By Declan O'Sullivan

It has finally arrived. The game both teams knew was coming since the Championship draw was made last year. The game that both teams will relish. The game that both teams need. 

For the majority of games both Dublin and Kerry play they know they will win. They will spend the week leading up to the game talking about not underestimating the particular opposition and of course they will prepare professionally and give them the respect and attention they deserve. Deep down they know once they are tuned in they will win.  

That will not be the case this week. Both teams will know that even if they are at their best this weekend, the other team is capable of being better. Great players and great teams love that type of challenge and the fear factor which it brings. 

The dynamic going into this game is very important and may be a crucial factor in the outcome. It is the complete opposite to last year’s final.  Last year Kerry were reigning All Ireland Champions going for back to back titles.

They operated all year in the afterglow of the 2014 final win in which many of the team won All-Ireland medals for the first time and in a county which was ecstatic because when expecting a transition they got an All-Ireland. Life was good, too good. 

Dublin on the other hand had spent 12 months stewing after the shock defeat to Donegal. They were getting criticism and abuse from all quarters. They licked their wounds, learned from their mistakes and used it as motivation to prove the doubters wrong. This gave them that vital edge in the final. The roles are reversed this time, the hunter has become the hunted. 

Kerry have failed to perform on the last two occasions against Dublin. They have been both mentally and physically well off the required level. This will have hurt the players and the management. Sunday needs to be different. 

Tactically the big question is what Kerry can do differently in order to get a different outcome. Their approach to Cluxton's kick outs will have to change. For me you cannot push up man to man like they have tried to do in the past. They need to go with the zonal approach with the full forward line dropping out to the Dublin 45.

Then they must engage, slow down the play and force the Dublin full back line to go laterally and force them to pass under pressure to try force the turnover. The Kerry forward line have improved significantly in their work rate and tackling this year and must take it to another level on Sunday. Forwards forcing turnovers leads to an almost certain score and more often than not goal opportunities. I can see Kerry getting a lot of joy in this area. 

Kerry are also much more flexible in their approach this year. With Paul Murphy and Kieran Donaghy they have two players who can cause headaches for the Dublin management because of their positioning. Donaghy has been excellent all year at midfield and has shown great leadership which will be necessary again Sunday. Regardless of where he is named he will divide his time between midfield and the full forward line depending on how the game is developing and this may unsettle the Dubs in defence and create some uncertainty regarding their marking arrangements.

Paul Murphy’s role is well documented and I’m sure it was done with Dublin in mind. I expect him to play almost like a seventh defender especially early on where Kerry will hope to frustrate Dublin and set the tone. He will be like a fire fighter using his intelligence and massive work rate to sense where their might be danger and be in the right place at the right time. 

He will be detailed along with Donnacha Walsh to also keep an eye on any Dublin defender looking to join the attack to make sure we don’t have a repeat of last year when Gooch was left chasing Philly McMahon the length of the field on several occasions. He can also cover for a Kerry defender like Peter Crowley or Killian Young when they drive up the field to join the attack. Of course he has also proven he can get on the score-sheet so he can’t be ignored by his direct marker either. He really is an all-round brilliant footballer. 

Both these players can help Kerry adapt and change as required mid match without any major reshuffle or substitution. Neither started in the final last year and by doing so this time they will strengthen Kerry’s hand significantly. 

Other reasons of optimism for Kerry since last year’s final is that Dublin are down three key players, Rory O'Carroll, Jack McCaffrey and Alan Brogan. All three played key roles in that game and it isn’t easy to replace players with that talent and experience. Add to that the injury concerns around James McCarthy who hasn’t played in two months and you get the feeling that Dublin are not as strong as they were in 2015. Of course, the replacements may prove to be as good, but until such time as they come through a severe examination then doubts will remain. Kerry’s forward unit will be a big step up from anything they have faced to date. 

The starting line ups will be interesting and both managers may keep us guessing until the throw in. But what is more important based on the pattern of previous games is the line-up both teams will finish with. Dublin have had a huge advantage in this regard up to now and I expect them to keep Kevin McManamon in reserve again and ask him to do his usual party trick against Kerry once more. Add in the likes of Paul Mannion, Denis Bastick, Eoghan O'Gara, Eric Lowndes and it is quite a formidable supporting cast. Eamonn Fitzmaurice will look to counteract that by keeping a few game changers on the bench also.

I have a feeling one of these game changers will be Gooch. I could think of no better player to turn to with 20/25 minutes to go. He would know exactly what is required having spent the previous 45/50 minutes studying the pattern of the game.  

He is the most intelligent player I have played with and a ferocious competitor. He would give a huge lift to not only the players on the field, but to every Kerry supporter in the stadium. These things matter when you are going down the final stretch. A combination of Bryan Sheehan, Barry John Keane, Anthony Maher, Marc Ó Sé, and Aidan O'Mahony means Kerry can meet fire with fire when it comes to substitutions. 

Naturally of course Dublin will feel they have the upper hand based on recent history and the hope in Kerry is that it may lead to a bit of overconfidence on their part, but I don’t think that will be the case. This current Dublin set up will not beat themselves and instead it will take a huge performance to defeat them.

A performance I feel Kerry are capable of. Dublin are rightly favourites, but every game needs to be taken on its own merits. This is a unique game with a unique set of circumstances and as Kerry proved in 2009 and Dublin in 2011, previous form often goes out the window when these two meet. 

Knowing the Kerry players and management like I do, when they meet in their hotel on Saturday night they will demand a performance from each other. They will know how big this is. They will speak about how they felt after the All-Ireland last year, they will speak about how this time they cannot be out worked, they cannot be out-fought, and they cannot be out-thought.

They will back each other and stick together until the end. They will look around the room and know that if they cannot find a way to win it will be the last time some of the best players to ever play with Kerry will wear the green and gold. I am hoping that thought alone will give them the extra motivation to give a performance that will see them into another All Ireland Final.