Favouritism just ‘media talk’

SEAMUS MOYNIHAN could have given a smart answer, except that it wouldn’t be in his nature to do so.

Asked how Kerry felt about being installed as favourites to win Sunday's All-Ireland final, he politely dismissed the view out of hand.

"That's only media talk. We won't fall into that trap," he commented.

"We know that this game will be the toughest we have played so far this year. Armagh are going to be very highly motivated. Anyone who says that we are going to be red-hot favourites hasn't a clue what All-Ireland finals are all about."

Moynihan's year has been fairly eventful. It has seen him operate at centre-back and midfield in the League, moved from full-back in the drawn championship game with Cork to support midfield and, most recently, turn in a highly impressive display in the All-Ireland semi-final once more at full-back. And, he was chosen as Irish captain for the upcoming international series with Australia.

He says he would be content to play anywhere he is asked, corner-back or corner-forward. What's important is that he is enjoying his football.

Questions had been asked about his ability to do better against Colin Corkery in their third confrontation of the year and they were answered in no uncertain manner. He doesn't deny that he was all the more motivated.

"That's only human nature. Won't he be doing the same next year!" he said.

"It's the same as every other game if you're not 'up' for it, you might as well as stay inside in the dug-out.

Every player that goes out in Croke Park has to be able to perform. If you don't, you are going to find yourself on the bench after 15 minutes. The Cork game was no different to any other I played in Croke Park, and obviously we were glad to get through it. But we must realise that Cork didn't play to the level that they could have."

He has no doubt that Kerry's participation in Division Two at the start of the year hindered their championship preparations. And, he is even more adamant in his view that they would have been better off winning in Munster and coming through the direct route. Playing first-division games in the League would have given them a "few good hard games", which would have helped management to blood a few players.

"In Division Two, that's much more difficult because you don't know what you are playing against, whereas in

Division One, you are meeting the likes of Tyrone, Dublin and Galway. You'll know what players are about then.

"We learned very little and struggled against Limerick in the first round. Things were looking bad for us at the start of the year. That showed in our performance against Cork in the replay and we got beaten comprehensively.

"I'd rather we had won the Munster final and have something for the year. Right now, we have absolutely nothing, apart from the Division Two title, but I don't think many Kerry people remember that. I would have preferred to go the direct route and beaten Cork that day and contested the final. I'd always like to win the provincial title. If we go out and lose, we'll have nothing to show for the year only nine months of hard work and nine hard games."

The qualifier system did help them to improve with each game, but they cannot ignore the fact that they met two inexperienced teams in Wicklow and Fermanagh, and that Galway were a shadow of their team last year.

"And Cork certainly weren't the same team that we met below in Pairc Ui Chaoimh. It's very hard to gauge where we stand right now."

And Moynihan is very conscious that the extra games that Kerry have been involved in have upset domestic competitions. He says he has played only one county league game with Glenflesk and a few championship games.

"In one sense, we are playing more football with Kerry but less with the club. It balances out at the end of the day."

In the physical sense, he rates Armagh as stronger than any team they have met this year. And, football wise, he believes they are better than the side which lost narrowly to Kerry in the semi-final replay two years ago.

New full-forward Ronan Clarke has impressed, just as John McEntee did in the semi-final win over Dublin and, in his judgement, Paul McGrane was the man-of-the-match the last day.

"They are saying that their full-back line is a bit slow, but I have never seen them exposed. This is a very focused team and obviously Joe Kernan has built in this determination and confidence that has brought them this far."

More specifically, Moynihan doesn't doubt that the midfield exchanges are likely to have a big bearing on the outcome. He refers to their 2000 clashes, believing that Armagh will attempt to "crowd out midfield" again.

"They get men behind the ball as they did the last day against Dublin. Croke Park is a big field, but they are very good at crowding it out and putting other teams under pressure.

"The ball going into the forwards isn't quality ball. We're aware of that and we'll have to expect it. Teams so far have struggled with it."

Kerry's defeat in the All-Ireland semi-final last year may be history, but there is a lesson to be learned.

"Meath absolutely destroyed us and they went out four weeks later and got beaten in the final by a highly motivated Galway team that the media had totally put down.

"We don't have to look back too far to realise the task ahead of us."