All-Ireland SFC qualifier: Tom Carr is no stranger to the roller-coaster of championship campaigns. Managing Dublin tends to prepare you for every twist and turn. It is somewhat ironic that, as Dublin's 2003 campaign becomes a distant memory, their former boss is still quietly motoring along.

His Roscommon charges have by no means had a smooth run this year. The first game of the campaign pitted them against their old foes Galway at Pearse Park and the Tribesmen had too much fire-power.

So into the qualifiers they ventured. The first round was supposed to throw up a handy number like London or Wicklow to get them into their stride; instead Carr's men had to face a Cork side still licking their wounds after a defeat to Limerick.

But a one-point victory over Larry Tompkins's side and suddenly their season was up and running.The matches haven't got any easier since but victories over Leitrim and Offaly have them heading to Portlaoise for this Saturday evening's fourth round qualifier against Kildare with their tails up.

Carr doesn't read too much into the notion that his many years of facing Kildare in Leinster campaigns will make a difference.

"With TV now, everyone seems to know everything about everyone. I suppose I do have a knowledge from playing and managing teams against them but Kildare are a far cry from the team they were 10 or 15 years ago.

"They are a solid team and have maintained the plateau they reached under Mick O'Dwyer."

One major advantage could be the winning momentum that Roscommon have developed along the backdoor path, while Kildare are just coming off the back of a crushing Leinster final defeat.

"We've had a good run of games but we can't really train hard between matches as the games themselves take a lot out of the lads.

"The advantage of the last three matches is it allows you to address the problems that arise."

In the last few years Roscommon football has been associated more with indiscipline than with the considerable talent they have at their disposal. Even before the Offaly game, the issue arose again with Carr banishing three players from his panel.

All has now been forgiven but, of the three, only Paul Noone and John Nolan have returned to training while the match winner against Leitrim, David O'Connor, has yet to go back. Nevertheless, Carr has kept an open-door policy in place for all.

"The players have responded very well after the last year's negative press. Full credit to them for doing that. I'm very happy with the way Noone and Dolan have replied after being disciplined. The incident is history now."

It's this style of managerial diplomacy, with the threat of the iron fist if needs be, that the players seem to have responded to. Carr maintains that he has merely nurtured the fruits of the previous management.

"I brought nothing really new, perhaps a cold set of eyes, some objectivity and organisation. But many of this was in place under John Tobin. I merely continued the work."

He announces his team tomorrow with the main injury concerns surrounding Derek Connellan and Francie Grehan. Connellan was pulled out of the under-21 match against Galway last Sunday with a groin strain while former All Star Grehan damaged knee ligaments in training last Sunday.

On a positive note, Nigel Dineen is well on his way to returning to his best form after breaking a bone in his ankle against Galway.

In advance of the Offaly qualifier, Carr expressed his dismay that his side weren't given the opportunity to play at Croke Park - they have not played there since 1991 - but he is quite happy to keep away from headquarters this weekend.

"It would be no advantage to play Kildare in Croke Park. They are now more accustomed to playing there. We're used to playing in the country grounds so we're happy with Portlaoise.

"We'll deserve it when we get there (Croke Park)," he added with quiet optimism.