BRIAN MCENIFF COLUMN: Sad situation with manager leaving after heavy Mayo defeat

It was a very disappointing day for Donegal supporters in Ballybofey on Sunday.  But the news as we go to press that Paddy Carr has walked away after speaking with the players is even more disappointing and very sad.

We have had our problems on and off the field aired on the national airwaves but we could have got through, but now we have to try and regroup and it will not be easy.

It happened in the past when Brian McIvor walked away and I was in Ballybofey that night and it was also very sad, as he had won us our only National League title the previous year.

It is going to be difficult to lift the county and it will not be easy to get a replacement manager in the present situation.

I was speaking to a Donegal man afterwards and he felt Mayo didn’t have to get out of second gear to get the win.

I know they were good and are very fit for this time of year and they probably have an extra month’s training which leaves them ahead of Donegal. They were just too good and Aidan O’Shea looked to be in great shape and was important to their win. But I was disappointed after the first ball into him, that Donegal did not put someone back in front of him.  It was easy to see they were using him as a target man and he is good at that.

But overall, from a Donegal point of view, it was very disappointing. I just can’t see any permutation now that we could survive in Division 1.

We are flat at the minute, that’s the only way to describe us. We have one match left, away to Roscommon on Sunday next in Dr Hyde Park and we have to use this match to get a game plan together for the championship. It will be only four weeks from Sunday until we meet Down in the Ulster championship quarter-final.

Hopefully, we will have Ryan McHugh back for that.  Ciaran Thompson is back and got through a good amount of work in the early stages on Sunday and he will be improving all the time.

But we need a lot more of the team to step up to the plate. We need our front men, our scorers, getting two and three points each on average per game. We are not scoring enough at present to win games.

Roscommon will be a good test and they will have plenty to play for as well as they are preparing for a Connacht championship clash with neighbours, Mayo. 

I felt sorry for them on Saturday night against Kerry in Tralee. They could have got something out of that game with that late high ball dropping into the square. They had claims for a penalty, which would have given them a draw.

Sunday’s game will be Donegal’s last meaningful test before the championship game.

Donegal v Mayo: The Alternative View - Mayo for All-Ireland; Murphy still sweeping the boards

The Alternative View is almost out of date now; it seems a month since Sunday's game given all that has gone in the meantime!

It is hard to take any merits from Sunday’s game. It looks as if we will have to plan without Patrick McBrearty. And I noticed that Oisin Gallen limped off on Sunday; hopefully there was not too much damage done, but he does seem to be injury prone. Which is a pity, because he has talent and we don’t have that much  back up at the moment.

But we have what we have. We just have to get a better structure and we need to go down the middle with our attacking, that is the only way we can really penetrate and get goals.

And from here on in, the time for strength and conditioning is over. Now is the time for speed and work with the ball. We have the capacity and players; we need the players to shake themselves.

Roscommon have good forwards and are strong around midfield but their Achilles heel is their defence. We have to put down a marker; the time for lateral football is gone. Nine points is no good if we are trying to win a game and we need to be getting goals.

But we have to go to Roscommon on Sunday with a positive attitude and use it as preparation for the championship encounter with Down in Newry. 

Croke Park hierarchy to probe Donegal GAA

Donegal GAA chiefs are to seek out Karl Lacey to tease out the possibility of the Four Masters man returning as Head of Academy

NEIGHBOURS

Congratulations to our neighbours on all sides in the south who are doing well in the league. Fermanagh got a great result against Westmeath and need to get something in Cavan to get promoted along with the Breffni men. Wouldn’t it be great to have a local derby with Fermanagh next year in the league

Good luck also to Leitrim and Sligo, who meet next weekend and both could also be promoted.

LADIES

The Donegal Ladies are having a similar type season as the men, very flat and they were well beaten by Dublin on Sunday.  I watched the first half and we didn’t get a score. We are working with a new crop of players and it is not easy, just like the men.

Our hurlers had a good win over Tyrone and have qualified for a league semi-final against Wicklow, which will be a tough test for them as they have to travel to Aughrim.

Congratulations also to the minors on their win over Cavan and they can reach the league final this week when they play Sligo. 

CO BOARD MEETING

I’m hearing that there is a special county board meeting tonight to deal with the Academy situation. My own personal opinion is I would like to see Karl Lacey back, but I don’t know if that is possible or not. There was a good structure there. I know it costs money but we have to be matching the likes of Tyrone, who are looking strong at underage.

I did not like the publicity that we are getting at national level last week. It is better if we get it cleared up at Co Board level. They need to issue a statement and let the public know and then it can be put to bed totally. It’s better that they make a full and final statement and move on one way or another.

Brian McEniff was in conversation with Peter Campbell