Dublin captain James McCarthy has dismissed any lingering question marks over the tenure of manager Dessie Farrell and insists the Na Fianna man is the ideal candidate to lead the county back to the All-Ireland summit.
Farrell agreed a two-year extension to his contract to remain in the game's hottest hot seat a fortnight ago despite successive seasons without an All-Ireland final appearance.
Having won the previous six titles before that, some pundits and punters had begun to query whether the Boys in Blue needed change at the top. The players, however, never had any such doubts, insists McCarthy.
"From a player group, we've full faith in Dessie," the Ballymun Kickhams clubman said. "There's always going to be talk out there when you're not successful. Two seasons in a row, two semi-final defeats - that's the bottom line. So from our point of view, we're thinking ahead and trying to give a good crack.
"Dessie's a great manager and a great coach and he knows the players so well. He's managed so many of us at underage. We definitely think he's the man to try take us back to the All-Ireland final next year.
"We're delighted he's staying on we just want to keep on building. We're all looking forward to giving it another crack next year, to try and go on and win the Sam Maguire.
"We obviously had a rocky league campaign, and definitely didn't want to get relegated. But we only have ourselves to blame as players and management - we just didn't perform.
"We had a hard look at ourselves before the championship, had a great few weeks training and I thought we played some good football in the championship."
Dublin's season may have ended early but not without a rousing finish to that semi-final with Kerry - the latest classic of the genre between two ancient rivals - which, following last year's capitulation to Mayo and spring's National League relegation, may have seemed like a satisfactory campaign to many.
This group, however, judges itself on All-Irelands won and little else.
"It wasn't the way we wanted the year to end," McCarthy said flatly. "It was a very tough loss in the semi-final. We were obviously right in it until the end, and then Sean O'Shea kicked that great free to win it.
"I've been on the other side of those sort of things in games as well but that's the way it went. It was a great kick to win it, and you have to tip the hat to him.
"We fell short in the semi-final, but we're looking to build, we introduced loads of new players the last year or two. Five or six guys made their debuts, we probably have 20-odd new players on the panel so just building on that now is key as well."
Farrell's position seemed anything but secure at the tail-end of the split season and indeed there was plenty of water-cooler talk suggesting he might be replaced. If the final 20 minutes of the semi-final with Kerry was anything to go by, however, the panel were very much still 'playing' for their manager.
As suggested in recent weeks, did Dublin's defiant showing in defeat possibly convince an undecided county board that Farrell was still the man for the job?
"I don't think it was a massive factor for that side of things," McCarthy dismissed. "We were under pressure the first half, no doubt about it. We had plenty of chances ourselves. But Kerry got four, five or six points up on us.
"There's that risk that the game could go away on us. But we got in at half-time, a few stern words were said as when you're in a position like that at half-time in big games. We just said 'we're going to have a serious crack at this in the second half, squeeze and press up, go for the jugular' and that's the game.
"We didn't get that score to put us into the lead. We had a chance. That's the way it goes at that level. Small things can change a game. I thought the energy might have gone out of [O'Shea's] legs, but in fairness it was some kick to win it. We came in strong to the game the second half. But unfortunately it didn't work out for us."
The thought that they could head into autumn or winter with a new man in charge was not something that entered the players' heads, according to their skipper.
"No. We lost the semi-final and then we just switched into our club heads," McCarthy said. "That's the way we do it every year. There was loads of talk but the players were delighted when he stayed on. So now we look ahead to next year."
Asked if senior players such as himself had any say in whether Farrell was offered a new contract, the eight-time All-Ireland winner had only one answer.
"In Dublin, the way we operate is that the players play. We don't get involved with stuff with management.
"There was definitely no involvement from ourselves in that side of things, we just focus on the playing side and trying to do the best we can for the Dublin jersey."
"I've obviously less years ahead than I have behind at this stage, but I'm still enjoying football"
McCarthy, at age 32, was at the forefront of the Dubs' classy second-half showing against Kerry. Breaking forward from the back, he kicked a fantastic point to drag Dubin to within a bounce of a ball from the Kingdom. Did that second-half display convince the veteran to return for at least one more crack at the ancient cup?
"Ah look, I've obviously less years ahead than I have behind at this stage, but I'm still enjoying football, I still think I can compete at that level," McCarthy said at an AIG-sponsored event this week.
"The way I see it, you're finished playing long enough, so why not try... especially with the group we have. We have a great bunch there, lads I still enjoy going training with each week. When I sat down and reflected on it, they're the factors to give it another go next year.
"At the end of every year, I'd have a look at my game from a football perspective and then obviously, the body as well. I'm obviously not getting younger, that's for sure. I'd like to be playing more games for the team but I couldn't do that last year with the injuries I had.
"So I'll have to look at that and make some changes to training, add some things. I'm busy with the club at the moment, so I haven't fully focused down on that, but there are a few things I need to do to try and make myself more available for selection."
Dublin's James McCarthy was on hand to launch AIG’s new Injury Cash product, aimed at sports people and athletes of all levels to help provide some direct financial support and assistance in the event of a covered injury.
