'This current team is as good as 2012, there's an All-Ireland in them' - Reid

Former Donegal defender Donal Reid believes this current side under Jim McGuinness has the capacity to go all the way and win the All-Ireland title this season admitting this team is as good if not better than the 2012 championship winners. 

Donegal’s 2024 Ulster championship season began with a bang at the weekend in Celtic Park when McGuinness’s side shocked Mickey Harte’s Derry in their own backyard with a 4-11 to 0-17 point win over the Oak Leaf County. 

And despite, what is being deemed as a tactical masterclass from Donegal, which saw four goals slotted past Derry goalkeeper Odhran Lynch, the 1992 All-Ireland winner points to McGuinness’s aura and personality as the real key to Donegal’s victory on Saturday and their incremental improvement this season.  

“Jim gets the most out of players, even beyond what they believe themselves what they are capable of, he’ll get the best out of them every single time,” said the Red Hughs man. 

“I don’t think he’s changed his system since he’s returned to the game, his tactic was always a quick transition from defence into the forward line at speed. It’s his personality, he just makes everyone feel 10 feet taller, when he talks people listen, he’s an incredible human being.” 

While admiring the All-Ireland winning manager’s persona, Reid also admits that his ability to study opposition plays and devise different system to overcome different teams is second to none – something seen against Derry last weekend. 

“I’ve been involved in GAA all my life, but when I joined Jim’s team in 2012, I couldn’t believe the type of person I was working with, he really opened my eyes, he looked at the game like nobody else,” the former right-half back said. 

“We saw it the last day again against Derry, Jim’s ability to study the opposition and break them down, he has the best attention to detail I’ve ever seen. 

“He knew the last day that Odhran Lynch was going to come out from his goals around midfield, and Jim targeted that and made Shaun Patton’s kickouts the most vital part of his gameplan. It’s not too often that the two goalkeepers are the most crucial part of a manager’s gameplan, but that’s the type of thinking Jim does. 

“You go back to the game the last day and analyse it any way you want, but the bottom line is, Jim McGuinness got the tactics right and Mickey Harte got them wrong. I think it’s Donegal’s Ulster title to lose now.” 

While Donegal still has a long way to go in this campaign as they look for their first piece of championship silverware since 2019, Reid brings solace proclaiming that this current squad are up there with the best teams in the country and are capable of winning the county’s third ever All-Ireland title this season. 

“I can’t see Donegal being beaten at all this season unless Dublin offers something special,” Reid admitted. “We talk about Kerry, Tyrone, Mayo, all these teams, but Donegal in my opinion are better than them. I feel this team can go the whole way. 

“Like, we can’t deny that there’s a Jim McGuinness factor, and these players will only get better with time, but they have nothing to fear when facing any team.” 

And while there’s never been much to separate both Tyrone and Donegal down through the years, Reid believes there are vulnerabilities in Brian Dooher’s side which Donegal will be planning this week to exploit before they clash with each other on Sunday in Celtic Park at 2pm. 

“Even Tyrone this season, if you look at their stats for example, apart from Monaghan, they have the most scores against them in Division 1 this year, and I have no doubt Jim has been looking at that and finding ways to break through the holes in their defence,” said Reid. 

“Niall Morgan has also been a real presence in Brian Dooher’s gameplan. He likes to get on the attack at times too, but after what happened to Odhran Lynch the last day, I say Tyrone will be rethinking their gameplan and wondering if Morgan should come out at all. 

“But even if you take our players, we have some of the fittest players out there. Our defence is unbelievable, we are brilliant at smothering players and turning over ball without giving away any frees. And then when you look at our transition . . . these boys are just a joy to watch. 

“I was directly involved with the team in 2012 and I look at this current team, and I can easily say these players are every bit as good, there’s an All-Ireland in these players. I mean, when you take how good we’re playing and still missing some key players through injury, it’s amazing really, I can’t see us being stopped.”