Paddy Andrews Explains Why Dublin Could Be Facing Nightmare Scenario After Farrell Exit

Dublin drew a curtain on a disappointing 2025 season yesterday, with their All-Ireland quarter-final loss to Tyrone ensuring that the county failed to make the last four of the championship for the second successive year.

The performance against the Ulster side was a poor one, especially when you consider that Tyrone did not play all that well in the game. Dublin's lack of threat in attack was badly exposed, with Con O'Callaghan left out of the starting XV due to injury.

The loss was also met with the news that Dessie Farrell is set to stand down as Dublin manager. This was not an unexpected development, although Farrell's decision to do so directly after the final whistle did catch some off guard.

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Dessie Farrell will go down as a successful Dublin manager, having won two All-Ireland titles during his time in charge. In saying that, there has clearly been a dip in their form in recent years, best characterised by their failure to win a provincial title this season for the first time since 2010.

The county are now facing into a fairly uncertain period, something that is an unfamiliar scenario within the county.

Speaking on GAA+, Paddy Andrews summed up why Dublin were facing into the unknown as a result of Farrell's decision to step aside.

We're talking about players coming through, but for the last 15 years Dublin have had a coaching succession plan.

The most kind of left field appointment was Pat Gilroy. He took over in 2009, but he had playing earlier that year in the All-Ireland club final for St Vincents. That was a bit of shock.

He did a phenomenal job to change everything in the Dublin football team. Jim Gavin had been managing successfully with the U21 teams, so we knew he was going to be the next guy. Dessie Farrell had been managing successfully with the minor and U21 teams, so we knew he was the next guy.

For 15 years, the Dublin manager has never really been in question. It was 'whenever this guy stops, this guy is coming in'.

We have no idea who the next Dublin manager is going to be. Looking at the club scene, the best club manager has gone and joined Meath in Robbie Brennan with Kilmacud Crokes.

Over the last couple of years there has been no underage success, so there is no one putting their hands up there. It's a period of transition for Dublin that has been accelerated even more.

It is clearly a far from ideal scenario for the county.

Robbie Brennan certainly would have been a prime candidate for this role had he remained within Dublin club football, although it is unclear if he would have any interest in leaving what is an improving Meath team. The same can be said of former Dublin star Ger Brennan, who led Louth to Leinster title success earlier this year.

It will be interesting to see where Dublin go from here.