Kieran McGeeney: Kerry spell "turned the tide"

Irish Daily Mirror

3 days ago

Armagh boss Kieran McGeeney bemoaned a flat 15-minute period where Kerry got on top of his side in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
The Orchard County were blitzed by the Kingdom in a second half spell where they conceded fourteen points without reply.
On that spell, McGeeney said: "It was probably a disappointing 15 minutes. That's what turned the tide. I think they hit 13 points on the trot, maybe 15.
"Yeah it was disappointing. They played well. Even at the end they kept on going, Shane had to pull off three saves off the line. They never stopped fighting. You have to give them credit.
"It was just the 15 minute period where Kerry were devastating and we couldn't get our hands on the ball."
"We probably made life difficult for ourselves on top of that, but listen that's sport, you have to take your hat off when somebody is scoring like that. It was just one of those days, you make mistakes and you get punished for them."
When asked if Kerry were out for revenge after last year's semi-final, McGeeney said: "Listen, everybody will make something. For the first 45 minutes we were very well on top. The only time to be on top really is at the end. It's just one of those days."
The Armagh boss felt the new rules added jeopardy to the kickouts but lauded them for making the game exciting.
"Listen, that's what we want. We just want to be able to kick the ball out and make it 50/50.
"People find that more exciting, that's the game and Kerry were better at it today than us."
He singled out Sean O'Shea for his contribution against his side.
"Ah, we have probably had spells like that, maybe not punished enough. We had I think 11 out of our 13 kickouts we lost. If you are going to do that in this game, because you have then to commit and you are leaving holes behind us.
"Listen, it was just one of those days, Seanie [O'Shea], no matter what he hit, was putting them over and everybody else was joining in.
"As I say it's a 15 minutes you'd like to forget. It happens in sport. We've done it ourselves to other teams. You just have to take it on the chin and move on."
When asked about Jack O'Connor's comments on Kerry being written off pre-match, McGeeney said "It was the Kerry boys that were talking them down so we wouldn't pass much remarks to that. That's what Kerry do. My in-laws are form there, I would hear direct, everybody's saying they weren't the team, National League champions, Munster champions, highest scoring forwards, highest scoring team going into it, like, I know Eamonn and the boys will write that stuff but nobody really believes it."
He said Kerry did nothing specific to nullify Ethan Rafferty's kickout.
"Not really. I suppose we kept kicking it to the wings. Three or four things, it's just sometimes like it happens in sport. I'd love to give you….if I could pinpoint the reason for you we could have stopped it.
"We were too tight onto the sidelines, getting sideline balls and they were quicker on the breaks than us probably at that stage. Again, it was their ability to punish. Seanie just had one of those days, he couldn't miss.
"So, that's what happens. You have a forward of that calibre. Like, again, as I say, three or four goals chances on our side missing them. You might have been able to keep it closer. It's frustrating.
"We've been all around sport a long time and outside of the Dubs and Kerry we lose a lot more than we win."
He said that outside of Dublin and Kerry, teams have to make use of their time at the top table.
"Listen, they have won an All-Ireland. They are only one of two teams in 140 odd years that have won it. They can hold their heads up high surely.
"They have been one of the most consistent teams over the last three or four years. You seen today, Galway and ourselves, you get a few years to push at the top and you have to make the best of it for most counties outside of those two.
"It's one of those things. Between Dublin and Kerry they have 80% participation in All-Ireland finals and won 50% of them.
"You are up against a huge thing, but they have held their own. It's going to be disappointing for them today but they've got an All-Ireland medal in their back pocket and I'm sure those younger fellas there, most of that squad, will want to push on and try and get another one."
When asked on his Armagh agreement and his future, he quipped; "I didn't know you had agreements with GAA (laughs). Ah, it's hard to know. I sit down every year. My thing is always about players. It's all about the players. First and foremost and what they want and how much they want to push on.
"My appetite for football has always been the same. I love it. I enjoy it, despite the abuse. It's just one of those things. I don't know. Maybe it's an addiction. I haven't even thought about that."
When asked if it was an abuse-free season after winning the All-Ireland title last term, he said: "Not really like. Whether it's the GAA themselves or the supporters, the GAA manager is the person that gets blamed for everything.
"I always find it amusing sitting from the outside looking it at people doing their jobs and how they are graded and nobody ever looks in the mirror too much.
"I know as a manager I've made a s***load of mistakes. Things like that there, but it's amazing how everybody else tends to have a mirror that only tends to go out the way rather than looking back at themselves. Is that cryptic enough for you?"