A former All-Ireland winner has slammed Kerry's performance in a nine-point loss to Meath as "rubbish" that consigned them to a preliminary quarter-final.
Billy O'Shea, who won the All-Ireland with the Kingdom in 1997, likened the display to Kerry's 15-point loss to the Royals in the 2001 All-Ireland semi-final.
Kerry were the heavy favourites as they travelled to Glenisk O'Connor Park for their final Championship group match. But they were found wanting against a resurgent Meath side that ran out comfortable winners.
The Kingdom's performance was blasted by their former player O'Shea, who works as a GAA analyst on Radio Kerry.
O'Shea said: "That is the second worst performance Kerry have produced in my lifetime, the first being 2001 when we lost to the same opposition by 15 points.
"Everybody associated with the team that day will probably tell you that it was the most lonesome, embarrassing, all those horrible words associated with defeat that they would have experienced, and I'm sure the players today will probably be feeling the same. It was a game that just didn't happen for Kerry."
Referencing Meath's hunger, O'Shea added: "We were lacking the same passion, the same heart, the same hunger.
"We won nothing around the middle of the field bar one kickout that Joe O'Connor got on the 60th minute. The only ball we won in the whole of the afternoon here in Tullamore. It's hugely disappointing.
"I would normally be a bit conservative because I respect anybody who puts on the green and gold and I know the commitments that players make and the sacrifices that players make.
"But a lot of what we saw today was rubbish. It's time to call a spade a spade.
"We lacked an awful lot of passion. Turnover, soft turnovers. We had no bit of direction. We had no game plan. Towards the end of that game, they were dictating things exactly like they did in 2001."
Whereas Meath are through to an All-Ireland quarter-final, Kerry have to play a preliminary quarter-final next weekend in Killarney.
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.