Peter Keane may be out of road, but Kerry players must ask themselves why they can’t close the deal

Peter Keane may be open to a new term as Kerry manager but the soundings chairman Tim Murphy will take from the players will be critical in that respect

CLOSE CALL: Tyrone joint-manager Feargal Logan commiserates with Kerry manager Peter Keane after Saturday's dramatic All-Ireland SFC semi-final. 

TONY McEntee, now the Sligo manager, introduced us once to a reassuringly uncomplicated interpretation of statistics. If the opposition are dominating midfield skies and hoovering up carpet ball, it’s hardly worth presenting clipboards, columns and numbers to corroborate what’s manifestly evident. Damn it, he knows.

The statistics support unit available to Kerry’s Peter Keane will inform him in a very real way how inexplicably bad his side’s decision-making in scoring positions was on Saturday in Croke Park. But chances are the manager copped it on the sideline. And the soul-searching journey home that night would confirm as much to the players.