Back to the future for O’Connor

THE O’Connor household in South Kerry has been more preoccupied with football matters this week than usual.

One of Jack O’Connor’s sons is a member of the St Michael’s, Foilmore team which has qualified for the AIB All-Ireland intermediate final and the other plays with the Coláiste na Sceilige side (coached by Jack) which contested the Munster Colleges quarter-final on Wednesday.

And, of course, Jack is back at the helm in Kerry after a three-year stint which yielded League and All-Ireland titles in 2004 and ended with another Sam Maguire victory in 2006.

Even on the day after that win, he was hinting that he wouldn’t be staying on. In between the two championship successes (both against Mayo, incidentally), Kerry lost to Tyrone.

It was a defeat which he found difficult to cope with in its immediate aftermath, but he quickly acknowledged that Mickey Harte’s team enjoyed a significant advantage going into the game in being “battle-hardened”. On the other hand, Kerry had sailed through Cork in the semi-final.

Coming back 12 months later to deliver a second title represented a personal triumph. It wasn’t so much that it helped to avenge the Tyrone defeat, more a case of proving his credentials in terms of showing that you didn’t have to be an All-Ireland medal winner to be a successful manager.

Having explained that his involvement last season with Kerins O’Rahillys had helped to recharge the batteries, he says that returning to inter-county football hasn’t been difficult. The first time it was more challenging (even though he had a lot of experience of management at senior level through being involved with Páidí Ó Sé). This time, he knew what was ahead of him.

“I was looking forward to it. We had a great run in the championship with Strand Road and there wouldn’t be a pile of difference between what you would do with Kerry,’’ he says.

“In addition, working with Alan O’Sullivan (brother of Munster flanker John O’Sullivan), whom he has brought in as team trainer meant that it was “an easy enough transition”.

The flamboyant Ger O’Keeffe has rejoined him as a selector, while former star Eamonn Fitzmaurice is the new face in the backroom team. “He’s a very solid guy, with good ideas on the game and very highly respected among his peers when he was playing,’’ he commented. “I have a lot of respect for him. He is a great addition to the management.’’

O’Connor is anxious to freshen things up, agreeing the need for teams and panels to constantly evolve. “You have to keep freshening a team and a team has to be evolving year to year. It’s the nature of the game.

“You need fellows coming in to drive fellows on and put pressure on. That will be our main aim in the League — to unearth a few players. The 2004 League — the first year I came in — was very beneficial to us, because we unearthed four or five players who weren’t on the team before. We finished up winning it in a great final with Galway.’’

Ultimately, he envisages that there could be three or four changes in the team from last year and possibly the same number in the enlarged squad. However, if that is to happen it will be later on, probably near the end of the league campaign.

Right now, the panel is “open-ended”, he says, a process dictated by the fact of five or six players being unavailable either through injury or resting. In essence, they’ll be picking a panel for every League round and there could be changes from game to game.

At this stage he is unsure about Darragh Ó Se’s intentions, pointing out that currently he is receiving treatment for a hip problem, while at the same time “doing a bit” of training on his own. “I’d say he’ll know himself in the next two or three weeks one way or another. That’s his own decision, but I’d be hopeful enough he’d give it another go,’’ he added.

Facing into what he expects to be a very tough Allianz League (they are away to Tyrone in the second round on February 15), his immediate concern is a lack of preparation, with the squad only getting back to training over a fortnight ago.

“It’s just a pity that we didn’t have another couple of weeks of preparation. But that’s the nature of teams that get to All-Ireland finals — you have to give them a break. We’ll be a bit behind fitness wide. We’d hope to build it up as the League goes on.’’

He’ll be pleased if they get a decent run at the league, and, if they can unearth a few players along the way.

One thing he is reasonably sure of is that Kerry face a difficult challenge in taking on McKenna Cup champions Donegal in Tralee on Sunday. “We have maybe five or six sessions done and they have five matches played.

“I’d say they will be well ahead of us in fitness and sharpness-wise, but I still think the lads will be very eager to get going again. It’s a very competitive division. I don’t think there will be any easy points up for grabs.’’