KERRY legend Ambrose O’Donovan has called on Jack O’Connor’s defence to stay put against Derry.
The Kingdom have attacked from the back this summer.
Four of their defenders scored in the 2-21 to 1-10 group-stage win over Louth last time out.
2
And Tom O’Sullivan and Brian Ó Beaglaoich fired 0-5 between them in the 2-18 to 0-9 round 2 romp over Meath in Navan.
O’Connor’s men face Derry in Sunday’s All-Ireland quarter-final at Croke Park.
And three-time Sam Maguire winner O’Donovan wants Kerry to ditch that plan against the Oak Leaf and leave the scoring to star forwards David Clifford and Seán O’Shea.
The former Kingdom captain said: “The one thing that bothers me with Kerry is defensively.
READ MORE ON GAA FOOTBALL
“Our defence is too attack-minded.
I saw them in the Meath game and there was an occasion when Tom Sullivan and Jason Foley were inside David Clifford and Seánie O’Shea.
There was nothing between them and the Meath keeper.
“We’re saying our forwards aren’t playing well.
Most read in GAA Football
“They need room and against Derry we need to be defensive-minded.
“This attacking is fine against lesser opposition but from a quarter-final on I’d like to see Kerry concentrating on defence and getting the ball in that little bit quicker to David and Seánie.
“If you are going to play the boys in the full-forward line, they can win their own ball.
“But they need it a bit quicker. It’s too slow.”
O’Donovan won the All-Ireland retired from inter-county football in 1992.
He believes Kerry should get over the line against Mickey Harte’s men but insists they need a stellar performance to book their place in the All-Ireland semi-finals next month.
He said: “We have improved slowly. We did everything asked of us against Louth.
“But one advantage we have is that Derry have come off the back of a really tough game and they haven’t had time to recover.
“They have come out of the sticky patch.
“It’s a dangerous time to meet them but I’d rather play Derry now than in the semi-final.”
AMBROSE O’DONOVAN was speaking at the launch of the 23rd annual Circet All-Ireland GAA Golf Challenge in Killarney Golf & Fishing Club in Mahony’s Point.
The Challenge is in aid of Glenflesk man Jerry O’Leary, who is wheelchair-bound after suffering serious spinal injuries in an accident 12 months ago. It takes place on October 17 and 18.
