McGuinness looks to “absolutely huge” task of curbing Kerry’s attack

THERE is plenty of football chat in the car as Jim McGuinness and his son Mark Anthony shoot the breeze on the way to Donegal’s press evening.

The buildup to Sunday’s decider is fulling column inches and airwaves all week. How Donegal stop David Clifford is number on talking point to most. To others, it’s up there.

Seated at the front of the auditorium at Donegal GAA’s Convoy base, McGuinness fields a range of questions. Relaxed but focussed. In the world of high-level sport, this is living.

Murphy’s injury has cleared up. A full hand to pick from. The disappointment of 2014. His time in Tralee and the Kerry mentality of expecting to win.

The preparation levels now. A comparison of the Donegal camp and his time at Celtic and in China. The David Clifford question is buried in there too.

“Myself and Mark Anthony were chatting about it on the way up,” he said “We were talking about the fact that he could be the best player that has ever played the game and time will tell on that I suppose.”

The full debate will have to wait until he calls time on his career, but, in Jim’s eyes, he’s exceptional. An in the eyes of many.

“He seems to be very driven this year,” McGuinness pin points.

While the Donegal boss doesn’t say it, you only have to tie it into Clifford calling to arms of the Kingdom fans and the gusto with how he as celebrated key scores.

“He’s carrying the fight I would almost say with a determination and aggressiveness like an attacking aggressiveness – when he sees a gap he’s just really going for that gap,” McGuinness adds.

“Even some of the scorers, even in Croke Park – he’s not kicking it over, he’s firing it over. “It’s almost he’s putting down markers and I think he’s leading from the front literally.”

It could well be a marking job for Brendan McCole after his putting out of fires with regularity under McGuinness.

The biggest part of the outside world, away from the Donegal bubble, his how they deal with the rest of the Kerry supporting cast.

Armagh dropped off and Seán O’Shea hurt them. Tyrone went man on man with O’Shea and Paudie Clifford but Kerry turned Tyrone’s coughed up possession into bullets David fired in a 1-9 haul.

“It’s (marking David) a huge challenge but obviously there’s a number of what you would call marquee forwards in the Kerry team,” McGuinness adds.

“His brother (Paudie) is obviously in that bracket as well and Seán O’Shea and a lot of many other players that have been incredible servants that know their way around Croke Park.

“So the challenge on that front is absolutely huge but, at the end of the day, all challenges at this level of the competition are going to be huge.

“You’re playing in the biggest game of the year and there’s going to be nothing easy, there’s going to be nothing easy.”

Glenswilly manager and former Donegalcoach Gary McDaid looks ahead to the final in this week’s Gaelic Lives podcast. He explores Kerry’s threats.