Dublin GAA Discussion Thread: Mod Note - No 'Dublin Dominance' chat allowed!

Just shows what a good coach can do ,we best them by 16 points last year and look at the difference now .Fair play to them if they get Tyrone they would have a good chance of making the final .

Think we are better off out of it would not like to play Kerry or Donegal could turn ugly .

Mod Edit

Warning issued.

I think History will look favourably on Dessie. Won it as a player, won 2 as a manager, took on an absolutely impossible task of following a 5 in a row winning manager with an aging squad and losing some of the best players to ever play the game. His point about underage coaching a lot of those players can't be overlooked either, he was feeding the Jim Gavin machine.

A big task for whoever comes in now.

Performance coach with Leinster rugby.

Ger B is the front runner.

yes similar - funny enough, all the young lads are primarily playing gaa but when they are going to watch a match its LOI. Also would attend more GAA club games than the county games.

Perhaps the size of Croke Park is an issue there - a lot more atmosphere in Parnell Park or Dalymount.

perhaps the dominance in Leinster has played a particularly in it. A Dublin Meath rivalry has a lot more local connection than a Dublin Tyrone or Dublin Mayo rivalry or whatever.

Yeah, which is odd considering all the lads will AI medals the the back pocket. RTE radio had a thing on about James McCarthy yesterday. Interviewed by Bernard Dunne. To me McCarthy sounds like a fella who should be a future manager. Very impressive the way he thinks and speaks about the game. Worth a listen. “Dunne Talking” it is called.

https://www.rte.ie/radio/podcasts/22523602-james-mccarthy/

Then I thought about lads like the Brogan's, Bryan Cullen, Philly McMahon. They all have "leadership presence" about them.
Maybe they just don’t want the hassle of the management game? Which is a shame. I think they must all br too successful/busy in their jobs to even think about GAA management.

The only fella I can think of with intercounty experience (besides the obvious) from further back is Johnny McGee who managed Wicklow. Was not very successful.

Then there is Paul Casey managing the jackies. Who seems to be doing a decent job.

Have 2 lower davin to spare if anyone needs a ticket for Saturday.

Now gone.

I don't think fans are honest about that 2020 "AI" that is the reality of it.

Think about the covid one 2020 -

1. No crowds (How often is there no crowds?)
2. Condensed Championship (When will that happen again - straight knock out)
3. The Aussie Rules lads that played for Cork, Tipp, Cavan etc who stayed at home skewed the championship. The Cork lad that scored v Kerry and knocked them out wasn't he Aussie Rules? (When will those lads be forced to stay for a Championship again?)
4. The fact Cavan won Ulster and Tipp won Munster says it all. If that happens again in 100 years I would be amazed.

I just don't count the Covid win, simple as that. I am just glad Mayo didn't win it or would be viewed as "sour grapes" etc. But it was no way a normal championship at all. It was just an all-ireland "filler" in my view. For the Croke Park HQ to say we fullfilled an AI tournament

The 2023 win under Dessie was fantastic though. Fitzsimons marking David Clifford out of it in the final was a great defensive display.

As I said I didn't see it coming and to bench Kilkenny etc, starting Bsquel v Mayo in the QF, took balls. In fairness to him he did throw in O;Leary in the last day v Tyrone a move which worked well. But he does not seem to have much to work with.

On the minor underage issue if Dessie was such a factor, wouldn't he be sent back to under age and get lads over-performing given the lack of talent that is currently there?

I suppose another point would be the underage system has changed. No under 21 and u18 now. U17 and U20 has to make a difference maturity wise.

Was it Dessie that managed the team that won the last u21? I think I was at it. Tullamore v Galway?

Edit - it was 2017 does not seem like that long ago.

A lot of that Galway team came through to senior -

https://www.the42.ie/dublin-galway-under-21-3366034-Apr2017/

I don't like people dismissing the 2020 Covid win. Yes it was very different- less games, no crowds, etc. - but it was like that for everybody! Tipp and Cavan winning their respective provincials was an anomaly but can't be touted as a reason for discounting Dublin's win. Surely they had a good chance of making the final if that logic is to be followed.

Dessie coming in at the end of Dublin's golden era, following a managerial genius, was no mean feat. Add to that the circumstances of the year too.

Too much disrespect has been put on his name. 2023 was a special win and extremely hard fought, and you'll never hear the players say a bad word about him. Whilst he probably was running out of steam this year (staying on after last year was a doubt, motivated partly probably by illness in the camp affecting the Galway loss), he did a great job in my book. I don't know what I'd have said at the start of 2011 if somebody told me that people would be disappointed with two AIs in six seasons!!!

Dessie stats as Dublin senior manager. 2 senior AI, 2 u21 and 1 minor AI. Only Dublin manager to win all 3 titles. Third most successful manager after Heffo and Jim. His minor teams in 2011 & 12 were the backbone for the 6 in a row team. Himself, Jim and Pat Gilroy played a massive role in Dublin GAA over last 20 years.

I think when Dessie took job around 15/16 of the 26 match day for 2019 final were aged 30 or over. It was a thankless job replacing Jim, then Jack McCaffrey and Paul Mannion stepped away. Both came back in 2023 and played a massive role. No change to u20 in 2018 Dublin have no titles. Lost finals in 2019 and 2020 so he didn't have the riches of talent Jim had.

A few people quick to dismiss Dessie achievements. If we use same logic with Ger Brennan, did Mickey Harte lay down foundations for his Louth success? Ger management CV prior to Louth wasn't great.

At the end of the day managers titles are won on merit by their own work.