VINNIE: NO-ONE WILL STOP THE DRIVE FOR FIVE
DUBLIN legend Vinnie Murphy has backed the Blues to walk away with the All-ireland and cruise to the five-in-a-row. Former All-ireland winner Murphy (inset) gave a bullish prediction for the Dubs who begin their summer campaign against Louth tomorrow evening.
And in a claim that will further frustrate Dublin’s All-ireland rivals, Murphy said his big hope is that they get to beat both Mayo and Kerry along the way.
Murphy told Hill 16 Army’s Blue is the
Colour podcast:
“I looked at it last year, they were saying that, ‘This team is brilliant but they’d never really hammered anybody’.
“Last year they walked away with the All-ireland (above) – they’re going to do the same this year, once they get the mental preparation right. I think they’re going to win it as easily as they won it last year.
“I’m just hoping they meet a Mayo or a Kerry on the way because last year they were saying, ‘Well, they won it easy but you didn’t beat a Mayo or a Kerry’.
“I just think (beat)
Mayo or Kerry in the semi-final, and Mayo or Kerry in the final and we’ll have the five-in-a-row.” The confident comments will frustrate Dublin manager Jim
Gavin who is keen to keep a lid on expectation on the eve of the Championship.
Murphy continued: “I just can’t see any team staying with them for 70 minutes. I can see someone doing a job for 30 or 35 minutes, maybe a little bit longer, but over the 70 minutes, with six scoring forwards, two midfielders than can score, your half-back and full-back lines that can score, and then five or six fellas from the bench coming on that can all turn the game as well and get scores, I just don’t see any other team that can withstand that for 70 minutes.”
Ex-attacker Murphy said that beaten 2018 finalists Tyrone could potentially be a ‘fly in the ointment’ but ruled out Kerry entirely.
Peter Keane guided his young Kingdom squad to the league final but Murphy claimed they’re too porous at the back to win the All-ireland. Murphy said: “Kerry have had the same problem for the last seven or eight years – the centre of their defence is wide open.
“I think I said it on the last podcast, I’d win ball still against that Kerry defence because there’s nobody minding that area 30 yards out.
“So the ball can still come hopping in and against any team when you get to the Super 8s or the semi-finals, you’re not going to win.
“Kerry are going to take a little bit of hard medicine I think. If this golden generation of minor footballers don’t deliver Sam in the next two or three years. They’ll be under awful pressure.”