One for all, is Gavin war cry

New Dublin football manager Jim Gavin has set the tone for his time in charge by stressing team spirit and a serious work ethic are key to getting the county back to the top of the pile.

The former U21 boss was unveiled to the media yesterday after succeeding Pat Gilroy and stressed the importance of integrating successful underage teams into the senior set-up.

“My goal is to create a team which is imbued with an ethic which puts winning for the team and the county ahead of individual glory, a team that will accept patterns of play and tactics which are designed to support the team rather than inconvenience the player, and to build a team that has a strong awareness of the traditions and the values of Dublin football,” he said.

“The goal for me is to create an environment within Dublin football where I can get the best players and to get a group of players that will have an ethos of hard work, of commitment and sacrifice. That we can drive and get a consistent performance from those players. And if we can do that, I’m sure the results will follow.”

After seeing Donegal create a tactical evolution and revolution in the game, he was quick to point out the need for a certain system to be put in place in order to bring success.

“The game is evolving and for me that’s one of the fascinating aspects of coaching. I get great enjoyment out of looking at games and observing how other coaches and managers adapt their systems.

“I will be looking for players that will want to play to a particular system, and players who will play for the team rather than see it as an inconvenience playing to a particular system.”

Gavin, who was responsible for Dublin’s All-Ireland U21 wins in 2010 and this year also stressed how tactically this was a new beginning. Asked if the county should expect a serious deviation from the way they have been set up in recent years, he stated: “Well, it’s a clean slate. In terms of how the team will play, well Dublin weren’t that far off the mark this year.

“On the day they were beaten by a better team, but it was just on the day. I think they showed a great resolve in the second half to come back against Mayo. But yeah, I’m going to put my own stamp on it.

“I would see teams that play with humility, I’ll expect that from them. I’ll expect a disciplined approach, both on and off the field. I’ll expect the players will play with passion, but with discipline and respect for all officials and I’ll expect them to go out there and express themselves.

“That’s what I particularly enjoyed when I played under managers, to be given that opportunity to express yourself as a footballer in a particular system, be it either defensively or on the attack.”

Meanwhile, Antrim GAA chiefs are set to appoint Frank Dawson as manager of the county’s senior footballers. The decision will be put to the county committee on Monday night.