HAVING JUST WON the Leinster Senior Football Championship, in addition to being reigning All-Ireland champions, some teams in Dublin’s position would be tempted to rest on their laurels.
However, despite that temptation, there is a definite sense with the current Dublin team that there is little danger of complacency setting in, and Michael Fitzsimons is one example of a player who gives the impression of being as hungry for success as ever.
Despite their recent achievements, Fitzsimons admits there is still much room for improvement in the side. Speaking in relation to their Leinster Championship-winning campaign, he says:
“It wasn’t flawless by any means. We got through it. There were some good patches but not the consistency that we would have wanted.”
“We didn’t have a great League campaign. We didn’t probably carry in a huge amount of form to the Leinster campaign, so maybe that might have contributed a bit. We were probably just trying a few things out and just trying to find form.”
And does he feel that this year, Dublin have sought to change too much from the winning formula that brought them All-Ireland glory?
“That definitely is a possibility. I don’t think we’ve fallen into that trap. You can even see it with Donegal, the way they’ve changed year on year and adapted a little bit each time. They’re an example of how that can be done. Their attacking game is great. We’re just trying to adapt a little bit. Nothing major.”
Dublin have been drawn with Laois in the All-Ireland quarter-finals, in a game that they are heavy favourites to win, but Fitzsimons says the side will be taking nothing for granted in this weekend’s clash.
“You just try and ignore the reactions that you get. Don’t let them get into your head. You don’t want to let complacency set in because everyone is telling you this and that. You just want to focus on Laois. They’re there on merit.“So I don’t think it’s the easier side of the draw. I think it’s tough, whoever you get in the quarter-finals is going to be tough. That’s how we’re approaching it.”
And while both Dublin and Laois beat Meath by three points recently, Fitzsimons believes that of the two teams, Laois were far more impressive in the manner in which they achieved their victory.
“The way they played was a lot more consistent than us. I watched that game. Obviously I didn’t know what the draw would be, but the way they moved the ball was very good. It was a huge difference from how they played us in 2011. They moved it quick, got forward quick and look a strong side.”
And he acknowledges that the side cannot afford to switch off, as they did in the dying stages against Meath, for the match on Saturday.
“It’s weird. Against Meath you could sort of sense we were going off the boil. It probably takes a big player, a leader to pull us back, it wasn’t me! Stephen in goals was roaring at us trying to get us going.
“Everyone felt we were dropping off the boil. It takes someone to make a big play to get you out of that lull, or of falling back on yourselves, but yeah, it’s something that we can’t afford to go near again, not to the extent that we did against Meath.”
