Colm Parkinson: Eamon Fitzmaurice can’t keep ignoring Kerry’s centre back problem

"There was a lot that went on in that game to think about, but two points is what I am most happy with it, even if I agree we left ourselves very open at times in defence."

11,000 excited Kerry fans packed into Fitzgerald stadium on Sunday to see a new generation of Kerry young guns and they weren't disappointed. We saw two real stars of the future in Sean O'Shea and David Clifford and many more exciting talents to boot for the Kingdom. But unfortunately for Kerry fans I’m going to focus on a major negative. The above quote from Eamon Fitzmaurice is good analysis of his defence but when he was aware of it why didn’t he do something about it? Donegal waltzed through the non-existent Kerry half back line in the 58th minute for Odhran MacNiallais goal. They had already been warned in the first half, when Paddy McBrearty caught a kickout in midfield and ran uncontested to kick a point. Despite these warnings, and there were others, Donegal were allowed score another goal straight from a kickout the 72nd minute. It almost cost them the game but for their attacking brilliance. Now you’d forgive all this if it wasn't an ongoing problem for Kerry. Their half back line getting sucked into midfield leaving their full back line exposed was a problem last Summer against Mayo. When their full back line was destroyed in the drawn game, Eamon said,

“I think the full-back line are often thrown into the wolves. A lot of the time, particularly when you’re not playing a sweeper, if there’s space in there and there’s uncontested ball going in, it’s a tough assignment”.

Again great analysis post game but it’s too late then. In fairness he took steps to remedy the situation in the replay when he played Paul Murphy as a full time sweeper but that backfired as well. Kerry’s defensive problems are due to the fact they don’t have a specialised center back. They have tried so many players there over the past number of years but none seem to be able to nail down the position. I was a pretty versatile player - I have experience on every line of the field at some stage at senior intercounty level. I think I made a decent fist of every position I played in but the one I couldn’t manage was centre back. I played there on a couple of occasions for Portlaoise and was all over the place. It’s so difficult to know when you follow your man into midfield or the wings or when to hold the center back position. I believe it’s a position you need to play from underage level so you understand the nuances of playing there. Managers are obsessed with not leaving the center open and it’s the number 6’s job to stop opposing players breaking down the centre from midfield. Kerry were missing that on Sunday and have been missing that consistent clever centre back for a long time. Look at Cian O’Sullivan for Dublin. He has so much game intelligence, not only does he organise his own game but he can also makes sure if he follows his man someone else drops back into his role. https://twitter.com/GAAonSetanta/status/694996364967690240 Half forward lines drop so deep in the modern game there’s no need for your entire half back line to follow their men. This has made the centre back's job much easier. It’s difficult to understand why Kerry didn’t use Gavin Crowley more as a holding player on Sunday. Eamon knows the value of it - he said of Dublin before the 2015 All Ireland final

“I think they’re a good bit more defensively conscious. They’re protecting their own goals a lot better, protecting their own half of the pitch a bit better.Cian O’Sullivan had done a lot of very good work for them this year in that regard”

When he’s aware of the value of Cian O’Sullivan it was unusual to see Kerry’s full back line exposed so much and on Sunday. I know Crowley is inexperienced at this level but if Dublin had a new player at centre back they would play the Cian O’Sullivan role, not his own game. Usually teams have their systems and new players just fit into that system rather than coming in a playing their own game. In fairness Kerry are in experimental mode for this league and that’s what makes them so exciting. Obviously it’s dangerous to over-analyse early season games but I’m highlighting this because it has been an ongoing problem for Kerry, not an isolated game on Sunday. Maybe Eamon is allowing them just go out and play, without much direction, and see what they’re made of. The value of that is it will allow him see what lads instincts are like and what he has to work with. They have an embarrassment of riches from midfield up and that will pose it’s own selection headaches but I think the number 6 position is somewhere Eamon will be most interested in finding a new Kerry star of the future.