Down hype isn’t justified - Neil McGee

Neil McGee insists he isn’t buying into any of the recent hype surrounding Down under the new guidance of Conor Laverty. 

The Kilcoo man - alongside Marty Clarke - are looking to put some fizz back in the original Ulster footballing aristocrats. And they’ve even enlisted the help of Donegal’s 2012 All-Ireland winning boss Jim McGuinness on the training field.  

But McGee reckons Down have been given a softer ride than Donegal in regards to their exploits this term. Scratch the surface, look at the thing objectively, and McGee says there are just as many question marks, perhaps even more, hanging over Sunday’s hosts’. 

“There is a lot of big talk about Down,” the three-time All-Star said. “Conor Laverty has come in, Marty Clarke is there. You hear Jim has been up helping out. So it’s all very positive, the picture being painted there. But at the end of the day, the truth is, they couldn’t get out of Division 3. 

“So maybe some of that off the field talk has disguised what’s gone on on it. Because the opposite has happened in Donegal. Because things have been so negative off the field, we’ve really gone to town on our results on the pitch. 

“This isn’t the first time Donegal have got relegated from Division 1. So it really depends on what way you want to look at all of that. From a purely footballing point of view, Division 1 and Division 3 are a world apart. 

“Even with us going down, the level of intensity Donegal would have been operating at would have been a notch or two up. If we hadn’t had the recent bad run of injuries that we’ve suffered, I’d be confident, very confident in fact, of getting the win. 

“It’s just really disappointing and unfortunate that the likes of Patrick McBrearty, Oisin Gallen, Peadar Mogan and even Ryan McHugh aren’t available. That said, others are going to get a massive opportunity to stake claims. 

“The personnel that’s missing, and I’m not even including retirements; but we are down some huge names. That’s the only reason I’d have concerns”.  

McGee expects Down to bring a high octane approach to matters, straight out of the blocks. But Donegal can look to suck the energy right out of that if they set themselves up in the right manner. 

“Donegal need to look to take the energy away from Down early on in the game. We can’t let them get the crowd behind them. It might not be pretty but we should be aiming to take the complete sting out of those first 15 to 20 minutes.

“It might not be pretty but who cares. It’s a familiar type of gameplan and if we do that then the other stuff like our battle hardness from being in Division 1 and our recent experience of being involved in big Ulster championship games; that’s when all that other stuff suddenly becomes a real factor.  

“Take Down into deep waters. Most of our players have been in that sort of situation. So drag Down into that kind of scenario and see what they’re really made of. 

“It’s going to be difficult because of the lads that are missing. But I definitely feel Donegal can get a result. Even if it’s a one-point victory in a scrappy game, I’d be delighted with that. I wouldn’t care about a performance or shooting the lights out - Donegal just need to grind this one out”. 

McGee (37) retired from intercounty football last term after a record 195 appearances for Donegal. He made his championship debut against Down way back in 2006 and picked up five Ulster titles and one All-Ireland. 

The many controversies Donegal have found themselves engulfed in since he hung up his boots means he’d be forgiven for saying he’s glad he called it a day when he did. 

But pressed on the lead-in to Sunday, 17 long seasons towing such a familiar line, the Gaoth Dobhair man admits old habits die hard. And that a small part of him would love to be getting ready to take the hinges off the door at Pairc Esler. 

“I’d a great time with Donegal. I loved every minute of it. The truth is I hadn’t thought about it once. I didn’t think about it once during the league. But this week, this is the first time I’ve kinda let it in, that wee itch. 

“But I’ve made peace with the decision. My time was up, simple as that. And that’s why I’d tell the lads fortunate enough to be involved on Sunday to make the most of it. They are in a really privileged position”.