Sleeping giants ready to reawaken, says Caffrey

THE mere fact of Dublin getting back to their first Bank of Ireland Leinster football final in three years doesn’t necessarily prove that Paul Caffrey was the best man to succeed Tommy Lyons as manager.

But it does show that 'Pillar', as he is known, was eminently qualified to take over the reins, and that his commitment to the team superseded any dissatisfaction he might have felt when former great Brian Mullins was supposedly courted by the executive.

But that's all in the past for the Store Street-based community Garda, the son of Cavan parents. He is only concerned about the here and now, about getting Dublin back to a position of pre-eminence and being able to seriously challenge a Laois team which has reached new heights under the inspired management of Mick O'Dwyer. He recognises that there are now more counties around "with potential" and that it's all down to a levelling of standards, of the so-called weaker counties preparing just as well as the top sides. His task is to raise Dublin's standard.

While there is considerable personal satisfaction to be gained from managing a successful team, he is quick to point out that Dublin have only reached a certain stage in their journey. And he is conscious of the fact that the big guns Kerry, Tyrone and Armagh are "still there", and that the likes of Galway, Mayo and Cork are also in contention.

"I'm a huge GAA fan number one, as are my family,' he says. "From day one it was a massive honour (to be chosen) and it has been a huge challenge. But, it's one that I have looked forward to every day I have got up. I have surrounded myself with a very good management team and we have gelled well together. Everybody who is involved has something to contribute and it has been very enjoyable. Obviously winning big matches makes it more enjoyable."

He doesn't take kindly to criticism of the previous management, specifically the comment that the current squad appears "more united".

"In the last three years I was involved, there was unity in the camp. Everybody talks about you when you win matches and they talk about you in a different light when you are losing," he remarked.

From the outset he realised it was important to do well in the League if Dublin were to improve their consistency record.

"That has been the key word we have used all year consistency not this idea of 'blowing hot and cold' and not knowing what's coming next." he said. "We went out and tried very hard in the League and we took a lot of positives out of our performances. Not necessarily all the results went our way but the lads started believing in a bit of steel that they saw in themselves. And I think it served us well coming into the championship."

While the personnel hasn't changed radically from last year, it's notable that a few players have been slotted into what would be regarded as new positions for them. One of them is Shane Ryan, previously used as a wing-back, who was groomed as a midfielder over the course of the League.

"Shane would not be an orthodox midfielder in that he's not over 6-3. But he has come in and has done a job for us. We had a feeling from early in the year that we would have to re-invent some of the players we had and maybe challenge them in a little bit of a different way.

"Apart from Shane, Barry Cahill is back at centre-back and we have been using Bryan Cullen at wing half-forward so far so good."

Ciaran Whelan, undoubtedly the team's best-known player, hasn't had to be "re-invented," but he's playing under less pressure than in previous years. Caffrey agrees that it's good for him and for the team overall.

"There would be a view out there that when Ciaran Whelan played well, Dublin played well. There was an overbearing tendency to expect Ciaran to get big scores, to be always on the score-sheet. I think we have gone away a bit from that this year.

"What we're getting is a more balanced overall team performance rather than two or three individuals pulling and dragging this team along over the finishing line. Maybe that's not a bad thing."

He credits Laois, and O'Dwyer, with developing "some fantastic young talent." And, he notes that the Waterville maestro has re-invented their half-forward line, elaborating: "It looks as if it's a real threat Ross Munnelly, young Brennan who was out injured for a long time and had a fantastic game against Kildare and this Kerryman they're all talking about (Billy Sheehan). The three of them have turned out to be a great half-forward line and the two boys at midfield are as good a pairing that's around. They're going to guarantee lots of possession."

Additionally, he notes the strength they offer at half-back, but most of all he's impressed by the way corner-back Joe Higgins and utility forward Beano McDonald have recovered from injury.

"The way they were looked after and minded in Laois, it's a great credit to their set-up,'' he said.

Over the years, the unique atmosphere created by Dublin supporters in Croke Park has benefited their teams just as much as on occasions (although maybe less often in modern times) it has intimidated the opposition. Interestingly, however, he points out that they are unlikely to depend on this to "lift" the team.

"I'm not so sure that we will approach it in that manner,' he explained. "We would be more intent on looking for consistency of performance, rather than this big 'high' and looking for something that's maybe not there.

"Obviously on any given day two or three fellows are going to shine or whatever. It's the overall balance of the team that I am more interested in. Dublin support is an important part of this equation and if you talk to any Dublin player, a special part of their lives is playing in front of 'the Hill'.

"It wasn't there for the last two years but it's back now. I think the supporters are looking at this Dublin team and they're getting behind them. Dublin teams enjoy performing in Croke Park. As a player, it's the place you want to be."

Caffrey can only hope that his team will fulfil its potential and he recognises that so far they have not approached the standard of the Laois performance in the semi-final. It was "hard to believe," he says, that there could be such a gulf in standards between the Offaly and Kildare games.

What it tells him is that if Laois reproduce that kind of form again, Dublin will be in for one hell of a battle.