Jack O'Connor Throws Dig At Darragh Ó Sé Over Recent Kerry Criticism

Kerry showed that there is a bit of life left in their season yet during yesterday's victory over Cavan, with the Munster champions running out as 3-20 to 1-17 winners in the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final meeting in Killarney.

The home team entered this game under a huge amount of pressure, with their heavy defeat at the hands of Meath last time out leading many to write off their chances of lifting the Sam Maguire this summer. They remained big favourites against Cavan, a tag that was justified on the day.

Kerry were the dominant side throughout, blowing their opponents away during the first half. David Clifford was in particularly fine form, ending the match with a personal tally of 3-7.

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Jack O'Connor Throws Dig At Darragh Ó Sé Over Kerry Criticism

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There was quite a bit said about Kerry in the buildup to this game, with manager Jack O'Connor the subject of much of the criticism.

Writing in the Irish Times, Darragh Ó Sé went as far as to suggest that there was 'an air of inevitability' about Kerry and what he felt was a likely championship exit at the quarter-final stage. He would also criticise O’Connor for his failure to develop the panel over recent seasons.

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That’s the biggest criticism Kerry people have of Jack O’Connor. He hasn’t future-proofed the squad during his time in charge. The Kerry team now is very similar to what it was when he took over at the end of 2021.

Jack O'Connor has now responded to those comments.

Speaking after yesterday's win over Cavan, he threw a dig in Ó Sé's direction when asked about the former midfielder's comments in the buildup to the game. He would also sum up the pressure that is placed on his players from within their own county.

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Yerra, he’d be better off doing a bit of coaching himself... There’s a lot of pressure on Kerry players from the supporters and it’s just hard for players. I mean that was a difficult environment for the lads to play football today because after the performance last week there was huge pressure on them to perform. That can be a difficult environment so oftentimes then it’s easier to go to Croke Park you know away from home and actually express yourself and play without fear and play with a bit of abandon.

Kerry will certainly face a far sterner test when they potentially face Armagh in an All-Ireland quarter-final, with Kieran McGeeney's side viewed by man as the best team in the country on current form.

Jack O'Connor will fancy his side's chances, although he does not seem best pleased with the way his team have been written off by many within his native county.

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SEE ALSO: Paul Flynn Identifies Subtle David Clifford Moment That Could Be Key For Kerry

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