James McCarthy: 'Winning is a habit, you can't win enough'
Michael Bolton
Former Dublin footballer James McCarthy is not worried about Dublin's start to the season despite two defeats in their opening two league games.
After losses to Donegal and Mayo, Dublin face fellow strugglers Monaghan on Saturday in Croke Park, which has turned into a crucial game.
It is the start of a new era for Dublin, with Ger Brennan taking over as manager, and the effects of several players stepping away, including McCarthy, are still being felt.
Despite a lot of change happening, the nine-time All-Ireland winner is confident Dublin can still be competitive.
"I think Dublin should always be thinking they can win an All-Ireland, any year they play. There has been a whole tranche of players that've moved on. There is no doubt about that. So, it is time to try to get more players through.
"In fairness, to Ger and the lads, they've put plenty of guys in during the last two games. I'd say they'd have liked to drip-feed them in a little bit more.
"Ideally, from my own experience, you'd like to have 10, 11, 12 really strong players, and throw in two or three.
"I think that is more fair and easier on guys to bed in. It is tough when you're throwing six or seven guys in. It is a big step going from your underage teams or club level to playing with the county.
"They've been fairly competitive in both games, although the Mayo game went away from them after the red card. I'm sure if guys saw myself when I started off, they wouldn't have thought I'd have turned into much of a player.
"These guys need time to find their feet, to grow into it, and to find out what is required to play at that level. You've got to be patient with guys."
While he acknowledges the best place to blood potential players is in the pressure cooker of the top flight, the strength of Division 2 now is such that it would still be beneficial.
“It is not the end of the world if you go down. If you look at the teams in Division 2 at the moment, there are Meath, Cavan, Cork, Tyrone, and Derry. There are still high-level games,”
In season two of the new rules, Dublin are still taking their time to get used to them.
A lack of two-pointers scored and basic breaches still happening, it has cost them games over the last 12 months.
A county known for its quick football, McCarthy is surprised Dublin has not adapted quicker.
“I would have said that. Play fast. Move it quickly through the boot.
“So they should adapt. Maybe we were, and I was myself, (had) a tendency to shovel the pass sideways instead of going directly with the more defensive game there was.
“But they are only in, and the conditions at the moment don’t exactly lend itself to moving the ball and kicking it quicker. I still think as the years go on, you will see more front-foot football from Dublin.
“For the guys that are in there [that] I played with, I know what they are like. They would be of that nature. Ger would always encourage kicking, and as a forward, you want the ball in as quick as they can. So you will see that being layered on as the season goes on.”
For Dublin fans and players, it is a big change from their dominance a decade ago.
Crucial to their success was McCarthy, who won nine All-Irelands and was a five-time All-Star during his time in the Dublin jersey.
For many seasons, it was this time of year that showed Dublin's intentions, as McCarthy explained how early-season scalps gave them confidence for the season ahead.
"Under Pat's time, maybe Dublin didn't take the league as seriously in previous years; there was a big change in mindset.
"In the first few years under Pat, we weren't beating these teams in the championship, so how can you expect to beat these teams in an All-Ireland semi-final or final if you haven't beaten them before.
"We went after scalps in the first few years, beating Kerry away, Mayo away, and that just gives you confidence when you go into bigger games.
"When we were champions, we didn't want to give teams that to their teams, beating us and giving them confidence in the summer."
