By Gerry McLaughlin
Yes we can. That’s the clear message from Donegal legend Brendan Devenney ahead of the big showdown in Croke Park, which is already a sell out.
But the mercurial Devenney admits that a lot of things have to go right for Donegal to prevail.
And Michael Murphy and Paddy McBrearty will need to spend more time inside for a Donegal victory.
“Dublin don’t have Rory O’Carroll or Jack McCaffrey and they are big losses and there are still question marks about their full-backline.
“I know we will need Michael Murphy out the field for periods also, but we should lorry in loads of diagonal ball in towards Murphy when he is inside, that did not happen against Cork.
“He will draw at least two Dublin players on top of him which will help Patrick McBrearty and we saw what he can do when Cork were concentrating on Murphy.
“If Dublin have a weakness it is in their full-back line, but I also think that we must be a bit patient.
“But you only need one or two breaks for the likes of Murphy and we are going to need to score at least one if not two goals to beat the Dubs.
“However I think we can score one if not two goals against Dublin”.
Meanwhile team manager Rory Gallagher strongly rejected suggestions that team captain Michael Murphy has been a “tired player” this season.
By his own exceptionally high standards Murphy has had a relatively quiet season, hitting only two points form play in the entire championship.
“I think it is crazy that people get a notion and it develops and develops”, said Gallagher.
“Michael is in great condition, absolutely great condition and is moving really well.
“Yes he had an ankle injury but he has a far volume of training.
“I think that people look for things that aren’t there sometimes.
“If you compare it to other sports, you see Lionel Messi what age is he playing from?
“Look at John O’Shea of Sunderland he has been playing for Man Utd since he was 17.
“Michael knows how to look after his body no more so than other people.
“He is playing a long time, but I am pretty sure he intends playing a lot longer.
And ebullient Donegal boss Gallagher believes that the hotly fancied Dubs are “beatable”.
“For sure, they are beatable and I think Dublin would be aware of that as well, but to beat them you have to do an awful lot of things right.
“You must produce a level of intensity that is greater than theirs.
“You have got to make sure that when you get the chances you put them away and that is the challenge for us”.
“All we are concerned about is to be better than them on Saturday evening.
“We are happy to get them now and we only worry about ourselves and we feel we have had a consistent level of performances and we know we are going to have to improve that.
“We have everybody fit and available which is massive for us.
‘This time last year and in 2013 some of the boys were carrying wee niggles and with the exception of Big Neil we have a fully fit squad which is a very good place to be”.
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