Dublin GAA legend Ciaran Whelan has admitted that he is nervous about claims that Dublin only have to turn up at Croke Park to make the All-Ireland semi-final.
Thousands of Donegal fans will leave the county this morning hoping to silence the talk of the Blue Army marching on to another title.
And RTE pundit and former midfielder Whelan has given them some hope with his honest assessment of the game.
Whelan said he is weary of Dublin’s defence which he thinks could be exposed by the likes of Michael Murphy and Paddy McBrearty.
“To be honest, I am nervous about this challenge for the Dubs in headquarters tomorrow.
“The script is supposed to read that Donegal are over the hill at this stage and Dublin are the powerhouse set to dominate for the next few years. That sort of talk is dangerous, very dangerous.
“Dublin’s wealth of options and strength of depth is grossly exaggerated in some quarters. A drill down into Jim Gavin’s resources indicates there is great back-up in the forward unit, particularly the inside line, but from 1-9 the depth of support is not what some may think it is,” he admitted.
Whelan still thinks Dublin have too much for Rory Gallagher’s side.
He added “One thing for certain is that Donegal will be the full first team to face Dublin this year who actually believe they can win the game.
“The only difference is that Dublin will be ready for an ambush this time. For that reason, I expect Dublin to come through a tough engagement.”
Donegal’s loyal legion of fans will have something to say about that as they travel in huge numbers to the capital for the double header which also sees Tyrone take on Mayo in the 4pm throw-in.
Donegal and Dublin throws-in at 6pm and hopefully the road back home will be a short one as Rory Gallagher pulls off the biggest scalp of his managerial career.
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