McGeeney critical of ‘bad rap’ for Donegal

Kieran McGeeney has hit out at what he claims to be the "bad rap" afforded to Jim McGuinness’s Donegal and compared criticisms of perceived defensiveness by some pundits to those shipped by his own Armagh side during their Noughties heydays.

It was, all in all, a typically forthright chat with the recently installed Armagh manager who spoke for half-an-hour — a considerable amount of time in a media setting — during yesterday’s launch of next month’s Asian Gaelic Games with First Derivatives PLC.

“The amount of abuse that they get compared to other teams…,” McGeeney said of McGuinness’s Donegal. “I just think that happens because we have people in the media from certain areas so if someone plays well against them that’s puke football or bad football or unbelievable football. I can’t see that.

“Donegal have been exceptional at what they have been doing over the last three or four years. As have Mayo and other teams. There are certain teams that just seem to get a bad rap. Any other country that would class people as the bearers of death to football wouldn’t be allowed on TV.”

McGeeney skipped back to the 2011 All-Ireland semi-final between Dublin and Donegal for another example. Most people “harp on” about how Donegal have progressed in attack since then, but McGeeney would argue that Dublin were the more cautious.

“Dublin were more defensive that day than Donegal were. Pat Gilroy did a great job with the Dublin defence at that time, but their defenders never attacked. It was just two teams at that, but Donegal just got all the bad rap for it.”

He went on to stress that Donegal’s success was not just down to systems, but the quality of footballers they possess, and added that perceptions which he considered unfair or inaccurate grated because “our team would have been similar”.

Donegal, he basically insisted, are simply misunderstood. Their system is, in fact, one based on attack in that they look to create space for their forwards on the break courtesy of their defensive curtain.

“When you see [Ryan] McHugh and [Michael] Murphy, there was maybe only one or two players inside the Dublin half so as to be able to break into that space as a forward. You ask any defender what he doesn’t like and it will be one against one inside his own half.”

It is the type of argument that echoes many an old debate that accompanied meetings between Kerry and Ulster opposition so far this century as the Kingdom looks to end a run of three straight defeats to northern counties in the biggest game of all.

McGeeney was captain of Armagh for the first of those, in 2002, but he doesn’t see the perception of Donegal being altered should they claim a second title in three years. “No. Tyrone never got it and they got three. It’s just the thing, just the way sport is.”

He knows Sunday’s runners and riders better than most. Donegal edged his Armagh in Ulster this year and his days facing Kerry as a player have been augmented by the many trips taken to the Kingdom along with his wife, a native of the Munster county.

He doesn’t shy away from pinpointing the easier passage Kerry enjoy through to the All-Ireland series, but he is unstinting in his praise for the county’s culture and the talent of players with James O’Donoghue meriting special mention.

Then again, so do the men set to mark him.

“Donegal have a fantastic full-back line. The two McGees [Eamon and Neil] are the most under-rated defenders in the country. Neil is exceptionally fast.

“I have only noticed that at the Aussies Rules training. He is carrying a big frame, 14-and-a-half stone. 15. He might not forgive me for saying that. He is so quick for such a big man. I’m sure he will have his fill of it, whether it is O’Donoghue or [Kieran] Donaghy he is picking up.”