AND just like that, it is All-Ireland semi-final weekend and the climax of the championship races into view. In a little over two weeks Sam Maguire will have a new home with all of the joy and fun that goes with that. Traditional idiosyncrasies associated with different counties are few and far between as most teams play a broadly similar game plan nowadays.
However, there are differences between the four semi-finalists that can guide them away from that conformity and into an All-Ireland final. So what are the three considerations in the four camps to need highlighting and attention ahead of the weekend's final four? KERRY 1. Give the ball to David Clifford.
The primary casualty of all 14 outfield players retreating back inside their 45 metre line is the marquee forward and in Kerry’s case, their best player, David Clifford. It is suffocating his influence, which is mission accomplished for the opposition. They appreciate David in full flow probably means they are coming out on the wrong end of the result.
Kerry don’t help themselves though. They don’t play with any great depth, so David is often crowded out of it close to goals and tends to drift out the field. This is understandable, but what isn’t is that Kerry don’t hand him the ball in these positions.
Invariably he will make something happen, as he did for their first score against Derry. Paudie shared the ball with him on the 45 metre line and David slalomed his way through a set Derry rearguard to kick a gr.