It is the concern occupying the minds of almost every Dublin football fan right now - summed up in only two words: Aidan O’Shea.
Yet while Jimmy Keaveney, the winner of three All-Irelands with Dublin in the 1970s, was not denying that the in-form O’Shea has the potential to wreck Dublin’s All-Ireland semi-final challenge this weekend, he baulked at the idea that Jim Gavin, the Dublin manager, should change his tactical philosophy and consider using a sweeper, or even double marking Mayo’s talismanic full forward.
The debate on how to stop O’Shea has raged however, ever since the 25-year-old - who relocated from midfield to full forward this season - delivered 3-4 for Mayo in their Connacht final victory over Sligo. Subsequent to this, he effectively changed the course of their quarter-final tie against Donegal with a fine individual goal just before half-time. “Dublin will have to be play a sweeper to combat O’Shea,” John Heslin, the Westmeath forward, said. “I don’t think they’ll be able to manage him one-on-one.”
However, Keaveney, who was inducted into the GAA museum’s Hall of Fame yesterday, disagrees with Heslin’s assertion. “I don’t think there’ll be any sweepers, I don’t believe in that,” the 70-year-old said. “The full back’s job is to take control of O’Shea. Now he can work out something with his two corner backs but I wouldn’t put two players on him. At that level, what is the other player that you’re supposed to be marking, going to do? He could easily become the player who would cause you a lot of problems.
“Rory O’Carroll is quite capable of handling him. He has been playing very well, is disciplined and would know all of O’Shea’s tricks. He will be prepared for him. He’s got two very good corner backs there to cover up there as well so I’ve no major concerns there.”
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Another major concern for Dublin this week is the form of Michael Darragh Macauley, who won the 2013 the Footballer of the Year award when Dublin last took the All-Ireland title but was dropped for the quarter-final victory against Fermanagh, the first time he was relegated to the bench since the 2010 campaign.
“I would start Michael. However, I don’t foresee Jim making too many changes from the last dayl,” Keaveney said.
Diarmuid Connolly, a club-mate of Keaveney’s at St Vincent’s, has hugely impressed him with his recent maturation, after developing a hot-headed reputation earlier in his career.
“Diarmuid is well disciplined now whereas it might have been a case that at one stage he wasn’t,” Keaveney said. “To me, he’s one of the best finds for Dublin in years. Diarmuid has realised his ability and I don’t think he wants to throw anything away now through indiscipline.”
With Kerry already through to next month’s final and the race for Sam now down to just three, Keaveney believes Dublin are still favourites to claim a third title in five seasons.
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“Mayo have a good team but I think the Dublin setup right now is just amazing,” Keaveney, a two-time Footballer of the Year, said. “When I look through the team, they’ve a great defence, a great goalkeeper, great forwards and a very good midfield and they’ve got a bench that a lot of the players would get on most county teams. And, of course, they’ve a great manager in Jim Gavin.
“People ask if they’re undercooked? That’s the only thing. They haven’t been tested in Leinster and the first big test really is coming up on Sunday. But, in saying that, they’re all experienced players with a good manager and he’ll be able to talk to them and let them now exactly what’s coming. I hope everything works out but I think it’s theirs to lose.”
Another St Vincent’s colleague of Keaveney’s, Ger Brennan, was a high-profile absentee at this stage of last year’s Championship when his commanding presence at centre back was sorely missed as Donegal picked Dublin apart during a famous win.
Brennan recently confirmed that he will not play at all this summer because of long-term injury problems and it remains to be seen how Dublin will cope in that key defensive area in this year’s semi-final.