September a long way off from here
Three times he returned from an All-Ireland-winning off-season and each time he failed to go back-to-back.
Little wonder then that earlier this year, as Dublin struggled through the league exhibiting the sort of flaws we thought had been flushed from their system, Harte was asked how they might achieve an amazing feat. He was honest and critical in his assessment, saying that in the aftermath of a victory, when everybody knows your name, players often forget how hard it was to win the first title, forget the sacrifices they made and, as a result, come up short.
After yesterday, it may seem harsh to have a go at a side that don’t play well yet still win a Leinster championship, but Dublin have earned the right to be judged by much higher standards.
In fact, when Bryan Cullen was asked about this being his eighth provincial title, he said it was no more than a means to an end and such a figure makes him think about how few All-Irelands they’ve actually won. But if things stay this way, this version of Dublin will be stuck on just the one because, while Donegal have followed revolution with evolution and Cork now have quantity as well as quality in the forwards, Pat Gilroy’s side have not only gone stagnant but they’ve regressed in key areas that made them the best just a year ago.
Gilroy has never denied the key to this group’s success is hard work and without it they are merely the sum of their parts. But they were little more than the sum of those parts here. Indeed that’s been the case ever since their first league game when they were welcomed to Croke Park like stars with a laser display and a match ball delivered by an abseiler down the face of the Hogan Stand. It was hype that hasn’t yet been justified in 2012 and rock ‘n’ roll is no good without the music.
There’s no doubting Dublin were the superior team yesterday and showed as much across the opening quarter yet they were still nearly caught and there’s a case to be made that it was Meath that lost this. Their passing led to two goals, their decision-making was awful, their shot selection just as bad and their key player, Graham Reilly, was poor. Had any of those factors been altered it could have been closer still.
Some will say we’ve been here before. In last year’s Leinster championship, Dublin failed to put Kildare away convincingly and failed to perform against Wexford. But last year there were at least little shoots in the early part of the season.
On top of that they weren’t the ones on a pedestal that everyone was trying to knock off.Meath were the latest to ask a whole pile of questions across the park. Why did Dublin go out of the game for such long spells? Why in the last quarter when run at did the half-back line struggle and the full-back line allow openings? Why in that same spell did they lose four clean kick-outs in a row? Why were they left hanging on? And then there were the forwards.
While Bernard Brogan’s frees and an impressive display from Eoghan O’Gara were enough against a side at Meath’s level, that won’t do from here on in.
Kevin McManamon played far too deep, Paul Flynn was wasteful and some of his efforts ill-advised, Bryan Cullen never got into the game and after Alan Brogan went off they lacked the stimulant to get the best out of those around him.
In the past, provincial winners have complained about the break until the quarter-final but it’s been slashed to two weeks and Dublin might well be disappointed.
They could do with a little more time to work on many flaws that we’ve seen as right now, even incorporating the form of James McCarthy, Michael Dara Macauley and Denis Bastick, they don’t look All-Ireland winners.
They might have another trophy but playing like this, and with their ability, it’s nothing to celebrate.
Better teams playing better football have come back for more and failed to retain the All-Ireland. Mickey Harte will tell you that. And while Dublin could surprise us and August is when it all begins, it doesn’t inspire to have a standing start.
