The Greatest Teams Ever Debate (Dublin - The Greatest Team Ever?)

Sonny678 wrote: »

This is where I disagree I don't believe the standard of football being played is higher then ever before. Dublin are playing a high standard football. But so many great counties are in their worst state for decades eg Meath Down Derry Armagh Laois Cork and til recently Kildare and Galway.

It comes down to resources.
Everything is loaded in Dublins favour, whereas everything is loaded against most other counties, particularly rural counties.
Most young professionals work in cities, particularly Dublin. They attend college in cities. Collective training with their own counties becomes a nightmare.
No county has a shirt sponsorship deal like AIGs with Dublin. No county has the same spend on player development, on coaches for young players. No county has the same number of young players.
The odds are heavily against all but a few counties.

Two things amaze me.
1. Give that all the odds are stacked against most counties, its amazing so many different counties have won AIs and managed to stay competitive up until recently.
2. Given the huge advantages Dublin have, its amazing they haven't won every single AI in the last 100 years. Just why Dublin was so relatively average up until recently is frankly bizarre. It would be akin to Celtic or Real Madrid being a mid table side who occasionally challenged for the title.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

A mediocre team from today would hammer an All Ireland winning side from the 70s out the gate. This is true in every sport I can think of.

It beggars belief that it is disputable to some that a team as efficient, professional as well as talented, conditioned and mentally strong as Dublin (or even Mayo) or even Kerry or Tyrone for that matter would beat every winning All Ireland team in the 70s and 80s. Arguably the 90s also.

It is all relative given the evolution of the game but if Kerry 78 stood on Croke Park against Dublin 17, they would be comprehensively beaten.

I hate this comparison between teams in this era to teams in previous decade as the game is completely different. And it is damn obvious to anyone that thinks about logic that pit one against another and the further the chronological span between their era the more likely they will be beaten.

Compare players to a point but again, different level of conditioning, compare the odd execution of the ball, but again different pressure upon same. But comparing teams, meh.

Also worth taking into consideration that players' natural talents are more finely toned these days and whilst you have wonderful footballers in 70s and 80s, footballing intelligence from increased training/competition for places/dedication would lead to less natural players fine tuning their skills more so.
Essentially what I am saying is that there is more balance in individual talents across the panels these days than there would be when you had these masterful standout players in certain teams in decades gone by.
Dublin 17 is a prime example of that balance of talents. Con O Callaghan gave a great interview last night on Newstalk about the level of competition and talent amongst the whole 35 man squad. Obviously, the same 15 will just about emerge but the pressure to maintain standards is on another level. The "B" Dublin team as it were regularly beat Dublin in, in trusting his words, high intensity matches with proper refs during the Summer.




Physical, high intensity sports are very difficult when comparing talents of teams against eras gone by. Some players in that Kerry 70s team may not adapt to the levels of conditioning, intensity, dedication, the increasing focus on the team element rather than individual talent etc.

It was easier for a good team to win an AI in the 70s than it is for a good team to do so at the minute yet Dublin have won 5 out of 7 since 11 so it is saying something.

mickmackey1 wrote: »

And a mediocre team from the 2050s would hammer the Dubs of today, so your point is meaningless.

I think that is the exact point he is making to be fair.