Punditry now but McManus will keep close eye on Monaghan

Conor McManus of Monaghan is consoled after his side's defeat in the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship preliminary quarter-final match between Galway and Monaghan. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Championship time and Conor McManus is a busy man.

No great change there because for the last 18 years he's been coiling himself up throughout the winter and spring months and releasing all that energy and enthusiasm right about now in a Monaghan jersey.

For the most part, it worked a treat; two Ulster titles, three All-Stars and more individual awards than his mantlepiece could possibly take.

But the former Farney captain is freshly retired from county activity these days and on the eve of the 2025 Championship is to be found buzzing between houses around Monaghan in his capacity as an auctioneer. It's Friday afternoon and this conversation is facilitated by hands free technology.

The 37-year-old still has football in his life and will attempt to play for another season with Clontibret.

But his principal involvement in this year's inter-county championship will be as a Sunday Game TV analyst, an intriguing acquisition to the RTÉ stable.

He'll have a particular interest in Sunday's Ulster SFC preliminary round tie between Donegal and Derry, not just because of its obvious glamour but also as the winners will face Monaghan in an April 20 quarter-final.

Asked to predict Monaghan's opponents, McManus nodded towards Donegal.

"It's hard to see past them really, isn't it?" he said. "Just because they're coming into it with a full deck in terms of their fitness and the players available to them. And obviously Derry aren't in that position. So it's hard to look past Donegal, for me. They made such a strong start to the league and then made no secret of the fact that they didn't want to be in a league final. So their last couple of games, you couldn't read much into those.

"Jim McGuiness probably had this game circled in the calendar for quite some time. So they got what they needed out of the league, put their points on the board and then sidestepped the league final."

With both Conor McCluskey and Gareth McKinless injured, Derry haven't much wiggle room in defence, hence 2023 All-Star midfielder Brendan Rogers, who is another injury doubt, being listed at number three. Donegal though, that's a different story.

Mark Curran, Jamie Brennan, Oisin Gallen and Paddy McBrearty, named on the bench, could potentially be late additions to the lineup given their panel depth. So could Michael Murphy.

"Jim McGuinness being Jim McGuinness, you just would not know," said McManus. "The whole buildup is everybody speculating about how such and such is going to start but he's liable to leave it as it is. That would be a very Jim McGuinness thing to do. But looking in from the outside, it's hard to imagine they would start like they are, the forwards in particular.

"But that's the thing about Donegal this year, moreso than last year, that strength and ability to shift things around if they want. Finbarr Roarty is in there and going very well, Michael Murphy is obviously back, Eoin McHugh, Odhran McFadden Ferry, so they've added to their squad and given themselves all kinds of options, not only for this weekend but from a long-term point of view."

McManus has admired Monaghan's work throughout spring too. They secured promotion from Division 2 and won the title last weekend. Against the likes of Meath and more recently Roscommon, they looked terrific, full of power and athleticism and primed to capitalise on the new rules.

McManus has Donegal in mind in a fortnight and warned that it'll be a considerable step up from anything Monaghan have faced so far this season.

"It's a tricky one because the boys and the management will be aware that the standard in Division 2 was quite poor," said McManus. "Monaghan beat Meath very comfortably, they beat Louth comfortably, same with Cork and Westmeath. So they were without doubt the strongest team in Division 2.

"But the standard will rise from here. Any team they play now going forward will be Division 1 standard more often than not. So I think Monaghan are going to have to be better than they have been. Don't get me wrong, they've been very good but I think they'll know themselves they have to be better to play the stronger teams. Probably none are stronger than Donegal if, as we suspect, Donegal get over the line against Derry."