He’s posted 38 percent of Monaghan’s scores in the last three championship campaigns. The Farney were even more dependent on McManus in the league. He averaged seven points per game, with 49 percent of their total score came from the boot of their marquee forward.
The Croke Park game against Dublin in February was a microcosm of everything good about McManus’s game. He kicked 12 points, nine from play, against the All-Ireland champions despite being isolated in the full-forward line for long spells.
This much is clear: Donegal’s ability to limit the two-time Allstar’s influence will go a long way to deciding the outcome of this game.
“He is up there,” said Donegal boss Rory Gallagher when asked if the forward is the best player in the game. “It’s for other people to decide who is the best but we would rank him in the top one per cent of footballers in the country, there is no doubt about that.
“He is a marquee forward, he has delivered on big occasions consistently, his free-taking is top drawer. He is a huge threat.”
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Donegal-Monaghan games are tight, tactical affairs with little room for flair players like McManus to maneuver. That’s what makes his six point tally in last year’s Ulster final between these teams even more impressive.
“In a low scoring game last year, he got three points from play which is a massive return, which was like getting six or seven points in another game.
“At the same time Conor McManus feeds off a lot of other players as well and provide him with the opportunities but there is no doubt he is a top player.”
His efficiency from open play means that he doesn’t need a second invitation to shoot. Give him a sniff of the posts and he’ll ruthlessly punish you. But the Donegal defense is better suited than most to dealing with that threat, despite the probable absence of Neil McGee.
“He is an 85/90 per cent shooter. He doesn’t give you a second opportunity from play or from frees. He has to be tightly marked. We have done fairly well on him considering what he has done to other teams.
“We have to stop a lot of the ball getting to him. It is an easy thing to say that Conor is a huge threat but to be fair to Monaghan they have developed over the last few years and they have a lot of qualities apart from Conor.”
James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
In each of the last three years, these sides met in the Ulster final. Monaghan have the edge, picking up the Anglo-Celt Cup in 2013 and 2015.
Are Donegal on a mission to avenge last year’s one point defeat?
“It is not a factor. We can’t turn the clock back ever. You have to take it on the chin. It wasn’t nice, it wasn’t a nice feeling.
“The right or wrongs of it? Monaghan were the better team, they got over the line. They didn’t miss the chances, we did. There is no doubt that it is a big game in both teams progression.
“In the rivalry, they have two wins to our one so from that point of view they have had the better of it, and you can slot a couple of league victories that they have had as well into that as well. Either way, it is a huge game for both teams.
“They have been in the last three Ulster finals and they will be looking to get to another final and to push to another level. They will want to get back to Croke Park and right a few wrongs.”
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The challenge facing Rory Gallagher: How do you stop Conor McManus?
THERE’S A LOT more to Monaghan than just Conor McManus, but it’s fair to say they lean heavily on the Clontibret man’s contributions in attack.
He’s posted 38 percent of Monaghan’s scores in the last three championship campaigns. The Farney were even more dependent on McManus in the league. He averaged seven points per game, with 49 percent of their total score came from the boot of their marquee forward.
The Croke Park game against Dublin in February was a microcosm of everything good about McManus’s game. He kicked 12 points, nine from play, against the All-Ireland champions despite being isolated in the full-forward line for long spells.
This much is clear: Donegal’s ability to limit the two-time Allstar’s influence will go a long way to deciding the outcome of this game.
“He is up there,” said Donegal boss Rory Gallagher when asked if the forward is the best player in the game. “It’s for other people to decide who is the best but we would rank him in the top one per cent of footballers in the country, there is no doubt about that.
“He is a marquee forward, he has delivered on big occasions consistently, his free-taking is top drawer. He is a huge threat.”
Donegal-Monaghan games are tight, tactical affairs with little room for flair players like McManus to maneuver. That’s what makes his six point tally in last year’s Ulster final between these teams even more impressive.
“In a low scoring game last year, he got three points from play which is a massive return, which was like getting six or seven points in another game.
“At the same time Conor McManus feeds off a lot of other players as well and provide him with the opportunities but there is no doubt he is a top player.”
His efficiency from open play means that he doesn’t need a second invitation to shoot. Give him a sniff of the posts and he’ll ruthlessly punish you. But the Donegal defense is better suited than most to dealing with that threat, despite the probable absence of Neil McGee.
“He is an 85/90 per cent shooter. He doesn’t give you a second opportunity from play or from frees. He has to be tightly marked. We have done fairly well on him considering what he has done to other teams.
“We have to stop a lot of the ball getting to him. It is an easy thing to say that Conor is a huge threat but to be fair to Monaghan they have developed over the last few years and they have a lot of qualities apart from Conor.”
In each of the last three years, these sides met in the Ulster final. Monaghan have the edge, picking up the Anglo-Celt Cup in 2013 and 2015.
Are Donegal on a mission to avenge last year’s one point defeat?
“It is not a factor. We can’t turn the clock back ever. You have to take it on the chin. It wasn’t nice, it wasn’t a nice feeling.
“The right or wrongs of it? Monaghan were the better team, they got over the line. They didn’t miss the chances, we did. There is no doubt that it is a big game in both teams progression.
“In the rivalry, they have two wins to our one so from that point of view they have had the better of it, and you can slot a couple of league victories that they have had as well into that as well. Either way, it is a huge game for both teams.
“They have been in the last three Ulster finals and they will be looking to get to another final and to push to another level. They will want to get back to Croke Park and right a few wrongs.”
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Conor McManus GAA magic mac Donegal Monaghan