Tomás Ó Sé says that Mickey Harte's tactical approach in Sunday's Leinster final defeat to Dublin baffled him.
The Wee County entered their first provincial decider in 13 years with a genuine hope that they could stick with a Metropolitan outfit that had failed to impress in their semi-final victory over Kildare.
But it turned into an afternoon to forget for the manager and his players as they shipped five goals, and lost by 21 points at Croke Park.
Ó Sé, who lost All-Ireland finals to Tyrone teams under Harte in 2005 and 2008, told the RTÉ GAA Podcast that the approach made little sense.
"It did surprise me how Mickey Harte's team set up," he said.
"It baffles me in some ways. I used to have this argument with Joe Brolly inside in the studio, 'why defend like that, why have numbers behind the ball?' Because Joe, if you set up the way Louth set up yesterday, things like that can happen - 5-21!
"No wonder teams set up like that. And all it takes is a Donegal to see it successful, and win, and it's always going to be the way. Teams are always going to set up that way.
"I was very, very surprised at how open they were. You can call it brave, you can call it stupid as well, but they pushed up aggressively on kick outs, they pushed up everywhere all over the pitch.
"That was their game plan, they had to be happy with it. They were brave and they stuck to it. Yes they hurt [Stephen] Cluxton at times but, by God, did Dublin absolutely wipe them out in primary possession in the middle of the park.
"That was the difference. They were wide open. They had fellas ridiculously committed forward. The first goal showed that.
"I don't know how it happened under Mickey Harte's watch because people were saying in his latter years with Tyrone that he had the defensive side right, but he had enough attacking players to get more of a balance up front - he was too defensive.
"So then to send out a team who are obviously a lesser team than Tyrone, in terms of their ability and what they've achieved, and to set them up the way they set them up... I just found it surprising."
Ó Sé also heaped praise on Dublin, a side seen by some as the biggest threat to Kerry's grasp on the Sam Maguire Cup, but cautioned that they are yet to get a proper test.
A 13th provincial title on the bounce means the Dubs are into an All-Ireland group alongside Kildare, Sligo, and Roscommon, who are the first Division 1 side the Blues will face in 2023.
"They're not going to be fully tested, you're not going to get a full gauge until after that group," Ó Sé contended.
"Dublin, I've said it from the get go, there's this thing in them. I heard 'Whealo' (Ciarán Whelan) talk about it yesterday, there's an inkling that it might be Dessie's [Farrell] last year, there's one last hurrah.
"Then you see the likes of James McCarthy purring yesterday, I thought he was phenomenal. But I'd still question their defence, even though they haven't been tested.
"This championship won't start until the big boys go up against one another, and that's where the Kerrys, Dublins and Galways will be tested and found out."
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