Who’s going to blink first?
We’re just hours away from Dublin v Mayo part deux and the plot gets thicker with every passing minute.
Mayo’s unchanged 15 includes Donie Vaughan despite last week’s AC joint injury, while the saga over Diarmuid Connolly looks set to drag into the day of the game.
Ahead of the Croke Park replay we’ve asked former Dublin footballer Ross McConnell his thoughts on Dublin’s squad strength, if the red card for Connolly will be rescinded and what both sides will have learned from day one?
Did last week’s game remind you of any games you played in yourself?
I came into the Dublin set up in 2006-07 but I saw a change 2010 when football became more about tackling, especially under Pat Gilroy.
Mayo then under James Horan and Donegal went all about dispossession and that’s pretty much the game we have now. For years forwards were almost allowed not tackle but then you see Tyrone and Armagh changing all that.
I think it’s much more physical game now but maybe Donegal in 2011 was similar to last week. That was a great battle.
Dublin’s last replay was in 2007, is that a worry ahead of Saturday evening?
You’d have to think Mayo’s experience of facing Kerry twice last year is going to work in their favour and they only had a week last year as well and that should stand to them too.
Both teams don’t have the luxury of time and there is a lot of distractions there as well the off ball stuff as well with Dublin.
Up to this point both teams could take their time with preparation and pre and post match analysis as they had 2-3 weeks to get ready for games.
That’s not the case now.
What did you think of Ciaran Whelan’s assessment of last week’s game?
I think Ciaran as a pundit gives a balanced view. They had Kevin McStay from Mayo on the Sunday Game too and they’re giving their insight and they know the players at club level and you now what they are capable of.
That comes into it too. I think the way it is and the various forums with social media that you’re probably never going to win. Some Dubs claim he was too harsh and others thought he should have supported them a bit more.
Has the analysis been a bit one-sided against Dublin?
A lot of the flash-points were documented but it depends on what side you’re coming from.
When you see Lee Keegan bringing down Diarmuid there was an altercation there. I know you can’t react but you can’t be bringing him down in the first place.
Teams will always look for an edge and a way to motivate the team a bit more. Going into the semi both know what’s at stake. Both lost at this stage last year and then you could almost see physically in the Mayo players when they felt the game was slipping away from them they threw off the shackles a bit.
I don’t think Jim will be using the controversy as motivation but the key for Saturday is not to let any of this distract either side.
Do you think Diarmuid Connolly should be playing, regardless of what the DRA decide?
As a former teammate of Diarmuid I’d love to see him play. Unfortunately though like a lot of things in the GAA consistency seems to be a major problem. Take the black card for example and then you have Kevin Keane and his incident with Michael Murphy.
Even now talking to you I still am not sure if Diarmuid is totally gone for the game. He might still be playing and I wouldn’t be sure if he did miss the match after all.
What’s the biggest worry for Dublin after the opening game?
Something I think Dublin will be very conscious of after last week is their discipline. The free count against them has been fairly high this season. They have the bodies around the opposition but perhaps they need to tune it down a bit from an aggression point of view.
Frees kept Mayo in it last week. And related to that they gave away too many opportunities for the referee to bring out a card for various incidents. And I think that goes for both teams.
If Denis Bastick was on the field of play they would have had a very experienced man on the pitch for the last 10 mins and I think that could have made a difference.
What will Mayo have learned?
The kick outs. They got a better return when they pushed up. But there biggest concern has to be scores from play. For me you can’t depend on frees.
Dublin got scores that little bit easier than Mayo, even the last Dublin scores from the Brogans and Ciaran Kilkenny, they hit them under pressure, but not savage pressure.
Andy Moran hit a bad shot with his left foot and Cillian O’Connor the same. Dublin have a bit more zip in their forwards.
Is Dublin’s squad as good as people think?
I do think it is an incredible squad and they have a super starting 15. I think Eoghan O’Gara is a massive loss but Alan Broagn is there, even Kevin McManamon as well. There is a depth there to contribute.
The key thing is to try and keep the strong 15, or even just 15, on the field at the end.
I think Dublin have plenty of forwards but midfield is probably a worry if one for two players are missing.
Verdict?
I’m going for Dublin but I think only by a point or two. A very small margin will separate the sides I think.
