Gilroy hits out at criticism of Dubs style

PAT GILROY has described it as “unfortunate” people don’t believe his team play an attractive brand of football.

The St Vincent’s man has never made any secret of the fact the tactics he deploys with the Blues are all but identical to those that won the 2008 All-Ireland club title under the guidance of his selector and coach Mickey Whelan.

However, he has drawn comparisons between Dublin’s work-rate and that emphasised at Barcelona FC and the Ireland rugby team to emphasise his belief tackling is just as much a skill as scoring.

“The St Vincent’s team that won the All-Ireland in 2008 played very similarly to what we are trying to do now and it’s quite a simple philosophy: when you don’t have the ball everyone tries to get it back and when you do have the ball you attack. It’s as simple as that,” Gilroy told Vodafone’s Dublin GAA website, thedubhub.

“Now, it takes a bit more to execute it, but that’s the philosophy and I think you see that in every sport. Look at Barcelona, when they don’t have the ball one of their hardest workers is (Lionel) Messi. The same in rugby, when Ireland are going well they don’t miss a tackle.

“Unfortunately, people don’t see that as being skilful but being able to tackle well, being able to work a guy well and the time it takes to actually perfect that work is just as import as a spectacular catch or kick.”

Gilroy maintains the art of dispossessing or pressurising an opponent isn’t given its rightful acknowledgement in Gaelic football.

“I personally think it is great to see a guy do a great turn over or a good tackle in rugby,” he said. “I think that’s good because that’s what makes it a real game and it is a boost for a defence to see it being done out the field. It is a very difficult thing to do and I think we don’t give it the level of respect it actually deserves.”

Gilroy is expected to announce his captain for the championship in the coming days with Paul Casey set to continue as skipper for the remainder of their Allianz FL Division 1 campaign.

Last year’s captain David Henry has recently returned to training after travelling but it is unlikely the Raheny man will be given the nod to lead the charges after already missing out on the majority of the league.

Dublin benefited from a two-day training camp in Celtic FC’s Lennoxtown base in Glasgow last week knowing a victory against Down on Saturday evening will see them qualify for a Division 1 final for the first time since 1999.

Bernard Brogan is set to return to the starting team after missing the win over Mayo last Sunday week when his flight back from Washington where he met US President Barack Obama was delayed.