You list out 15 Dublin players here and it wouldn’t be hard to argue your case.
But when you’re talking about a combined Dublin and Tyrone team, you’re talking about improving on the best side in Ireland – if it is even possible.
Some might say it’s not – why bother changing anything about that Dublin squad, never mind the team? Don’t fix it if it ain’t broken and, by Jesus, it is clearly not broken.
There’s a simple justification for tampering with something even as precious as the Dublin machine though: Peter bloody Harte.
They don’t often come as effortless and as gorgeous as the Errigal man does and what he can with a football weakens knees, there are no two ways about it.
He’s just one of five men who make the cut in a combined Dublin and Tyrone team.
This Red Hand outfit is a serious operation and they’re going to show that on September 2 in Croke Park when they plan the ambush to end all ambushes.
Rather than go through the reasons why each Dublin player makes the side because, let’s face it, we don’t need to get into why the Dubs are there, here’s a case for each of the Ulster men making this dream 15.
Tiernan McCann
You just couldn’t leave him out.
He’s far too athletic, he’s far too tough and he’s far too lethal an attacking threat to overlook. His presence means a rejig in the defence. It means a more gung-ho formation but dropping O’Sullivan back as a sweeper and omitting a corner back is the best way.
Of the six defenders chosen, none of them could be left out.
Colm Cavanagh
The perfect defensive midfielder to compliment the perfect attacking midfielder.
Colm Cavanagh and Brian Fenton would be a match made in heaven with every attribute a manager could want in his engine room.
Peter Harte
This is not open for discussion.
Mattie Donnelly
What he is doing around the middle third for Tyrone is frightening.
His impact is felt way beyond his incredible stats. He’s like the first platform that Tyrone use to get out of defence. He somehow becomes the second wave of attack too because he joins in again with such ferocious relentlessness.
In 2017, we put together a combined team going into that semi-final dismantling. Five Tyrone men made it.
2017 combined team
Now, Sean Cavanagh is gone. Diarmuid Connolly is gone. And Brian Howard and Con O’Callaghan are Brian Howard and Con O’Callaghan.
2018 combined team
Niall Sludden can feel hard done by that he didn’t make the cut. So can Paul Mannion too.
And, listen, you’re safe with two full backs – who the hell would play an orthodox formation against this team?
