DONEGAL COACH JIM McGuinness has suggested the clubs’ decision to defer their championship earlier this year paved the way for the team’s success.
McGuinness’ side had a disappointing 2013, losing the Ulster final to Monaghan and getting comprehensively beaten by Mayo in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
However, this year has a seen a change in their fortunes for the better, as it has included an Ulster final victory and a surprise defeat of Dublin, which has set up an upcoming All-Ireland final with Kerry.
And in an interview with Newstalk’s Off the Ball, McGuinness has cited “preparation” as one of the main reasons for their improvement, which has been aided by the clubs’ controversial move to call off fixtures in Donegal.
“In footballing terms, if you go into a game and your preparations aren’t 100%, you’re hoping that the opposition are going to be poorer than you. Not that you’re going to bring your ‘A game’. And for me, that’s the most important thing.
“The clubs made a decision this year in Donegal to put off the championship. We offered two rounds earlier in the year — to have one in the last week of April and one in the first week of May and then at least we’d have three weeks before the first round of the Championship. But the clubs said: ‘No, it’s too early. We want to give you the chance to prepare.’ We’re in the All-Ireland final on the back of that decision by the clubs.”
And while the Donegal boss has been praised for this change, he was reluctant to take credit for it.
“It wasn’t my decision,” he said. “It was the clubs’ decision. They really appreciated the fact that we had won two Ulster championships and an All-Ireland, and they wanted to give us the chance to prepare. I didn’t ask for it to be called off.”
He also suggested that the club championship last year significantly hampered his team’s bid for glory.
“The one thing that will always frustrate me and put me under pressure is preparation. If I don’t get the preparation right, I don’t feel right.
“I felt very aggrieved last year that we didn’t get to prepare the team properly, and I felt doubly aggrieved because we won the All-Ireland the year before. We proved we were good enough to win the All-Ireland and our preparations the following year were taken away from us.
“Four out of eight weeks of the Ulster Championship, our lads were playing club football. We picked up nine injuries in that period of time and it had a huge impact on us going on to try to retain our provincial championship again.”
As for Donegal’s upcoming opponents, Kerry, McGuinness said he was well aware of their qualities.
“If you know every single one of their players, you should know what they offer in each position.
“They’ve got pace in the side — young [Stephen] O’Brien, Barry John [Keane] as well as James O’Donoghue and these lads — they’re always going to be a kicking team.
“But they’re not just a kicking team, they also have strong, talented runners with the ball… I’ve been really impressed with Aidan O’Mahony, I think he’s been exceptional.
“I think Eamon [Fitzmaurice] has gone for players that are really rolling their sleeves up and going in for dirty ball and they still have a huge amount of quality within the team. So it’s a big challenge.”
He’s the only player I’ve ever seen that consistently delivers his best performance of the year in the biggest game of all. Each and every all Ireland final he’s played in he has had a stormer
@Mel roberts: except for 2013 and 2017 finals I assume Mel?! Some player though in fairness yeah.
@Joe Kennedy: was a 19yo kid in 2013 and tore his cruciate in 2017 ffs
@Joe Kennedy: he was flying in 2017. If he played well that day he would have won poty.
@Joe Kennedy: kid was 19 in 2013 Joe and coming off an acl injury in 2017. He has consistently delivered big performances in the biggest of games for Dublin. A joy to watch when he is in full flight. He was on his own 21 at the sideline when Brian Fenton caught that kickout yesterday and still made up all that ground to finish the goal off
@Shimmy Shammy: haha…. That’s what it says in the article yeah!
@Mel roberts: haha…ah I know….was only messing! An absolute joy to watch yeah….some engine in him.
@Mel roberts: Brian Fenton didn’t catch that ball, Brian Howard did.
@The Upside-down Triangle: sorry Jimmy
@Mel roberts: definitely a class act
What a player. Great engine. Clever footballer. Only a doctor could cut Kerry apart with such precision.
He makes it look so easy.
He’s my favorite Dublin player by far and a really nice chap. We brought an underage team up from home to play a challenge match v Clontarf a few years ago. He was only back from abroad and was down watching a junior B hurling match with his mates I think he was still poty from the previous year . A load of kids both from us and Clontarf were going over to him and he had time for them all and chatted each one till they were finished no rushing or short answers. I got a seriously high opinion of him ever since. Plus he’s an absolute machine of a player
He’s the best player in the country, followed very closely but Con O’Callaghan. He kept Dublin in it yesterday.
Great piece Kevin. Any young player wanting to learn how to put the fear of God into any defender should just watch this lad in full flight
Great performance and my pick for player of the year.
Magnificent player. Relentless.
I thought Kerry did well keeping him to 1-3.
He was on fire at times in the game and when a player is going at it like he was it takes some great defending and refusal to lay down and die to keep your team in it. Well done to Kerry’s defence, as good if not better than their offence on the day.
Being a fullback when i played he is the worst to defend against! If you don’t stay tight to him he’ll score, never gives up and will beat you no bother if he has space.
@Eoin Murphy: if I’d had even half his speed, strength, fitness levels, awareness and determination, I definitely could have made it myself as a serious footballer!
@Joe Kennedy: stick to the junior b hurling, Joe.
Sure he’s a professional…..oops he is a full time doctor in Temple Street
What a player!
What a performance by him? If he never played another game again he will still go down as an all time great for me. Only 25 years old too. Heard Kieran Donaghy saying he’s not the best defender. 8 turnovers says otherwise but have to respect Donaghys call on this. He quit his job to play Gaelic football professionally so will have a much better grasp on this than most.
@Conor Pocock: Kieran never quit his job totally wrong . Nobody would ever dispute that Jack is one of the greats .
@Donal Carey: he says as much himself in interviews. Karl Lacey, Darran O’Sullivan and Lee Chin have all done the same
@Donal Carey: I full respect that he’s gone back to work since with his astro company. They did a great job with at least one Dublin club.
Yah he was fantastic he won the game for Dublin. Kevin you only write a piece like this when a team wins . Jack himself would squirm himself if he ever that load of crap