KEVIN CASSIDY: The big one has arrived

SO here it is. Like I mentioned last week, we have the two best teams in the final and I don’t think anyone can argue with that.

This final will be interesting for a number of reasons which we will get into later but one of the most interesting factors is the contrast in styles.

Donegal play the game that they are used to playing with the majority of the ball moving through the hands, whereas Kerry try to play their more traditional kick-passing game.

It has to be said that both styles are extremely effective and on Sunday it will be a matter of who counteracts the opposing team’s style better.

I do believe that both styles can be devastating at times if Kerry and Donegal are allowed to play their way, so the tactical battle will be fascinating. From a Donegal point of view, obviously the whole talk has been around how they stop David Clifford but I actually think Jim McGuinness will flip that on its head.

Most teams make the mistake of trying to stop Clifford. I think Donegal might just do the opposite. I think Jim might look at the overall scoring threat that Kerry pose and he may go after the likes of Paudie Clifford and Seán O Shea.

If Donegal can tie those two down and just say David Clifford does what he does, and kicks 1-10, then I’d be confident Donegal will hit more than that at the other end of the pitch.

I think that may be the smartest way to go in-terms of trying to stop Kerry because if you try and tie them all down then I think that’s when you get hurt.

The big question for me is how fit Paul Geaney is because with so much attention being given to the other lads, it could be a player like him that pops up to hurt you.

On the other side, how do Kerry go about stopping Donegal’s spread of scores? The difficult thing with that is that Donegal score from everywhere so that’s hard to tie down.

If I was Jack O Connor, I’d be trying to take Michael Murphy, Oisín Gallen and Michael Langan completely out of the game.

After that if you keep an eye on Ciarán Thompson from distance, then just say Conor O’Donnell and the likes of Peadar Mogan and Ciarán Moore chip in with a few scores, it will still be hard for Donegal to hit the 1-23 or 1-24 mark.

There is one thing for sure, with the amount of analysis that goes on nowadays then be certain that we will see something different this weekend.

Is this the day that we see the aerial bombardment on top of Murphy? Will we see Kerry be ultra composed on the ball and not kick pass as much as they normally do to ensure that they don’t allow Donegal that counter attack? There are so many questions.

Looking at the match ups, I think we will see Brendan McCole on David Clifford, Mogan on Geaney, who I think will start, to try punish him the other way. It’s ballsy but maybe young Finbarr Roarty on Paudie Clifford.

From a Kerry point of view, I think Tadhg Foley goes with Murphy everywhere he goes.

Midfield is massive and a lot will depend on how that goes. Kerry have the likes of Mike Breen and Gavin White, who are effective under the break setting up attacks. Likewise, with that flick on off Murphy, men like Ryan McHugh and Mogan can be devastating off that play too.

I honestly believe that this game is as 50/50 as you will get. I am going to lean with my heart. Donegal by four.

POD: Sean O’Sullivan gives us the Kerry view and we chat to Donegal’s Ryan McHugh