EVERYTHING ON SATURDAY night is pointing at a Monaghan victory and Donegal are being written off going to Cavan, but I don’t quite buy all of what’s being said this week.
Sure, everything is stacked up for Monaghan: They’ve only lost one game in Ulster in three years; they’ve only lost once to Donegal in the Championship since 1983; Donegal have no Paul Durcan; Donegal have no Neil Gallagher; Donegal have no Neil McGee, one of the very few players who can and could mark Conor McManus; Karl Lacey and Frank McGlynn are struggling to be fit.
But – and there is a crucial but here – from such problems a squad can respond and rise up to the challenges.
To win this game, Donegal will have to produce one of the greatest performances this county has ever seen.
So much is against them, but Donegal are capable – and here’s how:
[adrotate group=”75″]The ball carriers
DONEGAL made the Fermanagh sweeper redundant two weeks ago by carrying ball. Donegal will have to carry on Saturday and we have the players to do it. We have the pace of Eoin and Ryan McHugh and Martin O’Reilly, the intelligence of Frank McGlynn and the power of Rory Kavanagh, Martin McElhinney and Hugh McFadden.
McGlynn was like a play-maker against Fermanagh.
He makes so much happen.
Donegal have to have him on the ball from the get-go and we need to keep him involved.
He’s one of those players who make Donegal tick. I’d go as far as to say he’s Donegal’s most important player at the moment.
Ryan McHugh destroyed Monaghan last year in the Ulster final and definitely didn’t deserve to be on the losing side. Monaghan will probably target Eoin McHugh, as a newcomer, but he has to overcome that.
Economy of attack
BECAUSE Donegal are going to sit so deep, they’re going to need to be 90-100 per cent in their conversion rates.
Against Fermanagh, Patrick McBrearty saw a goal chance in the first half saved. We need a ruthless edge and must be really clinical this time.
We saw last year in the Ulster final how Monaghan will make us pay for missed opportunities.
If a shot is a 30 or 40 per cent chance, Donegal must work the ball and increase those percentages.
Equally, a goal here will be golden and Donegal, particularly if those ball carriers can get up a head of steam, have goals in them.
One worrying trait of this Donegal team is the lengthy period in games – and it is now a common occurrence – they have without scoring. Against Monaghan where the margins are so wafer-thin, that will be criminal, as we’ve found out to our cost against the Farney.
It’s as if they get too set in their shape and can’t get out. Everyone is thinking ‘defence, defence, defence’ but the attack can’t be neglected for so long this time.
[adrotate group=”53″]A packed defence
THIS might seem obvious, given that everyone does it these days, but Donegal will have to pack the defence tighter than ever this week.
We need to out-goal Monaghan to win it so we can’t give away an ounce.
Monaghan are a team, when you consider they have Conor McManus, Kieran Hughes and Darren Hughes, who have the ability to blitz opponents.
With Neil McGee out of action, packing the defence is going to be all the more imperative. He’s the best full-back in Ireland and is the one man in the country you’d back in a tussle with McManus.
With Eamon McGee likely to be detailed on Hughes, Paddy McGrath is the likely candidate for McManus. He did a good job on him in the League down in Castleblaney, but this is an entirely different matter.
McManus buzzes on Championship football. Crowding him and Monaghan out of it will be where Donegal will lay their foundations for the win.
Darren Hughes I’ve seen for Monaghan and Scotstown. He’s the best carrier of a ball in the game. He’s like a train when he gets going. We just have to block the tracks. Easier said than done, yes, but Rory Gallagher will pretty much have to build a stonewall to prevent him from getting a run.
Monaghan have other good runners like Karl O’Connell, who is a real athlete, and we just have to plug the gaps.
[adrotate group=”46″]Kick-outs
PAUL Durcan was the best goalkeeper in Ireland. Trying to fill his boots is a futile exercise. Donegal don’t need Mark Anthony McGinley to try and become Paul Durcan.
Rather, they need to work on his strengths.
Kick-outs are so important now for confidence of players and for the whole feel of a stadium. Winning one possession could nearly turn a game now they’re that important.
If there is any doubt, McGinley has to go long. We cannot give Monaghan any advantage out around the middle because they will punish us.
Discipline
RORY Gallagher was asked at a press conference on Monday about the uncharacteristic number of scoreable frees conceded against Fermanagh – and he was quite honest.
“We’re not happy with it – it’s an element we’re not pleased with,” he said.
“We work very hard on tackling and we’ve always felt we’ve been quite disciplined in it. But look, some of the runners coming through need to be stopped without fouling. It’s something we need to look at ahead of Monaghan.”
We coughed up free after free against Fermanagh. We can’t afford to give Conor McManus or Rory Beggan these kind of chances. Monaghan are way better than Fermanagh in this regard.
A returned to those perfectly-timed, well-disciplined tackles is an absolute must and we just can’t give away frees inside our own half.
[adrotate group=”75″]Michael Murphy
VINNY Corey has had the upper hand in their recent battles, but the thing about Murphy is that he has the ability to win the game for Donegal. There’s been so much talk about Murphy having to play inside on the edge of the square, but this weekend I think we need him out the field.
Corey is typical Monaghan. He’ll absolutely hound you on the field. He’s a real tiger of a player.
Now, why deploy one of the best full-forwards in the game well away from the opposition goal.
Murphy has the power to get the better of Corey and he has an ability to kick long-range scores that isn’t possessed by too many players.
To me, leaving him inside fumbling around for scraps would be a wasted exercise this week.
He has precision and vision in bucket loads. He’ll make things happen and he has to join the attack at the right time. That running game I mentioned earlier should have Murphy as the centrepiece.
It’s a lot to ask and it might be wishful thinking – but don’t rule out a Donegal performance. It could be a night for the ages.
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