Eamon Fitzmaurice ultimately changed everything defensively bar what he needed to. In response to Andy Moran and Cillian O'Connor's taking Kerry's full back line to the cleaners, Kerry played a sweeper. To extend the metaphor, it was a messy end for the Kingdom.
Fitzmaurice dropped James O'Donoghue and played Paul Murphy as a sweeper, which left Kerry bereft of attackers: Paul Geaney and Kieran Donaghy were virtually the only Kerry attackers, with Aidan O'Shea frequently taking Donaghy for a wander down the field, leaving the brilliant Geaney ploughing the loneliest of furrows.
That led to a bitterly disappointing first half for Kerry, kicking just 0-06.
Kerry must return to a 3-man full-forward line. Mayo playing 4 across the half-back line and loving it. #GAA
— John Fogarty (@JohnFogartyIrl) August 26, 2017
Sweepers are generally anathema to the people of Kerry who don't have to worry about how to win an All-Ireland semi-final, with Ambrose O'Donovan saying on Radio Kerry that "sweepers are for keeping chimneys".
Tadhg Kennelly among those who believe that Fitzmaurice should have played a more traditional style of play:
Pat Spillane made the characteristic call to "throw the shackles off" at half time. James O'Donoghue came on for Kerry at half time and kicked an electric score, but for Andy Moran to respond with the critical score of the game: winning the ball ahead of Shane Enright and finishing after a lovely exchange with Cillian O'Connor.
Enright was hooked after that, which ended more than a game-and-a-half of torment against Moran.
How is Shane Enright still left on Andy Moran? #KERvMAYO
— Peter McNamara (@PeterMcNamara_) August 26, 2017
I'd retire if I was Shane Enright. #KerryvMayo
— Cormac Delaney (@Cormac_Delaney) August 26, 2017
How is Enright still on Andy Moran? They learn nothing from last week?? #gaa #TheSaturdayGame
— Shane Kelly (@skelly_1989) August 26, 2017
How Shane Enright was left on for fourth minutes is beyond me! #iceskates
— Jason Campion (@CampoJason) August 26, 2017
Ultimately, Eamon Fitzmaurice will face a long, tough winter after such a strangely inhibited performance.
Kerry played that half infected with fear. Fitzmaurice will be roasted alive down there if they lose this.
— Kieran Cunningham (@KCsixtyseven) August 26, 2017
Fitzmaurice completely out thought on the sideline. #KerryvMayo #gaa
— Ciarán Conroy (@ciaranconroy17) August 26, 2017
Could Fitzmaurice actually end up getting sacked for this? I mean, Kerry have been absolutely appalling.
— Jonathan O'Brien (@obrien_jonathan) August 26, 2017
Fitzmaurice got his tactics all wrong (and not for the first time), the likes of O'Donoghue should have been on from the start #KerryvMayo
— Tom Gallagher (@baronvontease) August 26, 2017
Kerry went out with wrong attitude, full-stop, as wise man once said: 'uncertainty prevails'!
— Eamonn Kinsella (@askeamonn) August 26, 2017
Why Kerry didn't start O'Donoghue is behond me....
— Mark McHugh (@MarkMcHugh1) August 26, 2017
Ultimately, with all the pre-game focus on Stephen Rochford's tactical decisions, he made none for this game, sticking with the plan he had designed for this tie. Fitzmaurice, however, threw out his entire gameplan, and changed his entire defensive system.
If you needed Rochford's victory encapsulated, it came late on. Kieran Donaghy struck Aidan O'Shea in frustration. That battle was won by Mayo. As was virtually every other one.
Not bad for a management team of donkeys...
