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What will the tactics be?

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I sat in the stand for the Donegal v Dublin Quarter Final and had a great conversation with a Dub beside me prior to the game who categorically denied that Dublin now or have ever used a blanket defence. In comparision to Donegal he might be sort of right but they certainly have used an element of it since 2014. In 2014 Eamon Fitzmaurice stated that Donegal were out Donegalled and that the only reason Kerry played blanket defence was that Donegal FORCED them to do it. Pat Spillane was still printing midweek after Dublin beat Donegal this year about the demise of the blanket defensive system that Donegal play. Galway minors didn't play a single game with a blanket defence until the AI semi v guess who ......Donegal! Well lads, Donegal won't be in Croke Park this Sunday so I assume we will have an open game of free flowing football with no sweepers and certainly no blanket defence. I'm really looking forward to it!! Tir Conaill Abu (Donegal) - Posts: 1671 - 26/08/2016 21:36:01 1906499 Link
Replying To Tir Conaill Abu: "I sat in the stand for the Donegal v Dublin Quarter Final and had a great conversation with a Dub beside me prior to the game who categorically denied that Dublin now or have ever used a blanket defence. In comparision to Donegal he might be sort of right but they certainly have used an element of it since 2014. In 2014 Eamon Fitzmaurice stated that Donegal were out Donegalled and that the only reason Kerry played blanket defence was that Donegal FORCED them to do it. Pat Spillane was still printing midweek after Dublin beat Donegal this year about the demise of the blanket defensive system that Donegal play. Galway minors didn't play a single game with a blanket defence until the AI semi v guess who ......Donegal! Well lads, Donegal won't be in Croke Park this Sunday so I assume we will have an open game of free flowing football with no sweepers and certainly no blanket defence. I'm really looking forward to it!!" The blanket defence is a stupid clichéd phrase. If it means any defensive system other than the tradition 6 backs then we will see a blanket defence, the top teams don't really play Gaelic football in the traditional way anymore of man to man marking. Mainly because it's stupid and exploitable. Dublin will have an attacking approach as they have always had since even before Gavin took over. They won't leave themselves open to counter attacks though as again that'd be a stupid thing to do. Hard to know how Kerry will play as Fitzmaurice is a fairly pragmatic coach. I can't see them opting for a shoot out, I think they'd know they'd lose that. Will be interesting to see how they set up and how it works. They'll have to come up with something to beat the Dubs. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4207 - 26/08/2016 23:30:26 1906549 Link
Dublin have played a blanket against Donegal and Tyrone ever since 2014 when Donegal's swift counter attacks completely opened Dublin up. Gavin learned a lesson that day and started deploying a sweeper in certain games since. I believe that if Kerry pull 14 into their own 45 then Dublin will likely pull men back also to cover off the counter attack charge. I hope they setup man to man but Kerry have been much more cautious in recent years so I would be surprised if they don't play a sweeper. I wonder will Donaghy stay out around the halfway or will they move him in. Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 26/08/2016 23:49:46 1906554 Link