GAA: Dublin manager Pat Gilroy has defended his side's style of play and compared his footballers' workrate to that of Barcelona and Declan Kidney's rugby internationals.
Dublin are top of the Allianz National Football League Division One after five wins from five, each typified by his players’ willingness to work hard in both attack and defence.
Gilroy, who will have star forward Bernard Brogan back in his ranks for this weekend’s meeting with Down at Croke Park, insists he sees no difference between the two – citing tackling and defending as attributes equally as important slick attacking play.
"The St Vincent's team that won the All-Ireland in 2008 played very similarly to what we are trying to do now and it's quite a simple philosophy: when you don't have the ball everyone tries to get it back and when you do have the ball you attack. It's as simple as that," Gilroy told www.thedubhub.ie.
"Now, it takes a bit more to execute it, but that's the philosophy and I think you see that in every sport. Look at Barcelona, when they don't have the ball on of their hardest workers is (Lionel) Messi. The same in rugby, when Ireland are going well they don't miss a tackle.
"Unfortunately, people don't see that as being skilful but being able to tackle well, being able to work a guy well and the time it takes to actually perfect that work is just as important as a spectacular catch or kick."
Gilroy’s side has netted 12 goals this season, six more than third-placed Down and eight more than second-placed Cork, while their points difference of 17 compares favourably with their competitors. Ironically, they have conceded more than every team in Division One, bar sixth-placed Mayo and bottom side Galway.
The Dublin team to face Down is expected to be named this evening.
Down goalkeeper Brendan McVeigh is set to make his welcome return for the Mournemen after recovering from a knee injury sustained in the win over Armagh on February 27th.
Kildare manager Kieren McGeeney, meanwhile, has named an unchanged side from the one that beat Meath last ime out ahead of their Division Two clash with Tyrone at Healy Park.
Kildare (SF v Tyrone): S Connolly; H McGrillen, M Foley, A MacLochlainn; G White, B Flanagan, E Bolton; T Moolick, P O'Neill; R Sweeney, E O'Flaherty, K Cribben; J Doyle, D Flynn, R Kelly.
Tyrone (SF v Kildare):P McConnell; M Swift, Joe McMahon, D McCaul; D Harte, C Gormley, R McMenamin; K Hughes, A Cassidy; C Cavanagh, B McGuigan, S Cavanagh; M Penrose, Stephen O'Neill, O Mulligan.
Wexford (SF v Tipperary):A Masterson; N Murphy, G Molloy, A Doyle; B Malone, D Murphy (Capt), A Morrissey; R Quinlivan, D Waters; S O'Neill, R Barry, G Sunderland; C Lyng, P Byrne, B Brosnan.
Offaly (SF v Waterford):A Mulhall, B Darby, S Brady, S Pender, S Sullivan, K Slattery, J Keane, R Dalton, B Connor, G Guilfoyle, N McNamee (Capt), C McManus, T Deehan, J Reynolds, K Casey
Kerry (SH v Limerick):B Rochford, E Fitzgerald, T Murnane, C Harris, P O'Grady, M Conway, J Casey, P Costello, D Dineen, S Nolan, L Boyle, D Fitzell, J Egan, A Boyle, D O'Connell