NFL Dublin: There are probably several ways of looking at Dublin's poor start to the Allianz football league - experimentation, over-emphasis on training, slackness, etc - but for defender Paul Casey there is nothing much to worry about, whatever the reason.
Things won't get any easier, however, and after the defeats to Tyrone and Donegal - sandwiching the narrowest of wins over Limerick - the visit of Cork on Saturday week suddenly represents a crucial game in Dublin's league campaign - especially after Cork's startling reversal of form against Tyrone last weekend. "We just didn't come up with the performance against Donegal," says Casey, "and got the result we deserved for that.
"We're all very disappointed. It does leave us in a difficult position, and ideally we would still like to reach the play-offs. That will probably depend on other results going our way now.
"But I think the main priority now is to preserve our division one status for next year. Of course, every other team is trying to do that, so it will be difficult.
"But then our first half performance against Tyrone was quite good. We just weren't good in the second half. But we learnt again from that, and I think picked it up for a good, hard-fought win over Limerick. Against Donegal we just didn't perform again, so we'll have to pick up again against Cork, and that game can't come soon enough really."
Casey isn't fingering a single reason for Dublin's uneasy ride so far, but is suggesting that things will be different come the championship: "We're not too worried about our form. We know we've players coming back to full fitness. Competition for places is good and we've managed to blood a few young players as well, so we're looking forward the rest of the games.
"And come the championship I think we will be right. Training has been going brilliantly. We're building again on our programme from last year, and I think we'll see the benefits of that later on in the season. We've players finished now with college competition and under-21 as well so we've everyone coming back.
"And we do want to peak for the summer. There's no point in peaking in March or April. We're looking at an upward curve this season and hopefully the further we go the better we'll be. We're getting more done between matches as well, in that the structure of the league this year allows that. You're not playing so many games in succession.
"It's hard though to get the team right all year round, and we do have some players better suited to summer football. And I think you will see improvements as the summer approaches. I think it's better the bad performances come early in the league."
Still, another defeat under the lights of Parnell Park on Saturday week will spell real trouble, and leave Dublin in danger of ending up in division three next season.
"That all makes for a great game," adds Casey, "because we definitely want to get back to winning ways. Cork had a great performance against Tyrone, and must be looking forward to playing us at Parnell Park. And we know there is always pressure on Dublin to perform."
That pressure, it seems, is mounting.
