Coman Goggins says case for the defence uncertain with Dublin

Former All-Star Dublin defender Coman Goggins has suggested that they could be vulnerable at the back in this year’s football championship.

Dublin haven't lost a Championship game since the summer of 2014 and recently picked up their fifth Allianz league title in six seasons under Jim Gavin.

But Goggins, who played in Dublin's defence throughout the 2000s, said that teams are getting closer to figuring them out as Galway proved with their near miss in the National League decider.

Goggins believes that Dublin’s biggest issues are in defence and noted the continued absence of Cian O’Sullivan and Jack McCaffrey through injury while James McCarthy was taken off against Galway.

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“I think that Galway have proven that, yeah, you can get close to these guys,” said Goggins. “Mayo have certainly proven it. Kerry have proven it. So I don’t think anyone would feel that there’s anything to be more fearful of this year.

“I think now is an opportunity to say, ‘Well, let’s take Dublin on at their own game’. If you can try to do that, and set yourself up some way defensively, then you’ve a chance to beat them.”

Goggins, for some time a Gaelic football pundit, stopped short of actually tipping anyone to beat the Sam Maguire holders in the Championship.

“I think there’s a bit of improvement to do across the back unit heading into the summer,” he said. “I think they probably identified a couple of challenges that they need to work on. But I think collectively if they get all their guys on the field, as a back six they’re going to be hard to break down.”