Mind games begin as Kerry prepare to take on Galway
As Kerry prepare for Galway in the second of the Bank of Ireland SFC championship quarter finals on Sunday, the respective managers, are busily talking up the opposition. Up first is Kerry boss Páidí Ó Sé: "They are the most experienced team we could have met, if you consider that they won the All-Ireland of 1998, were in the final of 2000 and won last year.''
"They know what it takes to win so, from that point of view, we feel we have got the hardest draw.''
But he doesn't play down his side too greatly. He makes the obvious point that the Kerry lads know the opposing players well from their two meetings in the two epic deciders of two years ago when Galway left the title slip through their hands in the drawn game and were not as effective the second day.
"Those games certainly helped us to get to know them, so, from that point of view, we have a little bit of an advantage.
"Then again, they know our players well. It's magnificent to be going back to Croke Park. That was the last thing I said to the players before going out to play Kildare on Saturday that if we won, we would be going back there.''
Galway manager John O'Mahony's reaction was predictable. Given that they could not have been drawn against either Sligo or Mayo, they knew it would be a date with either Donegal or Kerry.
He said: "Kerry are going to be very difficult, in the sense that they seem to be flying at the minute. But, I didn't think there were going to be any easy games.''
However, he honestly accepts that after close calls against Mayo and Sligo his team needs to show improvement rapidly.
"We are going to have to up the ante if we are going to win this game. We have played as well as we've had to, but that would not be good enough against Kerry.''
While some observers feel the champions have been too dependant on the scoring prowess of Padraig Joyce, O'Mahonypointed out Galway have other excellent players in their attack.
He said: "Padraig is having a great season with us, there's no doubt about that. But, we feel we are not a one-man band either.''
Galway enjoyed a run-out on the newly developed Croke Park surface on Sunday evening which was obviously beneficial to them.
"Our lads were taken by it and it's a fine surface. Everyone has talked so much about it over the last few weeks and it was important that we experienced it at first hand.
"It's a magnificent facility and when you are down on the playing area looking around at the stand it's massive. In fairness, the pitch does justice to the stand. It would be terrible to have the pitch the way it was last year.''
Back to Páidí, who says Kerry will need to achieve a further improvement in their form if they are to advance: "We went through a period of about 20 minutes against Kildare on Saturday evening when we did not score at all. We got 1-2 and then there was a big lapse before we notched on a point from a free by Dara Ó Cinnéide and a point from John Crowley. We will certainly need to up our scoring, even though we did have opportunities.''
Overall, however, he is relieved continuous progress has been made since the draw with Cork in the Munster semi-final.
"There is a freshness in the team and a happiness there at the moment with all of the panel. I believe that all of the players are in very good form at the minute.
"They're all making a major effort and it's very obvious. You are not talking about 18 players or 20. There are 30 players in the panel and they are all making a major, major effort.
"At long last they are after realising this game is not about 15, 16 or 17 players. We brought on another five players on Saturday night (including newcomer Ronán O'Connor, from St Michael's/Foilmore).''
He rated the Kildare side which shocked Kerry in the 1998 semi-final a stronger combination, believing Mick O'Dwyer had them possibly at their peak.
"I felt they were much more equipped for championship football than the present team. And, that's no disrespect to the team we played on Saturday. They got the goal before half-time which brought them to four points and they hit the butt of the upright at the start of the second half - that's the kind of team Kildare are.
"Micko has instilled an unbelievable spirit in the players.''
