Diary of a Dub
Standing on the shoulders of Giants….
And now there is 2. 2 games standing between us and a historic 4-in-a-row.
Tomorrow’s day is here. On familiar ground. Across the county and
beyond, the army of blue engages in its pre-match rituals and superstitions. Arrangements
made and experiences promised. Of tomorrow, we go again in hope to hallowed
ground.
How we got here may not be remembered. More games
played, more challenges overcome. Super 8’s and its newness is now consigned
to the past. Our opponents are not of our choosing. Their quality is no fault
of Dublins’. The best 8 teams of 2018, and when you reflect, these have been
the best teams of this year, and now it is 4 who are left to stand and
battle. And again. The best 4 teams of 2018. And so into the breach we go.
No second chance from here on in. No backdoor to creep through. No regrets,
no fears. No room for complacency. Every reason for optimism. Every opponent
to be respected. In Galway, a test will come. Forget last weekend. Forget the
injuries, forget the players they may or may not be missing. They are here on
merit. They are better than what we saw last weekend, no doubt they will be
wounded, and wounded teams can bite back. They’ve beaten good teams this
year, reached a national league final, and gave us our fill of it in March
down in Galway. Jim for one, will not be taking them lightly, and neither
will we.
This is a young team, a team learning, but a team without fear as youth
can only know. What have they to lose? When you find yourself one game from
an All-Ireland final, and you find yourself written off by all and sundry,
then it’s fair to say players will relax. No pressure, the underdog, not
given a chance. Teams can galvanize on such and as such, it is on such folly,
that surprises can happen. They were expected to have their arses handed to
them against Kerry and look what happened. (Note – it is due to rain again
tomorrow). I would imagine training was intense this week after their
capitulation against Monaghan last weekend. I’d imagine they’ve scalded one
another over it. Don’t expect anything like it tomorrow. This will be closer
than you think and Dublin will need to be at their best to overcome.
Of this Dublin team, we expect normal service to resume. The boys did
well last week in a dead rubber of a game. Some laid down markers for
starting berths, but I don’t expect a tactical change from Jim for this. His well-oiled,
well refined style of holding possession, being patient, and exposing chinks
of opportunities to score will influence that he picks the starting 15 with
the most game time playing these tactics will start. Composure and patience
will be required. Don’t expect a shoot-out, teams don’t go toe-to-toe with us
and I don’t expect Galway to approach us with a cavalier attitude. I do
expect an intensity and physicality to this game, the like we perhaps have
not yet seen this year. And it’s a battle we need. On the other side of the
draw awaits a battle hardened winner yet to be determined, but whomever it is,
they’ve had seriously tight and tough games under their belt, unlike the
Dubs.
Complacency
is a concern. Over the last 4 unbeaten years, we’ve had it harder in getting
to semi-finals and to finals. It has been that way this year, and it’s not
because Dublin are exceptional or have evolved to another level this year. The
quality has not been there, and whilst this is not of our doing, it can mean
that when a true and tough test finally arrives, you can get caught cold. I
don’t sense that from Jim or his background team. But the risk here, and this
risk is real, is that Dublin players start to believe the hype, and take
their eye off the ball, start planning for another All-Ireland final, start
dreaming of that 4-in-a-row. Jim has won 34 of his 37 Championship games in
charge of Dublin, and he is by far the greatest Dublin manager of all. A serious
operator, a composed and meticulous man, with an incredible back room and
playing staff around him. He won’t be taking it lightly, he will be putting
the players through it, keeping them focused, but players are human, it could
be the most human of behaviours that may yet be our undoing.
I sense this
in Dublin fans. Yes, without the intensity, without the absolute battle, the
edge can soften. A new generation, many of which have no notion of 1996 to
2010. It’s time now. Get serious. This is the serious end of the business,
and history awaits. 2 steps away, 2 giant steps away. Croke park needs a full
house tomorrow and with it, the intensity of atmosphere we and the Dublin
players are accustomed to (and deserve). Surely, as fans, this is our
responsibility to create?
As we head into tomorrow. We cast not a glance more than one step
forward. One game. Everything on the line, not just of what has been achieved
this year but over the last 3 years. Standing in a place that very few have
been, and very few will be in time to come. In a moment everything can be
gone. Seize this moment tomorrow. For what it is, and yes, it may just be
another game, but in rewriting the history books, in defining your own
history, you must lay all you have on the line.
As fans we
take nothing for granted, we are however, standing on the shoulders of giants…..
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