Breaking News Jim McGuinness has stepped down as Donegal manager after 5 years at the helm. Great Ma

[Faldo]

He’s a self important prick that play a terrible brand of scutter ball…good fucking riddance

[KinvarasPassion]

@Faldo

He’s a self important prick that play a terrible brand of scutter ball…good fucking riddance

+1

[myboyblue]

@Faldo

He’s a self important prick that play a terrible brand of scutter ball…good fucking riddance

He mugged you off good and proper mate

[Faldo]

@myboyblue

He mugged you off good and proper mate

[Juhniallio]

@Il Bomber Destro

They have a good young base of a team - McBrearty, McNiallais, O’Connor, McElhinney, McLoone, McHugh (x2), Murphy are all 25 or under. I think they’ll knock another few years out of the defence that started against Kerry. They had an All Ireland minor runners up this year as well so might be able to bring in a couple of those boys. I think they’ve a good base for the new manager to start out with, I think McGuinness going is a huge loss for them and I can see why you’d question whether the new manager can instill the same discipline and togetherness that McGuinness did. Who is the favourite for it anyway? Rory Gallagher is supposed to be very well thought of by the players and would probably be the most suitable candidate.

Didn’t quite explain myself properly, Bomber. It is a good base of course, I just don’t think it matters. That team has been on an incredible journey from shite to savage over four years. All that was based on Jim McGuinness. If the new manager comes in and tries to do the same the players will feel like there’s something missing. If he totally changes it then players will go ‘that’s not what Jimmy would have done’. Either way, it’s a huge task for the new manager and the most likely outcome by far is failure.

[Il_Bomber_Destro]

@Juhniallio

Didn’t quite explain myself properly, Bomber. It is a good base of course, I just don’t think it matters. That team has been on an incredible journey from shite to savage over four years. All that was based on Jim McGuinness. If the new manager comes in and tries to do the same the players will feel like there’s something missing. If he totally changes it then players will go ‘that’s not what Jimmy would have done’. Either way, it’s a huge task for the new manager and the most likely outcome by far is failure.

It’s a huge task and it’s a difficult path to follow for any manager coming in as this has definitely been the most successful era any Donegal manager has presided over, that I can acknowledge. Whether Donegal will come back as strong as before remains to be seen, I think McGuinness will have a lasting legacy in Donegal and their attitude and approach to the game. I don’t think Donegal are just going to slink away into the night however as they have some really good players there. I’d imagine they’d still be the favourites for Ulster next year and in the top 5 favourites for an All Ireland.

[Juhniallio]

@Il Bomber Destro

It’s a huge task and it’s a difficult path to follow for any manager coming in as this has definitely been the most successful era any Donegal manager has presided over, that I can acknowledge. Whether Donegal will come back as strong as before remains to be seen, I think McGuinness will have a lasting legacy in Donegal and their attitude and approach to the game. I don’t think Donegal are just going to slink away into the night however as they have some really good players there. I’d imagine they’d still be the favourites for Ulster next year and in the top 5 favourites for an All Ireland.

All things are possible Bomber. I don’t think they’ll go to shit immediately, but they won’t be good enough to challenge seriously, quarters, I’d say.

There were big rumblings last year over the club championship and it obviously wasn’t all hunky dory this year with losing his backroom boys. There’ll be plenty looking to change things up.

[Il_Bomber_Destro]

[QUOTE=“Juhniallio, post: 1027176, member: 53”]All things are possible Bomber. I don’t think they’ll go to shit immediately, but they won’t be good enough to challenge seriously, quarters, I’d say.

There were big rumblings last year over the club championship and it obviously wasn’t all hunky dory this year with losing his backroom boys. There’ll be plenty looking to change things up.[/QUOTE]

I agree to an extent, the new manager has a huge task on his hands to emulate what McGuinness did and it’s a big ask of this group of players to keep those levels up but I do believe they have the quality to kick on particularly the young lads there who you’d imagine will get better. There’s also the other side to that as McGuinness pretty much kept a small unit there, a core of about 20 players - I’m sure there are other good players in Donegal who can make the breakthrough. I wouldn’t be awfully familiar with the Donegal GAA scene but they have been competitive at underage in recent years and there’s probably another few that can push on. I’ve heard some good things about James McHugh’s son and would expect him to be in the senior squad next year.