Kerry legend Pat Spillane used his column in the Sunday World today to criticise Donegal and their system that he says is, 'well past its sell by date.'
Donegal were on the receiving end of a thrashing from Galway last weekend in Round 4A of the qualifiers but Spillane was not surprised that they were dumped out of the championship.
I wasn't surprised. All year I have repeatedly written that Donegal were the 'Roscommon' of this season. Like Roscommon did the previous season, Donegal starting training early and by the time the league started were able to steal a march on their opponents.
It was a different story in the championship. Donegal are in transition. The older players have a lot of mileage in their legs, while the youngsters are not ready for championship football.
With it being Rory Gallagher's third season in charge of Donegal, Spillane feels the they have been relying too heavily on the system that Jim McGuinness devised when he was in charge. Now the RTE pundit feels, 'It's time Donegal tore up the McGuinness template'.
The other issue is that [Donegal] are clinging to a playing system, devised by Jimmy McGuinness, that is well past its sell-by date and is not suited to the players now at its disposal.
Donegal's unravelling also casts a long shadow over the coaching credentials of McGuinness. I never accepted he was an innovative coach - he merely took the template that was established by Mickey Harte and took it to an extreme level.
McGuinness stepped down as the county manager after their loss to Kerry in the 2014 All-Ireland final, and was replaced by Gallagher. Given he brought a Donegal team from nowhere to All-Ireland champions, there is definitely a counter argument to be made that their form since he left the team suggests his guru like leadership has been badly missed.
SEE ALSO: Jim McGuinness Is On A Career Trajectory Never Before Contemplated By A GAA Man
