Dessie Farrell believes the brief stint in Division 2 will be of benefit to Dublin in the longer term - but concedes there's hard graft ahead in terms of being ready for the business end of this year's championship.
The seven-point victory over Louth last Sunday earned the Dubs an immediate return to the top tier next year.
The campaign also marked the return of three veteran All-Ireland winners in Jack McCaffrey, Paul Mannion and, right at the end of the regular round of fixtures, Stephen Cluxton.
READ MORE: Stephen Cluxton back in Dublin fold as they complete Division 1 return
However it was not plain sailing for Farrell's charges with Sunday's Division 2 final opponents claiming the victory when the sides met at Celtic Park at the start of the month.
Tellingly, the previously free-scoring Dubs only mustered five goals over the course of this campaign and that will be of concern to Farrell, whose side only lost their All-Ireland semi-final by a point to eventual champions Kerry last summer.
McCaffrey returns to training this week after injury and could feature in the League decider, while Mannion could make his first start since returning after an encouraging cameo against Louth.
In the light of 41-year-old Cluxton's return, Farrell denies it is a worry that he has had to turn to former stars to bolster his side's chances.
"Well, the goalkeeping situation is a bit different," said the Blues boss.
"But that’s always a concern in terms of generally for players and for Dublin - is the pipeline there? Is the strength in depth there in the squad that once was there?
"But I think encouraging for us is that some of those players who came on, some who started have done really, really well.
"There’s more in the mix there that are learning their trade. Maybe not just ready to go yet but the experience of the league and being around the group and being in the mix will serve them well into the future.
"They may not just be ready yet and of course that’s the challenge for us - can we continue to be highly competitive while you’re getting players up to speed?".
Farrell feels that the quality within his panel will raise the levels required to compete with the likes of Kerry, Galway, Mayo, Tyrone and the main contenders down the line.
"Obviously, Division One is really competitive," he said. "It does afford you some leeway in Division Two in terms of being able to try players.
"But by the same token, you’ve got to get the balance right with that. because you could end up languishing in Division Two if you try to bite too much off.
"We’re happy with the progress and where we’re at. There’s loads and loads to do and we’ll get after that in the next couple of weeks.
"Keeping the internal environment is crucial, in terms of that strength in depth of your own squad. It’s really important having those e additions, getting players back from injury, getting younger players integrated and up to speed.
"Even getting them more settled in because it can be a big ask of a young player to come into a dressing room like that and find their feet and make them comfortable in their own skin.
"As time passes with each week and each training session, that gets easier and easier for that cohort. Hopefully we’ll start to see some good progress over the coming weeks."
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