10 Years Ago Today. Tyrone 0-12 Armagh 0-9.

[BennyCake]

The heart of that Kerry team are still going and showed last month that they would dominate this era as well if they still had the legs.

Just like the previous decade the Kerry team of 2013 couldn't stand the heat when up against a rival who actually believed they could beat them. Crumbled when it really mattered, again.

Crumbled? It was level with a minute to go. Declan O'S had a chance to put Kerry a point ahead. Two Kerry men going for the same ball before K McM's goal was the deciding factor. It was toe to toe for 70 minutes. Saying Kerry crumbled is nonsense.

[Lamh Dhearg Alba]

Crumbled? It was level with a minute to go. Declan O'S had a chance to put Kerry a point ahead. Two Kerry men going for the same ball before K McM's goal was the deciding factor. It was toe to toe for 70 minutes. Saying Kerry crumbled is nonsense.

They were a point up with 3 minutes to go and they lost by 7. They were 4 ahead with 6 minutes to go in the 2011 final and they lost.  In 2008 they hit four in a row against Tyrone to go ahead with 15 minutes to play and were then outscored 0-5 to 0-0 for the remainder of the game. In 2005 they got a goal against the run of the play to come within a point and they should have had the momentum but were outscored 0-4 to 0-2 in the closing stages. They had the momentum with the late goal against Donegal in 2012 but couldn't get the win.

They were a great team with some fantastic players but their record when other really good - and mentally strong teams - put it up to them wasn't great. Not that the mainstream media in Ireland ever said it.

[J OGorman]

Crumbled? It was level with a minute to go. Declan O'S had a chance to put Kerry a point ahead. Two Kerry men going for the same ball before K McM's goal was the deciding factor. It was toe to toe for 70 minutes. Saying Kerry crumbled is nonsense.

They were a point up with 3 minutes to go and they lost by 7. They were 4 ahead with 6 minutes to go in the 2011 final and they lost.  In 2008 they hit four in a row against Tyrone to go ahead with 15 minutes to play and were then outscored 0-5 to 0-0 for the remainder of the game. In 2005 they got a goal against the run of the play to come within a point and they should have had the momentum but were outscored 0-4 to 0-2 in the closing stages. They had the momentum with the late goal against Donegal in 2012 but couldn't get the win.

They were a great team with some fantastic players but their record when other really good - and mentally strong teams - put it up to them wasn't great. Not that the mainstream media in Ireland ever said it.

you said it. Best county this last 20 years, without a doubt. And played football with a bit of class

[JP]

The way I see it.

Armagh and Tyrone were the best teams in the period 2002-2005
Tyrone was the best team in the period 2003-2008
Kerry was the best team from 2000-2009.

[blanketattack]

Crumbled? It was level with a minute to go. Declan O'S had a chance to put Kerry a point ahead. Two Kerry men going for the same ball before K McM's goal was the deciding factor. It was toe to toe for 70 minutes. Saying Kerry crumbled is nonsense.

They were a point up with 3 minutes to go and they lost by 7. They were 4 ahead with 6 minutes to go in the 2011 final and they lost.  In 2008 they hit four in a row against Tyrone to go ahead with 15 minutes to play and were then outscored 0-5 to 0-0 for the remainder of the game. In 2005 they got a goal against the run of the play to come within a point and they should have had the momentum but were outscored 0-4 to 0-2 in the closing stages. They had the momentum with the late goal against Donegal in 2012 but couldn't get the win.

They were a great team with some fantastic players but their record when other really good - and mentally strong teams - put it up to them wasn't great. Not that the mainstream media in Ireland ever said it.

Kerry's only [knockout/final] defeats in this era (02-09) were to excellent Tyrone and Armagh teams.
Tyrone on the other hand lost to far inferior teams such as Mayo, Laois and Meath.

I always found it strange how losing finals to great teams is considered evidence to sully a team's reputation, but losing earlier on to weaker teams is just ignored.
Also, Kerry winning back to back doesn't get the recognition it deserves.

[BennyHarp]

Crumbled? It was level with a minute to go. Declan O'S had a chance to put Kerry a point ahead. Two Kerry men going for the same ball before K McM's goal was the deciding factor. It was toe to toe for 70 minutes. Saying Kerry crumbled is nonsense.

They were a point up with 3 minutes to go and they lost by 7. They were 4 ahead with 6 minutes to go in the 2011 final and they lost.  In 2008 they hit four in a row against Tyrone to go ahead with 15 minutes to play and were then outscored 0-5 to 0-0 for the remainder of the game. In 2005 they got a goal against the run of the play to come within a point and they should have had the momentum but were outscored 0-4 to 0-2 in the closing stages. They had the momentum with the late goal against Donegal in 2012 but couldn't get the win.

They were a great team with some fantastic players but their record when other really good - and mentally strong teams - put it up to them wasn't great. Not that the mainstream media in Ireland ever said it.

Kerry's only [knockout/final] defeats in this era (02-09) were to excellent Tyrone and Armagh teams.
Tyrone on the other hand lost to far inferior teams such as Mayo, Laois and Meath.

I always found it strange how losing finals to great teams is considered evidence to sully a team's reputation, but losing earlier on to weaker teams is just ignored.
Also, Kerry winning back to back doesn't get the recognition it deserves.

Tyrone had a horrible streak of bad luck including injuries to key players, off field issues and of course the tragic death of their captain to contend with during the period 2003 to 2010. I'd say it was a remarkable feat of resilience that those lads returned to the well two more times after 2003 and hardly surprising they had a few blips along the way. No team dominated Tyrone consistently the way Tyrone dominated Kerry during that era. A truly great team doesn't get beaten by the same team three times in massive games.

[Wildweasel74]

A great team doesnt go a half without scoring against as it turned out a poor enough Derry team in 2006

[Wildweasel74]

i would look more at how often both teams make the final in the same span? Kerry there maybe 7 times in 8 or so yrs??

[Mike Sheehy]

As Pat Spillane said, Grrrreat teams do back to back AI and , grrrrreat teams do back to back quater finals (or words to that effect)

Tyrone could only succeed by stopping teams playing and could not sustain that effort. The similarities with that other abomination of a team, Donegal, are remarkable. You saw what a pathetic defence they mustered. They, like Tyrone,  simply did not have the talent to make up for when the effort dropped.

Tyrone were shit to watch as well. Robots playing their part in their system  Boring, Boring shite.

[Mike Sheehy]

Also, why do you lads get so sensitive when anyone questions the relative merits of your team ? Sure aren't ye always applying the same revisionism to the 70's/80's.

You need to toughen up and grow a thicker skin. History will judge this Tyrone team harshly and you need to get used to that fact.

[Wildweasel74]

hell the Galway 3 in a  row team of the 60`s barely talked about, unlike the 60/61 Down team of the same era

[BennyHarp]

As Pat Spillane said, Grrrreat teams do back to back AI and , grrrrreat teams do back to back quater finals (or words to that effect)

Tyrone could only succeed by stopping teams playing and could not sustain that effort. The similarities with that other abomination of a team, Donegal, are remarkable. You saw what a pathetic defence they mustered. They, like Tyrone,  simply did not have the talent to make up for when the effort dropped.

Tyrone were shit to watch as well. Robots playing their part in their system  Boring, Boring shite.

Ah well, if Pat Spilliane said it then it must be true! 

[blanketattack]

Crumbled? It was level with a minute to go. Declan O'S had a chance to put Kerry a point ahead. Two Kerry men going for the same ball before K McM's goal was the deciding factor. It was toe to toe for 70 minutes. Saying Kerry crumbled is nonsense.

They were a point up with 3 minutes to go and they lost by 7. They were 4 ahead with 6 minutes to go in the 2011 final and they lost.  In 2008 they hit four in a row against Tyrone to go ahead with 15 minutes to play and were then outscored 0-5 to 0-0 for the remainder of the game. In 2005 they got a goal against the run of the play to come within a point and they should have had the momentum but were outscored 0-4 to 0-2 in the closing stages. They had the momentum with the late goal against Donegal in 2012 but couldn't get the win.

They were a great team with some fantastic players but their record when other really good - and mentally strong teams - put it up to them wasn't great. Not that the mainstream media in Ireland ever said it.

Kerry's only [knockout/final] defeats in this era (02-09) were to excellent Tyrone and Armagh teams.
Tyrone on the other hand lost to far inferior teams such as Mayo, Laois and Meath.

I always found it strange how losing finals to great teams is considered evidence to sully a team's reputation, but losing earlier on to weaker teams is just ignored.
Also, Kerry winning back to back doesn't get the recognition it deserves.

Tyrone had a horrible streak of bad luck including injuries to key players, off field issues and of course the tragic death of their captain to contend with during the period 2003 to 2010. I'd say it was a remarkable feat of resilience that those lads returned to the well two more times after 2003 and hardly surprising they had a few blips along the way. No team dominated Tyrone consistently the way Tyrone dominated Kerry during that era. A truly great team doesn't get beaten by the same team three times in massive games.

So would you have considered Kerry's reputation to be much better if in 03 05 and 08 they bowed out early in Munster to Cork and Limerick and bowed out tamely in the back door and never went on to meet Tyrone?

[blanketattack]

BTW, didn't the Down team of the 60s lose 3 times to Cavan thus by your rationale disqualifying them as a great team?

[BennyHarp]

BTW, didn't the Down team of the 60s lose 3 times to Cavan thus by your rationale disqualifying them as a great team?

Down beat Cavan in Ulster Finals in 1959, 1960, 1965 and 1968, so your point is irrelevant. Because as a great team, Down DID find a way to beat Cavan. Anyway, I'd say the level of analysis of the oppositions play in the 60s was not quite like it is today. Mickey Harte always worked out a way to beat Kerry, three different Kerry managers couldn't work out how to beat Tyrone. Given the level of statistical analysis and coverage that surrounds games in the modern era, a great team would have found a way to get the better of their greatest rivals, Tyrone shouldn't have brought anything to the table that Kerry couldn't handle - but they did, each and every time they played during that era.