Former Dublin footballer Diarmuid Connolly does not think the Boys in Blue can contend for the All-Ireland this year.
After the remarkable success of the last decade which saw the Dubs win eight of the last 11 All-Ireland finals - including five-in-a-row from 2015 to 2020 - things have taken a turn for the worse.
Having relinquished their All-Ireland crown after a semi-final defeat against Mayo, Dublin then went on to grossly underperform in this year's Allianz League, culminating in their relegation to Division Two.
Two wins towards the end of their campaign did not undo the damage of five previous losses and Dublin were ousted.
And Connolly does not believe the Dubs have the manpower to recover and launch an assault in the championship.
Speaking to Boylesports, he said: “Unless something drastically changes in the Dublin camp, I can’t see them winning the Championship this year.
“They have a great starting fifteen if Con O’Callaghan comes back and he’s fit, but I don’t see the bench as strong as some of the other teams."
And Connolly believes that yesterday's League final duo of Kerry and Mayo will remain prominent as the season rolls on.
He said: “Kerry meanwhile have a massive squad and their strength in depth is frightening. They were far superior to Mayo in the league final and it was a huge statement, because they will probably be their main rivals later in the summer.
“Sean O’Shea wasn’t even there and David Clifford was unplayable - he ran that Mayo defence ragged. It’s their era, but they have no All-Ireland medals to show for it.
"They’re a magical team when they’re playing well, but it’s all about getting over the line. The problem is they’re probably not going to get a competitive game until an All-Ireland quarter-final as Munster looks very weak this year."
Despite heavy defeat for Mayo yesterday, the former Dublin sharpshooter believes a competitive edge in the Connacht championship will stand to James Horan's side as the season wears on.
He said: “For Mayo, they will have plenty of competition in Connacht and we know what they’re like when they build a bit of momentum.
"It’s never easy to get beaten that badly, but I always say you learn much more from your defeats than you do from your victories.”
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