McGrath blasts ‘keyboard warriors’ who ‘don’t know if the ball is stuffed or blown up’

Mick McGrath, the chairman of the Donegal GAA County Board, has lambasted those who criticise the team on social media.

McGrath was unhappy with the negative comments aimed at players and management in wake of their 1-13 to 0-7 loss against Killarney the weekend before last.

“These people are only keyboard warriors,” he said. “I wouldn’t even call them supporters. They sit at home and watch the game on television and then take to social media to vent their frustrations. They don’t know if the ball is stuffed or blown up if you ask me. The criticism of young players is way over the top in my book and they don’t need it.

“We had 150, maybe 200 supporters in Kerry and look, it was a disappointing performance but those people got back into their cars and undertook massive trips home in deplorable weather conditions. They’re the real supporters, we have plenty of them and we’d like to thank them.”

Donegal have five points from their opening four Allianz League Division 1 matches, the most recent of these being the fine 2-10 to 0-12 win over Ulster and All-Ireland champions Tyrone at MacCumhaill Park last Saturday.
McGrath reiterated the point he made in his match programme notes for both the recent home matches against Kildare and Tyrone.

“There was a savage support for the team against Tyrone last week,” he added. “In my match programme notes for the recent home games against both Kildare and Tyrone, I asked Donegal supporters to be patient with our new, younger players on the team.

“It’s a difficult transition from development or club player to the speed of thought and action at senior inter-county level, so give them the support and time they deserve.

“We got that last Saturday and look at the last goal, Oisin Gallen to Peadar Mogan to Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí - these are all relatively young players competing at a very high level.

“When you looked at the main stand, you could see Michael Murphy, Neil McGee, Paul and Jamie Brennan, Caolan McGonagle and Michael Langan - all of these players were out for one reason or another. Those six all played against Tyrone in the championship last year and were unavailable last Saturday night.

“Pitches are difficult, conditions were extremely difficult in our two away matches, against Kerry and beforehand when we drew with Mayo in Sligo, and these young lads are only learning their trade at this level minus some of our experienced players.

“They say a week is a long time in politics, well it certainly is in football. These young men have made the point to focus their lifestyle on playing for Donegal and you have to commend that. You could see on Saturday, with the great support in Ballybofey, they visibly grew in confidence with the likes of Shane and Conor O’Donnell excelling.

“Jim McGuinness took us to an All-Ireland in 2012 and he was criticised in many quarters for the way his teams played football. But we all supported it and I’m giving Declan Bonner my thorough backing. At the start of this year, the only objective we set ourselves was to consolidate our position in Division 1 of the Allianz League.

"We’ve made a decent start, despite what the naysayers think, and when the league is over we will look into the championship. Show some patience. As the saying goes 'you don't get a creek in your neck if you keep facing forward'".