Kerry V Dublin

[Rossfan]

This could be embarassing for us lads  ....we are preceding the "Real All Ireland Final":

ESB GAA Football All Ireland Minor Championship
Quarter Finals
Páirc an Chrócaigh 12.00pm Ciarraí v Ros Comáin
Referee: TBC
(E.T. if Necessary)

[INDIANA]

1 - It will bring a load of hype around which we don't need....Ideally let the hype settle on Tyrone/Cork shoulders
2 - If we win it will just go off the charts which again we don't need...I would sooner go through as quietly as possible
3 - If there is any team that will pull Kerry together to beat it is Dublin and I don't want to get caught like last year...

I just can't understand this type of thinking. There is always hype with Dublin teams but Dublin haven't failed to win Sam since 1995 because of hype but because of a lack of quality. Anyway there is hype in other counties too you know and in most of those counties everyone in the whole county knows who the players are and where they work and live which brings its own pressure. As for your third point I give you Cork and Tyrone as another two teams that would have galvinized Kerry just as much, probably more in fact as those two teams have beaten this Kerry squad in important games.

If Dublin are good enough to win Sam they have to beat the likes of Kerry, so they may as well meet them now, if Kerry can't focus Dublin minds then they may as well finish their seaon this weekend as they aren't worth a damn anyway.

Kerry know they can beat Cork in Croke Park as losing a Munster game has happened before and they have come back....Yes they would focus against Tyrone but at least Tyrone are known to be a serious top class team whereas we would be known as a bunch of bottlers and they couldn't accept losing to us and facing the folk at home.....

If you are good enough to win it means you have to be there on the last day of the season with a chance to win....Playing Kerry reduces our chances of making it....Its like last year where Tyrone were brutal, lost to Down after a replay, fluked past Westmeath in Omagh, were blessed against Mayo who threw the game away, got the break with the extra week off last year and beat us and went on to win the final...In knock-out it can just be a bit of bad luck that costs a team the game and you are out.....If your arguement holds up then a win going through Kildare, Kerry, Mayo, Tyrone is just as easy as going through Kildare, Limerick, Meath, Donegal...

Making excuses DSFM. We're either good enough or we're not. If we got a soft run to the final- I don't think we'd win anyway. All all-ireland winners in the last 5 years have been severely tested prior to the final. We had a decent game against Kildare- but it wasn't a knock out game. We had non-events vs Meath and Westmeath. 2 serious games against Kerry and Mayo would prepare us in spades for the slugfest vs Tyrone in the final.
Games against Limerick and Meath wouldn't. No disrespect to either.

[DUBSFORSAM1]

1 - It will bring a load of hype around which we don't need....Ideally let the hype settle on Tyrone/Cork shoulders
2 - If we win it will just go off the charts which again we don't need...I would sooner go through as quietly as possible
3 - If there is any team that will pull Kerry together to beat it is Dublin and I don't want to get caught like last year...

I just can't understand this type of thinking. There is always hype with Dublin teams but Dublin haven't failed to win Sam since 1995 because of hype but because of a lack of quality. Anyway there is hype in other counties too you know and in most of those counties everyone in the whole county knows who the players are and where they work and live which brings its own pressure. As for your third point I give you Cork and Tyrone as another two teams that would have galvinized Kerry just as much, probably more in fact as those two teams have beaten this Kerry squad in important games.

If Dublin are good enough to win Sam they have to beat the likes of Kerry, so they may as well meet them now, if Kerry can't focus Dublin minds then they may as well finish their seaon this weekend as they aren't worth a damn anyway.

Kerry know they can beat Cork in Croke Park as losing a Munster game has happened before and they have come back....Yes they would focus against Tyrone but at least Tyrone are known to be a serious top class team whereas we would be known as a bunch of bottlers and they couldn't accept losing to us and facing the folk at home.....

If you are good enough to win it means you have to be there on the last day of the season with a chance to win....Playing Kerry reduces our chances of making it....Its like last year where Tyrone were brutal, lost to Down after a replay, fluked past Westmeath in Omagh, were blessed against Mayo who threw the game away, got the break with the extra week off last year and beat us and went on to win the final...In knock-out it can just be a bit of bad luck that costs a team the game and you are out.....If your arguement holds up then a win going through Kildare, Kerry, Mayo, Tyrone is just as easy as going through Kildare, Limerick, Meath, Donegal...

Making excuses DSFM. We're either good enough or we're not. If we got a soft run to the final- I don't think we'd win anyway. All all-ireland winners in the last 5 years have been severely tested prior to the final. We had a decent game against Kildare- but it wasn't a knock out game. We had non-events vs Meath and Westmeath. 2 serious games against Kerry and Mayo would prepare us in spades for the slugfest vs Tyrone in the final.
Games against Limerick and Meath wouldn't. No disrespect to either.

Not making excuses (I just don't think that we can afford to think that the best way to win an All-Ireland is to play the best teams in every round)....Tyrone got a few easy draws last year, Kerry this year, Kerry in 06 etc and still won Sam...Tyrone haven't had a tough game in the championship so how will the final be a slugfest if  they have had it easy?? They could quite easily get beaten by Cork and not be there...Most teams seem to have to lose to win the All-Ireland that year and its just unfortunate we lose when the knock-outs are around....

Limerick would be a very tough match for us as can be seen by their performacnes against Cork in the last 2 years (who you rate highly I think)...would have been a very tough physical game against a very strong defence and midfield with a couple of decent forwards...

[Tankie]

I am surprised with the game being on Bank Holiday Monday...

[armaghniac]

I am surprised with the game being on Bank Holiday Monday...

Not at all. The alternative was the Saturday, this way they get an extra day to put the the pitch back.

[Tankie]

I am surprised with the game being on Bank Holiday Monday...

Not at all. The alternative was the Saturday, this way they get an extra day to put the the pitch back.

its a big drive for the Kerry lads on a monday with work the next day...

[Zulu]

1 - It will bring a load of hype around which we don't need....Ideally let the hype settle on Tyrone/Cork shoulders
2 - If we win it will just go off the charts which again we don't need...I would sooner go through as quietly as possible
3 - If there is any team that will pull Kerry together to beat it is Dublin and I don't want to get caught like last year...

I just can't understand this type of thinking. There is always hype with Dublin teams but Dublin haven't failed to win Sam since 1995 because of hype but because of a lack of quality. Anyway there is hype in other counties too you know and in most of those counties everyone in the whole county knows who the players are and where they work and live which brings its own pressure. As for your third point I give you Cork and Tyrone as another two teams that would have galvinized Kerry just as much, probably more in fact as those two teams have beaten this Kerry squad in important games.

If Dublin are good enough to win Sam they have to beat the likes of Kerry, so they may as well meet them now, if Kerry can't focus Dublin minds then they may as well finish their seaon this weekend as they aren't worth a damn anyway.

Kerry know they can beat Cork in Croke Park as losing a Munster game has happened before and they have come back....Yes they would focus against Tyrone but at least Tyrone are known to be a serious top class team whereas we would be known as a bunch of bottlers and they couldn't accept losing to us and facing the folk at home.....

If you are good enough to win it means you have to be there on the last day of the season with a chance to win....Playing Kerry reduces our chances of making it....Its like last year where Tyrone were brutal, lost to Down after a replay, fluked past Westmeath in Omagh, were blessed against Mayo who threw the game away, got the break with the extra week off last year and beat us and went on to win the final...In knock-out it can just be a bit of bad luck that costs a team the game and you are out.....If your arguement holds up then a win going through Kildare, Kerry, Mayo, Tyrone is just as easy as going through Kildare, Limerick, Meath, Donegal...

Making excuses DSFM. We're either good enough or we're not. If we got a soft run to the final- I don't think we'd win anyway. All all-ireland winners in the last 5 years have been severely tested prior to the final. We had a decent game against Kildare- but it wasn't a knock out game. We had non-events vs Meath and Westmeath. 2 serious games against Kerry and Mayo would prepare us in spades for the slugfest vs Tyrone in the final.
Games against Limerick and Meath wouldn't. No disrespect to either.

Not making excuses (I just don't think that we can afford to think that the best way to win an All-Ireland is to play the best teams in every round)....Tyrone got a few easy draws last year, Kerry this year, Kerry in 06 etc and still won Sam...Tyrone haven't had a tough game in the championship so how will the final be a slugfest if  they have had it easy?? They could quite easily get beaten by Cork and not be there...Most teams seem to have to lose to win the All-Ireland that year and its just unfortunate we lose when the knock-outs are around....

Limerick would be a very tough match for us as can be seen by their performacnes against Cork in the last 2 years (who you rate highly I think)...would have been a very tough physical game against a very strong defence and midfield with a couple of decent forwards...

DFS1 you seem to put an unhealthy amount of value in the past, both Cork and Dublin are better teams than they have been in the past 10 years, and neither should fear anyone. As in any sport any team can get beaten but Dublin shouldn't fear anyone or worry about 'hype'. There is no golden rule to winning Sam some teams win it after very tough paths and others after easier ones (I don't think there is any easy path anymore) but if Dublin are good enough to win the AI they'll have to beat Kerry and probably Mayo to get the chance. IMO that is good for them as they'll either prove to everyone that they are capable of playing the best while at the same time finding out what weaknesses they have or they'll get knocked out and ye can get back to club football.

As it happens I think the two best teams in the country are on the other side (Tyrone and Cork) so if Dublin do get there they'll still have to face their biggest challenge, no disrespect to Donegal or Kildare intended (both of whom I think have a chance in the QF). This is a good draw for Dublin and I think they'll prove to the country that they can live with the best, they have already IMO, but next Monday they'll show they can beat them as well.

[Zapatista]

I am surprised with the game being on Bank Holiday Monday...

Not at all. The alternative was the Saturday, this way they get an extra day to put the the pitch back.

its a big drive for the Kerry lads on a monday with work the next day...

No different than a normal Sunday with work the next day.

[comethekingdom]

Any word on tickets going on sale on ticketmaster?

[INDIANA]

1 - It will bring a load of hype around which we don't need....Ideally let the hype settle on Tyrone/Cork shoulders
2 - If we win it will just go off the charts which again we don't need...I would sooner go through as quietly as possible
3 - If there is any team that will pull Kerry together to beat it is Dublin and I don't want to get caught like last year...

I just can't understand this type of thinking. There is always hype with Dublin teams but Dublin haven't failed to win Sam since 1995 because of hype but because of a lack of quality. Anyway there is hype in other counties too you know and in most of those counties everyone in the whole county knows who the players are and where they work and live which brings its own pressure. As for your third point I give you Cork and Tyrone as another two teams that would have galvinized Kerry just as much, probably more in fact as those two teams have beaten this Kerry squad in important games.

If Dublin are good enough to win Sam they have to beat the likes of Kerry, so they may as well meet them now, if Kerry can't focus Dublin minds then they may as well finish their seaon this weekend as they aren't worth a damn anyway.

Kerry know they can beat Cork in Croke Park as losing a Munster game has happened before and they have come back....Yes they would focus against Tyrone but at least Tyrone are known to be a serious top class team whereas we would be known as a bunch of bottlers and they couldn't accept losing to us and facing the folk at home.....

If you are good enough to win it means you have to be there on the last day of the season with a chance to win....Playing Kerry reduces our chances of making it....Its like last year where Tyrone were brutal, lost to Down after a replay, fluked past Westmeath in Omagh, were blessed against Mayo who threw the game away, got the break with the extra week off last year and beat us and went on to win the final...In knock-out it can just be a bit of bad luck that costs a team the game and you are out.....If your arguement holds up then a win going through Kildare, Kerry, Mayo, Tyrone is just as easy as going through Kildare, Limerick, Meath, Donegal...

Making excuses DSFM. We're either good enough or we're not. If we got a soft run to the final- I don't think we'd win anyway. All all-ireland winners in the last 5 years have been severely tested prior to the final. We had a decent game against Kildare- but it wasn't a knock out game. We had non-events vs Meath and Westmeath. 2 serious games against Kerry and Mayo would prepare us in spades for the slugfest vs Tyrone in the final.
Games against Limerick and Meath wouldn't. No disrespect to either.

Not making excuses (I just don't think that we can afford to think that the best way to win an All-Ireland is to play the best teams in every round)....Tyrone got a few easy draws last year, Kerry this year, Kerry in 06 etc and still won Sam...Tyrone haven't had a tough game in the championship so how will the final be a slugfest if  they have had it easy?? They could quite easily get beaten by Cork and not be there...Most teams seem to have to lose to win the All-Ireland that year and its just unfortunate we lose when the knock-outs are around....

Limerick would be a very tough match for us as can be seen by their performacnes against Cork in the last 2 years (who you rate highly I think)...would have been a very tough physical game against a very strong defence and midfield with a couple of decent forwards...

Tyrone had to beat the likes of Dublin and Mayo to get there last year. They'll have to beat Kildare and Cork to get there this year. You're not seriouisly suggesting Cork wouldn't test them at least?

I think Kerry and Mayo are better teams that Limerick. Limerick are a good side but are about 4 subs short of being a top 6 team. They have no-one to bring on beyond the 15 at the moment. That was seen against Cork.
I couldn't see a better way to prepare for a final then 2 tough games. If we don't get there then we aren't good enough anyway.

[guevara]

Zulu,
Firstly those you claim are talking "Horseshit" (quite a few on here of same opinion) are talking quite a lot of sense based on fact!
Wicklow have beaten Cavan & Down this year & you use this as justification that Leinster is a strong Provincial Championship that tests the Dubs for the quarters?
In Leinster theres the Dubs & maybe one other team each year who breeze through hammering teams out of sight.
Well then how can a Dublin team not beat a Tyrone side unable to beat a poor Down team in 2008 Ulster Championship & in fact got hammered?
People arent making conslusions based on the views of Spillane, Tohill, Brolly or anyone else on the Sunday Game they are looking at previous times when the Dubs themselves along with the media have hyped them up to win Sam to such an extent that other teams probably shouldnt have turned up! (2006 Mayo & Tyrone 2008 comes to mind)
Dublin have fallen into the trap of believing their own hype too many times & it has come back to bite them hard.
In no other County does this occur in my opionion not in Kerry, Cork, Armagh, Tyrone or anywere else. People like Pillar Caffrey & Tommy Lyons have used the media to tell everyone "trash talk" at other teams & try to psyche them out but in general it fails miserably.
I actually hope Dublin beat Kerry but to do so tey are gonna have to have 6 forwards on song & a defence that like Tyrone hunts like demons to turn ball over.
For once Kerry teams get to Croker they develop a swagger & confidence that drives them to perform & prove once again that this is the stage they belong at!
So chill out enjoy the game & relax on the being overly defensive!
Nobody is out to get the Dubs.....In fact I think the majority would love  thriller that has us all on the edge of our seats!

[DUBSFORSAM1]

You can be the best team in the country and have 1 bad day and not win the All-Ireland, any team can be beaten on any day by anyone if they play the game of their lives....Do I think that having to beat Kerry in the qtr-finals makes it more likely or less likely that we will win the All-Ireland than playing Limerick/Meath/Donegal - of course it reduces our chances....If and I stress If we beat Kerry it will be a big boost but I maintain a game against Limerick/Meath and then playing Mayo/Donegal would create a far better chance of winning Sam than having to go through Kerry first....

Tyrone for example who people are claiming to be the team of the decade, one of the best teams ever have been knocked out by Laois/Mayo and even Sligo etc does that mean that these teams were better teams or just better on the day??? They were beaten by Down last year...does that mean Down were the better team or just better on the day...

[Zulu]

Zulu,
Firstly those you claim are talking "Horseshit" (quite a few on here of same opinion) are talking quite a lot of sense based on fact!

I wasn't having a go at you guevara, your post was just the last of a few that I disagree with and reflected the views of some others I have spoken to. However I do think that your view and those of a similar view isn't really based on fact but on preconceptions.

Wicklow have beaten Cavan & Down this year & you use this as justification that Leinster is a strong Provincial Championship that tests the Dubs for the quarters?

They beat Fermanagh too and I never said Leinster was strong but I was pointing out that a division 4 Leinster side had knocked out 3 teams from the (supposedly) strongest province in Ireland, one of who were in the provincial final last year and another beat Tyrone last year. So it is fair to say that Ulster isn't as strong as some would have you believe and Leinster isn't as weak (3 teams in the last 9). You are also beating Dublin with a stick made by Tommy Lyons, what went on under him and Pillar has nothing to do with teh current Dublin team and you might be aware that they have a very differnet team than even last year. In addition they have ann injury free Bernard Brogan which is a huge boost to their chances. This year Dublin have come through a provincial championship just as difficult as Tyrone's run, in fact every one of Tyrone's opponents are already gone from the championship while two of Dublin's three opponents are stll there.

The point I'm making is it is a poorly thought out argument to say the Dubs are 'over hyped', Leinster is weak, Ulster is competitive, Tyrone 'hunt like demons', Dublin 'trash talk' etc. when most of those generalities are either no longer true or are only partly true.

I do agree though that I hope it is a thriller and I fully expect the game to deliever on this.

You can be the best team in the country and have 1 bad day and not win the All-Ireland, any team can be beaten on any day by anyone if they play the game of their lives....Do I think that having to beat Kerry in the qtr-finals makes it more likely or less likely that we will win the All-Ireland than playing Limerick/Meath/Donegal - of course it reduces our chances....If and I stress If we beat Kerry it will be a big boost but I maintain a game against Limerick/Meath and then playing Mayo/Donegal would create a far better chance of winning Sam than having to go through Kerry first....

Tyrone for example who people are claiming to be the team of the decade, one of the best teams ever have been knocked out by Laois/Mayo and even Sligo etc does that mean that these teams were better teams or just better on the day??? They were beaten by Down last year...does that mean Down were the better team or just better on the day...

So to follow your argument through Dublin could also be beaten on a given day by Limerick, Meath or Donegal so what does it matter who they play?

[mick999]

Any word on tickets going on sale on ticketmaster?

According to http://tickets.gaa.ie/buytickets.html, tomorrow ...

[guevara]

Well its a pretty well known fact that teams like Armagh & Tyrone have developed the art of tackling to a degree that now every team in the Country is trying to adopt their tactics!
Over the past few years nobody has tackled the way the Tyrone boys do. Guys like Dooher, Cavanagh, Hughes, McGinley & now Mulligan not only play around the middle thrid & get forward but its not uncommon to see them in the fullback line tackling.
In my opinion not a lot of other teams in the country (maybe Cork) have that same work ethic to be willing to chase 60 yards so an opposing forward faces two Tyrone guys as opposed to one!
It isnt a blanket defence they have developed its a willingness to get forward & defend in equal proportion & requires huge fitness levels.
They are the benchmark that teams measure themselves against & rightly so! They arent like Kerry with 10 or 12 supremely gifted footballers & few grafters added in they are 15 fellas who look mediocre enough in some positions but their gameplan & application of themselves to the cause of Tyrone is admireable! As a Down man that hurts to say but up in Ulster there arent too many Gaels that would begrudge Tyrone another All Ireland on the basis of the way they play the game!
My woryy for teams like Dublin is that they fall into the trap of taking their eye off the ball in terms of taking each game as it comes. Forget about the final until you actually make it then & only then should you talk about potential Champions!!