1. Kerry finally scratch that itch
THIS ONE WAS a long time coming.
Dublin have ruled their great rivals with an iron fist over the past few years, but a new-look Kerry side is emerging.
Their 20 scores was the highest tally against Jim Gavin’s team since Mayo in the 2012 All-Ireland final, but more significantly Kerry have proved they are Dublin’s equals – for the moment at least.
Kerry avoided defeat for a second straight game against Dublin and picked up just their second win over the Metropolitans in 11 attempts. They proved that draw in Tralee was no fluke.
Dublin’s run of big game wins over Kerry over the past two years came to an end, after their All-Ireland final victory two years ago and the 2016 league final and All-Ireland semi-final wins for Gavin’s men.
The seismic impact this win will have on the mindset of the Kerry players shouldn’t be downplayed. The prospect of returning back down south empty-handed would have left a nagging doubt in their minds about their ability to beat this Dublin side.
There’s no doubt about it, Kerry now know for sure they have what it takes in the locker. That’ll count for a lot when it comes to the white heat of battle later in the summer.
2. Dublin’s 36-game unbeaten run comes to an end
Dublin’s loss to Donegal in the 2014 All-Ireland semi-final has been hailed as a watershed moment, and they haven’t lost a championship game since.
This was a first game of major consequence Dublin have lost under Gavin since that day three years ago. It was just his seventh competitive defeat as Dublin boss and a second post-St Patrick’s Day loss of any kind under Gavin.
In the long-run, this defeat may not prove to be a bad thing for Gavin’s side. While a fifth straight league crown went amiss, it’ll provide the Dubs with fresh impetus heading into the championship.
The hype surrounding their lengthy unbeaten run will now disappear, and Kerry proved today the chasing pack aren’t quite as far behind as we imagined.
3. Kerry’s ‘moving’ quarter dominance
Kerry left Dublin waiting on the field before the start of the second-half, and they proceeded to completely dominate the third quarter.
Dublin didn’t trouble the scoreboard in the second-half until the 54th minute, by which time Kerry had streaked five in front. That set the platform for the victory.
Dublin’s recent comebacks have made it clear that you have to be four or five points better to beat them by one, and that’s exactly how it transpired today.
Geaney chipped in with four points during that spell, including three frees as Kerry troubled their opponents with a lively running game.
Kerry had just enough of a cushion to survive Dublin’s blitz of 1-4 in the between the 54th and 61s minute, and see home the victory.
4. Another physical encounter between these rivals
This was nowhere near the fractious affair in Tralee three weeks ago, but there was a simmering tension throughout the game.
Diarmuid Connolly, Jonathan Lyne and Anthony Maher were deservedly black-carded for cynical fouls. Maher’s blatant pull-down on Michael Fitzsimmons at the death left Dean Rock standing over a 48m free which struck the upright. Such are the inches that the big games come down to.
Philly McMahon had at least three notable fouls during the third quarter and can consider himself very lucky to stay on the field, while James McCarthy and Donnchadh Walsh both went dangerously close to picking up reds when they quarrelled under the Hill.
5. Kerry get their tactics right
Kerry operated with Jack Savage and Paul Geaney as a two-man full-forward unit, with the hard-working trio of Kevin McCarthy, Michael Geaney and Donnchadh Walsh employed on the half-forward line.
Lyne, and later Gavin Crowley, dropped to wing-back when Kerry lost possession with Paul Murphy freed up to cover the D.
It was tactic that served the winners well. Dublin like to leave the space in front of the full-forward position empty to allow runners from deep, but Murphy’s positioning clogged up that space and denied Dublin the chance to find their inside forwards with the sort of early ball they thrive on.
It meant that Paddy Andrews and Bernard Brogan endured quiet days at the office by their lofty standards. But the real heroes where the McCarthy, Geaney and Walsh syndicate.
They kicked five points between them and ran Dublin’s half-back line ragged. O’Sullivan and Lowndes were replaced during the second-half. It was about as ordinary as we’ve ever seen O’Sullivan look at centre-back.
Geaney intelligently dragged the Kilmacud Crokes man wide on occasions and denied him the chance to get his usual sweeping game going. Fitzmaurice got his tactics spot-on today. Kerry have officially leapfrogged Mayo as the biggest challengers to Dublin’s throne in September.
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Couple hundred million spent and there wasn’t even a proper striker on the field in the end. What a mess wev turned into
@Hon Tipp: 70mil spent
@Hon Tipp: mess indeed. But I’d rather get rid of Sanchez and Lukaku and be in this situation than have them here. Have to hit the restart button at some stage.
@Vincent #SaveDaredevil: 900mil spent in 6years. Comical
@Vincent #SaveDaredevil: probably meant in the last few years. Lukaku, Sanchez, Ibra, Depay, Rooney, even Welbeck all let go and look what we have now. Lingard still there.
@Jimmy Magee: a list of either the old or the rubbish or both
@Jimmy Magee: How Lingard is still here is a joke. The direction of the club in the last 6 years has been a tough watch.
@Hon Tipp: We? Are you not from Tipperary?
8 points from six games.. relegation fight coming up…..
@Charmaine Walker: Rochdale on Wednesday …. could turn it round perhaps
Remember it’s the board not ole that is the problem. Until that changes, who the manager is, is largely irrelevant.
@Declan: spot on.
@Declan: board and owners
@Dave McAuliffe: Dave and Brian either if ya getting the feeling the club is getting ready for a sale?? Selling off players. Ole giving youth a chance rubbish. I just wonder maybe I’m hoping that’s what’s going to happen
@Declan: can only blame the board for so much. The fact of it is the they have better players than west ham therefore should be beating them . The board can only be blamed for so much . Today’s performance is completely down to manager and players. Ole got the players he wanted . He is completely out of his dept and that is the problem.
@Declan: glazers wont sell pal. United is a proper little cash cow for them
@WESHALLNOTBEMOVED: they have better players than west ham…really..not based on that match or the table we dont. Ole appears to be trying to do the right things. The real test is will he be supported in January and next summer cause it’s going to take 4 or 5 organised though out transfer windows to fix that squad and Woodward has shown no previous performance to suggest that will happen.
@Brian Dunne: you’re probably right, wishful thinking but anyone with a brain can see that where the problem lies now, that and a lack football knowledge at board level
@WESHALLNOTBEMOVED: do they though? Honest question, I mean defensively they have on paper but I’m looking at those midfielder’s & attacking player’s of West Ham and thinking they’re equally as good if not better than United’s six in similar positions
@WESHALLNOTBEMOVED: no they don’t
@WESHALLNOTBEMOVED: rubbish. You think pereira and mctom and ageing mata and young and longard are better? They’re not
@Declan: it’s not even October yet . I’m a Liverpool supporter the last thing I’m going to do is praise utd players but they will finish above west ham this year. I agree woodword is a disaster but it appears ole got the players he wanted this summer . Ole is clearly out of his depth and time will show that . Liverpool constantly made the same mistake. Just because a player is a club legend doesn’t mean he is going to be any good as a manager. Is that utd side bad enough to lose at home to palace. No. How much money have utd spent in the last few years . The board are spending . The only time they didn’t back someone was when mourinho wanted a centre back. They bought crap and the manager is crap and that’s the problem.
@Declan: You wish, they like anyone else will only dispose of an asset at maximum value, ie when the team is successful.
@Declan: How could the Board be the sole problem ? a succession of managers since AF have spent plenty of money with very little return from the players. The problems are from top to bottom
@Martin Fahy: never said sole problem but like every organisation the strategy and culture or lack thereof starts at the top. Need to get that level right first before starting with the many problems below.
@Declan: the board is the problem really? Really? Really? Explain. Every utd manager since ferguson have been bankrolled transfer records broken and this is what we get. Ashamed to have these lads playing for utd
The only decent striker United have is their manager
@Tom49☘️: If it wasn’t so true, it’d be funny
@Brian Burke: it’s both true and funny
Fantastic performance. Mark Noble is a god. COYI ⚒⚒⚒
@Bob Joe: Good man COYI..
@Bob Joe: best West Ham team I’ve witnessed so far, on the up, feeling in the ground was fantastic today
Ole’s at the wheel… he’s crashed it in the wall
@Tony Yeboah: twice
Top 6 if they’re lucky, a new manager in January might help the cause.
@Anthony John Cotter: still have to laugh at some of the top 4 predictions from the journalists hahah
@Anthony John Cotter: I wouldn’t blame the manager really, a lot of the players are not up to it, in fairness the players he brought in are doing all right, they need to stick with him and let him build the team, they are another two years away from competing I recon, it’s the team that’s best placed in two to three years time when Klopp and Pep are gone will probably win the title, United are better off suffering now and sticking with it
@Anthony John Cotter: think the problems stem far far deeper than a new manager! Start at the very top and you’ll find that’s where the problems start, look at the squad today, an injury to rashford and look at the knock on effect it has….no recognised striker in the squad, shrewd spending yet again by Capt.Ed Woodward!
@Alan Brazil: absolutely. Most of ole’s job so far has been cleaning up the mess of 6 years mis management at board level. Ole really aint the problem
@Brian Dunne: But he is part of theproblem, what were his credentials on which he was appointed? He was sacked by Cardiff ffs! You could take a man off the street and he wouldn’t have these players performing any worse.
@Darren Lambe: jose Mourinho had them playin as bad. As did lvg. All good managers
@Darren Lambe: Nonsense. He has no midfield and no strikers and is an injury away from playing a terrible old Winger at full back which he had to today.
12 years of squad mismanagement left them in this state which isn’t Oles fault. Is he the man for the job? Impossible to know given the mess of the squad.
@Brian Dunne: Jose and LVG had them hard to beat at least. They are a total pushover now, going into games like today you almost expect them to lose. That is down to the manager and his motivational skills or lack of in this case.
@Darren Lambe: You have to stick with him, a new manager won’t solve anything, at Cardiff he didn’t exactly have quality players there either.
@Darren Lambe: Man united hard to beat us not they way man united play either, Man united hard to beat won’t win you premier league titles, they will get there but it will take a few years yet
@Brian Dunne: Jose’s record is not looking too bad now.
@Anthony John Cotter: manager not the problem, wake up people!
@Darren Lambe: You fo Darren. They beat Leicester a week ago all be it with a penalty. Ole improved the defence – it’s no surprise they’re not playing well when they’ve no midfield and no strikers
@Alan Brazil: I strongly agree with your opinion, x 6 times!
@Brian Dunne: Yea but he also failed to replace lukaku and sanchez, faed to bring in a midfield and failing to get rid of dead weight from the squad
@D H: It all takes time, it’s called building a team from pretty much scratch again, it will take a few years, patience required
Hahahaha.he be gone by xmas!!!
Painful to watch
@STOIC SAVAGE: at least ole puts on a happy face, he’ll sort it yet, just needs a few years
@talksense: happy faces are all well and good but we need points
West Ham well deserved win today, Utd looked weak in all positions,, Bissaka had a nightmare with the ball at his feet, hardly made a pass all game long, Noble and Rice very comfortable in the midfield. On the up side for Utd, James reminds me of Sterling in his first season with Liverpool, a little clumsy with the ball at his feet at times, but he should get a lot better in time.
The head on Roy Keane post match in the studio made it all worth it.
Hahaha West Ham are absolutely massive, mark noble is the cockney iniesta, Scott mcTominay shows he’s the most fisher price version of Declan rice I’ve ever seen. Champions league here we come
@DavidGoldsFarther: Fisher price make good stuff…
Said long season ahead for Utd and ole gone by Xmas, god they’re bang ordinary, also said rashford is grossly overrated and that’s generous, he must have polaroids on south gate and ole!
So who will Olé’s replacement be?!?!!
@Tomás O’Loughlin: cantina…
@Tomás O’Loughlin: bring back David Moyes
@Robc: Tommy Dochertys still alive
Rashford is Welbeck 2.0. Greenwood at home with a sore throat and lingard back up striker. Reached Arsenal levels of banter club. Disgrace
@Ray Taff: And solskjaer the spoofer comes out the other day and said he didnt need to replace lukaku! A shambles from top to bottom
Lethargic and very poor in general. Long season ahead
Sell Rashford and get rid of Woodward for a start.
@Jimmy Magee: Woodward makes too much money for the Glazers. He ain’t going anywhere
@Jimmy Magee: let Woodward do what he’s good at, making commercial deals. Get a proper director of football in to do the football side of things.
Ole’s at the wheel… he’s crashed it in the wall
Can’t blame Ole for not replacing Lukaku and Sanchez. He couldn’t have seen this happening. Players never get injured
Everybody now … “Ole Out, Ole Out”
UTD need Diego Simeoni from Athletico
@BatMon: They could have Jesus Christ himself and nothing would change. Nothing’s gonna change until the board changes or they change their attitude
@BatMon: oh exactly – another new manager with a totally different style of playing who doesn’t speak English. That’s exactly what we need – to start over again with someone else’s ideas.
Pffft.
@BatMon: what’s he ever won with Athletico
@TM B: assuming you’re not being sarcastic, then la liga, the Copa del Rey & the Europa league
@yermas dildo: yes indeed, and winning la Liga when Barca and real were much better than they are now
Ole’s at the wheel… he’s crashed it in the wall
United jumped the gun giving him the permanent contract, had they waited until the end of the season he wouldn’t have gotten it. Probably be sacked by Christmas
Keep calm.ole’s at the wheel.
¥@cking desperate. What a bunch of useless money greedy no good nothings. All my years watching man utd that was the worse ever.
Katharine
The problem – the club has lost its direction it’s been said the last Utd team to win the league was the worst Utd squad ever todo so that’s true
The board have no idea on football matters and run Utd like a bank 900m spent last 6 years should tell u everything u need looking at the quality on the pitch the person who sanctioned those sales is accountable to know one and should have been fired -but won’t why – cause if the owners are willing to overlook that spend how much are they taking out
How do u fix it – honestly- luck – Utd need new owners with football to the fore not money and the old ones to sell – need an up and coming manager with a vision and trusted way of. Playing- better scouting then New signings to play to the direction of the club- DOF – Van der Sar for me – a start
Ole is out of his depth
The board is responsible for the mess. Cannot appoint a competent manager, no real structure for managing the football business and Woodward is not performing. Only the board can resolve these problems and they don’t seem to have the knowhow and skills to take the right decisions. You can have the best players in the league but if the manager is not competent and the right support structure is missing the result will be failure.
So ye mancs hate Ole again or wha?_
@Jason Geraghty: I wouldn’t call them Mancs, they are Irish people, Like yourself, unless you have a Manchester accent.
@Alan Brazil: good one.
Harry Maguire looks a lot different
Picture at the top of the article is Rashford not Maguire btw but similar looking I guess…rubbish performance.
@TM B: assuming you’re not being sarcastic, then la liga, the Copa del Rey & the Europa league
F**k off Woodward and f**k off Ole, laughing stock.
@Darren Lambe: you are half right, the woodward/ board half needless to say…