Jack O’Connor has a lot to ponder over the winter – short kickouts take too much out of the players and he has to get better at bringing youth throughThe first thing any Kerry person has to say about the weekend result is hats off to Armagh and to Kieran McGeeney.
If Ryan is taking a kickout, it means the opposition have just had a shot. That means the Kerry backs are after having to chase around trying to get in a tackle to prevent it. And now, straight away, they have to make a run to get a short kickout and start again. Realistically, they have to make multiple runs – three of four of them sprinting to get into space so one of them can get the ball.
This stuff adds up. If you do it 10, 15, 20 times in the first hour of a game, then you’re going to be gasping for air in the closing stages. Foley took Kerry’s first shot in extra-time and immediately went down with cramp after it went wide. I get the feeling that Jack doesn’t really trust his midfield over their heads. But he’s going to have to find a less energy-sapping way around that problem for 2025.