Mikey Sheehy says Kerry won’t play Tommy Walsh at full-back
All-Ireland winning-manager Éamonn Fitzmaurice hinted earlier this year the returning Walsh could emulate his father by lining out for Kerry at full-back and while Sheehy accepts the Kingdom have problems in defence to contend with, it is unlikely that Walsh will be stationed in front of ‘keeper Brendan Kealy this weekend.
Kerry boasted the highest concession rate (9-90) of the eights teams operating in Division 1 of the league this spring and their defensive options for the trip to Thurles could be strained if All Star corner-back Paul Murphy fails to recover from a shoulder injury picked up during last week’s warm weather training camp in Portugal.
“Defensively we will have to improve and we’ll be hoping to do that in the Championship,” said Sheehy.
“We’re working very hard on tackling. It wouldn’t do in the Championship what we threw out in most games in the league.
“It has been said before about Tommy [Walsh] at full-back. I have heard several people saying it but we haven’t tried it yet.
“You can pick a guy at number three, but he need not necessarily be playing at number three the way guys have to change positions.
“People are going to have to be patient with Tommy. He’s been away since the end of 2009. It’s a different game. Two-years ago he had a very serious injury. He tore his hamstring off the bone. He’s fine fitness-wise but we have to be patient with him in relation to his football. He’ll have a major role to play at some stage during the year.”
Colm Cooper tasted just eight minutes of league action and with fellow talisman James O’Donoghue sitting out the entire league through injury, Sheehy urges patience to allow the pair readjust to championship fare.
“Everybody will say because James is back after missing the league and Colm is back after missing 12 months that Kerry are going to be better. It doesn’t work that way. You still have to go out and perform.”
When pressed for his views on the current state of the game, Sheehy credited Jim McGuinness for fostering the changed and, at times, radical thinking of managers and the defensive systems cultivated.
“The game now is totally different. The preparation is frightening. We’d never have survived.
“I enjoy it because if you come against an ultra-defensive team it’s a great opportunity to try and unravel their system. It’s fascinating. The game has evolved totally. You have to have a different game-plan for each opposition. We went out with a game plan in the All-Ireland final last year and we’d be quite happy to do it again this year if we thought we’d win it again.
“I suppose you could say McGuinness’ impact has been like that of Mick O’Dwyer and Kevin Heffernan in the 70’s. He has radically changed the game.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
