Ciaran Kilkenny is a wonderful footballer.
For most of the season – most of the championship even – he was Dublin’s best player. He followed on from an unbelievable campaign last year and he was his same, old terrifying self.
He was taking men on, side-stepping tackles and going straight for the jugular with pace and purpose. Scores were coming, chances were created. Dublin was Dublin and Kilkenny was Kilkenny.
It began to dull though, that killer instinct.
He was moved to half back in the second period against Westmeath during the Leinster final and he was deployed there from the start against Donegal. He was the free man and he thrived off the space, picking up possession for fun, topping the stats and leaving number-bods drooling.
Ciaran Kilkenny had 53 spells in possession yesterday against Donegal. That's once every 85 secs. It's official, he's Dublin's Pirlo! #GAA
— Dave O'Grady (@DaveOGrady1) August 7, 2016
But then against Kerry, he was very quiet. He didn’t impact the game and, when James McCarthy was black-carded in the 24th minute of the final, he was shifted back to his own 45′ again.
He picked up the ball a lot of course but he wasn’t as dynamic. He was playing safe in tough conditions on a big occasion and whether it was because of his position or not, whether it was to do with this stats culture or just his own initiative, his performances have been grinding Colm Parkinson’s gears.
On SportsJOE’s GAA Hour podcast, Parkinson said that he expects more from Kilkenny, a player who can definitely give more.
“Ciaran Kilkenny is a proper Gael. He knows how to play Gaelic football. He’s a brilliant, brilliant player,” he said.
“This year, he’s changed his style. It’s like he’s obsessed with possessions. He’s giving a hand pass and he’s sprinting, looking for another one. But the hand pass he’s giving is not setting somebody free – it’s a dull, sideways or often backwards hand pass.
“When he gets on the ball, he’s pointing at different fellas, telling them where to run. He’s trying to be this playmaking supremo who’s on the ball and needs to get the return back and then he’s trying to orchestrate where to go.
“Stop playing up to these stats. I’d say his possessions when he lands to training is top of the polls and then you have who gave away the ball, Ciaran Kilkenny – zero.
“Ciaran, you’re much better than that.”
Listen to the full heated debate (09:02) with Colm Parkinson, Barry Cahill and Conán Doherty on The GAA Hour. Subscribe here on iTunes.
