Curran criticises ‘heartless’ Dublin

DUBLIN legend Paul Curran yesterday launched a blistering attack on the county’s footballers after their nervy Leinster SFC quarter-final win over Wexford at Croke Park.

The Dubs trailed by six points (0-8 to 0-2) at the break but surged back on the restart en route to a 2-16 to 0-15 extra time win against he Model County.

Despite the win Curran was in less that complimentary mood slamming the side’s atrocious first-half performance which he called “the worst 35 minutes I have seen from any Dublin team. Although the team showed a lot of changes this season, there is no excuse whatsoever for the heartless first-half performance.”

Curran was highly critical of manager Pat Gilroy’s defensive tactics which he considers a failed experiment.

“Serious questions need to be asked again after this latest debacle and most of those questions will centre around the tactics of bringing players back into the defence and leaving two men isolated in the full forward line.

“I don’t have a major problem with crowding the defence but some of the players just don’t have the presence of mind to do the job that they are back there to do.”

He added: Pat Gilroy needs to have a serious look at the defensive set up and abandon the tactic that he was been using since he took over 18 months ago.

“If Wexford can run circles around them for long periods then what might Cork of Kerry do later in the year?

“It is time the team was set up with six backs marking their opponents, two midfielders winning their own ball and six forwards keeping their shape. The present format might get Dublin another provincial title but that is as much as we can expect unless radical change of the present tactics is carried out.”

He also called on Gilroy to coax the retired Ciarán Whelan back into the fold.

“Whelan is still the county’s best midfielder by a distance and whether Pat Gilroy likes it or not he should be brought back into the squad for tomorrow night’s session,” he told The Evening Herald.