Finding Dublin's pressure point vital to McGuinness masterplan

Former stars confident McGuinness has a plan to derail Dublin

Dermot Crowe

The former Donegal footballer Adrian Sweeney was in Cavan recently, where local opinion on his county's prospects of beating Dublin came at no charge. "They are not giving us a hope," he relates. "The Cavan people are generally very pessimistic anyway."

Are the Donegal people any less so? John Gildea, who soldiered in leaner times, a member of the same club as manager Jim McGuinness, would like to think so. "I don't think pessimistic is the right word," Gildea reckons. "I don't think they are optimistic, more hopeful probably, but pessimistic is a bridge too far."

This is the perfect mind-field for McGuinness. For five days he had his squad holed up in Johnstown House tuning their minds to the point where they believe they can defeat Dublin and reach a second All-Ireland final in three years. "Jim is a qualified shrink for God's sake," says Sweeney, "he knows how to get inside players' heads and he will have those lads bouncing going out on that field. Dublin will know they were in a game, that's for sure."

The form guide is categorical, the bookies are unequivocal: it will be a Dublin victory. "Given the way Dublin have been playing this year, how much strength in depth they have, how they have been demolishing teams, looking at that from a practical perspective you would have to say they come into the game as raging favourites," says Gildea. "That is the head talking. Being from Donegal and being closely associated with Jim and knowing a number of the lads quite well, I really feel they are in with a shout. Donegal will have to play very well, a lot of things will have to go right on the day."

Much, then, hinges on Donegal having the game of their lives, pinning their belief in their manager's tactical and mental preparations. "I wouldn't be as pessimistic as some people," says Tony Boyle, an All-Ireland winner in 1992. "Obviously what Dublin have done in the championship so far, beating teams by an average of 15 points or thereabouts, that is an unreal standard, but at the end of the day it is still a two-horse race. And in sport sometimes the complete underdog can come up with the goods. It will need a massive performance from Donegal and Dublin to have an off day, but something like a referee decision like you saw last weekend, anything like that, it could throw the Dubs. You just don't know.

Read more:  

"I spoke to one of the players this week, just happened to meet him, and they will be going in with a lot of confidence. That is the way Jim sets up his players and instils confidence, they will genuinely be confident they can get a result. The game has moved on a lot over the last 20 years, a lot has to do with mind-set and how they are mentally prepared. They will have a system worked out."

The bleak defensive game served up three years ago, with the winning score of 0-8 being the lowest for a semi-final since 1956, bears little relevance. Donegal were not the same team, nor employing the same system, a year later when they won the All-Ireland. Their ambitions are now steeper. They realise that containing Dublin remains essential. But that is not to be confused with a policy of appeasement. Michael Hegarty played in the 2011 game against Dublin. "He (McGuinness) will have all the tactics ready, every move, telling what players where they have to stand. They will do a lot of work on Dublin kick-outs. You have to take them on from the word go. I think it will be a totally different game. In 2011, even though we were leading, we were chasing the game and the team and management were still learning."

Hegarty has no fears about the players' frame of mind. "Jim McGuinness will have them told for the last three or four weeks how they are going to beat Dublin and he will show how they go about it. The 30 players on the squad will be fully convinced they are going up to win. Tactically they will see at this stage how they are going to play it. That is what he gives to the players and they will go into it with great freedom of mind and absolutely buzzing. They will go in with no pressure. Everyone expects Dublin to win. It is really working out very well for Donegal in that respect."

Read more:  

The regard for McGuinness's influence, and his reputation for getting the best out of his players, flavours opinion. "Jim has a way of surprising people," says Gildea. "I know that the year that Donegal won the All-Ireland they felt they would have to come across Cork, who they felt was the form team and they had a very specific game-plan for Cork. I do believe they knew from early on they were going to come across Dublin. I think maybe they have worked out two or three plans. I feel that Kerry showed when you pressurise the Dublin kick-out you can benefit from that. And you are asking for trouble when you concede possession and invite them on you. I feel they will push on and be aggressive and make Dublin kick to the middle. I think in a traditional midfield battle they will compete well, and they have to get back behind the ball, if that doesn't work out, very quickly. In 2011, where you had everyone getting behind the ball and a war of attrition . . . I don't think you will see that kind of match. I think you will see multiple tactics. Dublin's tactics are fairly straightforward."

Gildea is curious how Dublin will react if they meet sustained resistance and are subjected to the kind of scrutiny that has escaped them in the championship so far. "I think the key is being there when it matters and applying pressure on Dublin where they have not been under pressure and seeing how they deal with that pressure. If they get to that point it is mission accomplished. I do think every team needs to be tested to see where they are at. And that hasn't happened to this Dublin side. And it hasn't happened because they have been so much better than everyone else. If Donegal get to that final 10 minutes still in the match they are a proven entity."

Barry Monaghan, a former Donegal captain, is asked if he can see his county winning. "I can but to be honest I don't know whether that is my heart ruling my head. A lot of things will have to go right on the day. It is not an impossibility. I think they have a lot of experienced players who have over 100 games played. It is an open secret, even talking around Donegal, that Jim has a game-plan, not since the Armagh game, but since last January with two teams in mind, one being Monaghan and the other Dublin. From January to now is a long time. I do feel Donegal have the personnel. Everyone is talking like it was a final because there is such hype around the Dubs. But we are going to need a big performance to beat Dublin. It won't be a case of crawling over the line. There is no way players will be giving interviews after saying we are going to have to play better in the final."

All agree that Donegal will have to place Michael Murphy in his natural habitat and press Dublin back. "Dublin, to be fair, they play football the way everyone wants it to be played," says Michael Hegarty. "I suppose the main strength is that they are so mobile, they are good players and mobile and tuned in. They are very intelligent players, it's very rare to have 15 players that good all over the field. Definitely, in the middle third if they get their heads up they will stretch Donegal because Donegal would be weak in that area in terms of mobility. They (Donegal) are playing in puffs here and there. They are getting through the games, because they are set up better. They will have to play very well to cause an upset. They will squeeze them as much as they can. From what I know they will push up on the kick-outs. I think if they don't do that they are in for a hiding.

"I think if Donegal can get (Stephen) Cluxton to kick ball down the middle, it will suit Donegal and make all the kick-outs 50-50. And really you have to do that. The thing about Croke Park, it is not that is so much bigger than other pitches, but it is a fast field."

Stephen Cluxton

Donegal need to be cautious and cavalier in the right places, an enormous challenge against a team with Dublin's credentials and confidence. "If you try and defend against that Dublin team, that onslaught of pace and power and accuracy from their forwards, I don't think any team can withstand it," says Tony Boyle. "I don't think they can concede the kick-outs to Dublin because that will mean a continuous onslaught. If they concede them all, your defence will need to be so disciplined, that takes a lot out of the team. Personally I think Jim will have them contest kick-outs. Try and turn Dublin over higher up the pitch, but the minute they lose possession there will be players behind the ball.

"Will he play Michael Murphy inside or out the field? Personally as an ex-full-forward I would love to see Michael at the edge of the square - obviously he's one of the best players in the country; as a full forward if the right ball comes in Michael Murphy is unmarkable. For us to have any chance, Michael is going to have to spend a certain amount of time on the edge of the square."

Gildea agrees. "I genuinely think Donegal should give Dublin something to think about. People are saying Colm McFadden is not playing well but I dare any forward, no matter how good, to play well as one forward with three players covering you. I would like to see Michael Murphy up there along with him and maybe one on the half-forward line with pace. To give them something to think about, it might put them on the back foot."

Michael Hegarty would rank a Donegal win as possibly their best ever. "If they can stay for 55 minutes or thereabouts and they are getting the break of the ball, I can see them winning it. If not the result will be beyond them. I think Donegal's forward line are as good as Dublin's but they don't play as well together. They have four or five top-notch players as good as any county but they don't play as well, I think the Dublin players are more unselfish. If you can afford Michael Murphy in there it would be the best option. It might hold Dublin from coming forward.

Read more:  

"Dublin's half-forwards and midfield are very important, but Donegal have a good half-back line and will crowd out the middle of the field. The two wing-forwards for Dublin and midfield are very mobile. The half-backs come forward with great pace. Sometimes they take wrong options and won't score too many points. Unlike great Kerry teams of the past, Dublin don't seem to be doing that, they seem more dangerous going for goals. I don't see them scoring too many goals against Donegal. Donegal may use long ball against Dublin, they are not going to outrun Dublin for 70 minutes."

The final word to Gildea: "I think they looked good in the Ulster final and felt they were heading in the right direction in the game against Armagh, they had it won, they looked in control and then Armagh got the goal and it changed the complexion of the game, but the thing I liked about that was they were composed, nobody panicked. Have they showed as good a form as 2012 at this point? The answer is no. That is the level they have to be at, it is a question that has not yet been answered."