Deegan and ex-players favoured to succeed Caffrey

THE CITY of Dublin was drenched in depression. True, the footballers' great expectations ended tamely but it was the departure of Ronnie Drew, a man who epitomised the image of a true Dub, that really compounded the misery. Most drank deep and were silent.

Those who were conscious for at least some of these past 48 hours already know the score so we will, as Paul Caffrey said himself, accept it and move on.

Tommy Lyons used to call the Dublin manager's job the biggest gig in town but with such responsibility comes intense pressure. Caffrey's reign ended on Saturday after four years, four Leinster titles and not a single run at All-Ireland final day.

The regime will ultimately be classed as a failure.

Dublin County Board secretary John Costello will be charged with convening the committee to unearth a replacement and he has not been idle. Already, a trio of former players from the last truly rich period for Dublin football, the mid-1990s, is being groomed to succeed the management team that has largely been on the treadmill, first as Lyons' and then Caffrey's lieutenants, since 2002. Dave Billings, Brian Talty, Paul Clarke and a phalanx of backroom staff also exit the main stage.

The gig is over and no encore is coming.

Mick Deegan is favoured to step into the spotlight next after guiding Fingal Ravens to the intermediate national final last year and more recently the Dublin juniors to an All-Ireland title. His selectors, Jack Sheedy and Mick Galvin, could also join the ticket.

All three are stalwarts from the 1990s - Deegan winning an All Star at corner back in 1991 and Sheedy as a midfielder in 1994, while Deegan and Galvin both featured on the All-Ireland winning side of 1995.

"I'm stepping down after four years in charge of Dublin today," said Caffrey in the immediate aftermath of this crushing 12-point defeat that reflected a huge backward step for Dublin after going into the game as overwhelming favourites. "The bookies who were quoting them at 3 to 1 were off their heads", said Caffrey before thanking his players.

"I'd particularly like to thank John Costello who took a chance four years ago by making a phone call to me to see would I come in on board."

That phone call only came after the first option, Brian Mullins, withdrew his name after failing to agree on the finer points of the role, prompting Costello to promote Caffrey from within the management set-up at the time. His previous credentials were as manager of Na Fianna when they reached the All-Ireland club final.

It is conceivable that Mullins, a true Dublin legend who also managed Derry between 1995 and 1998 and is now director of sport at UCD, would throw his hat into the ring again.

Either way, the message boards have already gone into overdrive.

During the past four campaigns, Caffrey shipped plenty of criticism for his tactical and positional decisions, particularly when Dublin were placed under the most severe scrutiny in Croke Park against Kerry, Tyrone (twice) and Mayo.

After being an affable resource for reaction as selector under Lyons, Caffrey developed an icy relationship with the media.

Caffrey did make a valid point before departing the scene: this football championship has been one long unexplainable sequence of bizarre results.

"Going back to the Wexford-Meath match. When I watched it on my laptop at home I couldn't believe what was unfolding in front of my eyes. That was a hugely well prepared Dublin team coming into today. We had great hopes but we kicked five wides before we kicked a score.

"It's been a crazy year for results and who is to say there won't be another crazy result or two before it is over. But you don't win two All-Irelands and back it up with under-21 and minor and Sigerson Cup winners out there and all of a sudden people say you are a bad team. That is a very good Tyrone team. It was before they came into Corke Park today and it is as they leave.

"The same can be said of the Dublin team."

True, but not on Saturday. Now they are gone but "that's football, that's sport and we must accept it and move on".

Wexford play Tyrone in an All-Ireland semi-final on August 31st. Nobody could script this stuff.