Kieran McGeeney views Dublin as ‘the perfect team’

Given the now certainty their paths won’t be crossing this summer Kieran McGeeney has no need to feign praise for the Dublin footballers, describing them as “the perfect team”.

That doesn’t mean they’re without fault: the Armagh manager reckons they’ll miss Rory O’Carroll and Jack McCaffrey before the summer is out, although it’s very much their All-Ireland to lose, more than the other few contenders to win.  “They are class, and there’s no point taking away from it,” said McGeeney, speaking at the launch of Eir Sport, the rebranded name for Setanta Sports.

“But they are committed. I know when I played club football in Dublin, some players weren’t as committed as they should have been. They play a counter-attaching game, same as everybody else does, but they’re better at it.

“And their power in the middle seven is just . . . Paul Flynn, even if he wasn’t as dominant last year, is the quintessential number 10 or 12. And then Diarmuid Connolly, and Ciarán Kilkenny alongside him. It’s hard for people on the outside to appreciate how strong those boys are, physically. They’re just able to mince through defensive systems, break that game line.

“Then add Michael Darragh MacAuley, and Brian Fenton, and Denis Bastick. James McCarthy, one of the best halfbacks I’ve seen over the last 10 years, doesn’t get credit.

“Cian O’Sullivan is in the same boat. So if you’re going to mix it with them, until in the end, it’s a hard thing to do. And they don’t seem to give the ball away.

Counter-attacking game

“I definitely think they are the perfect team. But I do think they will miss Rory O’Carroll, big time. Not yet. And Jack McCaffrey too. He was a greyhound, in that counter-attacking game.

“History has proven that very few teams dominate for too long, but this current team are a fantastic unit, and are making a big push to win two back to back.”

For McGeeney, whose team exited the championship last Saturday in a one-point defeat to Laois – on the second attempt – Dublin’s dominance doesn’t simply come down to resources, although it most definitely helps.

“The finance thing is a huge advantage, but you have to be careful to say it’s not the only thing. I think that would be doing the players a disservice in saying it’s just that. It’s nice to go to Carton House for three days before a game, watch videos and relax, but Jim Gavin has managed them to give up those three days.

Journey

“People forget that part, that commitment, and that can be tough. It’s about finding the players to buy into the commitment as well, living in the bubble.  And Jim Gavin was able to build on what Pat Gilroy did, the changes he made.

“It was a journey, a lot of things adding together. We were lucky in Armagh that we were able to keep coming back, and eventually got that in 2002 . . .”

Asked if Dublin can be stopped this summer – and by whom – McGeeney paused for thought: “Donegal and Tyrone were definitely very impressive at the weekend. It’s hard to know if the backdoor will suit Mayo, but in recent games, Dublin were only just able to get past them. Galway are pushing on, Roscommon too, but it could be too soon for them.

“But you’re playing in a contact sport, and the one thing you need to be good at is contact. Look at Kilkenny in hurling too, and I see it with Crossmaglen. But I also think that’s an easy thing to get up to. It just takes a big commitment. Athletic ability and physical size is the easy bit, but it’s getting players to commit. You need to be training at the level of Dublin, Kerry and Mayo, and that takes commitment.

“But it’s a number game in the GAA, and Dublin will have that advantage, and I can’t see it changing any time soon.”