Tomas O'Se believes that Sunday’s All-Ireland final is a “free shot” for Kerry.
Kingdom boss Peter Keane has the unenviable task of trying to stop the Dublin juggernaut chasing a historic five-in-a-row but O Se doesn’t believe there is as much pressure on him for that reason, particularly in his first season after moving up from the minor team.
The five-time All-Ireland winner said: “I think it would have probably been a mistake for Peter Keane to come in with his own set up and alone and not have any other impact, and Maurice Fitzgearld is there from the last regime, and Donie Buckley will add to it.
“I think it’s a free shot, Kerry have a free shot at this because everybody in the whole country reckons that Dublin are going to win this.
“The whole country can’t make an argument for Kerry winning it, so it is a free shot.
“I know there is pressure there, and as long as it’s not a major collapse, there will be a certain leeway.”
Although he’s not particularly optimistic about Kerry’s chances, O Se is glad that they are at least in a position to halt the five-in-a-row which they themselves were dramatically denied in both 1933 and 1982.
“I don’t know, the romantic in me, if Dublin were to do the five-in-a-row, it won’t be the end of the world.
“A lot of fellas in Kerry are worried that the five-in-a-row will be done, but lookit, if they do it, they’ll deserve it.
“I think it’s good that Kerry are involved, because if Kerry, by some chance do turn it over, Jesus they’ll be talking about it for a long time to down there, but it’s going to be a tough one, very tough.”
He added: “I met Jack O’Connor during the week and he made a good point, he said there is probably more talk about the five-in-a-row down in Kerry than there would be up in Dublin. Because of the history that’s there, and because of the heartache that’s there from ‘82.
“Any time you mention the five-in-a-row to a Kerry person, they’ll think of Darby, and they’ll think of that goal.
“I suppose they’d be a proud county in terms of football, the history they have, in terms of what they’ve won they’ll see a team coming in and taking it - no team had done it, like.
“It will be some achievement if it’s done. Kerry will always have the mantra, no matter what they say privately, they will congratulate Dublin, but I think Kerry people will be saying, ‘Jesus, it will be hard to watch Dublin do it’, after the chances they had.”
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