Tyrone vs Kerry SFC: Five Talking Points

Solving a problem like…

DAVID Clifford, Paudie Clifford. Seanie O’Shea. And a few others thrown in there. Kerry aren’t shy about boasting about the calibre of attacking player they’ve produced down the decades, and I’m not sure we can really blame them. It’ll be interesting to see who’s assigned with the various marking jobs on Sunday. Paudie Clifford is reportedly back to full fitness so there’s a good chance he’ll start, and in their two most recent championship meetings against Tyrone (in 2021 and 2023) he had one hell of a battle with Conor Meyler, who is likely to play a substitute role on Sunday. Paudie Hampsey will probably renew acquaintances with his old friend David Clifford, and if Tyrone keep these marquee men quiet, it’ll be half the battle. Easier said than done though.

Nine tenths of the law

THAT old cliche about possession. When Kerry dismantled the Armagh midfield in their All-Ireland quarter-final joust nearly a fortnight ago, they completely went to town on the poor, beleagured Orchard County. It wasn’t just that they got their hands on ball-after-ball-after-ball but that they moved the ball quickly via foot to their shooters and they did the rest. It’s imperative Tyrone don’t let something similar happen on Saturday. Every game is different and Kerry have shown their hand, but momentum is a particularly potent force under the new rules and Tyrone simply must ensure they don’t get overrun at any juncture. It could be the winning and losing of the game.

Is it too soon?

IN year one at Glen, Malachy O’Rourke led the sleeping giant of Derry football to their first ever senior county championship. In year two, a historic Ulster title. In year three, the biggest prize in club football. At the start of the year, few would have realistically predicted that Tyrone would end up All-Ireland champions – but here we are, two games away. Is it something of a free-hit against Kerry? The players certainly won’t see it that way, but whatever happens there’s cause for optimism for the years ahead. The team is showing signs of progression and then there’s that much-vaunted conveyor belt. Three All-Ireland U20 titles in four years and now an All-Ireland minor – the future’s bright, the future’s red?

No mellowing with age

JACK O’Connor is widely regarded as a flinty enough fella. He was in top form, so to speak, after Kerry swatted aside Armagh a fortnight ago, taking aim at those who had written off the Kingdom after a couple of patchy performances. He didn’t say it out loud but it’s widely understood that he had a particular axe to grind with Darragh Ó Sé, erstwhile Kerry midfield icon and now Irish Times columnist. O’Connor mightn’t be universally loved, even in his own county, but his record speaks for itself, having led Kerry to four All-Ireland titles spanning three separate stints at the helm. They’re harsh critics down under though – the reality is that if Kerry lose this weekend, the knives will come out. That’s just the way of it when the only currency that counts is All-Ireland titles.

An all-Ulster showdown?

POOR ‘oul Meath, we’re not giving them much of a chance. The Royals have defied expectations and then some by overcoming Dublin, Galway and Kerry en route to Sunday’s showdown against Donegal, but we’re still going to take this opportunity to undermine them. Should Tyrone do the job against Kerry, it’s more likely than not we’ll come up against Donegal on All-Ireland final day. Only once have two teams from Ulster met on All-Ireland final day (you know the one) and we’re not sure we could take the nerves if it transpires again. I suppose we’ll cross that bridge if we come to it…anyway it’s all set up for a brilliant weekend of football. It’s been a memorable season and it’d be a pity if the business end of things doesn’t live up to its billing.