So, simple enough question.
If the Dubs are beaten this year, in your opinion, who is the most likely team to do it?
Kerry? Mayo? Tyrone? Donegal?

Kerry may have actually done themselves a disservice a few weeks back and honestly lads, may as well be honest like, no bs, if we meet Kerry this summer, I think we will spank them. I dont fear them this year. I think that game a few weeks back may end up doing Kerry more harm than good.

Mayo, I just dont think Mayo can beat Dublin. God knows they have had so many chances, and shown more capabilities to do so, but time after time after time they fail and i have seen nothing atall to make me think this year will be any different.

Donegal look good this year, but for me they are still a long way off beating Dublin. Too many absentees or lads shoving on etc, they will go well this year, but they wont beat Dublin.

Tyrone for me are the ones to do it if anyone does. For what reason, I am not sure!!! But, a feeling I have in me water! Tyrone have a gameplan that always disrupts us. Get 15 lads who fully commit to it and find a lad or 2 to pop a ball over the bar, and I have a sneak for Tyrone this year.

So, in my opinion, I dont think the Dubs will be beaten this summer, but if we are, for me, Tyrone are the ones to do it.

*(ps- Royaldunne - No....Meath.....just....no.......!)

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 02/05/2017 17:53:57    1984020

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 02/05/2017 18:06:21    1984024

Very good question, as it is a relevant one. This year's league saw the Dubs draw a number of games and by the skin of their teeth survive defeat too. The only games that they were never going to lose were against Ross, Cavan and Mayo. Kerry beat them in croke park and should have beaten them at home. Monaghan ran them desperately close before losing in the final few minutes. Tyrone should have beaten them in croke park. Donegal were worth their point in ballybofey. In short, it is the first season in a while that they looked like they were not invincible.

I think that kerry have a huge point to prove against them this year, as they wont want to be remembered as having another bogey team during a certain decade. Tyrone could click in the quarters against them, or donegal could for that mater. Galway could be the losest cannons of them all this year when it comes to big shocks. Meath could rattle them in leinster. There is nothing for certain this season. I look forward to a year of closer games and with good talking points.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3846 - 02/05/2017 18:47:34    1984038

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 02/05/2017 19:14:49    1984044

Themselves

mhunicean_abu (Monaghan) - Posts: 1067 - 02/05/2017 19:43:04    1984058

Tyrone I think, I think it will be Mayo in the opposite side of the final, some very interesting points made about their prep for the summer as opposed to winter, easy to see how they peak for the summer. They have another run in them and U21 all Ireland winners to join the group this year, Mayo are blissfully under the radar, but just can't see them outscoring Dublin in the nitty gritty.

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4516 - 02/05/2017 19:51:22    1984060

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 02/05/2017 19:56:54    1984061

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13654 - 02/05/2017 19:58:52    1984062

Probably Kerry would be the most likely, though I do think Dublin will probably win every game in the championship after the league woke them up a bit.

Tyrone always seem to be a bit overrated on this forum, I really couldn't see them troubling the Dubs in the summer. They do well in the early spring in the league alright, but when summer comes I really don't see them being a match for the Dubs. I would put Donegal ahead of Tyrone in terms of giving Dublin a good test, Mayo too.

patk (Monaghan) - Posts: 938 - 02/05/2017 21:15:48    1984069

I think the team who genuinely believe they can beat us is Kerry, league finals don't normally mean a lot in the bigger scheme of things, especially in Kerry but this years final meant something to them for sure.
I think both teams playing as well as they can would point to a Dublin win because despite being below par they could have beaten Kerry in April while Kerry were at full pelt.
But I would be weary of the usual suspects in general, the gap is closing.

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8753 - 02/05/2017 21:31:04    1984071

themselves, with complacency

bulmccabe (Tyrone) - Posts: 361 - 02/05/2017 22:58:14    1984085

Any of Kerry Mayo Tyrone or Donegal are well capable of doing it. Dublin will be favourites going into every game and it's difficult to see them losing against anybody with a full pack but you never know. Injuries will be a huge factor with the chasing pack as well. None of them can afford to be without key players facing the Dubs.

If I had to bet on it now I'd say a Dublin v Mayo final again and another close Dublin victory.

GeniusGerry (Kerry) - Posts: 2113 - 03/05/2017 00:18:35    1984090

Any team that drew or beat us this year already must fancy their chances , Mayo will fancy their chances , this topic is 50% hindsight 50% crystal ball , I never ever saw Dublin shipping 5 goals to Meath and i certainly on that day walking out of HQ never thought we would achieve over next 7 years what we have , so answer is I haven't a flipping clue , but sure as hell there will be many trying

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 03/05/2017 07:44:28    1984097

I reckons Wexford'll have a great shot against the Dubs this year. Unfortunately, we're unlikely to beat Carlow first, so we'll probably never know.

extranjero (Wexford) - Posts: 375 - 03/05/2017 08:20:29    1984100

Sport can be unpredictable and that's why we love it. While it's unlikely an All Irelsnd winner will emerge from outside the top 4/5....a team outside that group could take out a big gun or two along the way. Nothing is set in stone....if it was why bothar at all?

From a personal point of view I just pray we somehow fall over the line at last....for sanity if nothing else.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11567 - 03/05/2017 08:34:34    1984103

I think people lose the run of themselves a bit when discussing certain teams. Take last year for example in Ulster. We could have beaten Tyrone, maybe should have. The points from Sean Cavanagh and Peter Harte that day were out of this world. Stupendous efforts that on another day have been screwed wide. Now don't get me wrong, Tyrone probably deserved their win for their sheer perseverance and quality at the end that day. But we were pretty much written off as a finished team after it. Despite being seconds away from beating Tyrone - who all of a sudden became serious contenders for an All Ireland? Logically it doesn't make much sense.

Now I have no doubt that Tyrone will be typically fit, fast and stubborn as usual this summer and they may well beat us again and go on to win Ulster. But I just can't see them winning 3 big games in a row from the quarter finals on, and certainly not Dublin. They just aren't clinical enough. They don't have a dead eyed forward of Stevie O'Neill caliber anymore who you could rely on to hit 1-3 or 1-4 a match from limited opportunities. Maybe young Brennan can fill this void but Harte seems reluctant to play him just yet.

In answer to the OP, I think Kerry are most likely. They have no inferiority complex when it comes to Dublin. They're proven they can beat them and realistically are the best equipped to do so again in the summer, especially if they can get James O'Donoghue in 2014 form.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9768 - 03/05/2017 08:51:34    1984108

Barring something strange happening along the way, the only way that Kerry can play Dublin this year is in the All Ireland final. If both teams manage to get there, I think Kerry will win. If a team beats Kerry to get to the final instead of them, say Mayo, then I think they'd beat Dublin too. Both Kerry and Mayo will be chomping at the bit to have another go at Dublin, they're both ravenous to win an All Ireland.
For me, Dublins hunger isn't there this year, the intensity or their free scoring prowess isn't at the same levels previously. 3 in a row is a massive ask for any team, regardless of its strengths. More than likely they're looking at a sleep walk to the semi finals where they could get undone by the likes of Tyrone or Donegal but I don't think any of the northern counties have enough scoring power to put Dublin away.

keithlemon (Australia) - Posts: 920 - 03/05/2017 08:53:00    1984109

Kerry on form, then Mayo.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8388 - 03/05/2017 09:07:37    1984115

has to be Meath

maroondiesel (Mayo) - Posts: 1226 - 03/05/2017 09:40:54    1984126

GeniusGerry (Kerry) - Posts: 2113 - 03/05/2017 09:42:57    1984128