Mikey Sheehy uneasy with ‘cynical’ tag
“We wouldn’t like to be given that kind of name, of being a cynical team,” he says, wincing, “but definitely our tackling is an area that would have been giving us a small bit of concern.”
The attacking artist and selector to Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s 2014 champions says statistics from Kerry’s league campaign make for a sobering read.
“There were a few stats thrown at us — and I know statistics can lie — about tackling and it’s an area that would give us a small bit of concern. We’ve been working very hard at that and, sometimes, it’s difficult with different interpretations from referees, but it’s something we wouldn’t like, to be given the name of being a cynical team. It’s something we’ve put a bit of work into and I’d accept we have to tighten up, defensively. Our record in the league wouldn’t suffice in the championship.”
Sheehy was talking in advance of the Kingdom’s warm-weather camp in Portugal.
“The fact we were involved so late last year meant we couldn’t come back training until December. Then, we had the team holiday, which we didn’t return from until the middle of January. Then, you are straight into the league. The previous year, when you lose an All-Ireland semi-final, you get a good bank of work done before Christmas. There’s no doubt we were playing catch-up during the league. You are trying to up your fitness levels while playing, but there’s a group of four games in as many weeks that restricts what we can do between matches.”
The trip to the Algarve finished on a bit of a sour note with injuries to Kieran O’Leary and Paul Murphy, the former a season-ending achilles injury.
However, for a host of other hopefuls, players who may not start against Tipperary on Sunday, it was an opportunity over the course of an intensive week to progress their chances of game time down the road. Darran O’Sullivan is an example.
“Over the last couple of years, he’s been dogged with hip issues and hamstring problems,” Sheehy says. “He is going well at the moment, the body is now in good shape again, and that’s the crucial thing for him. He has played a good few games with Glenbeigh-Glencar, he’s hungry and, what I notice lately, he has a zip back in his game. Hopefully, he can stay injury free.”
Tommy Walsh is another.
“A lot of people thought Tommy would come powering straight into the team. Maybe some of us were guilty of that ourselves, but it has taken him a while, he’s a work in progress. He is getting there, and will get there. Tommy went away at the end of 2009, that’s five-and-a-half years away from football. And people must realise that Tommy had a very serious injury out there, where he ripped a hamstring off the bone. He’s a massive boost to us, and I’d be expecting big things from him.”
The return of Paul Galvin has been interrupted by a quad muscle injury, while James O’Donoghue only needs proper game time. Marc Ó Sé and Aidan O’Mahony also revved up a gear at the Amendoeira Golf resort.
“It’s a great headache,” Sheehy smiles. “There’s massive talent in the forwards, in particular, but we don’t have any given right to succeed, just because those guys are back. In 2013, the As were beating the Bs handy enough in games. Last year, they were very tight games. After the first one, we were scratching our heads a little wondering was it a good thing or a bad thing, but it turned out to be brilliant for us, because the so-called ‘B’ players were improving so much and putting us under pressure to pick them.”
I’d accept we have to tighten up, defensively
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