"Dublin vs Monaghan - live!! Semi Final.
Sunday, April 12

Allianz Football League Division I Semi-Final

DUBLIN v MONAGHAN, CROKE PARK, 4PM (Live on TG4 and GAAGO)
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http://w.atch.me/l47JI



http://www.edigitalplace.com/amember/aff/go?r=49144&i=56

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How much can change in seven days? These two sides met last Sunday in the final round of Allianz Football League fixtures, with Dublin dishing out a rare trimming to Malachy O'Rourke's side with a 1-22 to 1-11 win in Clones.

Heavy beatings have not been a feature of the O'Rourke era since he took over in September 2012, but Dublin appear to have something of a hex over the Farney men - last August they routed Monaghan 2-22 to 0-11 in the All-Ireland quarter-final at Croke Park, the two sides' last competitive meeting at Headquarters.

Monaghan have spent the past week in Portugal, in the no-doubt salubrious surrounds of a training camp at the same location where Donegal were based this time last season. While the five days spent on the Iberian Peninsula will have been an opportunity to address some of the concerns arising from last weekend's defeat, the main focus for Monaghan will surely be preparation for the Ulster quarter-final against Cavan, which is now just six weeks away.

Monaghan return from Portugal less than 48 hours ahead of the trip to Croke Park, but given how well the 2013 Ulster champions have performed in their first year in the top tier since promotion, they will want to finish out their campaign in the best possible style. Another significant motivating factor will be to improve on last weekend's result, as a third successive hammering at the hands of Dublin could be very psychologically damaging for a team seemingly on the cusp of joining the elite.

We have been on an upward curve this last two or three years," said O'Rourke following last weekend's defeat. "Making the next step is the toughest. Playing against these real quality teams and we have had a couple of tough days against them. But there is a lot of character there and we will sit down and try and address what went wrong and put it right. You have to show that resilience and try to improve step by step. There is a gap there. It will be seen next weekend if we can close it in that space of time.”

Monaghan were criticised in some quarters last year for the tactics they employed in the Ulster final against Donegal, and in their All-Ireland quarter-final to Dublin. Conor McManus was significantly isolated in both games, and although Dublin struggled in the initial 25 minutes of their quarter-final to break down a packed Monaghan defence, eventually their resistance crumbled and the Dubs ran riot.

However, an interesting factor ahead of this game is the fact that Dublin have been playing similar tactics recently. Against Derry a couple of weeks ago, Dublin played a classic 'blanket defence' system - something Derry manager Brian McIver pointed out recently, following significant criticism of the way his side set up against Dublin.

"The thing that annoyed me was did anybody ask why, for most of the match, we had to go across the pitch as opposed to driving forward?" McIver said this week. "The reason was that Dublin had set up, by and large, the same.

"I'm not pointing the finger at Dublin. They had learned last year in the All-Ireland semi-final that you cannot push up and push up and leave gaps at the back. They got exposed for that. And while they'll not say anything, Dublin would have been pleased with the defensive part of their game. But all the fingers were pointed at Derry."

It's a charge refuted by Dublin manager Jim Gavin, however. “We try to play an expansive game," he said. "Teams who have employed a different defensive system have been very, very successful and that’s the way it is."

When asked about the amount of men Dublin regularly had in their own half against Monaghan, Gavin said: “They were just following their men. If Monaghan players attack they have to be followed. I don’t think you could suggest that we play a defensive game, but I certainly expect my players to follow their opposing markers when they go into our half and that’s what we did.”

The level of debate about tactical systems has certainly intensified in the media in recent weeks, and given the timbre of Dublin's recent games, and their recent history against Monaghan, it adds an interesting flavour to their meeting on Sunday. Will Dublin play the expansive game Gavin claims as their hallmark? Will Monaghan re-jig their own tactics given their last two results against Dublin?

Both sides are close to full strength ahead of the game. Alan Brogan may be back in the Dublin squad following his return to senior training this week, and should he feature, it will be interesting to see where he fits into Dublin's talent-laden attack. Colin Walshe is back in full training for Monaghan having recovered from the cruciate ligament injury sustained against Dublin last August, but he is thought to still be a few weeks shy of playing competitive football.

A win for Monaghan would send them into their first Division I final since 1986, when they were beaten by Laois. A win for Dublin will keep their bid for three league titles in a row alive, something the capital city side have never before achieved. The winners will play either Cork or Donegal in the final on April 26."