Look Dublin are some outfit alright but no team is unbeatable. They tend to demolish teams if they get a goal early so if they can be stopped or have an off day then the pressure builds and scores become harder to get. There is very little resistance offered in leinster and as the sunday game boys said they will be coming into august relatively untested so there is an opportunity for a more battle hardened team to turn them over.

Dublin may well go on and win SAM but they are definitely beatable whether someone can manage to do that this year remains to be seen.

duckula20 (Antrim) - Posts: 175 - 30/06/2015 13:00:31    1745365

Yes

at the monent they are behind Kerry and Donegal. Defence not tested, midfield unproven

1.Kerry
2.Donegal
3.Dublin
4.Mayo

HughHunt24 (Cork) - Posts: 841 - 30/06/2015 13:01:33    1745368

I am really hoping to see Kerry v Dublin this year as given the feast they served up in 2013 when Kerry were developing, the two together now could be an outstanding prospect.

Dublin can be beaten but it will take a side playing at the very top of their game to do so - like Donegal last year.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 30/06/2015 13:04:28    1745372

They were beaten last year the same could happen this year. They could go all the way this year, and be beaten next year. Can we all get over it and accept that they are a class team but not unbeatable. Kilkenny had the same stuff written about them a few years ago, but not to the same extent as the Dubs.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 7903 - 30/06/2015 13:05:08    1745373

TheHermit
County: Kerry
Posts: 594

1745345 FFS, what have Dublin done? Beaten a Division 4 team and a Division 2 side that's been in free fall for the past 2 seasons.

Kerry beat a team of Tipperary's standards by 6 points pulling up, Donegal annihilated another Division 3 side, Armagh. Put anyone of Kerry, Donegal and Mayo in that current excuse of a provincial championship and see if the results will be any different.

I have never witnessed two more inept, pathetic, timid, cowardly and frankly disgraceful displays by teams meant to be representing their county as I have seen by Longford and Kildare (in person) this summer.

And I have a question for the Longford and Kildare GAA supporters on here, are you not outraged by their performances on the day in question. Those teams and their management had made up their mind that they were beaten long before they walked out onto the pitch. You can hide behind all the excuses you want about population sizes, more clubs, more sponsorship money etc etc. At the end of the day, its 15 men against 15. At the end of the day its an amateur game and a bit of passion, pride aggression and common sense tactics still go along way.

Ever county has access to the same sports science techniques, training methods, nutritional information. If I was a Kildare supporter I would be demanding Sunday be the catalyst for a wide-ranging root and branch review of the state of football in Kildare and calling for Ryan's head. Its an insult to that county.

For ten years Dublin have looked unstoppable in Leinster, they have the easiest ride into the All Ireland series and yet they have won only 2 All Ireland's, both narrowly.

I mean if you look at the Championship record of Dublin under Gavin is it really anymore impressive than Kerry's or Donegal's in last two years.

They narrowly beat a Cork side that's in disarray these past 2 years and a Kerry side that was in its first year of redevelopment under Fitzmaurice in 2013. They followed that up with a very poor display in the final, (I always laugh when people go on about last year's final, can they not remember how bad the 2013 one was) in which they were crying out to be taken apart, only Mayo didn't have the belief to finish them off.

For God sake they were down to effectively 12 players for the last 5 minutes and Mayo still couldn't do the job!!

As for last year, they played a Monaghan side which has a terrible record and mental issues playing in Croke Park before being humiliated by the first serious opposition they came up with all year.

Unbeatable my arse!!!
________

Fairly wordy...

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 30/06/2015 13:16:23    1745380

Hermit - very good post. Jack Sheedys post match comments were embarrassing . He claimed we came to play football the right way . Seriously , Jack do yourself and Longford some service and go and try and put up a proper fight of it . This nonsense of looking for praise of armchair purists is beyond me .

I always wonder if Dublin meet Kerry or Donegal , who would have to change their game plan more ??

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 30/06/2015 13:27:49    1745400

Yes they can. Every team will have at least one bad game this year. Donegal against derry for instance. For Dublin to lose, they need that game to coincide with them coming up against a strong team, which is exactly what happened last year against donegal.

However, the thing is, is that what we really want for the gaa? Is this the way forward? Hoping that one team has an off day and that coincides with another already strong team playing very well and surprising them. Consider that for a second - a favourite for the competition, having to hope that another team has an off day to have a chance of beating them. Is that the future of the gaa? I thought the Westmeath-Meath game at the weekend was brilliant. Wouldn't it be great if there was another game like that awaiting in the final? Instead it is a landslide loss on the cards to a side that could probably still win without any of their first 15 on the field. That in turn will kill the revival of football in Westmeath stone-dead. What is becoming apparent is, if you took Dublin out of the equation, things would be shaping up quite nicely in leinster.

The truth is the city of Dublin is killing gaelic football as a competitive entity. It isn't the team's fault, it is just the semantics of it. To match them consistently, cork and Kerry would need to join up, galway, mayo and Roscommon also, as would donegal, derry and tyrone. And that too would be killing gaelic football. To put that into context, imagine Sligo going into the Connacht final against Mayo-Galway-Roscommon - that is what is effectively happening in leinster at the minute.

So to answer the question, yes they can lose a game, but bigger picture, there are bigger questions that need considering.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 30/06/2015 13:29:17    1745402

Hahaha good man the right stuff your getting a few to bite.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 30/06/2015 13:32:59    1745407

Kerry's panel is just as strong I do believe. However any team that attempts to go man to man will get bet by 15-20 points against them, but the question remains, why is that? They are all men at the end of the day.

PoppinPoints (Meath) - Posts: 225 - 30/06/2015 13:33:13    1745408

Dublin are no doubt the team to beat, but there is a sense of déjà vu here......

Can they be beat, yes off course they can, but in order to do so you have to prevent them from scoring goals and nicking 1/2 yourself, because no team will out point them...... And this is why they can and will likely be beat because there back line is suspect, great footballer but suspect defenders........

ben1977 (Donegal) - Posts: 364 - 30/06/2015 13:34:28    1745410

They are 1/100 to win leinster final in all probability they will meet tyrone Armagh or tyrone in quarters where depending on which of the 3 will be about 1/8 then most probably mayo will be about 2/5 and then in final will either be kerry or donegal when they'll be between 4/6 and 2/5 depending on who and semi final performance
Personally believe they'll be beaten probably in quarter when not up to pace of championship or final

OhtobeARossie (Roscommon) - Posts: 1764 - 30/06/2015 13:34:34    1745411

They are beatable its having the players to keep up with them is the problem and disturbing their flow of football. We were unlucky to walk out of croke park in the league with a draw against them, Donegal did well to beat them last year. There is 0 competition for them in Leinster and thats why they walk out every year and the fact they havent been challenged playing a bigger team rattles them cause they're not matched with the intensity

Find_the_space (Tyrone) - Posts: 313 - 30/06/2015 13:43:51    1745416

HughHunt24
County: Cork
Posts: 408

1745368
Yes

at the monent they are behind Kerry and Donegal. Defence not tested, midfield unproven

1.Kerry
2.Donegal
3.Dublin
4.Mayo

Are you drinking while posting this ?? Lets call a horse a horse .. We need dublin to have an off day to be beaten simple as that.. They are a league ahead of everyone power pace skill tactics coaching resources. Its like sending manutd to play cork city .. Yes they have the money but lets not keep giving out about that.. The time and effort going in to the clubs the underage everything is why dublin are so powerful.. The simple fact is the dublin hurlers dont get the same level of effort and thus you can see the contrast at senior level.. They are reaping the rewards for their efforts all the way up and fair play to them cause they play the best brand of football simple as that.

And lets face it you could pick the best players from kerry mayo and donegal and i still reckon dublin would win.. Yes i agree that the midfield is untested but lets not fool ourselves that if they were they wouldnt stand up to the task. Their forward are crazy good and their backs are gelling nicely.

They had an off day last summer and got caught on the hop.. Dont hope that will happen this year. And what about their bench my god .. Their subs would walk onto any intercounty team in the land.. I know people love to beat up the dubs and i saw the thread again about splitting the dublin team. But reality is unless all the other counties in ireland raise their game from grass roots up splitting dublin would just mean 2 dubln teams contesting the all ireland and one is more than enough..

I get annoyed by some dublin supporters and the way they go on.. Most of the time they havent kicked a ball them selves so dont fully understand the game but the players for dublin are a marvel to behold.. Gracious in both victory and defeat.. But just brilliant to watch them play the game .. No blankets just flat to the mat for the 72/74 mins..Each year since the break through in 2011 you can see them improving and under jim that looks set to continue for years to come .. Their weak teams in the leah=gue would give most a challenge on championship and then you have the boys.. connolly brogan flynn ohhh the shivers .. Dangerous ball players that can destroy you ....

Can dublin be beaten ... Yes if they take their eye off the ball.. Can a fully focused dublin be beaten... Not by the other 31 counties combined

ritchie (Cork) - Posts: 346 - 30/06/2015 13:51:06    1745421

If the all-ireland was a full league system (like the premiership) than 100% Dublin would win the all-ireland. But in a knockout competition it only takes 1 loss to end a season. I think Dublin are fantastic but if they have to play 2 out of Kerry, Donegal, Mayo & Cork than they could get caught on one of those days.

white.n.blue (Monaghan) - Posts: 249 - 30/06/2015 13:51:14    1745422

Gavin's Galacticos took their eye off the ball for the Donegal game last year, even Berno The Great said that in an interview. It won't happen to The Invincibles this year, all-comers will be crushed by the Financial Juggernaut of the Sky Blue Blitzkrieg.

bryanadams (Kildare) - Posts: 733 - 30/06/2015 13:52:15    1745424

OhtobeARossie
County: Roscommon
Posts: 477

1745411
They are 1/100 to win leinster final in all probability they will meet tyrone Armagh or tyrone in quarters where depending on which of the 3 will be about 1/8 then most probably mayo will be about 2/5 and then in final will either be kerry or donegal when they'll be between 4/6 and 2/5 depending on who and semi final performance
Personally believe they'll be beaten probably in quarter when not up to pace of championship or final


Can't meet Tyrone or Armagh in Quarters!

SeppBlatter (Dublin) - Posts: 187 - 30/06/2015 13:54:31    1745427

TheRightStuff

I dont believe you are trolling, But, come on, Of course we are beatable. No team, in any sport, is unbeatable. Its easy to hammer poor teams. Dublin look very good right now, They could will sam and i believe they will, But i wouldnt be at all shocked to see them lose this summer either because sport is such that any team is beatable on any given day.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 30/06/2015 14:01:00    1745437

Jesus who can meet who this draw is becoming more and more frustrating a

OhtobeARossie (Roscommon) - Posts: 1764 - 30/06/2015 14:01:16    1745438

TheMaster
County: Mayo
Posts: 13338

1745402 Yes they can. Every team will have at least one bad game this year. Donegal against derry for instance. For Dublin to lose, they need that game to coincide with them coming up against a strong team, which is exactly what happened last year against donegal.

However, the thing is, is that what we really want for the gaa? Is this the way forward? Hoping that one team has an off day and that coincides with another already strong team playing very well and surprising them. Consider that for a second - a favourite for the competition, having to hope that another team has an off day to have a chance of beating them. Is that the future of the gaa? I thought the Westmeath-Meath game at the weekend was brilliant. Wouldn't it be great if there was another game like that awaiting in the final? Instead it is a landslide loss on the cards to a side that could probably still win without any of their first 15 on the field. That in turn will kill the revival of football in Westmeath stone-dead. What is becoming apparent is, if you took Dublin out of the equation, things would be shaping up quite nicely in leinster.

The truth is the city of Dublin is killing gaelic football as a competitive entity. It isn't the team's fault, it is just the semantics of it. To match them consistently, cork and Kerry would need to join up, galway, mayo and Roscommon also, as would donegal, derry and tyrone. And that too would be killing gaelic football. To put that into context, imagine Sligo going into the Connacht final against Mayo-Galway-Roscommon - that is what is effectively happening in leinster at the minute.So to answer the question, yes they can lose a game, but bigger picture, there are bigger questions that need considering


+1 TM

if could be good Mayo joining with roscommon and galway.Ye might unearth a couple scoring forwards

HughHunt24 (Cork) - Posts: 841 - 30/06/2015 14:09:08    1745442

Master - that's a fair post . Your basically saying that overall , it's not about the next one or two years. Rather it's about the posterity of our association where Dublin will win 19/20 Leinster championships . Will underage players from other Leinster ever ask ' what is the point ' ???

1/100 on for a Leinster final is insane . I couldn't help but think that although Westmeath had a fantastic win, they will not get within 20 points of Dublin . This will put Westmeath football back 5 years IMO.

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 30/06/2015 14:09:16    1745443