Kerry have a top gear others can't reach

RTÉ GAA analyst Enda McGinley believes that Kerry have demonstrated throughout the Division 1 campaign that they have a ceiling that other teams simply can't reach as they prepare for a shot at a 25th league title.

The Kingdom face Donegal in the Division 1 decider at Croke Park – a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland final won by Jack O’Connor’s side by 10 points – following Sunday’s dramatic draw with Armagh.

While Sunday’s game is likely to involve some shadow-boxing and no risk-taking when it comes to playing personnel for both, McGinley is confident that if Kerry were to be at their best, they’d come out on top against any team.

"I was sitting watching it (the Armagh game) and it was just football of the highest order," said McGinley on the RTÉ GAA podcast.

"One of my friends text me and he just said 'Kerry are playing as different game than anyone else.’

"It was sensational on both sides of it; their forward play was so good, so slick, so fast through the hands, so structured. They had a really clear blue-print that they were going to repeatedly and even though Armagh would have known it, couldn’t do much about it.

"Whenever they (Armagh) were that wee bit off in midfield, their power - Joe O’Connor - just absolutely bossing the show.

"In defence, they were like wasps around Armagh the few times Armagh got up the pitch.

"The way I’d probably put it, Kerry I think have a gear that nobody else in the country has in terms of their game at their very best - (it’s) at a level above anybody else."

Of course, there is the caveat that Kerry didn’t actually beat Armagh despite being 0-10 to 0-00 ahead with just 21 minutes on the clock.

"As Armagh showed in that game, when you start stemming their possession, you can hurt them," McGinley added.

"They’re still a team, they still can be got at but my gosh you have to be playing serious ball to get at them.

"Kerry are in rude health; Jack O’Connor will do the Kerry thing and try to play it down.

"Last year the whole narrative was who is really more important for Kerry, Paudie or David Clifford because really without Paudie Kerry just look (like they’re) struggling.

"They’re playing at this level without probably their best all-round player around the middle of the pitch."

Drilling down on why Kerry remain the team to beat, McGinley said it's a simple case of numbers – quality numbers.

"The majority of teams seem to be following a similar template where you’ll have one, two, maximum three really tight man-to-man duels, men tagged, so to speak, who do not get room at any stage. Everyone else then, you’ve got a loose man you’re responsible for when an attacking play gets developed...

"With Kerry, where do you start to tag? Armagh had to go man-to-man on Joe O’Connor to try and curtail him. Gavin White, Paudie Clifford, David Clifford, (Dylan) Geaney inside, Seánie O’Shea, they have so many players that can completely dictate a game.

"If you try to man-mark each of them, then you’re in a complete man-marking game which I think can be pulled apart by top teams.

"Kerry have a lot of fires for teams to try and put out at the minute."

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