Kerry great Marc Ó Sé believes that Jack O'Connor must avoid the temptation to use the Clifford brothers from the start of the 2024 season and has argued that keeping the pair out of the spotlight will have a two-fold advantage.
The 2007 Footballer of the Year, who was confirmed on Monday as a returning GAAGO pundit for next season, said that not only do the siblings deserve an extended break, but Kerry must identify some new talent to fill the obvious gaps that were evident in last season’s final loss to Dublin.
David and Paudie Clifford have played over 100 competitive games between them across the last two seasons, with Kerry, Fossa and East Kerry enjoying extended campaigns in that time, and Ó Sé said that was bound to catch up with them.
"Fossa were playing in the All-Ireland Club final (2023), the Cliffords probably needed a few weeks off. Kerry played Monaghan (in the league), Kerry hadn’t that many points on the board and Paudie Clifford was fast-forwarded into the game. He kicked a goal the same day I think, but maybe try out a few more players, what’s the worst thing that can happen?
"You can go down to Division 2, look it didn’t do Dublin any harm really. I think it’s important that Kerry try out players and see how they go, you sink or swim."
"They're going constantly; it’s bound to creep up on them at some stage."
"The thing with the Cliffords is they even played in the intermediate final against Milltown a couple of weeks ago and they lost. Had they won that they would have been continuing on and going again and who knows where that would have brought them?," he added.
"Those games come hot and heavy. They’re going constantly; it’s bound to creep up on them at some stage.
"At least now they’ll possibly have that break, an extended break hopefully. They played in the O’Donoghue Cup quarter-final yesterday (Sunday) against Legion, I believe the two lads only came on for the last seven or eight minutes. Again they lost that so they’re out of that competition as well.
"The club manager, the inter-county manager, I think they’re aware of the heavy game-time that they have been playing the last two years.
"Look the two boys are phenomenal players, but we need to mind them. I have no doubt that they will be minded. Maybe give them a bit of a break in the league and get them going February or so. They certainly deserve a good break."
The current mood music in the Kingdom sounds boisterous on the surface. A first All-Ireland in eight years in 2022 was followed by a narrow final loss a year later, not a bad return since O’Connor put the hand up for a third stint in charge.
For Ó Sé though, part of the management team for Listowel’s Munster Junior final against Cork’s Kilmurry this weekend, there are clear areas of concern, most notably in midfield and up front.
"I think goalkeeper we’re in good shape, defence we’re in good shape, midfield is a worry for me.
"Diarmuid (O’Connor) is a very good player but I think you need a kind of number eight that would guide him, the likes of David Moran and my own brother Darragh before that, somebody that would be the main midfielder.
"Joe O’Connor is back from injury, he played with Austin Stacks yesterday (Sunday) in the town league final. He’s going to be back in there.
KERRY MIDFIELDER TO SKIP 2024 SEASON
"I really don’t know where you’re going to actually find (a midfielder). Cillian Burke is a good under-20 but he’s young, he’s probably going to get league time this year. I know there was talk that he was going off to Australia but thankfully he’s staying at home.
"He’s going to be a player that Kerry are going to look at, possibly half-forward, does that maybe allow you to take Seanie O’Shea out to midfield? Would that work though?
"I think there’s a huge challenge in front of Kerry at the minute to be totally honest with you."
David Clifford (5-42), Sean O’Shea (2-39) and Paudie Clifford (2-10) combined for 9-19 of the side’s 15-141 in the championship in 2023 – essentially leaving a third of the scoring for the rest of the team plus subs.
It’s not a particularly unusual scenario, but Ó Sé worries for what would happen if one of the trio were unavailable for an extended period.
"Look, I think it will be interesting to see what Kerry put out, particularly in the forwards.
"In terms of our forwards, if I look back at the All-Ireland final and I look at the two managers, Jack O’Connor and Dessie Farrell. If you were planning ahead for the game, I think Jack would have had far more headaches than Dessie.
"Kerry had to plan for (Colm) Basquel, (Ciarán) Kilkenny, (Paul) Mannion, Con (O'Callaghan), realistically Dublin only really had to plan for Paudie and David, Seanie obviously as well.
"I just think that Dublin have the better spread of forwards than Kerry do and that’s a challenge Kerry really need to look at this year and try and improve on."
Looking ahead to the new season, where GAAGO will screen 38 exclusive championship games, he believes that Derry may be the team to break the Kerry-Dublin stranglehold on the Sam Maguire, the pair securing 10 of the last 11 titles between them with Dublin doing most of that heavy lifting.
"That is the challenge for those teams, to make the breakthrough.
"It comes in cycles too, it was all northern teams in ’91. ’92, ’93, ’94 – Down, Derry, Donegal, Down.
"There are probably five or six teams. Dublin at the top then Derry and Kerry. Then Armagh are there or thereabouts, Galway, Mayo, Tyrone, Monaghan.
"You’re looking at one of those teams to try and make the breakthrough. It’s very hard, as you can see.
"Derry are probably the best team to do it...they’ve had a few minor successes in recent times and they are maybe maturing. It’s maybe their time to really step forward next season under Mickey Harte, a proven winner."
