Dublin v Kerry all ireland SF

[Mike Sheehy]

jaysus, yeah, thats some surprise alright. Pillar wont know what to make of it.

[dubsnsubs]

Familiar look to Dubs for clash with All-Ireland champions



Dublin have named the same starting 15 for Sunday's All-Ireland SFC semi-final against reigning All-Ireland champions Kerry in Croke Park (3.30) as that which defeated Derry last time out.

In one positional alteration Jason Sherlock and Alan Brogan change positions in the attack.

Owing to a groin injury Ger Brennan will not be considered for inclusion among the Dublin substitutes.

Dublin and Kerry have clashed 23 times in the All-Ireland championship with Kerry winning 15 to Dublin's six while there have been two draws.

Dublin's last win over Kerry was in 1977 when Bernard Brogan, father of current players Alan and Bernard got a crucial late goal, but since then Kerry have won six and drawn one of the seven games between two great rivals.

The counties have clashed eight times in All-Ireland semi-finals with Kerry winning five to Dublin's two while one was drawn.

The last time the counties met in the championship was in August 2004 at the quarter-final stage when the Kingdom won 1-15 to 1-8. Sunday's line up contains ten Dublin players who began on that occasion - David Henry, Ross McConnell, Colin Moran, Bernard Brogan and Mark Vaughan are the players who did not start on that day.

DUBLIN (SF v Kerry) - S Cluxton; D Henry, R McConnell, P Griffin; P Casey, B Cullen, B Cahill; C Whelan, S Ryan; C Moran, A Brogan, B Brogan; J Sherlock, C Keaney, M Vaughan.

[Frank Casey]

Kerry team just named, huge surprise in the lineup, cant believe they dropped him, but as Pillar may be reading this to get some hints for his own selection, yerra I will hould off on the breaking news for now.

Jeez there'll be war over this.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Kerry team just named, huge surprise in the lineup, cant believe they dropped him, but as Pillar may be reading this to get some hints for his own selection, yerra I will hould off on the breaking news for now.

The Gooch I'd say, off-colour at the minute.

[inisceithleann]

Kerry team just named, huge surprise in the lineup, cant believe they dropped him, but as Pillar may be reading this to get some hints for his own selection, yerra I will hould off on the breaking news for now.

The Gooch I'd say, off-colour at the minute.

I'd say it was a case of The Gooch being starved of decent possession against Monaghan. As regards my prediction that its Donaghy I'm not that sure on further thought. Monaghan coped extremely well with the high ball into him, but look at Dublins defence. They weren't too hot against Derry so maybe Donaghy would be an asset to have in there.

[Main Street]

There once was a certain Maurice Fitzgerald dropped for a game against Dublin, could any Kerry team news ever top that one?

[inisceithleann]

There once was a certain Maurice Fitzgerald dropped for a game against Dublin, could any Kerry team news ever top that one?

Yeah goes to prove no-one is too good to be dropped. The way it should be too.

[Mike Sheehy]

We are not sure of the source so we are being cautious...

[never kickt a ball]

Is it a possibility he is injured?

[Hound]

We are not sure of the source so we are being cautious...

All the more reason to put it on a discussion board. Its one of the main purposes of this place!

Or perhaps its just a wind up?


Dublin team is as expected. I suppose the only real question mark is who will start at cente forward. I hope its Jayo, with Alan Brogan in the corner.

Pity Ger Brennan is injured. Presumably means that Goggins moves to first sub if a half back is struggling

[neutral]

Will this game be a throw back to older wilder times when the ball was hoofed from one end of the field to the other - a game bereft of modern tactical thought and just effectively a disciplined faction fight with a ball thrown in, just like spillane's ma's porridge stirred well and full of nostalgia or will it even come close to Tyrone Armagh or Tyrone Kerry in 2005.  I await with baited breath.   

[Frank Casey]

There once was a certain Maurice Fitzgerald dropped for a game against Dublin, could any Kerry team news ever top that one?

Only to come on and with his first kick score the sideline kick of the millenium.

[Hound]

Kerry team just named, huge surprise in the lineup, cant believe they dropped him, but as Pillar may be reading this to get some hints for his own selection, yerra I will hould off on the breaking news for now.

The Gooch I'd say, off-colour at the minute.

I'd say it was a case of The Gooch being starved of decent possession against Monaghan. As regards my prediction that its Donaghy I'm not that sure on further thought. Monaghan coped extremely well with the high ball into him, but look at Dublins defence. They weren't too hot against Derry so maybe Donaghy would be an asset to have in there.

No chance of Donaghy or Gooch not starting, injury permitting. MFR and Brosnan the "big" names who are in danger, I'd say.

[MauriceMalpas]

Enough bullshit.

I want Sean O'Sullivan & Tommy Griffin to start at the very least with Brian Sheehan as a possible 3rd change for MFR.

Can someone inform me why Tommy "2 litre" hasnt started, I know he was injured earlier in the season but there must be something else.....................

[The Hill is Blue]

KEITH BARR in the INDO (Apologies if it's been already been posted).

LET me begin by reminding the host of experts and cute Kerry hoors this week that it is the men who wager their money who determine favouritism in a game.


And, again, lest any cute Kerry hoor starts to sneer at the Dublin hype, or how the dizzy lads in the city are "buying into it", that we are well aware in the capital that the bookies have placed Kerry as odds-on favourites to win next Sunday.

No cute predictions from any Kerry legends will change those odds before the semi-final. Dublin are up against it, I know it, they know it and, believe or not, the fans know it.

Once again I must mention that there is more waffle spoken about Dublin than any other side -- much of it, I may add, by their detractors. But I was really surprised at former Kerry manager Jack O'Connor's recent analysis -- or maybe I shouldn't be surprised.

The 'Hill 16 factor' is something that never affected me as a Dublin player. There's no doubt that Dublin enjoy remarkable support (it's remarkable by any standards, regardless of population, and is the best support in the GAA by a street) and they bring massive atmosphere to every championship game. I respect that, but I would disagree with Jack that Dublin feed off that atmosphere. Hill 16 isn't much used to you when Tomás Ó Sé is breathing down your neck.

Fans are the same the world over, they react to performance. Look at Cork on Sunday -- they prospered with only a handful of their hardcore supporters present.

The way to stop Dublin is to stop their big players -- Ciaran Whelan, Alan Brogan et al -- from performing. To analyse Dublin as some flash-in-the-pan football team that require massive support to perform is highly disrespectful to Dublin players, and should be used as a motivating factor by the players and management this week.

I often find some pundits hide behind the circus that surrounds Dublin. If you don't think Dublin will win, explain why; if you do, then spell it out and highlight the weaknesses in the opposition. I think this tendency to lump the team in with the fans is utter nonsense.

I have always tried to be constructive about Dublin's performances and their chances, and I notice that some people from outside the county feel that my assessments are somewhat harsh. Well, I'm tired of warning Dublin players of the dangers of being lulled into a false sense of security and listening to the sweet somethings from beyond the Pale.

I do not believe that this Dublin team is rated in Kerry in particular. I have certainly heard enough anecdotal evidence from that county to know that, quietly, they are very confident of a Kerry success next Sunday. Whether their manager Pat O'Shea is as confident, I don't know, but Kerry cannot countenance defeat, regardless of what Páidí says.

Dublin do have a chance against Kerry but if we want to be realistic about it, suffice to say they had a better chance last year when they faced Mayo at the same stage.

Bernard Brogan and Mark Vaughan have added an extra string to Dublin's bow but both men must realise that when they line out on Sunday, they will face defending like they never experienced before. There will be less space, less time, less possession and a lot more 'close encounters' than people tend to associate with Kerry.

The Ó Sé family are the beating heart of this Kerry team and their track record, unlike Dublin's, is proven. Yet, that is not to say that Kerry aren't vulnerable. Dublin need to be in their face and by that I mean ferocious tackling and remorseless pressure. I'm not so sure that every doubt about Kerry's vulnerability was buried when they defeated Armagh last year and they are still struggling to find a partner for Darragh Ó Sé.

We've been down this road too often to think that Mike Frank Russell or Eoin Brosnan will be as bad again next weekend yet, if they survive the cull, then Dublin need to turn the screw even tighter than Monaghan managed.

There are genuine questions to be asked of Kerry. They are the dominant team of this decade -- can they become the first in 17 years to land back-to-backs and silence the doubters once and for all? It is tantalisingly close now, so is a fifth All-Ireland medal for Darragh; will the ultimate goal blur their short-term vision?

Pat O'Shea was quick to point to Dublin's form after scraping past Monaghan but let's look at it closer. Dublin struggled past Meath who were demolished by Cork who, in turn, fell to Kerry. There might be a 'feeling' that Dublin can take Kerry but 'feelings' are hardly reliable guides and I believe that unless Dublin raise their performance substantially they will not overcome this massive hurdle.

What the Dublin players must realise is that only they can control their destiny, only they can bury the nagging doubts that surround the team. Men like Jason Sherlock, Whelan, Barry Cahill and Shane Ryan have been around long enough to know that this is their opportunity to stand up and show what the Dubs are made of.

And the management must make the hard calls where necessary, regardless of reputation or potential. If a lead has to be defended, then the danger men must be swamped. Dublin simply cannot fade out of this game.

These players have taken enough abuse over the years. It's time to draw a line in the sand.

THOSE wondering whether there was a big game in Cork this season got an emphatic response on Sunday.

I was seriously impressed with Cork's physical presence. I fancied them to ambush Meath but I didn't think they would brush them aside so easily.

It was men and boys in the physical stakes and from the moment Nicholas Murphy landed Darren Fay on his behind to fist a point, Cork's intent was signalled.

After the Munster final, Billy Morgan left the field with a smile on his face. He is no mug, he knew his side had closed the gap on Kerry and in that defeat he learned a lot. Morgan got his tactics spot on, and may have settled on a winning hand in the process. In an effort to avoid landing balls in on top of Fay, Michael Cussen proved more than a handful around the middle early on and their running game was executed really well.

Donncha O'Connor, Daniel Goulding and Kevin McMahon may have grabbed the headlines but Cork's victory was dug out of the middle third where Meath could not cope with their power. With a solid defence, an excellent midfield and, now, a scoring forward division, Cork will take some beating in the final.

I wouldn't be tearing Meath apart on the back of this. I've already stated that it was a successful season for them given their starting point. They are a young side and they learned a valuable, if harsh, lesson on Sunday. You simply do not come from nowhere and land in an All-Ireland final.

I've no doubt that Morgan will now really fancy his chances of ending the famine in Cork and, regardless of who wins next Sunday, Cork will remain underdogs. Happy days says Billy.