dividends. This begs the question though: Why have we seen so little of him?

Tyrone have won three All Irelands with a mixture of some very good and some very ordinary players. Their success does not rest with brilliant individual talent. At least five of the side that beat Kerry on September 21 would struggle to make the Tralee John Mitchels' side of the 1960s. Kerry have far better quality, but it is not paying off.
Why this is happening is something that must be addressed before the future can even be considered.

**Just checked on wikipedia and they won 5 championships so they must have been some team. The question is what five couldn't have made it - since it was the 'catch and kick' days who out of the tyrone team would fall down on the old mano-mano style of football

Kerry are the worst losers about. They come out straight after the match and congratulate you on being the better team etc. But then over the next few months and years they try to play down the defeat and criticise your team. I have read this stuff numerous times about Tyrones obstructive fouling out the field and I honestly dont know what they are talking about. Id say Tyrone committed no more fouls out the pitch than Kerry. There were a couple of early 50 50 tussles between Justy McMahon and Donaghy with the ref giving a decision each way. I dont remember to many fouls going unpunished.

The last paragraph has to be a laugh,surely it is? Tyrone have played Kerry 3 times this decade in championship and one 3 times - once by 7 points,once by 3 points and once by 4 points. To say that 5 Tyrone players wouldnt have made a Kerry club team is surely taking the piss.

After 2003 when Kerry entered the game as hot favourites and got beat it was made out in the media for 2 years that Tyrone were a negative team and basically caught Kerry on the hop as they werent expecting these tactics. They got there chance for revenge in 2005. The media said Kerry had learned from their mistakes and with new players like Galvin and a new found work rate they'd definately beat Tyrone. Tyrone won a wonderful game by 3 points and outplayed Kerry scoring 1-16.

Fast forward 3 years and the teams meet again. Again Kerry are hot favourites and again they have new tactics which Tyrone wont be able to handle. It has been suggested that over the previous 2 years that if Kerry had Donaghy in 2005 at full forward they would have beaten Tyrone. This year too they have Tommy Walsh and Tyrone wont be able to beat Kerry with the twin towers and Gooch about. The consensus on the Sunday Game the week before the final was that it was Kerry's to lose. Tyrone win by 4 points.

They have beaten Kerry with nearly every one (Seamus M now retiired) of their best players over the previous 5 years available. Tyrone have started without Canavan/O'Neill/Mulligan/McGuigan - all key forwards from the great Tyrone team of 2005. Yet less than a month later the usual crap has been come from certain journalists that Kerry have vastly superior players etc. The head to head battles suggest otherwise and you just wonder what the outcome would have been if Kerry had been forced to start without a fully fit Gooch/Donaghy/O'Sullivan.

[Yes I Would]

Jesus talk about sour grapes!!  Whats worrying is that many will read and believe it.

[tyssam5]

"Tyrone's claustrophobic gameplan undoubtedly contributed to what unfolded."

This is my favourite bit. Pat O'Shea was the man who chose to play about 5 or 6 in his half back line as he was scared of Tyrones gameplan of breaking in numbers. This negative approach was a big factor in Kerry's loss.

Not sure who penned thi mighty piece?

[Lamh Dhearg Alba]

This is another of the lazy cliches that some ill informed writers have thrown at Tyrone over the last few years and like the puke football thing it has stuck a little bit. Remember reading before the 2005 final that McGee and Mellon were starting for Tyrone when they wouldnt make the Kerry panel. Both lads showed how ridiculous that opinion was. You would think the fact that the current team have 3 Sams now and is made up from 3 All-Ireland Minor Championship winning teams over 6 years (with lads from a new team of All-Ireland minor champions waiting to break through) that people would recognise its an exceptionally talented team. Truth is that if these so called ordinary players were on the Kerry team they would be talked up, its all a nonsense.

The author of this piece shows his ignorance by calling the McMahons "mostly underrated up to now". Joe was a brilliant underage player and was AI winning full back at the age of 22. Justy was an outstanding under 21 player (captaining Tyrone to the Ulster title) and had been in excellent form up until the final. These guys were only underrated if you have limited GAA knowledge.

Wouldnt go overboard and say Kerry folk are poor losers on the back of ill informed and poorly researched article though, the reaction of the posters on here was very sporting.

[Mike Sheehy]

Kerry are the worst losers about. They come out straight after the match and congratulate you on being the better team etc. But then over the next few months and years they try to play down the defeat and criticise your team.

A lot of you lads have constantly belittled Kerrys AI wins over the last few years (and long before that) so your complaints about not getting the credit you feel you deserve are a bit rich.

Also, we have no control over what the media, even our own, have to say. If fact, we'd be perfectly happy to have the media spend the next year telling Tyrone that the sun shines out their arses so that we can just get on with it. The last thing we need is more media blathering about Kerry or Kerry v Tyrone or Paul galvin etc etc

[ONeill]

This is another of the lazy cliches that some ill informed writers have thrown at Tyrone over the last few years and like the puke football thing it has stuck a little bit. Remember reading before the 2005 final that McGee and Mellon were starting for Tyrone when they wouldnt make the Kerry panel. Both lads showed how ridiculous that opinion was. You would think the fact that the current team have 3 Sams now and is made up from 3 All-Ireland Minor Championship winning teams over 6 years (with lads from a new team of All-Ireland minor champions waiting to break through) that people would recognise its an exceptionally talented team. Truth is that if these so called ordinary players were on the Kerry team they would be talked up, its all a nonsense.

The author of this piece shows his ignorance by calling the McMahons "mostly underrated up to now". Joe was a brilliant underage player and was AI winning full back at the age of 22. Justy was an outstanding under 21 player (captaining Tyrone to the Ulster title) and had been in excellent form up until the final. These guys were only underrated if you have limited GAA knowledge.

Wouldnt go overboard and say Kerry folk are poor losers on the back of ill informed and poorly researched article though, the reaction of the posters on here was very sporting.

Excellent.

[magickingdom]

read that in the kerryman, he makes a few good points about kerrys many tactical blunders on the day (with his phd in hindsight) but the whole tone of it is very mean spirited towards tyrone and most kerry fans would say that. even if kerry had got everything right on the day whoes to say they would have won? tyrone made a few mistakes too and the best team won on the day. his comment about 5 of the tyrone team not making the john mitchels team of the 60's (only club to have won 5 championships in a row 1959-63 (read it and weep kerrymike!)) are just there to be controversial

[tyronefan]

Kerry are the worst losers about. They come out straight after the match and congratulate you on being the better team etc. But then over the next few months and years they try to play down the defeat and criticise your team.

A lot of you lads have constantly belittled Kerrys AI wins over the last few years (and long before that) so your complaints about not getting the credit you feel you deserve are a bit rich.

Also, we have no control over what the media, even our own, have to say. If fact, we'd be perfectly happy to have the media spend the next year telling Tyrone that the sun shines out their arses so that we can just get on with it. The last thing we need is more media blathering about Kerry or Kerry v Tyrone or Paul galvin etc etc

Still how can you credit Kerry for there AI wins when a team of ordinary players keep beating them

[Mike Sheehy]

Still how can you credit Kerry for there AI wins when a team of ordinary players keep beating them

Well, we've obviously gone downhill since doing the back to back. Defending a title takes a lot out of a team you know and winning it three times in a row is even harder.

[tyronefan]

ok mike  now trying to belittle Kerry's wins only pointing out that there is not to many ordinary players on the Tyrone team

[tyssam5]

read that in the kerryman, he makes a few good points about kerrys many tactical blunders on the day (with his phd in hindsight) but the whole tone of it is very mean spirited towards tyrone and most kerry fans would say that. even if kerry had got everything right on the day whoes to say they would have won? tyrone made a few mistakes too and the best team won on the day. his comment about 5 of the tyrone team not making the john mitchels team of the 60's (only club to have won 5 championships in a row 1959-63 (read it and weep kerrymike!)) are just there to be controversial

Magic, who was the author, the online edition doesn't tell you?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Magic, who was the author, the online edition doesn't tell you?

Some 'P Spillane' I think 

[Kerry Mike]

not making the john mitchels team of the 60's (only club to have won 5 championships in a row 1959-63 (read it and weep kerrymike!))

Ah jaysus I was enjoying me cup of tae and a biscuit and I get dragged into this.  There has been no team of note seen in Boherbue since that team, hope you enjoy your well deserved spell with the intermediates  

As for the Tyrone wans, for fecks sake ye should be still celebrating your fine win a few weeks ago (when we win which is often I'd be drunk till Christmas) and not worrying what a page filler throw away article in the Kerryman has to offer. If we were to take to heart all the crap written about Kerry over the years in the Irish News and that Ulster GAA rag ye have up there we would get little sleep.

As Sheehy says, Tyrone are great (okay he didnt go that far) but the sun shines out their holes fior this year. And long may it continue , yerra tis a dark enough dump of a place at the best of times

[Mike Sheehy]

I suppose I dont blame them for trying to get a spat going. I've never seen less activity on gaaboard coming up to an All-Ireland or in the aftermath of an AI.  gaaboard has definitely been dying a death over the last few years.