Dublin GG News

Quote of the year from Paul Earley the TV3 co-commentator.

"O'Gara I seen him in a League match in Portlaoise, scored 1-5, kicked practically everything with his left and his right foot"

Louth's attitude has been disgraceful today. If anything the scoreline is flattering them. No workrate, no heart. Have been happy to outmuscled by the dubs and have no interest it tracking runners whatsoever. Dublin should have 4 or 5 goals at this stage

K-Mac was mighty today. I might be forced into an embarrassing re-evulation of this player. We'll see more of him in the future no doubt.

A good start. Should have had a hatful of goals. Some great scores and Bernard not bad on first game in Blue since September. Alan's pass for the goal was sublime. Kevin Mc has still a fair bit of improving to do but was fair to good today.

Didn't see it but by all accounts this was an impressive performance by the Dubs without actually getting out of 2nd gear. Perfect way for them to start the championship.

Looked very fit. Moved the ball nicely, mixing retention with the long diagonal foot pass when appropriate. Louth appalling....
Cullen got a nasty belt to the eye/head that went un-punished...a mere yellow card...

Just had the misfortune to sit thru full recorded TV3 coverage / analysis etc - shocking crap - Darragh O'Se particularly.

I love the fact that Dublin use the footpass so much - and so well a lot of the time. Wish others would. Like a lot of what I saw today tbh - and think it will only get better.

hard to see anyone beating the dublin if they play like that anymore,more team will have to put 15 behind the ball just to keep score down,just like to add i thought dublin played total football on sunday good to watch,how they turned defence to attack was frighting

Dublin won't know what their weaknesses are until they play a team like Cork and then it might be to late to correct them. That is if they have any weaknesses.

Plenty of options now. They are also more hardened and have the monkey off their back. The manner of the All Ireland win can only be good for them. I don't think a lack of hunger or spending the year on the pi55 in Coppers is going to be an issue. Cork are the only big team they haven't beaten - that will focus them should they meet. They are a far better side than the 2010 semi side.

The most impressive display I have in many a year. Plus with the under 21's coming through there could be at least three in a row coming. Par could you change your user name to Triona?

Good chance for the Dubs to measure what, if any, progress has been made in the last 12 months. As acknowledged they were very poor in this fixture last year and lest anyone forget were even worse the year before when needing extra time to get the win. Ironically (IMO) they used to beat better Wexford teams handier in the preceding few years. They really need to concentrate on Sunday and be in the right frame of mind from the throw-in. Hopefully BB will not have a stinker again this year! I don't expect many changes from the XV that started v Louth but you never know with Giller.

I think that Wexford will be better prepared than Louth and, as you say, their recent performances against Dublin have been very good. Still, I think that the Dubs will win with something to spare this time, and am not sure that we will learn anything more than we already know.

The Dublin v Louth performance was, on the face of it, very impressive, and the knee-jerk reaction is to say that Dublin have stepped things up a notch or two. Clearly they are among the top couple of sides in Ireland, but, then again, Dublin hammered other Leinster sides for fun under Pillar caffrey, so I'm not yet of the same view as Martin McHugh, who feels that there is clear daylight between Dublin and the rest of the country.

Martin McHugh can say what he likes ..... Cork are the team to beat. Dubs on the usual hiding to nothing here but Wexford are no mugs. If we perform with the same intensity (Spillane loves that word!) as v Louth we should have too much.

DUBLIN MANAGER Pat Gilroy was pondering the different routes to his side’s planned defence of the Sam Maguire as he presided over the latest of Dublin’s early morning media gatherings at St Clare’s yesterday.

“In one sense . . . you would nearly be better off losing on Sunday because of the way the matches fall,” said Gilroy as he looked forward to Sunday’s Leinster semi-final showdown with Wexford on Sunday.

“You’d get a nice run of matches going into games – but you never know what you are going to get in the qualifiers so you want to go out and win it,” Gilroy added in the same breath.
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Jeeze Pat ... you have me worried now ......

The 2 big advantages of the provincial route are:

1) You play less games;

2) You know exactly when these games will take place and who you will be playing against well in advance, meaning you can plan properly for them.

I'm pretty sure that Pat will want to win on Sunday!

Look Dublin are looking at September not July. Wexford to be beaten by 11 points. Other match Kildare by 5.
cheapsktes. €30 agreat bargain for two matches and as the Dubs travel will cost no more than €4.00 return a pretty cheap day oiut.

Real Kerry Fan wrote:€30 a great bargain for two matches and as the Dubs travel will cost no more than €4.00 return a pretty cheap day oiut.

I was thinking more of the grassroots from Meath, Kildare and Wexford there RKF .....

Parouisa wrote:

Real Kerry Fan wrote:€30 a great bargain for two matches and as the Dubs travel will cost no more than €4.00 return a pretty cheap day oiut.

I was thinking more of the grassroots from Meath, Kildare and Wexford there RKF .....

I agree Par. Charge the Dubs €40 ( still good bargain) and €20 the other 3. Problem solved.

Same XV starting and some very good lads on the bench. Bernard should be up for this one to make up for his performance last year. I think Dublin (even subconsciously) found it hard to get psyched up for this one over the last two seasons but expect a big improvement this year in front of a good sized crowd. Interesting that Aindreas Doyle was critical of playing Dublin in Croker and ends up on the bench!

More so than the Louth game, the performance on Sunday will tell a lot about Dublin's mindset and well-being for the season ahead.

Any views on Diarmuid Connolly's actions today Par.......This isn't the first instance of his fragile temperament.....

The second half was car crash tv if you were a wexford fan. A dozen odd wides when the game was there to be grabbed.
That said the dubs got 35 effective minutes in total from their 3 star forwards and still came through which says a lot for depth within the team.
Exactly the result they need as per last year calms the hype and gives them something to focus on.
Mcmenamin coming on leaps and bounds, introduction of Mccauley was crucial and he carried a lot of ball when needed. Thought cullen had a good game also.
Defence will need to be more intense and more disciplined - Meath,kerry,cork will not be as charitable with dead balls from 30 yards

OMAR wrote:Exactly the result they need as per last year calms the hype and gives them something to focus on.
Mcmenamin coming on leaps and bounds, introduction of Mccauley was crucial and he carried a lot of ball when needed. Thought cullen had a good game also.

I don't intentionally mean to knock the guy, but there's something "lucky" attached to him...I'm on record here as puffing him up in the Spring of 2011, when he added the requisite energy to the 11 position. That role was supplanted and correctly so, by the re-positioning of Alan Brogan to the fulcrum, bringing graft, scoring ability and vision to the job.
Today, Molloy committed a "howler" from a secure position, allowing McManamon thrust the dagger.

But, as the saying goes, "Give me a lucky General"...Eoghan O'Gara has improved immensley....

Spillane constantly gives examples of how to beat the blanket defence usually a midfielder landing a 20percent chance from 55 yards without showing the 4 efforts that landed in the nally stand.
However what does work is direct running and pace. Once you check your stride or run lateral its easy for 3 defenders to choke a player. Its not so easy if someone is running straight at full pelt. Mcglynns run yesterday by way of example or Rory kavanagh
In that context i feel mcmenamin is more of an asset in the modern game than he may have been in boxty,s utopian era.
He rattled Donegal last year in the semi - and made the difference against Kerry who were in effect playing a blanket defence in the final.

In summary the kevin mcs, the darren o sullivans in my view are the key to unlocking a blanket defence

Before the love-in with McMenamin goes too far, I'll introduce a note of caution.

I'm of the opinion that the Dubs have been more vulnerable this year, partly because of McMenamin's inclusion in the side. Not that he has been poor, but he has taken the place of Barry Cahill, who was effectively an extra defender last year. In 2011, Dublin had 3 forwards (Brogans & Connelly), and 3 deep half forwards (Flynn, Cahill, Cullen). This year they just have Flynn & Cullen back making tackles, and I think that is hurting them against better sides.

Connelly's sending impending suspension may resolve this problem, and I'd expect to see a more defensive player (probably Cahill) replace him, as opposed to O'Gara.

As for Connelly, I described him earlier in the season as a dangerous type of coward, a man who feels that he has to hit someone to prove his toughness. He can be brilliant at times, but too often his performances range from anonymous to reckless. The Brogans & McMenamin, with the 3 grafters behind them, may be the way forward for Dublin this year.