Derry's team spirit 'not where it needs to be'

All-Ireland victor Kieran McKeever believes Derry's "team spirit" is "not wherever it needs to be" up of Sunday's quarter-final against Kerry but has backed nan players to find different level.

Having claimed nan Division One title successful awesome fashion, Derry's summertime was temporarily derailed pursuing defeats by Donegal, Galway and Armagh, pinch Mickey Harte moved to disregard suggestions of disharmony successful his broadside pursuing a captious triumph complete Westmeath.

And while nan Oak Leafers handled nan unit of nan Castlebar cauldron to hit Mayo successful a punishment shootout successful past week's preliminary quarter-final, 1993 Sam Maguire victor McKeever believes further betterment is required.

"The players were together and location was cohesion pinch them [against Mayo]," said McKeever.

"The squad spirit, I think, is not wherever it needs to beryllium going into a crippled against Kerry aliases to get to an All-Ireland last eventually.

"We person to up it again. It's not wherever it was past twelvemonth erstwhile we went to play Kerry successful nan semi-final erstwhile we were really together and buzzing. We person to move to different level but I deliberation it's successful nan players."

While Derry person navigated a turbulent summertime to scope nan quarter-finals, Kerry's transition to nan past 8 has been overmuch much serene.

The Kingdom, who relinquished their title to Dublin past year, hit Cork and Clare to conquer Munster earlier broad round-robin victories complete Monaghan, Meath and Louth sealed their knockout place.

McKeever admits that nan smoothness of Kerry's travel - replete pinch a remainder play while Derry were battling past Mayo - to this constituent makes it difficult to measure precisely wherever Jack O'Connor's broadside are.

However, nan erstwhile All-Star feels Derry "owe Kerry one" aft past year's semi-final, which nan Kingdom won by 2 points aft nan Ulster broadside fto gaffe a two-point advantage pinch 4 minutes remaining.

"I cognize we went down and hit them successful nan first crippled of nan convention but it's nan title that counts," said McKeever, who started astatine correct corner-back successful Derry's 1993 All-Ireland last triumph complete Cork.

"Our players consciousness for illustration they near that [semi-final] down them."

McKeever, who said nan return of Gareth McKinless and Conor Doherty to nan half-back statement was cardinal successful nan Mayo game, besides played down nan Mickey Harte facet this weekend.

Harte masterminded celebrated Tyrone wins complete Kerry successful nan 2005 and 2008 All-Ireland finals - arsenic good arsenic nan 2003 semi-final.

O'Connor was successful complaint of Kerry for that 2005 decider, but McKeever can't spot past encounters having overmuch of a base travel Sunday.

"That history's location and Kerry will cognize that history's location truthful possibly there'll beryllium a small fearfulness facet from them," smiled McKeever.

"It'll count truthful overmuch but it'll not count for everything because Kerry are Kerry. They're coming to triumph and it'll each beryllium immoderate happens connected nan day."