Push up on Dublin, they’ve grown accustomed to teams retreating

The initial enquiry circled around Dublin underage structures. But what point is there talking to Val Andrews the week of an All-Ireland involving Dublin if his coaching database is not at least perused?

Andrews was on his exercise bike. 40 odd minutes later he was somewhere else, still streaming through the ways and means Mayo must employ to not only stop Dublin but beat them.

“What are Dublin comfortable at doing?” the former Louth and Cavan manager almost guffawed in response to the eternal question: how do Mayo win this All-Ireland?

“They have grown accustomed to teams that retreat, because that is what everybody has been doing all year, so they are happy to play like Barcelona, back and forth across the width of the pitch, waiting. And not until there is a chance to shoot but until they are fouled.”

Point being, the free kick has become crucial to Dublin compiling scores.

"My son had a graphic of Dean Rock frees and he has a 93 percent conversion rate [0-38 from 41 this season]. Lads will normally only kick 50 percent, maybe a bit more from play."

So Dublin invite the frustrated tug or grab whenever they enter Rock’s range.

“Therefore, don’t foul Dublin,” said the Dublin minor coach of 2010.

“A combination of high pushing like Kerry did in the semi-final and what Donegal did in 2014 is needed. And even then...

“But make like a basketball defence. Make them have to hit three pointers. Force wides.

"How do you do this?" Andrews asks before we need to. "Okay, Ciarán Kilkenny is good for 0-3 on a good day, Paul Flynn is not really scoring and whoever else comes into this category - make them shoot from distance.

Dublin kicked the lights out against Donegal in 2014. Ten points from play in the first half until Brogan, Connolly and Flynn were bottled up. Then, gradually, wides eroded confidence. Donegal goals dramatically altered the flow of that contest. Much like Kerry’s deuce before half-time last month. This time, however, Dublin displayed the mental durability needed to recover.

“But Mayo’s first thing is to be in the game after 15 minutes. That’s when they have lost other All-Ireland finals. So a double sweeper is needed to alter their history.

"Then they need to get their match ups right. Whether that be Lee Keegan on Diarmuid Connolly, Keith Higgins on Bernard Brogan..."

Burrowing deep down the rabbit hole of who picks up who and when and in what part of the field, much discussion about Aidan O’Shea ensues.

"Aidan O'Shea could sacrifice himself from the game and hope to take two men with him so Cillian O'Connor can get one on one with David Byrne. O'Shea should jog out to Cian O'Sullivan and hope Philly McMahon goes with him, great. They are programmed to follow him. Stop Cian from being a sweeper by marking him. Get Aidan to stand beside him. Then he should drag them both out to the wing."

Connolly demands a long conversation. Andrews calls the 29 year old a “self taught genius.”

"He has that Jonny Wilkinson commitment to improving his craft. How else can he do what he does so effortlessly? You have to be out doing it alone in a field night after night."

The kick out conundrum needs studying too. Stephen Cluxton’s trusty left boot has so much to do with how Dublin initiate their attack.

Kerry got hold of them for a fascinating few minutes. But by staying true to their innate belief in playing football to win might have proved their undoing against these Dubliners.

“Yeah, a full court press is needed. Push up on the kick outs like Kerry did. Dublin concede right corner back all the time. It’s a pattern. Berlin is a call we used to run. Spring a trap, pit three lads to attack the ball like rugby, one goes after the first receiver, another after the next man. Look back at what Kerry did. That was no accident.

“Dublin might have to lorry it or lose it because losing it long is always better than losing it short.

“It’s still Dublin’s to lose. But get it into them, make it a horrendous game. Make it a war.”