A turbulent period but Donegal simply have to find a response in Clare - McLoone

Leo McLoone understands the pessimistic air that currently surrounds Donegal GAA - but the former county star says the side’s fortunes in the All-Ireland SFC group stages still matters.

The Naomh Conaill man - a winner of five Ulster titles and one All-Ireland - acknowledges that the team is up against it in terms of results. But, he insists, it would be wrong for supporters to completely throw in the towel on them.

McLoone recalls first coming into the Donegal set-up as a rangy 17-year-old back in 2008 when Brian McIver was still in charge. However, an early injury that term curtailed his subsequent involvement.

John Joe Doherty came on board the next season but a shock opening round Ulster SFC loss to Antrim put the 1992 legend’s reign on an immediate back foot.

The likes of Mark Curran, Caolan McColgan Luke McGlynn, Kieran Tobin and Rory O’Donnell all tasted senior intercounty championship action for the very first time in Newry last month.

But that fact will be lost on many given the palpable disappointment and even anger that continues to circulate amongst Donegal supporters right now.

The fall from grace has been quite staggering - and much of the finger pointing in regards to that accelerated drop off remains directed at the decision-makers within the county.

But McLoone uses his own example back in 2009, in the wake of that Saffrons embarrassment in Ballybofey, as a reason why the remainder of Donegal’s summer retains real relevance - regardless of the side’s fortunes.

“I was in the panel at the time, training away,” he says of 2009. “I didn’t get any minutes against Antrim. That was a big shock, a big disappointment that day in Ballybofey. But I remember we then played a challenge against Fermanagh up in Irvinestown.

“I must have done alright because I was picked to start for the rest of the season that year. I was young, not long in the door. But I do remember there was a lot of motivation to turn things around. And even with all the negativity out there right now, this Donegal side will feel that exact same way.

We went on a bit of a run. It felt like there was momentum building, headway being made. But, ultimately, we came up well short that day against Cork in the All-Ireland quarter-final.

“And you have to hope for a reaction now from this Donegal - that the bit will be between the teeth. They’ll have had time to zone in on gameplans and training over the last number of weeks. But even the lads that were out through injury against Down, they will hopefully have a few faces back on board.

“But I had real sympathy for the young lads the last day. Donegal were down to the bare bones and it was a tough baptism in Newry”.

McLoone - initially as part of Gary Duffy’s U-20 Donegal management team and, subsequently upon taking up the baton himself - would have already worked with many of the younger players that have made the step up this term.

But because of Donegal’s current woes - their senior bows probably came much sooner than even he would have anticipated.

But even when a line is eventually drawn under 2023 and if it’s indeed filed in the ‘write off’ section, McLoone believes some significant progress will still have been made, even if it isn’t that glaringly obvious to many.

“There are some great young players there but people need to understand now it’s a huge step up. It’s much greater than it used to be, for a variety of reasons. But those lads are the future of Donegal.

“They will get up to speed sooner rather than later - I’ve no doubt about that. I’ve worked with a few in the last number of years.

“The attitude and the application, they are giving it everything. Kieran Tobin, Rory O’Donnell, Luke McGlynn… it was a tough introduction. But they’ll take learnings from it. We’ve all been there.

“They’ll not forget that feeling. But like I said, it can have a hardening effect. It can be something they take motivation from”.

And McLoone vividly remembers the roles some of the Donegal legends of that time played in his own integration into the senior mix.

“Myself, Dara Gallagher and Eoin Waide were travelling up at the time. The older lads like Barry Monaghan, Niall McCready and Brian Roper were so good to all the young fellas coming in. Even though we were finding it difficult maybe on the pitch, they were still there trying their hardest to guide the thing on.

“As a young lad, 17 years old, trying to maybe find your feet; they were a huge help. That’s why the young lads there now, this period in their careers, there is still great learning to be had.

“I look back and I appreciate the help and guidance I got. Those older lads I mentioned, they would probably have been so frustrated with results at the time. Their dream was to get over the line in Ulster. They didn’t get there in the end but they did so much for young fellas like myself settling in at the time.

“And that’s real leadership. They were always advising and encouraging you. They must have had real frustrations themselves, as senior players. But the way they encouraged you was always in a productive and positive way.

“Looking back, regardless of what we eventually went on to achieve, that kind of thing still stands out for me”.

Opportunity

Meanwhile, McLoone says Donegal simply have to target a win in Clare if they’re to progress in the All-Ireland last 16 stage. Donegal travel to Ennis for the first of their three fixtures in the round-robin stage of the All-Ireland SFC.

The fixture is down for Saturday, May 20, in Group 4. Donegal's second fixture is at home to the Ulster champions, either Derry or Armagh, on June 3 before they take on Monaghan at Croke Park two weeks later.

The winner of the four-team group goes straight into the All-Ireland quarter-finals, with the second and third placed teams going into a play-off round. With all that taken into consideration, McLoone says Donegal really need to get off to a winning start.

Donegal will have had four weeks to lick their wounds after their Ulster elimination at the hands of Down.Coincidently, the last time Donegal encountered Clare in Championship was that Qualifier run 14 years ago.

Having initially progressed past Carlow in Ballybofey in comfortable fashion, the Banner County almost upset the odds before eventually being squeezed out 0-13 to 0-17.

This time out, McLoone says any kind of win, especially away from home, would be a significant step in the right direction.

“All Donegal need is one good reaction,” he explained. “Clare represents that kind of opportunity. And I’m sure they’re targeting a winning start. That would be enough to qualify them. Clare is the game, and it’s first up.

“Because if you lose down there, then you’re under severe pressure with Derry and Monaghan to come. A lot hinges on getting a result there. There is still pressure on the lads going down to Ennis. That’s going to be tough. I remember going there a few years back in the league and we just about got out of it with a win.

“It’s one of those tough, tight grounds. It’s closed in. We only got over the line in the last five minutes. It felt like a small pitch - maybe it’s not but that’s the way it feels bang in the middle of it.

“Donegal can still make positive inroads in this season. The development of the young lads is the big one. But there are lads in between that can also maybe grab these games by the scruff of the neck, make an impression.

“That whole integration process, it’s really important moving forward. They are getting championship minutes under their belts. That’s what these next three games represent.

“And when they move into next season, whether that’s pre-season, the League or whatever, they have familiarity with so much of it then. And then they can start to be more of a leader in the set up as opposed to being the new lad, the young lad coming into the set-up”.