Patrick Kelly: Stick or twist? Either way, it's a tall order for Cork

Are Cork confident enough to man-mark the three Dublin half-backs high up the pitch and trust the backs and midfielders can cope without the cover they have offered up to now? Would that be brave or foolish?

CHANGE OF STRATEGY?: Cork's Ian Maguire and his charges have a mammoth task ahead of them this weekend.

THE chief dilemma facing the Cork footballers for Saturday's All-Ireland SFC quarter-final is how to set up tactically against a Dublin side who have put their league troubles behind them to devastating effect in steamrolling through Leinster yet again. 

The evidence suggests that a repeat of the defensive tactics Cork employed to nullify the Kerry attack and stay in the game for 50 minutes would be the wise choice. An equally compelling argument could be made that such tactics will only play into Dublin’s hands as they have so much experience in dealing with and dismantling such defensive systems in Croke Park.