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Gavin O’Connor looks at three key areas where Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s tactical guile will prove invaluable if Kerry are to win title No.38…
ONE of the main buzzwords you’ll hear in the run up to the All-Ireland Final is ‘versatility’. Eamonn Fitzmaurice has shown this in spades so far in his tenure.
No team is sure how Kerry will come attack a game tactically, never mind how they will line out. This is Fitz’s number one ace up his sleeve.
1. Full forward line dilemma
The simple maths of it, is that five into three does not go.
Kieran Donaghy, Colm Cooper, James O’Dononghue, Paul Geaney and Barry John Keane have all started in the full-forward line this year. The big question this time however will be whether to start captain Donaghy or the slicker Paul Geaney.
With Geaney’s movement up front, Kerry have looked more fluid in attack as evidenced in the second halves of the Cork drawn game and the Tyrone match where Geaney kicked a combined 0-4 off the bench.
But I can see Fitzmaurice sticking with Donaghy, flanked by Cooper and O’Donoghue. Kerry will want to put down a marker early on with Stephen Cluxton’s kick outs.
Even though Star is not having a vintage year, he is a superb organiser and disrupter of opposition kick-outs. Having Geaney in reserve – who netted in last year’s final – and Barry John Keane, who always makes an instant impact, could also be decisive.
Paul Geaney takes on Philly McMahon in the National League in March. Photo by Dermot Crean.
2. To sweep or man mark?
Against Tyrone, Kerry elected to man mark Tyrone’s three key men – Sean Cavanagh, Mattie Donnelly and Peter Harte. This tactic went off without a hitch as far as making those players largely ineffective in the match.
But when Kerry were turned over, it caused huge problems with Tyrone running through the heart of the Kerry defence, creating a number of goal chances.
In the drawn Cork match, similar problems developed when Kerry went man to man on the Rebels forwards. In the replay, Aidan O’Mahony, was brought in to hold the forth in the backline and Kerry looked more secure dealing with counter-attacks.
Having a sweeper does leave one forward free, but maybe if a specific man-marking job could be done on Bernard Brogan, Kerry could take most of the sting out of that Dublin attack.
Shane Enright, has been Kerry’s best performing player in the full back line this year so he may get the nod to stick on the younger Brogan.
Shane Enright could be given the job of marking Bernard Brogan. Photo by Dermot Crean.
3. Kick Outs
Of all aspects of Kerry’s game, this will be the most talked about, possibly ad nauseam by the time 3:30pm swings around on Sunday.
As has been touched on already, if Kerry can disrupt Cluxton’s kick outs they will put themselves in a commanding position. To almost everyone’s dismay, Mayo did not captalize on the pandemonium they caused in the latter stages of the drawn match by going at Cluxton again in the replay.
In 2013, Kerry bore fruits by targeting Cluxton’s kick outs. This approach was key to netting three first half goals. Cluxton has led an almost charmed campaign being allowed to constantly restart by delicately chipping a short kick out usually to Johnny Cooper, to get their attack into action. Kerry will set-up up zonally and attempt to halt Cluxton’s rhythm, who has not been at his best this year.
It will be manna from heaven, if Cluxton is forced to go long, into the grateful hands of midfield men, Maher and Moran, who are undoubtedly the best midfield partnership in the land, aided by Johnny Buckley, who has proved himself just as adept at winning ball and turning over possession around the middle.
This could be the launchpad to where Kerry can cause untold damage. If this plan comes to fruition, Kerry will be almost there. Possession and patience will be vital once again.
Kerry’s Johnny Buckley gains the ball while Dublin’s Johnny Cooper attempts the tackle during the league match in Killarney earlier this year. Photo by Dermot Crean.
