The Blues are losing games, and their aura
DUBLIN picked increasingly stronger teams as the League went on, but the old power remains elusive. So far. Three defeats for a group praised for seeing every match as a test worth passing is significant.
That much can be deduced from the reaction to the loss against Tyrone on Saturday night.
This shaky form appearing in the prelude to a Championship that most presumed would see them complete the five-in-a-row thickens the intrigue.
But what may concern Jim Gavin even more is that the side made to look so thoroughly second-best at the weekend was close to the best he could pick.
Twelve of the team that started the All-Ireland final win against Tyrone in September started on Saturday night.
The team was replenished with substitutes that included multiple All-Ireland winners in Kevin McManamon, Paddy Andrews and Eoghan O’Gara.
And still Dublin couldn’t find a way.
Their first loss of the League came against Monaghan on the opening day, with eight of last September’s starting side playing in Clones from the first whistle.
Michael Dara Macauley, Paul Flynn and Andrews came on.
In their second League loss, against Kerry in Tralee, 10 of the team that started the final win in September, started that night. Again, the bench was manned by experienced champions that this time included Jack McCaffrey.
Eight of that team from last year’s final started in all three Dublin defeats so far this spring: John Small, Jonny Cooper, Brian Fenton, James McCarthy, Niall Scully, Con O’Callaghan, Brian Howard, Paul Mannion and Dean Rock.
It isn’t callow, experimental Dublin selections that have been slayed in the League.
The side has been manned by some of Gavin’s most trusted lieutenants and his most valued of all, Stephen Cluxton, was there for the Tyrone defeat.
This shows that, whatever has ailed Dublin so far this term, it hasn’t been a deficit in experience or winning know-how. Even at that, the claims of decline being made against Dublin are rushed and require further testing.
And their absolute dominance of the Leinster Championship means Gavin can continue to try and replenish his side and nurse them to full strength through most of the summer.
Their scoring threat, blunted effectively by Tyrone, remains too much for most others.
Though they stand fifth of eight teams in Division 1, their scoring difference of plus 17 remains easily the best in the division, six ahead of leaders Kerry.
But, at the very least, their fallibility in the League introduces some measure of doubt to a Championship whose outcome looked a certainty at the start of the year.
Football’s catastrophists, who have predicted a ceaseless production line churning out AllIreland-ready footballers, will have to reassess their views, given how much Gavin has relied on his old stagers over the past two months as shown above.
There is not a like-for-like alternative in every, or even most positions.
The champions may be picking their battles — or maybe they aren’t the awesome force of old.