The Donegal ball is firmly in Jim McGuinness’ court - PJ McGowan

PJ McGowan says it’s no great secret Jim McGuinness is top of the list of the five-man committee set up to find the next Donegal senior football manager.

If he is not, the former county chairman says he should be. The overwhelming desire of Donegal GAA folk is to see the big Glenties man back in the top job in the county once more.

But the Million Dollar question remains ,‘is the 2012, All- Ireland winning manager ready to return to the top job in the county’?

And the answer to that question is solely in the domain of the mercurial McGuinness. But McGowan is not so sure if we will see Jim straddling the sideline again anytime soon.

PJ McGowan was the Donegal chairman when Jim first took on the job after a number of attempts, and a number of false dawns, back at the end of 2010.

“There are many similarities between now and 2010 when we finally gave Jim a crack at the job,” says the Sean MacCumhaills clubman, who managed the Donegal senior for a spell in the middle of the 1990s.

“The county, like now, was at a low ebb following the humiliating defeat to Armagh in Crossmaglen in the All-Ireland qualifier.

“But the one big difference was Jim was U-21 manager in 2010 and came within the width of a crossbar of winning an All-Ireland after claiming a first Ulster success in 15 years.”

Six of the Donegal team from that eventual final in Kingspan Breffni Park were on board when Michael Murphy climbed the steps of the Hogan Stand to raise aloft the Sam Maguire Cup in 2012.

McGowan explains: “Michael Murphy, already an established senior, Mark McHugh, Paddy McGrath, Leo McLoone, Declan Walsh and Dermot Molloy were all members of the 2012 All-Ireland winning team.

“Michael Murphy, Leo McLoone and Martin McElhinney were also on the 2006 minor winning team.

“Then you had Karl Lacey, Colm McFadden, Frank McGlynn, the McGees, Neil and Eamonn, Rory Kavanagh and all the rest of the boys on the 2012 team. I’ve been at every Donegal game this year and I’m not convinced the same quality of player is in the present squad.

“Donegal are at a low ebb. It is probably as low as it has been for 40 years and it is a long road back to the top.

"I would love to see Jim McGuinness back as manager and I hope every effort is made to get him back. But I’m not sure if he will be interested.

“Any time he has spoken on the matter of returning to management he has always insisted he still wishes to pursue a career in soccer.

“So it remains to be seen if that has changed. Hopefully he has because his return would give the county a massive boost and lift.”

Unlike the present search for a new manager, where a special five man committee has been appointed, there was no committee or big search to fill the vacancy left by John Joe Doherty.

“There was no need because Jim, after the U-21 run to the All-Ireland final, was the popular choice and besides he was the only one that applied for the job.

“I had been on the executive in previous times when Jim had applied and didn’t always agree when he was overlooked.

“But on this occasion I was the chairman and myself and Aodh Mairtín Ó Fearraigh, who was the county secretary at the time, talked to Jim and ultimately appointed him. And as the saying goes, the rest is history.”