Replying To Fionn:  "I am being realistic.
I think you need to take off the Blue Blinkers tbh.

All our remaining star players have yet another year on the clock.
The age profile of our squad is not in our favour.

We have absolutely nothing coming through the ranks, and the club scene is a mish mash of old legends, current squad players, country players, and average club players in teams.

Are you actually going to any of the Dublin SFC games this year.?
Name me 1 new player who will improve our team.?
I can't.

Yes, I think 1 or 2 might return for Ger, but we have fallen so far behind others now at this stage.
It will be a miracle to catch up next year or the year after.
And I think we will lose a couple of players also.
Far too much mileage on the clock.

We are 14/1 for Sam next year. Kerry are 6/4, according to PP.
Armagh, Tyrone, Galway, Donegal are ahead of us, with Derry & Mayo nearly same odds as us.
It has been a hell of a long time since we were 14/1 for Sam. And we are at that for a reason.

If we had competitive minor or u20 teams, I would be a hell of lot happier but we dont even have that within Leinster now. Dublin CB took their eye off the ball completely imo.
I go to a lot of the underage inter county challenge games also and other counties are streets ahead of us.

Like I posted earlier - I would currently be happy with a Leinster title and then build on that going forward.
Expecting us to be really competitive in the latter stages of the All Ire is not realistic tbh.
Expect too much and you will be disappointed. ;o)

Only so many times our great players can go to the well, and we have less and less of them great players with each passing season.

Look, hopefully they prove me wrong but I wont be counting my chickens on it....
Either way, I will continue to go to all the games and cheer them on... ;o)"

Replying To brayballer:  "Tbh Fionn,I have only been to one club game this year but have seen a few highlights.I like the look of Daire Sweeney of Boden. Yes we down on the bookies odds but I just think that we still have a panel as good as most teams and with a bit of luck we can challenge for the big prizes.I am very confident we will win Leinster again and lets see after that.We still have a solid backline ,midfield as good as most and forward like Con,Bugler,Costello,Basquel that can cause any county trouble.I admit we not as strong as a few years ago but we still dangerous,"

Replying To brayballer:  "Tbh Fionn,I have only been to one club game this year but have seen a few highlights.I like the look of Daire Sweeney of Boden. Yes we down on the bookies odds but I just think that we still have a panel as good as most teams and with a bit of luck we can challenge for the big prizes.I am very confident we will win Leinster again and lets see after that.We still have a solid backline ,midfield as good as most and forward like Con,Bugler,Costello,Basquel that can cause any county trouble.I admit we not as strong as a few years ago but we still dangerous,"

Replying To bad.monkey:  "There are some very good young footballers in Dublin - Charlie McMorrow - Cuala, Joe Quigley - Crokes, Breathnach - BSJ, Luke O'Boyle - Clontarf... but the problem is there is not many players ready to step up to play senior IC now, it is an inevitable consequence following such a golden generation with so many top players playing into their mid 30s

Mannion has been the best player in SFC this year though, youd hope he can be convinced to come back for a year or two"

Replying To Fionn:  "Fair enough. But we are way too over reliant on Con, sadly.

TBH my biggest annoyance is at underage.... wtf is going on there.

We should have 2 or 3 players ready to come each year at least, like a lot of other counties.
Our underage record is shocking.
We have been relying on more or less the same players for the past decade.
And each year we lose another 2 or 3, with nothing much to replace them.
Honestly our age profile is now 30 plus - and their best years are past them.

We can put out a strong 1-15 but after that we are nothing more than average unfortunately.

If I was in charge of DCB - underage would be my focus.
I know JM & BC are now involved with our u14's, so at least that is a start....

I was talking to a friend of mine from kerry in work earlier.
It was embarrassing listening to him and the riches they have, and money given to them via their sponsors etc.
Everything about their setup and structures is as close to professional as you will get in GAA.
I was telling him about our set up and he couldnt believe it.
FFS we are still training in St Clare's....

IMO Dublin CB sat on our laurels whilst we had that decade of dominance...
I am not sure future planning was given the attention it deserved...
We were asleep at the wheel...

If it did, well I cant see any results from it.
For a tiny county like Louth to do so well in Leinster this year, and us... well, I dunno wth is going on...

Anyway, rant over.
Happy thoughts from now on.... lol ;o)
New manager, new coaches, new hope.... ;o)"