Jim Gavin has brushed off any suggestion of an orchestrated campaign in Dublin GAA to focus attention on Lee Keegan ahead of Saturday's All-Ireland final replay.
When it was put to him that a coterie of ex-players had continually brought up Keegan's name in the media during the week in an apparent attempt to influence referee Maurice Deegan to take a dim view of his marking job on Diarmuid Connolly, Gavin was genuinely baffled at the suggestion and had to have it explained to him a couple of times before dismissing it.
"It's a physical contact sport," he shrugged. "We tell the players to get out there and play. Mayo play a physical contact game. What happened is predictable. Diarmuid is well able to look after himself. It certainly hasn't been spoken of in those terms in the Dublin camp, that's for sure."
Gavin will name his team on Thursday night and has a full squad to pick from with no injury doubts. Any changes will be made on form alone and with some of his more experienced players having underperformed in the drawn game, Gavin has some decisions to make. In the fortnight since the draw, there hasn’t been a lot of time to do much tactical work, he says. If they’re to find their form again, experience will be the key.
“Players know themselves how they played. They obviously get feedback from the coaching staff on areas to improve on but I have to say, to their eternal credit, they just want to see what is best for the team. So whether a player is starting a game or finishing a game or is part of the 30-man squad, everyone’s nose is pointed in the same direction. They want to do the best for the team to get a team performance.
“We played a few games of football [IN TRAINING]. There’s great competition for places. The players want to play. Our training is consistent. Catching and kicking. Backs and forwards. We train just to play football.
“There’s a great trust there amongst the group. And they all realise that whatever team is on the pitch representing their county is representing the group also. They’ll all play their part. Whether they’re ask to finish or asked to start.”
Reiterating his immediate post-match view that Dublin were lucky to get a second game at all, Gavin stressed that his players need a much-improved performance on Saturday.
“And if they don’t - we’re playing a great Mayo team - if they don’t, we won’t get the result. Mayo playing good football, so it’s going to be a mammoth task for us now. They’re talking about winning now. They’re confident about winning. So that’s a dangerous team.”
