U-turn put Donegal back on right road

Picture the scene.

Neil McGee and Michael Murphy are making the long trip from Letterkenny to the capital last September. They are coming through Monaghan when the latter’s phone chimes.

McGee takes it: “We were heading down to Dublin in the car one day for Compromise Rules training and somebody texted him through that we needed to get this sorted and Jim was hesitating about whether to stay or go. Michael turned the car around and went back up the road to get it sorted. It was probably the best decision we ever made.”

Within a matter of hours, the captain had worked his magic.

Assurances were given and manager McGuinness was satisfied.

It meant the pair staying at home and postponing their journey until the following morning before training but it was all worth it.

When McGee recounts last year, Donegal were never in a position to make a proper stab at retaining their Ulster and All-Ireland titles.

“Looking back to where we were last year, it wasn’t a good place with the amount of injuries we had to key players. We broke it down how many training sessions we did and we didn’t do half of what we’ve done this year.

“You can see it, there’s a freshness there. You add in a couple of players, the likes of Ryan McHugh, Odhran MacNiallais, Darach O’Connor, these boys are really pushing it on. Big Neil [Gallagher] has an injury-free run and he’s going well.”

In McGuinness, McGee and his team-mates trust. The five days spent in Johnstown House the week prior to the game were five well spent.

“We watched a lot of videos of Dublin these last few weeks. We were away for five days and Jim more or less broke down their game plan and we exploited it.

“We knew we would get the openings and it was a matter of pushing the bodies forward and supporting.

“The last time we played Dublin [2011], we didn’t get the bodies forward but we knew if we pushed six or seven bodies forward we would get the openings with the runners and it worked well.”

What gives McGee confidence going into the final is that they have been there before and felt so secure thanks to McGuinness.

“I remember the morning of the [2012] All-Ireland and he had us in the perfect frame of mind. Whatever Jim does, it goes unannounced when he’s doing it. We were just totally confident the morning of the game. We slept well, there were no nerves at all. It was just a normal game. Whatever way he does it, he’ll have us right mentally.”

Kerry are now under the microscope and it’s difficult for McGee to disguise his anticipation for a duel with James O’Donoghue.

“He’s racking up big scores so I have to do a lot of homework on him now. It’s about restricting him more than anything so I need to up my game.

“I’m really enjoying the battles. Every day you’re coming up against their best full-forward.

“A lot of people say you don’t get the one-on-one but every day it’s one-on-one the way we’re playing this year. Thankfully, we’re holding our own.

“We’re really enjoying it.”

Meanwhile, Rory Kavanagh has revealed McGuinness asked his brother-in-law Colm McFadden to answer his critics against Dublin after a difficult summer for the 2012 All Star.

“Jim asked him to stand up and face the crowd during the week and that’s what he done,” said Kavanagh. “He has a lot of experience and he is a big game player and he came good for us when we needed him.”