Shane Stapleton and Steven Poacher analyse Kerry, rate Conor McKenna of Tyrone, and wonder if Mickey Harte is playing possum for now.
Kerry will win the National League Title for the first time since 2017 if they can see off Donegal in Tralee on Saturday evening.
The Kingdom visited Monaghan last weekend and came away with the spoils after a 0-17 to 0-14 win, with David Clifford smacking over six points.
“All we have to go on is the one game,” says Steven Poacher. “One thing interesting to me was the tactical innovations of Kerry. How they set up, but also the kickouts.
“You go back over the years and it was ‘we’re Kerry, and we play the one way’,” before adding a story of how Tomas O Se says that came to an end in the early 2000s.
“Tactically they’re more attuned to the modern game. If a team presses (Monaghan goalkeeper) Rory Beggan, he’ll kick over them.
“But what Kerry did was drop off the kickout, and they took Beggan’s kicks out of it.
“They allowed him to give it to the corner-backs, and it allowed Kerry to get defensively organised at the back.
“Tyrone did something similar at the weekend against Shaun Patton’s kickouts for Donegal.
“I think Kerry were scared that Monaghan would have hurt them on that, and that’s why they did that.
“The other thing is that Monaghan have a very strong running game, they play a strong counter-attacking style, so it allowed Kerry to get back and be organised.
“At numerous times, Kerry had 14 or 15 men behind the ball, and at one stage David Clifford was behind the ball.”
In the video (above), Poacher details Kerry’s style of play on the tactics board, analyses Donegal, and looks at whether Conor McKenna can replace the injured Cathal McShane.
FIXTURES
Saturday 24 October
FL Division 1 round 7
Kerry v Donegal, Austin Stack Park, 2pm – eir Sport1
FL Division 2 round 7
Cavan v Roscommon, Kingspan Breffni, 2pm – TG4
Clare v Armagh, Cusack Park, 2pm
Kildare v Westmeath, Newbridge, 2pm
Fermanagh v Laois, Brewster Park, 2pm
FL Division 4 round 7
Antrim v Waterford – game off, points to Antrim
Sligo v Limerick, Markievicz Park, 2pm
Wexford v Wicklow, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 2pm
Sunday 25 October
FL Division 1 round 7
Galway v Dublin, Pearse Stadium, 2pm – TG4
Mayo v Tyrone, Castlebar, 2pm – Deferred coverage on TG4/Live on TG4 Player
Monaghan v Meath, Clones, 2pm – Deferred coverage on TG4
FL Division 3 round 7
Longford v Cork – game off, points to Cork
Louth v Down, Drogheda, 2pm
Leitrim v Tipperary, Carrick-on-Shannon, 2pm
Offaly v Derry, Tullamore, 2pm
