Boyle says Donegal will address defensive issues

MANUS Boyle says that the Donegal team will be working hard on addressing defensive issues ahead of the new season, which begins in mid May.

The former All-Ireland winner reckons that Declan Bonner’s team had some problems at the back during last year’s Ulster Championship campaign.

However, he thinks there is plenty to be positive about for Donegal, with players returning to action. Yet it is the defensive area which he thinks must be looked at hard.

Boyle said: “At times we were too open at the back. We were too attack-minded at the back.

“We lack a couple of natural defenders. I know we have two in Stephen McMenamin and Neil McGee and possibly Paddy McGrath. But Paddy and Neil have a fair few miles up. They can’t continue to play at the level they were at five years ago, and that’s what they are going to need.

“Stephen McMenamin didn’t play much last year because of his injury. So it is going to take him time to get back up to speed.”

So how are they going to address that? Are there any new faces who can come in to provide alternatives?

“To be fair to Declan and the management team they have most of the best players who could play. But we are hampered because our u-20s didn’t run so they didn’t get an opportunity to look at them lads. And we don’t have any u-20s to look at this year.

“It will be more of the same. We just need to get that defensive side of our game tidied up.”

Boyle felt that the game against Cavan highlighted the issues that exist in Donegal’s defence.

“If Cavan had taken their chances in the first half we would have had a lot of work to do in the second half. Even when we pulled them back we were still very open at the back.

“That hasn’t been like Donegal over the past number of years. We have attacked in numbers, but we have defended as well. Last year we just left Neil McGee on his own often. Only for his experience we would have conceded more.”

Boyle reckons that making up for the Ulster final loss will have weighed heavy on the Donegal players over the winter.

They missed out on winning a third Ulster title in-a-row when they were beaten by Cavan in the final played at the end of the year due to the Covid-19 restrictions which forced the GAA to rejig their season, which also meant that straight knockout was played and there was no opportunity for a backdoor.

“I know the players will be extremely hurt and disappointed by their performance in the Ulster final. That is what their whole year came down to because there were.

“They will be wanting to change that result.”

Boyle thinks that the dynamic of the Ulster Championship may change.

“’Banty’ (Seamus McEnaney) in Monaghan showed well last year. Tyrone are under new management (Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan). Cavan will be buoyant after victory. And it is unlike other years where there would be a lot of celebrating going on. That hasn’t happened.

“Most squads will go in with everybody. There will have been loads of time for players to get over injuries.

“Every squad is coming into it with a full squad.”

Donegal have to play Monaghan, Tyrone and Armagh in the Division One North section of the National League.

Those games will provide stiff tests for Bonner’s team.

“We have a mini-Ulster group and it is a great opportunity for Declan to do what he wants to do to improve on last year.

“I think he might hold back something for the Ulster Championship. He won’t show everything. He is a lot cuter than that.

“But I think he will try things. If you think about last year’s Armagh game they played a lot of long ball in.

“They will also come in with a fully fit Patrick McBrearty as well and if he gets a few games under his belt then it will be like a new player coming in.

“I just think last year he was getting minutes here and there, and he didn’t get a lot of club games. He wasn’t at his sharpest. A fit Paddy McBrearty takes a lot of pressure off Murphy and other players.

“Ciaran Thompson and Michael Langan were great, but they are taking time to get consistency. You get that with McBrearty.”