Former Dublin footballer Mossy Quinn and former Meath captain Anthony Moyles were on Tuesday’s OTB AM and spoke about Dublin’s options in defence.
Jim Gavin has been trialling a new defensive structure this year with Cian O’Sullivan no longer playing his usual role of being the sweeper in defence.
O’Sullivan’s role as the sole sweeper has since fallen out of favour with Jim Gavin as it had become too predictable and allowed teams to exploit gaps in Dublin’s defence.
“For a long time, it was probably Cian O’Sullivan detailed to be that guy. The other defenders knew, ‘We’ll stay here, we’ll go to our position because Cian will generally get to where he needs to be.’
“So it doesn’t necessarily need to be one detailed guy because that can become a bit predictable.
Then teams can say, ‘We know in this situation when we’re attacking, the number six is going to drop. Then we have an opportunity here.’ That’s where you can be got at,” Quinn explained.
There is a real battle to be named in Dublin’s starting back six with Johnny Cooper and James McCarthy recent returns from injury.
That leaves seven defenders who would usually start with only six available positions, so Gavin has some difficult choices to make.
“I think one of those defenders will probably lose out so it just depends on what way they’ll go.
“Whether it’ll be Cian O’Sullivan or possibly David Byrne or Mick Fitzsimon. I would have thought John Small will definitely play.
“Jack McCaffery will obviously play. Then there’s Johnny Cooper and Philly McMahon who will play. So I think it comes down to the other ones,” Quinn explained.
Defensive frailty?
It would be unreasonable to suggest that Dublin have been struggling in defence in the Championship, having only conceded one goal in six games.
However, no defence is impregnable and Moyles thinks Mayo need to send hard, fast runners down Dublin’s throat if they want to put them under pressure this Saturday.
“That middle spine, if you can manage to pull that six away and you can get quick hands through the middle, there’s goals there.
“Kerry, once or twice it happened to them and the same thing has happened to Dublin,” Moyles commented.
Dublin and Mayo face off in Croke Park this weekend to continue what has been Gaelic football’s most intense rivalry of the decade.
Mayo haven’t tasted success against Dublin in the All-Ireland since 2012 and certainly go into the game as underdogs.
However, they always bring their best against the Dubs and stopping the ‘Drive for Five’ would be arguably Mayo’s greatest championship win since they last tasted glory in the 1951 All-Ireland final.
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