John Toal knows exactly what Kieran McGeeney and Jim McGuinness bring to the table. Shaun Casey writes…

ON Saturday afternoon, at the start of this season’s Ulster Championship final, Kieran McGeeney will lock eyes and shake hands with Jim McGuinness for the tenth time in his managerial career.

Across tenures with Kildare and his native county Armagh, McGeeney has worn the bainisteoir bib for 18 years having taken the leap into management straight after his playing career had come to an end in 2007.

McGuinness, at the third attempt, finally landed the Donegal gig in 2011 and their transformation from zero to hero was extraordinary. Over two stints, McGuinness has only lost one game in the Ulster Championship.

Of their previous nine meetings as managers, McGuinness has held the upper hand on six occasions. There’s been two draws thrown in as well while McGeeney’s sole triumph over McGuinness was a 2013 league game while in charge of the Lilywhites.

When it comes to championship, McGuinness has never lost to Armagh’s All-Ireland winning captain. Last year’s Ulster final was the closest he came, but his Donegal side still triumphed after a penalty shootout.

Both men have won All-Ireland medals as players and managers with their counties. Both are intense, driven individuals. But what are the two men like inside the four walls of a changing room? John Toal has experienced both.

The Keady clubman was on the Ulster University side that won the Sigerson Cup in 2001. McGuinness was the captain of the team. In 2002, Toal played midfield as Armagh captured the Sam Maguire for the first time ever. McGeeney was his skipper that year.

“I’d still be good friends with Geezer, so I’d know all of his characteristics and I played with Jim for a year in Jordanstown and they’re similar types of characters – both very driven and they want the best out of everyone around them,” explained Toal, who was part of McGeeney’s management team between 2017-2019.

“Both still had a side where they enjoyed a bit of craic too. We had plenty of nights out in Belfast after wins with Jimmy and he was leading the craic. He was mad for nights out and always enjoyed it.

“Geezer, in the same way, he likes to have his own mates around him and then he can relax and enjoys the craic as well. Geezer would maybe have a public perception as being a Roy Keane type character but in person, he’s actually not like that.”

From the outside, some may assume that McGeeney’s managerial style is all-controlling and conquering with an iron fist. Toal points out that you only have to look at the Armagh players of the last decade to get a deeper understanding.

“You’ll see that with the players – there’s so many superstar players sitting on the line and that’s very hard to manage, but he has such a relationship with those boys, that they know they’re still vital and that they’re coming on to win the games.

“That can be hard – everybody has got their ego and they all want to start but Geezer is able to manage those players so they’re still there. Nobody ever leaves the Armagh panel.

“You have the likes of Callum O’Neill who has sat on the bench for three or four years and now he’s getting in with two man of the match performances. It takes a special kind of man-management to be able to keep those boys on board.

“Jim is the same in Donegal. You had boys leaving over the years when he wasn’t there and the minute he came back in, he has all the players back in and they all want to play for Donegal and achieve their ultimate goal of winning the All-Ireland.”

It’s no surprise that the two men have accomplished so much success in their careers. Their leadership qualities ensured they were captain material and inside the dressing room, they knew how to light a fire in their teammates.

“The one thing I would have always found with the two of them is that they were great men to talk in the changing room and motivate you as captains. Adrian McGuckian was the Jordanstown manager and a great man and between him and Jim, they set the tone.

“They motivated the team and were brilliant at it. It was like that with Armagh as well, Joe (Kernan) and Paul (Grimley) ran the show, but Geezer always had the last word going out and he’d give the final talk.

“Even during those managerial days with him, I always enjoyed his team talks and the way he would have motivated the lads to get them ready,” Toal continued.

“They’re both very passionate, particularly about their home counties. Jim would be a massive Donegal man and he’s been through the underage setup with Donegal and the club set-up and has done so well with the seniors.

“He has come back and rebuilt and refocused and now they’re back as contenders.

“Obviously, Geezer has had a consistent career with Armagh since he was about 15 so they’re both very invested in their counties and both want to see them achieve what they’re capable of.”

During his playing days, it felt like McGeeney was the sole owner of the Anglo Celt Cup. He captained Armagh to five Ulster titles inside seven years and was part of the 1999 team that ended a 17-year wait for a provincial crown.

The Ulster Championship has proved a difficult hunting ground for McGeeney in his managerial role. Saturday is Armagh’s third consecutive appearance in the showpiece but similar to the ’99 team, their aiming to scratch a 17-year inch.

McGuinness won a single Ulster title with Donegal, in 1992, as a player. The next time the Anglo Celt visited the hills of Donegal was in 2011, when he returned as manager. Across two stints, McGuinness is now targeting a fifth Ulster title as Donegal manager.

“Jim was involved with the Donegal u-21s, and they were beaten in the All-Ireland final against the Dubs. Michael Murphy missed a last-minute penalty, he progressed through to the seniors with a lot of those young boys coming through,” Toal continued.

“Geezer’s success has taken longer but it has never been about ability. It’s been more about attitude and getting the players to buy into what they can achieve and that took a long time to do that.

“But when they did, even days that they didn’t win, you could see sprinkles of 10 or 15 minutes of really good football. The players matured then it developed to where they are now, which is at the top of the table.”

Toal will be in Clones on Saturday, as a fan, cheering on McGeeney and the Orchard men. Despite being the reigning All-Ireland champions, the Ulster throne is still one Armagh crave.

Toal feels they’ll finally get over the line this weekend.

“I fancy Armagh to win it. They’re coming in off a really good performance against Tyrone and yet they still left plenty of room to improve and they still have a few important players to come back in.

“I think everyone is going the right way and those injured lads are coming back and there’s a real competitiveness in the squad because you see the likes of Callum O’Neill coming in and doing well, Cian McConville is doing really well.

“When he came on against Tyrone, he added something different. If you have those two or three new boys coming in all the time, it’s putting everybody else in those positions under pressure to keep performing.

“Donegal are probably in a similar boat having done enough to beat Down without being spectacular.

“To me, they’re going into it in a perfect position too with a lot to improve on but they’re capable of producing it.”

Check this week’s preview show as former county stars Charlie Vernon and Rory Kavanagh look ahead to Saturday’s Ulster final showdown in Clones.