THE FIRST DAY of October is not a typical inter-county championship date but there will still be a requirement for Jim Gavin and Stephen Rochford to send a starting fifteen into action on Saturday evening.
But what are the issues that the Dublin and Mayo managers are mulling over before the autumn replay showdown?
1. Is it time to give Paddy Andrews a start in the Dublin attack?
Paddy Andrews missed Dublin’s 2016 opener against Laois with a back injury. Since then has come on as a sub in four of Dublin’s championship matches with just a single start to his credit, the quarter-final against Donegal.
But he’s made a strong case for inclusion on Saturday. In the drawn match, Andrews was sprung into action after James McCarthy was shown a black card. He adjusted well to the sodden conditions, kicking two fine points.
Andrews clearly has a penchant for playing Mayo, his 0-7 haul in last year’s two-game saga is a testament to the potential havoc he can wreak. His name will surely feature heavily in the debate over Dublin’s team selection.
2. Who from Dublin’s forward line could lose out?
Dublin’s lethal band of attackers have had better outings than last Sunday week. It was an afternoon of unusual struggle for a unit that have reached extraordinary heights in recent seasons. 0-2 was the collective total from play of the starting six forwards of Flynn, Connolly, Kilkenny, Rock, McManamon and Brogan.
Will any of them be demoted? Dublin do not lack options with Andrews the front runner while Paul Mannion and Eoghan O’Gara bring their own strengths. Kilkenny and Connolly’s role in directing play during the middle traffic, and Rock’s deadball prowess – albeit he endured an off day last time out – mean it’s difficult to see them lose out.
Flynn and Brogan are not influencing games to the extent that they were but their class is permanent. Will McManamon – superb all season until the drawn game – have to revert to the dreaded super sub tag? The choice of the attacking sextet will be intriguing.
3. How will Mayo employ Alan Dillon?
The quarter-final against Tyrone saw Alan Dillon’s Mayo 2016 season catch fire. He started and was taken off at half-time but his input was invaluable in helping Mayo establish a platform to win the match.
The Ballintubber man came on as a substitute in the match against Tipperary before only playing 11 minutes against Dublin last time out. Injury necessitated his withdrawal after being brought on but he still found time to land a trademark sweetly-struck point.
Doubts over his fitness cloud Dillon’s build-up to the replay. Which risk is greater now – parachute him into the starting side or introduce him, hoping that he will not break down and have to be replaced?
Even at 34, the vastly experienced Dillon clearly has something to offer for Mayo. The dilemma for Stephen Rochford is how to employ him.
4. Who should accompany Brian Fenton at midfield for Dublin?
23 year-old Fenton is the fulcrum of the Dublin midfield and in pole position for Footballer of the Year. The question is who should partner him? Michael Darragh MacAuley has done so for five of Dublin’s games this summer, Denis Bastick did so against Meath in the Leinster semi-final.
MacAuley’s was not hugely prominent in the drawn match, fortunate to escape an early black card and then shown a yellow for a high tackle on Cillian O’Connor. Could his rampaging style of play yield a greater return for Dublin if he is introduced as a substitute when a game is more open?
Veteran Bastick can always be counted to put in a hard shift but a more leftfield call may be moving Paul Flynn out to ignite the midfield engine room with Fenton.
5. Will Mayo’s strategy to stop Fenton result in changes?
For all that Mayo got right in the drawn game, there was a definite difficulty for them in curbing the threat of Brian Fenton. Aside from his impact around the middle, Fenton caused Mayo some heart-stopping moments with the smart timing of his runs that saw him glide behind their rearguard.
One in the first-half resulted in Kevin McLoughlin’s own goal, another would also have resulted in a green flag being raised only for David Clarke to bravely block the shot. For Mayo to win, they need to stifle the Raheny man.
One suggestion has been to tag him with a different player at intervals. Can Seamus O’Shea and Tom Parsons alternate effectively in that role? Should the athleticism of Donal Vaughan be used to keep tabs on Fenton? And in that instance should Mayo bring in Chris Barrett at the back to allow Vaughan to play full-time at midfield?
* What changes would you make to the Dublin and Mayo starting sides? Let us know.
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