Kevin Cassidy: It feels like history repeating itself with Jim McGuinness and Donegal

But Cassidy acknowledged that Meath could easily upset Donegal's plans.

HISTORY REPEATING?: Donegal manager Jim McGuinness and his son Jimmy, age 18 months, with the Sam Maguire Cup in 2012. Pic: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE.

Former Donegal All-Star Kevin Cassidy reckons history is repeating itself and that Jim McGuinness is working from a similar blueprint to the one he devised 15 years ago.

McGuinness was initially appointed Donegal manager in 2010 before guiding the team to an Ulster title in 2011 and an All-Ireland semi-final appearance.

The following year, 2012, they won Ulster again and went on to win the All-Ireland.

His second coming as Donegal management has been eerily similar, so far, with an Ulster title success and All-Ireland semi-final appearance straight away in 2024.

They've retained the Anglo Celt Cup this year, as they did in 2012, and are many people's favourites ahead of Sunday's All-Ireland semi-final to go on and claim Sam again.

"Back at home, it feels like that too," said AIB ambassador Cassidy of history repeating itself.

"With Jim, he takes on a project and he breaks everything apart and builds it back up, block by block. In 2011, that's what he did, he stripped it back and started to build. We failed in 2011 but he saw the differences in what needed to happen to get to the top table.

"Like, if you look at the game against Galway last year, if we had Michael Murphy, would we have got over the line? Jim obviously identified that. He brought Michael back in.

"I think they're playing a better mixture this year. We were just running the ball constantly last year. There's a small mixture change this year. I think for any team to win the All-Ireland, especially in Croke Park, you need to vary your game. You have to be able to kick it.

"But yeah, it does look like that (2011 and 2012 repeating) at the minute. We have to get Meath out of the way first."

Cassidy acknowledged that Meath could easily upset Donegal's plans.

He said that the Royals possess the ability to hurt Donegal from two-pointers, or closer in with goals.

"Monaghan were overly reliant on twos the last day," said Cassidy.

"Donegal knew that if they closed that avenue off, then they weren't overly worried about what Monaghan would do inside. But Meath pose a different threat in that they have men inside who can hurt you also."