Kerry must catch fire or see their season extinguished

You had to feel sympathy for the Louth bus driver when he realised his mistake last Sunday.

Was it when he saw Benbulbin looming in the distance? Or the welcome to Yeats County signs around him?

On the way up to a league semi-final in 2014, I remember our team bus almost rammed into the back of a Nissan Micra. The driver slammed on the brakes and a few of the players who were positioned at the top of the bus nearly came through the windscreen.

It probably wasn't ideal preparation, all told. Then Aidan O'Shea got hit by Fergal Doherty in the game itself and the impact wasn't too dissimilar to a bus crash. Derry wound up beating us that day, although they were purely a league team at that time.

I'm not sure Jim McGuinness would have taken the navigation error as cheerfully as Ger Brennan did.

Jim's war with the CCCC is probably into a new phase this week after they saddled his team with the early game on the Saturday and the dreaded six-day turnaround. Everyone is eagerly anticipating his post-match interview this weekend and to see him unload.

Donegal's programme has obviously been intense, given the nature of Ulster but compounded by their failure to win the group after a poor performance against Tyrone at the start of the group phase.

The fact that their style is so attritional can't be helping them either. They obviously have huge strength with their runners from deep and Brennan commended them for what he called their 'repeat sprintability' (that phrase was a new one on me, I have to say).

I still wonder if that will come back to haunt them in Croke Park. Their insistence on running the ball constantly cost them against Galway in last year's semi-final. Michael Murphy is back now which gives them an outlet for more direct ball but he's picking up a lot of slack.

Jim McGuinness and Donegal unhappy with schedule

Monaghan are the great over-achievers of Gaelic football and they'll relish another crack at Donegal after the narrow loss in Clones.

Their game in Ulster a two-point festival with neither team even bothering to seek out goals. The fears around a lack of goals have shifted since then after defences started pushing out to the edge of the arc. But I'd anticipate a big chunk of the scores coming from two-pointers given the long range kickers on both teams.

Gabriel Bannigan and Andy Moran have had a terrific first season up there, with promotion to Division 1 and a quarter-final appearance. As usual, they're maxing out with their resources and the pace of Micheál Bannigan and Stephen O'Hanlon is causing huge problems for defences.

Like all the quarter-finals, it's very hard to call. Ultimately, I still think Donegal's experience, tactical intelligence and scoring power should get them over the line. But not without a big struggle. And then we can get the popcorn out for Jim's post-match press conference.

Kerry uncertainties, Galway hang tough, and great unknowns in Dublin-Tyrone

Kerry's run to this stage hasn't been near as intensive, as Ulster folk won't be shy of telling them. But you'd fairly argue it hasn't properly prepared them for what's coming down the tracks this Sunday.

Paul Geaney, last week, and David Clifford, this week, have made appeals for Kerry supporters to turn up in numbers. This is unusual enough talk coming from Kerry and probably indicative of the pressure they're under.

I know Jack O'Connor played up the impact the huge Armagh crowd had on the momentum of last year's semi-final, particularly when the game turned frenzied in extra-time. The wall of noise for every Armagh score was deafening and they can be intimidating.

So many people have written Kerry off in the last week and a half, most of them ex-Kerry players. I'd be wary of that talk.

With Kerry's array of attacking talent, they can catch fire at any time. But the big doubts surround Paudie Clifford and Seanie O'Shea. Paudie hasn't seen much game-time since getting harshly sent off in the Munster semi-final.

Seanie's form has been hot and cold. Personally, I think he's devoting himself to too much donkey work. It's admirable but I feel he's more use to Kerry when he's focusing on attacking the opposition and putting their defence on the back foot.

Sean O'Shea need to put defences on back foot

Kerry have the raw material at their disposal. They can catch fire at any moment. But it's hard to trust their form when they're coming up against the All-Ireland champions, who are fresher, boast huge squad depth and have a very hard-nosed mentality.

I know a few Galway commenters took issue with my use of the word 'lucky' last week. I don't read them myself though my wife let me know I was being destroyed on a few comment threads.

I should credit their survival instincts for hanging in there and making their own luck. But, again, last Sunday's game was a squeaker. Odhrán Murdoch terrorised their defence with his direct running. They have poor old Eugene Branagan and his dodgy shooting to thank for getting out of there.

If Galway's defence was a bit porous, their attack got them out of jail in the second half. They kicked 1-10 into the wind and had no wides at all after half-time, which is supreme efficiency.

As has been said plenty, Matthew Thompson has had an outrageous first season and he ran the game in the second half, when things were looking hairy for Galway. His connection with his clubmate Rob Finnerty is telepathic.

Meath are a dangerous proposition, with a strong midfield sector and massive two-point shooting ability. There's talk of Matthew Costello returning and Eoghan Frayne's form has been exceptional.

But if Galway can establish parity around the middle, I'd struggle to see Meath holding their attack. They're well suited to a shootout and I think Galway will get home by a few points.

Lastly, Dublin v Tyrone, the battle of the enigmas. Getting a handle on the form-guide here is a head-scratcher.

Cork were lively in Croke Park though I never felt the Dubs wouldn't win during the second half. I was watching with Paul Flynn, who did NOT take that attitude and was a bag of nerves for most of the game.

Both teams have tended to follow up a decent performance with a flat one. Tyrone turned over Donegal in Ballybofey and then followed it up with a horrible home display against Mayo. It was just the run of the results that went in their favour and they wound up topping the group.

With the Canavans and Darren McCurry inside, they have a full-forward line to threaten a Dublin defence that looked vulnerable at times last Saturday. But their form has just been too patchy and they have to counteract the aerial dominance of Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne in the middle.

Forced to call it, I'd give the nod to the Dubs, provided Con O'Callaghan is back, as expected.

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