First Division 2026 - Kerry

[legendz]

Kerry will get the First Division season underway with a trip to Dublin to play UCD, February 13. Then two home games against Athlone Town and Longford Town. Three Monday fixtures – April 6 away to Cork City, May 4 at home to Cork City, and August 3 at home to Cobh Ramblers. Close out the season at home in Mounthawk Park against Cork City on Friday, October 16.

33 points from 35 games last year. Might have been 36 from 36 if the opening win against Harps wasn't chalked off controversially. Depending on signings - got to think mid 40s will be a medium target with a mid 50s points total the higher target to push for playoffs.

[culloty82]

A playmaker and a holding midfielder should be the priorities between now and the start of the season, along with another left-back. Certainly, with the investment and early signings, a playoff push has to be the main target - think we'd happily "sacrifice" another cup run for next year, if we did finish 4th/5th in the forthcoming campaign.

[legendz]

A good run in the Munster Senior Cup would be a bonus and getting to the playoffs would be great. Would sacrifice any cup run for the playoffs but the MSC is the best opportunity to land some silverware.

[dansultheman]

Still a bit early for my final early predictions but I am very happy with the recruitment so far.

Vince Borden (26) - Premier in 2024 & 2025 - 1st Division Winner in 2023
Jonas Hakenin (26) - Premier in 2023 - 1st Division Winner in 2022
Cian Murphy (25) - Premier in 2023 - 1st Division Winner in 2022 & 2024
Harry Halwax - (23) 1st Division in 2025 - Has played with Derby U23 & QPR U21

Notable Retained Players

Ryan Kelliher (24) - This is like a new signing, with better players around him, should be hitting 15 - 20 goals if he comes back fully fit.
Niall Brookwell (23) - 1st Division Winner in 2024, the former Liverpool Youth & Newcastle PL2 player settled very well for us.
Matt O Connor (28) - Premier Division Experience aswel as another 1st Division Winner in 2017
Daniel Okwute (22) - Got a move to Stockport in 2022, came back and could be a big year for him.
Sean O Connell (21) - Getting better with expierience - Over 100 League games played
Sean Mcgrath - (23) - Another over 100 games, club captain, an injury free year & going full time will only benefit him
Ewan Lee (23) - Mid Season Signing hasn't put a foot wrong, be great to see him play in his natural preferred Right Back Position this next Season.

Notable Others: Sam Aledansanusi, Finn Barrett, Luke Palmer, Luke Doolan, Cian Brosnan.

We definitely need some more reinforcement and if we can pick up the level of players already brought in with what's there, id be staying Top 5 for sure. Let's hope to hear some news before Xmas from the club about signings. Hitting 50 plus points, playoff spot, A good Cup Run and MSC Win would be a very good year.

[legendz]

Kerry are winless in the league since beating Longford at home in August. A 10 game league winless run. The last league win came before the Mounthawk miracle comeback and victory over Sligo Rovers. Hopefully the visit of Longford tomorrow will bookend that terrible league run with a win.

[kingdomkerry]

Forget about last year it's a new team this year.

A disappointing start. 1 point from those 3 games is horrendous.

However we completely dominated the 2 home games and would have been comfortable winners in both had we a bit more in the final third. We look solid at the back or down the middle. Just need to sort out the attack.

I think we will go on a run we can get the first couple of wins.

[Zico]

Forget about last year it's a new team this year. A disappointing start. 1 point from those 3 games is horrendous.However we completely dominated the 2 home games and would have been comfortable winners in both had we a bit more in the final third. We look solid at the back or down the middle. Just need to sort out the attack. I think we will go on a run we can get the first couple of wins.

Fully agree that we have potential to put a run together especially when Kelliher and Bargary come back into the fold. We need to cut out the sloppy goal concessions too though, but agree we do look more solid in general. We are awful going forward, very predictable and look easy to defend against.

[listowelceltic]

Definitely issues breaking teams down. We look so predictable when we have possession. It usually finishes up with a defender who launches it upfield and hopes for the best. Need to be creative
The defence does look better though I'm not sure about Halwax being the long term answer. Looks very nervy. O Connor a far better keeper when playing well. Dropping him was the correct call IMO though.
3 points would be most welcome against Treaty.

[Zico]

In a sport full of ups and downs, this has to be up there as one of the most anticlimactic starts to the season as it goes. So much promise, but 8 games in and nothing to feel excited about. Results are bad, performances even worse, total disconnect between team and supporter's. Hard to see how it turns around from here, the players body language in the 2nd half spoke for itself, lots of finger pointing, confidence drained…. Looks
like a big budget (relatively speaking) has been blown already… and in professional football that money never comes back!!!

[listowelceltic]

Bad night. First time i can remember the players not getting some applause coming off the pitch.
Going nowhere with Borden and.Healy in midfield unfortunately. Too nice. No tackles. Sideways backways passing. In their defence its hard being a midfielder when the ball is going over your head all the time
The subs were strange as well. Brosnan left full back. Surely Lee or Brookwell could have gone midfield when we went back four.
As said above the players looked drained. Cork City away next not ideal but then again sport can be unpredictable so here's hoping.

[legendz]

As I posted in the main forum:

Kerry have changed too much too soon on current results and performances. Can't identify with many of the starting XI. They are not delivering performances to build a connection with supporters. Reluctant to name names but Cantwell and Häkkinen have been disappoints so far. The midfield then is non existent. Teahan, Crowe and Mujaguzi gone from last year.
McGrath was silently removed as captain, replaced by Cantwell without any prior announcement a few weeks back. The previous manager was moved to the back benches. Interesting decisions to say the least.
Cork's draw with Harps is bad news. Kerry travel to the Cork Senior League FA Turners Cross on Monday. Likely to be a repeat of the preseason result. Uafásach.

[Zico]

The club was progressing steadily, improving year after year and crowds holding well, I don’t believe there was any pressure coming for this to be quicker - no relegation, fans reasonably happy with progress etc. I would guess there is a first team playing budget of 600-700k (incl. expenses, accommodation,
management etc.), this is probably more than double what most teams vying for mid table, 5th playoff spot spend - that should be our benchmark. Would it not be better if say 200-300k was instead put aside for academy, facilities etc. I think the return would be far greater here, more connected with supporters interest and the values that the club initially set out with at the start (giving a platform for local players).

we definitely do need to bring in outsiders to raise standards and make us more competitive, it just feels though as if we have gone over the top now. Harps do it well - a good blend of local players with some outsiders and generally are competitive year in year out. Their first team playing budget including management is only in the region of 300k. Granted they have a bigger playing pool locally than we do, especially given how strong the game is in the north of the county, but it is a model that works and definitely well connected with the community given their attendances etc.