Ó Sé says Donaghy is midfield solution

KERRY legend Darragh Ó Sé believes the Kingdom can solve their midfield dilemma by returning full-forward Kieran Donaghy to his old stomping ground.

Kerry have struggled to find a strong midfield platform since the long serving Ó Sé retired after winning his sixth All-Ireland medal in 2009.

Anthony Maher, David Moran, Seamus Scanlon and Micheal Quirke are all vying for midfield starts though none of them have yet nailed down their position.

Ó Sé believes that Donaghy, who started his inter-county career at midfield only to enjoy a spectacular transition to the full-forward position in 2006, should now be returned to his roots.

“I think that move would be a good idea,” said Darragh, who was yesterday unveiled as a Hero of the Future judge for this year’s Cadbury’s U-21 FC.

“I’d like to see him back out there for one or two League games anyway. Darran O’Sullivan is playing very well, Declan O’Sullivan is coming back in, throw him (Declan O’Sullivan) in at full-forward. I’d say it would do his (Donaghy’s) game no end of good either to get out around the middle and shake himself up a bit.”

Ó Sé claimed the move may also help Kerry get away from an increasingly one dimensional approach to attacking where high ball is consistently aimed in at the big full-forward.

“I just think if they change it around a bit, and he does already drift out the field himself from time to time, that it would be no harm and I’d say Kieran would be open to it himself for a game or two. I’d like to see him out there just to get his lungs open for a change again.”

Ó Sé, however, said he wouldn’t be overly worried about criticism of the midfield situation and claimed it was rife even when he was playing: “I was playing for about five or six years when we were getting laced about our midfield so that’s always going to be the case,” he claimed. “Even after a good game you were getting laced. I wouldn’t take any notice of it.”

Ó Sé, now 36, said he never considered making a retirement u-turn last season.

“No, to be fair, it would have been the wrong decision by me and it would have been the wrong decision by Kerry,” he explained. “There’d be no winners there.”

He also claimed that Kerry, who face Dublin at Croke Park on Saturday evening, are generally in good shape.

“To be fair, in the first couple of League games that I’ve seen this year, the best club players in Kerry are getting their chance,” said Ó Sé.

“The younger guys that have come in, Jonathan Lyne, Shane Enright, the Geaneys, they’ve all played well so there’s room for optimism. I’ve been impressed by what I’ve seen so far.”