People basking in the sun on a Bank Holiday, Offaly hurling in crisis and the return of Jim McGuinness’s Irish Times column – never mind that bleak, grey Tuesday, summer is here.
The potential future Celtic manager, maybe, has given his predictions for this year’s All-Ireland football Championship and, with New York already eliminated, he has stumped for another Connacht side as the likeliest outfit to knock Dublin off their f**king perch.
That’s right, Jimmy is a full paid-up member of the ‘Mayo for Sam’ campaign.
“I believe Mayo have the potential to beat Dublin in an All-Ireland final. But it remains to be seen if they will take the action required to make that happen,” writes the 2012 All-Ireland winner.
McGuinness stops short of crowning Stephen Rochford’s side as heirs apparent, acknowledging that the five-in-a-row Connacht champions need to demonstrate a Plan B if they are to take down Dublin, who are chasing the first back-to-back All-Ireland since Kerry in the last decade.
“I’ve watched Mayo in Connacht and in the All-Ireland series and I have very, very rarely seen a change in style. But they need to go somewhere new in order to take this Dublin team down,” says McGuinness.
With long-term full-back Rory O’Carroll and reigning footballer of the year Jack McCaffrey unavailabale for selection this year, combined with the strain that normally besets defending champions, McGuinness believes Dublin are there for the taking – not that that is a guarantee the 1/10 Leinster championship favourites will be beaten.
“You need a game plan to take advantage of the fact that their best full back in years is at the other end of the planet. You need specific strategic thinking to cope with their strengths – and their weaknesses. If Mayo do make that jump in approach and tactically, then it becomes a 50-50 game.
“But the big question is whether Mayo or any other team is planning their championship campaign with that intent right now. If not, then I feel that Dublin will win the All-Ireland again. Just because they can be beaten doesn’t mean they will be.”
Jimmy has put it up to you, Mayo. Let’s see if you can add the holy grail to that under 21 title you won two weeks ago.
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