O’Connor restores the feelgood factor in Kerry

EVERYBODY remembers the controversy that flared near the end of last year after Páidí Ó Sé was replaced as Kerry manager.

There were the press conferences in Killarney and in Westmeath. The heartfelt apologies. The pro and anti Páidí factions. Kingdom fans couldn't get out of the mess quickly enough.

Yet, without much fanfare, few recall how the man charged with turning around the fortunes of the county, Jack O'Connor, slipped into place.

The healing had begun. Everything he has done since has been managed without creating a fuss. Considered a safe pair of hands prior to his appointment, O'Connor has proven himself that, and much more, taking the county to the NFL Division One title in early May and restoring belief in the county.

He and his management team, introduced new training regimes, new techniques and breathed new life into the game.

His policy is quite straightforward. "It's not rocket science just trying to get players to play as a team. That's the key to it, so that players don't go on metaphorical solo runs and play as individuals. We want them to play for each other and work hard as a team.

"Look at any sport, look at Porto winning the Champions League without any recognised stars. They worked like dogs for each other. At the end of the day it's the collective thing." It is, he says, up to others to judge whether his team is playing better football or has adapted to the style of blanket defence perfected by Tyrone. The way to counteract this approach is to control play at midfield at least that's the theory. The reality may be different.

"It's when you're not winning primary possession and you are struggling there that it becomes easier for fellows to drop back and cover off. But our aim certainly is to move the ball quicker and move the ball long," he added. That will be one of his priorities when they face up to Cork in Fitzgerald Stadium tomorrow, as favourites.

That favourites tag must have seemed very distant after the first day on the job with an embarrassing loss away to Longford after conceding a goal deep into injury-time.

In time, the Longford defeat had the benefit of bonding the team. O'Connor says that if they were to suffer a defeat, it was the best time to happen.

"Our backs were really to the wall against Cork in Tralee and the lads fought very hard. That was the first sign that there was a good impetus in the team. Certainly the win in Dublin gave us a good boost because Kerry hadn't won (in the League) up there for a long time. Those two wins were the platform for our good run.

"I'd have to give a lot of credit to the players. They really steeled themselves after the Longford defeat and built up a good spirit. And even though we lost in the last game to Tyrone in Omagh we were very positive coming down from there. We tried out a few players and we played very well in the second half. We came home with a new belief that we could match the best teams in the country."

After they played Clare three weeks ago, O'Connor's body language summed up the general reaction to a game they had been expected to win at their ease. It was "a bit of a downer," he agrees.

"We dropped our standards a bit; we didn't play to the level were hoping to. The League final was very free-flowing, nice football but not enough tightness or physical contact that you get in championship," he said. "I didn't see any negatives in winning in Croke Park. It fell in with our plans to keep the lads playing competitive football rather than having a long gap."

Yet, just like the Longford defeat, there were lessons to be learned from the game with Clare. "I could see a new impetus in their training. In the first night back on the Tuesday there was a real focus on the training. The players came out with a new mission.

"They were very tuned in and have been ever since. There's no bigger game outside of an All-Ireland final than a game with Cork in Killarney. I don't think there'll be any problem with motivation on this one!

"They have been going well from all the reports. We're trying to focus on our own game and get our football right and not worrying about Cork. "Obviously, the Colin Corkery and Brendan Jer of a few years ago would be a big losses to them, but they have other players who have come in and played impressively for them in the League. I'm sure that's the way they will approach the game."

Another of O'Connor's successes has been the decision to reposition Mike McCarthy at full-back, allowing Séamus Moynihan the freedom of the wing. "We would see Séamus' strong point as being a more creative outfield player, rather than in the full-back line. He can express himself better out the field and we have basically been trying to get fellows to play to their strengths."

Equally, he was anxious not to be drawn into a debate about Billy Morgan's role as manager, measured against his past record and his passionate approach. "I don't like going down that road," he replied. "Any new manager brings a new approach but at the end of the day it comes down to the players."