In Declan Bogue’s book from 2011, This is Our Year, Kevin Cassidy gave a wonderful insight into the mind of Jim McGuinness.
“This is Tyrone,” the former Donegal manager would address his team. “And this is how we’re going to beat them.”
Matter of fact.
“This is Dublin. And this is how we’re going to beat them.”
Remember that game back in 2011 in the All-Ireland semi final against Dublin? The men from the hills had everyone behind the ball at stages. When they didn’t, poor Colm McFadden was just standing alone taking all the abuse from Hill 16.
But that’s just the way it was. They looked at a team, they figured out how they could beat them and they did. Routinely. Matter of factly.
There was nothing left to chance, nothing that would surprise them and they didn’t go in hoping that this, this or that would happen.
Donegal, over the last five years, write the script and, usually, it pans out line for line.
Heck, even against Monaghan in the Ulster final, all they really did was run out of time. That might sound stupid but they stuck to their system, they trusted their system. Because they had instructions. Because they had a plan. And eventually, it started to come together. It was just too late in that game.
Suddenly though, they’ve just ever so slightly fallen out of the ranks of would-be title contenders.
What they’ve done since losing the most competitive provincial decider by a point was turn around and dish out a double digit victory over Galway.
And, man for man, should they really be outsiders against Mayo?
The whole way through the Donegal side is not just experience, but talent.
Their backline is made up of McGee brothers who would’ve been around more blocks than anyone if they didn’t just smash them for a shortcut.
Paddy McGrath is one of the most underrated man-markers in the game and his surging runs upfield only accompany the like of Frank McGlynn, Karl Lacey, Anthony Thompson, the McHugh brothers – whoever the heck you want to play.
Ryan McHugh, usually the side’s deepest player, got forward again in Croker to rip the net against Galway like he did twice in last year’s semi final.
Colm McFadden is reborn, Neil Gallagher is evergreen and Odhran Mac Niallais is getting better and better with every game he plays for his county.
Then there’s Michael Murphy. Michael bloody Murphy.
He’s nearly the trump that Mayo don’t have.
Because, come Saturday, Aidan O’Shea won’t be strutting around one-on-one against a limp Sligo defence with nothing but space at either side of him. If Mayo even think about deploying him in full forward, the hounds will be set on him and he could be in for the most vicious 70 minutes of his life.
He’ll be brought out the field to get on the ball whereas Murphy could go inside and make himself comfortable with teeth marks and red target dots all over his body.
He could go in there and cause absolute bloody havoc and, if Mayo neglect to set up to stop him, they will be beaten, no questions asked.
This game is going to be tight, it won’t be easy for either and something magical or dramatic will probably decide it.
But, for Donegal to go in under the radar as outsiders, the bookies need to be careful. And Mayo will need to be damn careful, too.
This is new territory for Donegal. It’s comfortable territory back to the days that they were underdogs and upset the odds every singly game to go the whole way.
They’ll enjoy that tag but it won’t change their preparation. Nothing ever changes that.
This article was brought to you by For Goodness Shakes. Donegal GAA are using a range of For Goodness Shakes recovery and protein products for their senior squad.
