DARRAGH Ó SÉ WEEKLY COLUMN:I like the new-look Dublin but still feel Tyrone will have too much quality all over the field in the big Saturday evening clash at headquarter.

THE DUBS are at the crossroads again. The only difference this year is that they don’t have a whole heap of expectation on their shoulders. That should do them good.

There’s probably a little disappointment in Dublin at the draw they got but the only thing that improves a team is playing better sides. Dublin might have hoped for a so called lesser team but I think this is the best draw for them. They have put two good games back-to-back. Get on with it now and see how it pans out. I think they will give Tyrone a good game.

Pat Gilroy and his team are due a bit of credit. The qualifiers aren’t the easiest games to pull through especially if you have a big target on your back. You play at unusual times, often on Saturdays. It feels slightly surreal and you tend to play in a league format looking ahead at going through a few of these games and hitting the All-Ireland series. The opposition are playing at championship format and pace though. It’s easy to get caught; hard to look good.

First thing I noticed on Saturday was referee Pat McEnaney was in charge. Just in case lightning struck Louth twice. It was too little too late really.

I don’t blame Martin Sludden for what happened against Meath. Those who appointed a referee with so little experience should be blamed. And I don’t think Louth can get off scot-free. They had four kickable chances to win the game. They should never have left themselves so vulnerable. Louth were still suffering last Saturday and Dublin left them behind early on. Job done.

You will see Dublin (and Cork ) looking a lot better now that the qualifiers are over. It’s back to real work. And real change. Dublin’s work rate has really improved. Michael Dara McCauley is the discovery of the year for them and Bryan Cullen, who has shipped a lot of criticism the last few seasons, has come on and between them the amount of turnovers they have got has been huge.

When you judge Dublin you have to look at where they have come from and where they are going. Everybody agreed that shooting the lights out in Leinster championships and then losing badly against the big boys was a habit they had to stop. The better teams stopped their gallery players in big games and it choked them up.

This year they are attempting the change that was necessary. It takes time but they are getting there. There are a few question marks still. I would worry, for instance, about that patch in the second half of the Louth game when Dublin conceded some excellent scores even when the game was gone.

There was a drop in intensity when Eamon Fennell and Darren Magee came on. Dublin like those big bruiser-like midfielders but they haven’t too much pace. McAuley plays with an intensity which is impressive in a guy in his first year and Ross McConnell in the past two games is looking at last like the sort of serious player Dublin think he is.

I wouldn’t have taken McAuley or McConnell off so quickly.

(And just a note from an old midfielder. As a neutral it was great to see Paddy Keenan bringing the game to Dublin right till the end. He gave some of the standout performances of the summer and no less than John Galvin of Limerick, who was just as heroic, he deserved a bit more at the end of it.)

Another problem is learning the style that Dublin want to play. People talk about Dublin and Tyrone playing a similar style but when Tyrone funnel players back those players know exactly why they are funnelling back and what to do when Tyrone get a turnover on possession.

Martin Penrose or Joe MacMahon funnel back where they are needed and than always show for the ball to take it back out. They are good on the ball coming out of defence and setting up attacks. Dublin get lots of bodies back too but sometimes you can see that they don’t know what to do back there.

Tyrone play the same style but have better footballers doing it. It looks less cumbersome when Tyrone play it. In fairness Tyrone have been doing the same at all levels for years

On Saturday Dublin will miss two players who went before their time. Ciarán Whelan in the last four or five years has given them a different edge. Instead of being the scoring midfielder he developed into the mainstay. From an input point of view I think he would have been very effective this year.

Stephen Cluxton has a wonderful quality to his kick-outs. He picks players out like a quarterback does. You would love to be playing with him.

At times in games (Cork late in ordinary time against Limerick at the weekend is a good example) a team needs to be able to go out long to the middle of the field with a kick-out and hit their guy. When you really need a catch, when things have gone wrong, when you are under pressure, you need that guy to bring the ball down. Whelan was that man for Dublin.

I think they got rid of Jason Sherlock too quickly as well. Talking to Kerry backs down the years he was a guy they worried about. He could set up a goal so quickly. He always played with his head up. In my opinion he’d contribute more than some of the guys they have there at the minute. If I was togging out with Kerry this weekend he would be one of the fellas we would be concerned about. He had a good confidence about himself. He felt he was good enough to score. Forwards need a few guys like that in their midst.

The work ethic and style Dublin have developed is excellent but to take it further they need two or three guys with the bit of inspiration to add to the perspiration.

I don’t see Tyrone putting up a big score on Saturday but they should have too much quality all over the field but their form card is tough to read.

Monaghan looked poor in the Ulster final and again against Kildare. I expect they’ll put Conor Gormley back on Bernard Brogan and if he makes Bernard disappear in the way that Tom O’Sullivan did last year, Dublin will be in a bit of trouble unless they have a Plan B. Last year they had no Plan B. Tyrone to win but not by the sort of score they put past Dublin before.

For the curtain raiser Down won’t worry about Kerry. It isn’t in their nature to give Kerry too much respect. The aristocrats of Ulster always come to Croke Park with a swagger and whatever it is about the black and red gear they tog out bigger than they actually are.

The 60s are the only real form line. Since then when we were strong they were weak or vice versa. They will be supported on Saturday. We know that Kerry won’t travel in numbers. There will be good Down support and they will be well cheered on by Tyrone as Ulster crowds always stick together. And I don’t fancy too many Dubs will be getting behind Kerry.

There is an idea that Kerry are very vulnerable this weekend. Down have good young players but I can’t see how they will win. Tomás is gone but Aidan O’Mahony is back in the mix. As good a man to bring in as you will find. Kerry have a few options in the forwards with Paul Galvin gone but they know also that Kieran Donaghy hasn’t been on fire till now and Croke Park will suit him

Then there’s the Gooch, my player of the year, this year.

I don’t think there is a better footballer in the country right now. Limerick had a plan for him but the Gooch went out and beat them on his own. The plans didn’t work and that’s the story of the summer. Against Cork in Páirc Uí Chaoimh it was a wet and windy day, hard to control ball. We weren’t hectic at midfield. He still piled on the scores and produced the goods.

The Gooch has hit that period of his career when football comes easily. It’s not a labour or a chore. Stuff comes that bit easier to him. He is a joy to watch and we should enjoy it while we still have him. He can be out of the game for 60 minutes and score 1-3.

For a midfielder he was a joy to play with. A lot of corner backs play in front of their man, especially against the Gooch but when you play with him you can relate to the way he is moving. People sometimes say he isn’t showing a lot in games. He shows in different places though. He is very good in the air also. When he is behind his man if you can get the right ball in to him it’s all over.

He’s a thrill to play with in that regard. When he is showing and wanting the ball he is so clever on the ball. He can make a dart to the left so you play it outside him on the right. Last year in the All-Ireland he played very well. People think he only comes to life when he comes to Croke Park, but this year he has been outstanding in all the games he has played.

The Gooch likes the big occasions too and doesn’t seem to be phased going into the games. The Gooch and the quality of what he has around him will see Kerry home.

So four semi finalists? Tyrone, Kerry, Kildare and Cork.