THE news that came this week that Declan Bonner has been reappointed as Donegal manager will be met with great delight in many corners of the Tir Chonaill county.

Not least from former county forward, and All-Ireland winner, Manus Boyle.

The Killybegs man said last week: “I would like to see him get another shot at it. I know how much it means to him. I would hope he gets another shot at it.”

The county board in Donegal reported this week: “At last Wednesday’s County Committee meeting Declan Bonner presented his report on the 2021 Allianz League Division 1 campaign and the Ulster Championship and announced that he was interested in another term as Senior Donegal County manager.

“Chairman Mick McGrath noted that as Declan’s term was over the position was also open to other candidates and invited clubs to nominate candidates by 5 pm on Sunday evening. As of the deadline on Sunday evening no club had nominated another candidate and this evening the County Executive recommended Declan for a second two year term to County Committee who approved this decision.”

Bonner took over the role of Donegal manager in 2018, replacing Rory Gallagher. It was his second stint in charge. Donegal won the Ulster title in 2018 and 2019, but lost the Ulster final to Cavan in 2020, and were knocked out of the provincial competition this year by Tyrone.

Manus Boyle explained that he felt that Bonner, while at the end of his term, would have been desperate to go again after the frustrations of the past two season.

Boyle said: “I think Covid hasn’t helped him. I think the Cavan result probably left a bad taste with him. He could point to the (Michael) Murphy sending off and the missed penalty as issues. But those thing happen in sport. Definitely in Ulster. I suppose he would like one more year. But how long is a piece of string? How many years do you get, that is what other people think.”

One of the challenges that Bonner will face in this, his second stint as Donegal manager having taken the county team from 1997 to 2000, is how to shape the defence.

“In this day and age you need players who can defend. Sadly with Donegal, with Neil McGee probably coming to an end of his career, Stephen McMenamin didn’t get near fitness levels of the year before, and Paddy McGrath coming close to the end of his career, we don’t have three or four defensive minded defenders. We have defenders who are attackers. That is why we are very open.

“Donegal struggled this year defensively because we were ve ry dependent on the likes of McGee and McMenamin, and Murphy in their defensive roles.”

Boyle warned about reading too much into the loss to Tyrone.

“I thought we were on top up until the Murphy sending off, which was fairly harsh. That’s what you get. They go for you and go against you.”