Down manager James McCartan is of the opinion that there are five teams in danger of dropping out of Division One of the Allianz Football League.
McCartan is preparing his side for their league opener against Donegal on Saturday and he is refusing to look beyond the Newry clash.
Down finished fourth in Division One 12 months ago but McCartan believes his side are one of five teams who will battle it out for survival with Dublin, Cork and Kerry the only teams who will not have such worries.
"Dublin, Cork and Kerry probably can experiment. We tried to do it in the McKenna Cup. We can’t afford to go out and put out a weakened or experimental team in a National League game because we will just lose it," McCartan is quoted as saying in the Irish Examiner.
"Take Cork, Kerry and Dublin out of Division 1, I’d assume everyone else is looking at the trap door, hoping they are not going to be hovering above it.
"Of course, what we are all hoping is that after game three we will have four or six points and be able to reset the bar and look to qualifying for a semi-final or final."