Diarmuid Connolly says Dublin are better off with Dessie Farrell in charge
The former All-Star believes Farrell is the right man to eke out one more glory year.
Diarmuid Connolly has pleaded with Dessie Farrell to stay on as Dubs boss for one more year. The six-time All-Ireland winning forward sees a natural succession plan evolving where ex-team mate Ger Brennan comes in as Farrell’s replacement.
But not before the current Dubs boss had one more shift at the coalface, having led the team to two All-Irelands in his four seasons in charge. Last year’s champions crashed out of the All-Ireland in the quarters after getting ambushed by Galway, their worst season since 2009.
Connolly said: “The post mortem from the match is that we should have kept Paul Mannion and Jack McCaffrey in reserve to come off the bench for the last 15 minutes.
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“That aside, I saw resilience from Dublin that day. Anyone else would have laid down against Galway. But Dublin still got it back to a point.
“So mark my words, Dublin will be back.”
But will Farrell be back?
Connolly, 37, said: “For that squad and group of players it is very important he stays on and not leave it where it is and because there is no natural successor to jump into the job at this stage. So Dessie staying would be a huge thing for this squad.
“He has already signed up for another year. If he stays, that would be the right thing for Dublin.
“But there are guys in the background - I was speaking to Ger Brennan yesterday - and I am sure he would love to jump in and be a Dublin manager at some stage in his career.”
Doubts also hang over the intercounty futures of James McCarthy, Mick Fitzsimons and Stephen Cluxton but Boylesports ambassador Connolly maintains each individual has earned the right to decide when it is time to call it a day.
He said: “I am not 100 per cent sure what they are going to do. It is up to those guys individually, and to their families. The three guys have been Dublin’s best performers over the last decade, in Clucko’s case, two decades.
“So it is not a decision for me. Everyone wants to know. I can’t tell them what to do. Mick had an outstanding year, James had a lot of injuries, Stephen Cluxton has not put a foot wrong all championship. It is a decision for those guys to make, not for me.”
Diarmuid Connolly & Joe and Aaron Kernan teamed up with BoyleSports to preview this weekend’s GAA All Ireland Senior Football Championship Final. Get paid out early with BoyleSports if your team goes 7 points ahead, even if they draw or lose!
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