Former Kerry player and manager Éamonn Fitzmaurice believes that Dublin's continuing problems stem from a defensive malaise but claims a few games away from Croke Park could offer them a lift.
Dublin suffered consecutive defeats at Croke Park, losing the Leinster final to Westmeath before last week’s defeat to Louth at headquarters.
The fact that defeat to the Wee County didn’t come as a surprise is remarkable within itself and with Ger Brennan poised to return the touchlines, the Dublin boss has to get to grips with a defence that have coughed up six goals in their last two games.
Speaking on the RTÉ GAA podcast, Fitzmaurice reflected on the game with Louth and saw some key places where the Dubs need to improve.
"Offensively, I think they were impressive," he said. "They put a lot of good attacking play together at times. They still left a bit behind them, but they were sharp and they were good going forward, particularly in the first half.
"But defensively, the goals, some of the goals they conceded were calamitous.
"Their kick out is still an issue. The strength of their squad is still an issue.
"Their athleticism that was there previously meant that they just could mow over teams in the past, that isn't as much of a factor anymore.
"In terms of what will they be looking to fix for a week and a half's time, they'll definitely be looking at their own kick out again, and they'll definitely be trying to do something defensively because that pattern has been there for them."
Dublin's next game is against Cavan who they will face in Kingspan Breffni Park on Sunday 14 June, with Brennan's 12-week suspension fulfilled then, he is free to return to the Dubs' bench.
Brennan's return is an obvious boost but Fitzmaurice believes that the Dublin players will also be aided by getting out of Croke Park with the stadium starting to weigh on them.
"Ironically, they're probably better off out of Croke Park because they can't seem to win games there," he said.
"The only game they won in Croke Park all this season was they beat Monaghan there in the league when Monaghan were missing half their team. Other than that, they've lost all their games there. They lost all the league games there, and they've lost the championship games there.
"I'm certainly finding it hard to get my head around where they are and how swift the decline has been and how absolute the decline has been. It's just remarkable.
"They aren't the force of old, but to be losing as many games as they are, I definitely wouldn't have expected that.
"It still is fixable. They still have great players in their ranks, but it seems a long way back for them."
Watch a hurling final double-header, Carlow v Laois in the Joe McDonagh Cup (3.45pm) and Dublin v Galway in the Leinster Hurling Championship (6pm), on Saturday from 3.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app and listen to Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
Watch Cork v Limerick in the Munster Hurling Championship final on Sunday from 1.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app and listen to Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
