Jim McGuinness and Donegal have clear intentions in regards to NFL approach

Jim McGuinness says Donegal have got through a serious amount of work in the close season as he starts to zone in on the start of the NFL.

The reigning Ulster champions face Derry this evening, Wednesday, at Celtic Park in the last four of the McKenna Cup.

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However, it’s Saturday week, and a huge opener with Dublin at Croke Park that remains parked at the forefront of his thoughts.

Still, McGuinness has a very clear aim when it comes to the league and what Donegal want to get out of it.

He’s trawled far and wide and replenished his squad with a host of exciting youngsters that gave a small hint of what they’re all about last Sunday against Antrim in Cargin.

And while the manager says that process of development is firmly fixed on the long term, he believes some of those newbies have the potential to accelerate their own progress, much like Ciaran Moore and Finnbarr Roarty have in the last two seasons.

“We got out and about during the club championships, he explained. “We also had a trial process before the senior players came back. We’d a good look at a lot of players.

“In the end, I think we took 24 out of those who trained with the team for a period of time. And off the back of that, a number of those lads have now been added to the panel.

“That was very good, very positive. No one is standing still; you want to be moving forward all the time.

“Hopefully, we can get two or three of them in the here and now, that can add value”.

He added: “The start of the league, we’ve Dublin, Kerry, Mayo, Armagh, Galway… that’s five big games. If they get exposure in that, against top teams, it should serve them well.

“When you’re a developmental player, there will be bumps on the road. Sometimes it’s two steps forward and one step back.

“Our priority this season is to develop the team, the depth of the squad and whatever results come in the league, we’ll be happy about that.

“It’s a different phase for us now and we just need to make sure we’re ticking as many boxes as possible to put the squad in the best place possible.

“If that means we win or lose games, we won’t become overly fussed about that”.

McGuinness explains that he met every single one of his squad individually, or at least the ones involved in last July’s All-Ireland final loss to Kerry, and some good conversations were had in relation to what the group felt went wrong against the Kingdom.

So that information, as well as looking to push the side on in a new direction, means Donegal seem intent on offering something different again in 2026.

“Year three, you’d like to think a lot of the non-negotiable processes are firmly in place, but every year we try to move the thing forward, introduce new ideas and ways of thinking.

“Nothing stands still, nothing is neutral. If you aren’t looking at new ways forward, you’re going to go blunt.

“What we want is freshness, new thinking, new learning. I love this time of year to be quite honest.

“I love the off-season. It gives you a chance to look at things without the pressure of trying to win games.

“Antrim was a perfect example of that. We got a chance to look at a few things we have been working on. We got a chance to look at a lot new players too”.