Colm Keys

They looked very, very good at times against Armagh and there's no doubt I appreciate coming back down on the bus from Armagh after a really tough game and to put it all together and get back up to Crowe Park to play Donegal who have the intent from last year's All-Ireland Final to put in a performance whatever else.

Had Kerry lost that game and even if they had lost it by seven, eight or nine points when

dunny gall are going away from them at the end i'd say well you know that's down to carry just being behind in the cycle the fact is they were so far behind and they claw it back at the end back into 13 points from 21 points which would be a record defeat ever for any carry team so that's where the alarm should be and again it's carry we're talking about and i agree with philly there's probably no better equipped team to be able to

to recover in that regard but they will be embarrassed by it because it is such a gap how does such a gap create it can't be completely from a lack of interest so I think Donegal have stepped it up look Kerry are still the favourites for the All-Ireland they're the team to beat you have to set last summer last July as the barometer and factor in the players that they have to come back in Shane Ryan for a start though Shane Ryan varies his kick outs he can kick left and right

And he's really, really good under pressure.

He gets short kickouts away as good as any goalkeeper in the game.

Shane Murphy probably doesn't have that range.

Donegal really pressed up, put a lot of pressure on him.

And also, you look at the third goal, Shane Ryan gets that.

The Cailin McGonigal goal that dips over Shane Ryan, he gets that.

So you bring him back, you bring Paddy Clifford back, the architect from last year, obviously Gavin White, the explosive Gavin White, who framed those two throw-ins last year and they got scores off both by him attacking the ball, all of those factors.

And then you have Tony Brosnan, Dermot O'Connor.

They have Sean O'Brien.

They have lots of players to come back in.

But Donegal have players to come back in and key players too.

Finbar Rorty didn't start.

I wonder, was that because Quid Proquo from Paulie Clifford not starting?

Because then he'd be detailed for Paulie Clifford if and when they meet later in the year.

So to say, yes, Kerry have players to come back in in the cycle.

But I go back to that 21 points is an alarming level to be concerned, an alarming amount to fall behind on in any game, no matter who you are.