Former Tyrone assistant manager Gavin Devlin has called on the team to âexposeâ Kerry for âwhat they areâ in Saturdayâs All-Ireland SFC semi-final.
Devlin, who finished up with Mickey Harte last year, claims Kerry put 15 players behind the ball at times because they donât trust their defenders.
âThere is a reason why Kerry come out and play in the middle of the field with 15 men behind the ball because they donât trust the men at the back,â he told TeamTalkMagâs All-Ireland semi-final preview. âAnd they are right not to trust them. We have to go and target that.
âHave we the men to put out Kerryâs fires? Yes we do but we donât need to start the conversation there. We need to start the conversation with âhow are we going to expose these boys for what they are?â because no-one to date has exposed that.
âWe have Kerry on this pedestal and this is the same team that in 2019 we went in at half-time shooting out the gate (Tyrone led 0-9 to 0-5). I think they still have 12 or 13 of those players still there. So, come on, there has to be a bit of realism here.â
Two-time All-Ireland SFC winner Devlin envisages Tyroneâs defence nullifying the Kerry attack if certain match-ups take place. âIâd put Razza (Rory Brennan) on Paudie Clifford. He hasnât played a lot of football this season but heâs a serious defender. Then we have (PĂĄdraig) Hampsey and Rony McNamee and you can take your pick with (Paul) Geaney and David Clifford. Either or for me.
âIâd put Petey Harte on SeĂĄn OâShea and bring Conor Meyler back on (Stephen) OâBrien. I think we win all those battles. I think we win them all.â Asked what he would say to the players before the game, Devlin replied: âMy message to the boys would be to kill or get killed. I think match-ups are key. I feel we have the men to man them up and take them in terms of Paudie Clifford and David Clifford and Geaney, SeĂĄn OâShea. Theyâve dropped Petey (Harte) to the half-back line and itâs worked an absolute treat. A good man-to-man marker. Not only that, Petey can put a man on the backfoot as well.
âWe have been at the top table the last couple of years and weâve slipped against Kerry, Mayo and Dublin time and time again. On several of those occasions, we were only a flick of a ball away from beating them but we didnât beat them.
âGo back to 2001, when the two Brians (Canavan and McAlinden) were over Armagh. They were really close, Joe Kernan came in and got them over the line. I donât think weâre one bit different.
âI have been involved with Brian Dooher a few times and if people think heâs going down there with Tyrone to fulfill a fixture they are absolutely deluded. If they play with Brian Dooherâs tenacity and vigour we could be in with a massive shout.â
