Carr criticises sharp focus on Dublin failings

Dublin manager Tom Carr has asked that the county's disastrous form in the National Football League be put in context. Having watched his team tumble to a dispiriting defeat against Roscommon on Saturday, and two of his best players, Ciaran Whelan and Jason Sherlock, sent off, Carr admits to frustration but feels that the county attracts disproportionate publicity for extremes of form.

"I've spent so much time talking about discipline that it's particularly frustrating to see the sort of things that went wrong at the weekend.

"We haven't been able to put out our best sides in the league and have been trying new players, but that doesn't mean you don't mind losing and you would be mindful that losing these type of matches doesn't shatter the confidence of younger players.

"Fellas are annoyed that they haven't been able to win games that have been there for us, and that's something we have to talk through.

"But I don't want it all taken out of context. The problem always seems bigger because it's Dublin and the county attracts a lot of attention. But if you put the Dublin jersey on 15 Meathmen or Kerrymen at the weekend, would there be the same publicity?"

The difference between Dublin's poor display and the defeats of Kerry and Meath is that those counties have won the last two All-Irelands and have proven championship pedigree.

Dublin, on the other hand, sustained a particularly traumatic defeat in last year's Leinster final replay despite taking a six-point lead into the second half.

Carr, however, points out that the lead-in to last year's championship featured some strong league displays, including hard-fought wins over the teams who went on to contest last year's All-Ireland.

"At the end of last year's league we won some very tight games at the death against high-quality opposition - Galway in Tuam, Kerry in Parnell Park. No one wants to get into a rut like we're in and I'm not happy with it, but I'm not going to get it out of context either.

"I want to finish the league as strongly as possible and string together a couple of good performances. It will be important to sort out our championship side, to identify the best 15 and 24 players available. There'll be a problem now with Jason Sherlock out with suspension and Brian Stynes not available until April.

"Paul Curran was out of the country on business. But the league allows you to try out new players and established players in different positions."

Meanwhile, Kildare manager Mick O'Dwyer has clarified comments he made at the weekend about his interest in Tipperary dual player Declan Browne.

"I wasn't being serious. I was only hopping the ball," O'Dwyer said. "I said I'd love to play him, but what manager wouldn't? I've never had any contact with Declan."

O'Dwyer had been speaking at a public forum during the Eigse na Bridoige festival in Waterville. During a question-and-answer session with RTE's Micheal O Muircheartaigh, O'Dwyer had this to say about Kildare:

"Galway have brilliant forwards, and as you know forwards win All-Irelands, and that is what we are lacking in Kildare. We are lacking the one or two players that could really finish our team. My only hope is that I could steal one from somewhere."

O Muircheartaigh interjected that he had already got a player in Carlow. O'Dwyer replied: "Correct, Garvan Ware is the player in question. Actually I was watching one other player around the country, a man by the name of Declan Browne of Tipperary."

O'Dwyer's quips had a certain resonance given that Kildare's panel features a number of players from other counties, including Browne's former Tipperary team-mate Brian Lacey; from Kerry, O'Dwyer's son Karl; Brian Murphy, who played for Cork, and most recently former Carlow and Eire Og centrefielder Ware who has declared for Kildare since moving to Clane where he is based as a Garda.

A report in yesterday's editions on the National Hurling League game between Tipperary and Derry attributed post-match quotes to the Tipperary manager Nicky English. In fact, English made no comments to the media after the game.