Donegal supporters are going to have to be patient - Manus Boyle

Manus Boyle says the road in front of Donegal at this moment in time appears a treacherous one and that supporters are going to have to show patience in the weeks ahead.

Contrasting fortunes in their opening pair of NFL outings, leaves as many questions as answers. Paddy Carr, his management team and the players got their heads down this week as they now plan for a trip to Clones, to take on Monaghan, on Sunday week.

1992 legend Boyle explains that fathoming the drop off between those pair of performances, the win over Kerry and the disappointing loss to Tyrone, isn’t that difficult to gauge once you really start to scratch the surface.

“Donegal supporters are going to have to be patient,” said the Killybegs clubman. “The Kerry result, it kinda bumped the thing a little. I know both sides were short but it’s fair to say Kerry probably haven’t a whole pile of work done just yet.

“In fact, they will be aiming to peak at the end of the Munster Championship. Kerry have the luxury of having to be ready for three to four games at the very tail end of the year.

“But the reality for the likes of Donegal, Tyrone and Monaghan, who are in each others’ vicinity early on in this league campaign; they, along with Armagh also, those sides are already gearing up for April and the start of the Ulster championship.

“All-Ireland champions generally aren’t at it at the start of the following season. Still, there were elements to the Kerry performance that were still very encouraging and impressive. Donegal could have thrown in the towel early on and they also dug just as deep late on to win it. Those were really good signs.

“So training last week would have been good, the mood would have been very positive. Tails should have been up. So the way we never got going against Tyrone does raise concerns once again.

“There was a lack of urgency and even energy. And I’m sure that wasn’t because of the work they did or didn’t do during the week. The burners in that sense won’t have been put on just yet. It’ll be another few weeks before that button is pressed.

“Even though Tyrone weren’t brilliant, you simply can’t stand off them like we did. We gifted them an early three-point cushion and we never recovered. Now, we did claw back six points the week before but, like I said, that was a Kerry side that maybe haven’t that much fuel in their tanks just yet”.

In regards to their next assignment against the Farney men, Boyle says Monaghan’s plight at this moment, point-less and rooted to the bottom of the pile, will mean a sting will inevitably be bared in Clones the weekend after next.

“Monaghan are after suffering a real hiding down in Killarney. They’ll be absolutely stewing now for the next two weeks. So that’s a bear poked. There will be a reaction from Monaghan, for sure.

“You just have to hope we look at this clinically, as a chance to not just pick up two vital points but push Monaghan even further back in the process. I think after that, it’s Galway in Letterkenny. O’Donnell Park isn’t a great hunting ground for Donegal.

“It will have to be a ‘one game at a time’ approach from Paddy Carr and his management team. Donegal are trying to blood so many young lads at this moment. We have experienced heads to come back in but, for the reasons outlined earlier, they are going to be playing catch up in terms of fitness.

“If we’re sitting here in a fortnight’s time and have gone to Clones and won, then the conversation becomes much different. We’d be targeting one of our two home games then. But you’re talking about Galway and Mayo.

“We also have to go to Armagh and Roscommon - the two early pace setters in the division. No one would have thought Roscommon would have been sitting with four points after two games. So there will be some twists and turns yet. Staying in Division 1, even by the skin of our teeth, would be a big positive”.

If Donegal were to avoid slipping through the relegation trapdoor then Boyle believes they would set themselves up well for a shot at Down when it comes to the start of the Ulster SFC in late April. But if that fails to materialise, then things would look pretty ominous prior to that trip to Newry.

“Down, up in the Marshes, they will be primed and ready. You are hearing anecdotally that Jim McGuinness has been up there putting them through their paces. And we all know what that means. The Páirc Esler we visited last season and the one we’ll go to in April, they will be unrecognisable from each other.

“Regardless, patience is going to be vital now moving forward. Because if we start turning on management, like they do on Premiership bosses, Donegal could well end up going through two to three managers in as many seasons.

“We’ve seen in the not too distant past that if expectations aren’t tapered at times like these, it can get ugly, nasty even. So give the lads on the pitch and along the line some backing. And the backing was brilliant in MacCumhaill Park a fortnight ago - let’s make that point. So supporters have a huge part to play in this now moving forward”.