DESSIE FARRELL HAS credited the impact of Pat Gilroy as a sounding board across the whole of his Dublin management career.
The former teammates overlapped as minor and senior managers in 2011 when the Dubs achieved their breakthrough Sam Maguire success.
Since then, Gilroy has been a regular confidant of Farrell’s, culminating in their pairing up to bring All-Ireland silverware back to the capital this season.
“Pat’s a special individual,” said Farrell. “We soldiered a long time together as players and even when he was the senior manager and I was the minor manager, I would have confided a lot in Pat.
“His time was very precious and he had a big job on his own hands so he was always very forthcoming and helpful.
“Even when he stepped away and I was involved with the U21 teams, I’d always tic-tac with him and he was a great sounding board and over the last couple of seasons as well.
“This season, we had a cup of coffee and I just put it to him, would he be in a position to give us a little bit more, and he was able to.
“He’s a special character so it was great to have him involved.”
Farrell also praised the impact of Ger Lyons’ coaching, having come on board this season, as well as his regular lieutenants, Darren Daly, Mick Galvin, and Brian O’Regan.
“They don’t get the credit that they deserve, the endless hours that they put in. There are people who make huge differences in other people’s lives and they don’t even know it and that’s the type of group that those coaches are. They’re brilliant.”
Farrell acknowledged the sense that 2023 could be a “last dance” for some of this Dublin team.
Dean Rock revealed he has “probably” played his last match, while captain James McCarthy also hinted that Sunday could be his swansong, saying he had worn the Dublin jersey “maybe for the last time”.
“We didn’t really speak collectively about that,” said Farrell.
There was an understanding that for some this could be the last dance, so to speak, and we didn’t try to leverage or use that because sometimes that can be inauthentic, and you’re trying to create a crutch or a hook that may not necessarily work to your advantage.
“They’re all going to be individual decisions for everybody involved and I think yesterday was about that group coming together and it didn’t really matter who was in the group. It was a case of a strong bond developing over the last nine months.
“I mentioned the young lads before coming in and bringing great energy and enthusiasm and they sparked life into some of the senior lives and definitely having some of the lads who were away come back (helped).
“There was a great sense of comfort in that as well. Being part of the team, the dynamics can be different from one team to another but that sense of cohesion and sense of brotherhood was great amongst the group.
“We got the timing right and that blend of youth and experience seemed to work as well. That was what yesterday was about. Not necessarily about what was to come or who might be there in the future.
“We didn’t travel that road. It was more about who we have here at the minute and to be grateful for all those individuals.”
Farrell agreed that chance to salute a special bunch of players gave Dublin’s bounce-back triumph a warmer welcome than their six-in-a-row success.
“Dublin being the capital city and the success they’ve had over the last decade, it’s natural there may be people around the country supporting the opposition on any given day. But, obviously, Kerry are a stronghold of Gaelic football so in terms of the neutrals, you don’t know which way they were going.
“But I think for a lot of Dublin people there was a sense of something special about yesterday’s victory. You can’t really put the finger on what that was.
“They’re a special group of players and there’s huge affection for them within the city by the people of Dublin so probably something to do with that.”
Andy Reid has always been a quality player, unfortunately his career coincided with the premier league craze for big athletic centre midfielders and out and out wide players. 442 was his downfall that is why he’s been excellent the last 18 months, he has no position with Forest just picks it up anywhere on the pitch and makes things happen. Donkeys like Chris and Pat just form an opinion without reason, they’ll be wavin their plastic hammers all over the pub when he’s helping Ireland to the next Euros
Fair point but dies that still not mean that physically Reid was/is not good enough for the premier league? He’s had 2 or 3 opportunities to prove himself as a premiership player and has failed every time. It takes a lot more than the ability to “pick out a pass” when it comes to making it at the highest level. I believe Reid wasted his best years because he did not give total and unrelenting commitment to ensuring that he was at his absolute maximum level of physical fitness, which would have allowed him to be a consistent performer at premier league level. Hence he would often string a few decent performances together at Sunderland in particular, then disappear for a few months and suddenly appear again “looking fitter than he has ever looked” (WTF?) for another spell of good form before disappearing again. That kind of attitude would have been acceptable in the 70s or 80s but not in the modern game.
As for Reid’s future with Ireland, well, the guy is thirty something so he is hardly the future is he? Could be a decent option off the bench if we were struggling to break down Georgia away for example, but it would be embarrassing to see him up against Ozil, Kroos, Gotze and co.
The journal has an obsession with Andy Reid though, so expect plenty more articles on him while he is still in the mix for Ireland selection.
I disagree with your point about him not being good enough for the PL, what I was saying was the type of football being played at those clubs (Sunderland, Spurs) at the time was where centre mids were box to box and wide players who could run at people. Now with various formations being used by PL clubs there is more of a demand for players who play between the lines, he could easily play 3/4 of the teams in the premiership now, good players need good players around them. What are all the “” regarding?
I just think he’s vastly overrated by the Irish media that’s all. Who are the 3-4 sides that play these formations nowadays that would accommodate Reid? Teams like west ham/crystal palace/stoke/Sunderland play the same shite football today that they were playing ten years ago.
He’s nowhere near good enough to play for a top 6 side. He lacks pace to play behind the strikers for a top level side. His work rate was also exposed when he came up against top players of a similar style. The difference between the likes of Reid and the world class creative players is their willingness to work off the ball. Based on his career to date I think he has been lazy in the past and that’s what I meant by the quotes about him being in the shape of his career/lost a few pounds etc.. Shouldn’t he always have maintained that level of conditioning? Is that not what he is paid to do?
Professional footballers getting praised for losing a few pounds of fat?? It’s a joke. Like Roy Keane said “it’s like praising the postman for delivering mail”
That’s my opinion anyway
Those comments should be reported on the basis of nothing but stupidity
Ah booo
Feel bad for him I know he has it in him but hasn’t gotten a big enough chance to prove it!
He has had multiple chances at premier league level and with Ireland throughout his career and has never taken any of them or nailed down a proper starting place for a sustained period of time under any manager? Were all his previous managers wrong then?
“Nottingham Forest star”
I must remember that next time I need an example for the meaning of oxymoron.
^^^^^^^
You’re an idiot. You know nothing about football. Better not to speak when you’ve nothing but stupid things to say.
Hes fat anyway!
Big loss for Ireland, he can do things that others can’t.
But Forest, already crippled with injuries, are absolutely fooked without Reid.
Still makes me angry at least 4 years of international duties were robbed off him. Wouldn’t mind if Whelan and Green were worthy their places in the squad