Ger Brennan says pressure off Dublin ahead of semi-final
Manager Ger Brennan during the Dublin GAA Media Event ahead of the All-Ireland Senior Football Semi-Final at Parnell Park, Donnycarney, Dublin. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile.
By John Harrington
Ger Brennan says there’s little pressure on a new-look Dublin team still finding its feet ahead of Sunday's All-Ireland SFC semi-final against Kerry
Instead, he believes whatever burden of expectation there is rests on the shoulders of the defending champions who have more to lose.
“It is great,” said Brennan of the lack of pressure his team is feeling.
“Jack O'Connor has won five All-Irelands. He's in his third stint with Kerry. He's up there with Mick O'Dwyer.
“Cian O'Neill has won multiple All-Irelands. Back with Kerry again. He was involved with Galway in the two All-Ireland finals too.
“You've Kieran Donaghy who's gone in having won with Armagh. The experience that they have and the medals and the silverware they brought about as a management team, it just takes a lot of pressure off us.
“We're only finding our feet at this stage.
“Similarly, Kerry are defending champions. They're the first champions of the new rules because they are the aristocrats of Gaelic games.
“Dublin are pushing hard on the roll of honour. A bit to go yet. But we certainly will push hard again this weekend. It's a nice space to be in.
“We're fairly relaxed with the whole thing. We'll give it a go at the weekend, but Kerry have so much firepower and know-how…so there’s not too much pressure.”
Dublin manager Ger Brennan and Kerry manager Jack O’Connor shake hands after the Allianz Football League Division 1 match between Dublin and Kerry at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile.
From the team that beat Galway in the All-Ireland SFC quarter-final only Sean McMahon is an injury doubt for Sunday’s match against Kerry with a hamstring strain, but Brennan is hopeful he’ll be fit enough to play.
“Seán McMahon, a little nick in the hammer,” said Brennan. “It's something that he's probably had on occasion before and the lads are working hard on Seán so we hope to name him.
“Other than that, everyone else is going well, thankfully. Eoin Murchan is pushing hard as well to try and get back. Seán Bugler, he trained away at the weekend.”
Having McMahon to call on would be a big boost for the Dubs considering he did a very solid man-marking job on David Clifford when the teams met in the League.
“Yeah, he did well on him and we hope he's going to do well on him Sunday as well,” says Brennan.
“He won't lose too much fitness but he'll have to adapt to what he does in the next couple of weeks.
“Tactically, he's quite astute, Seán, so he'll be fine that way once we can get him onto the pitch.”
