Donegal Need To Stay Focused

Added: 17-08-2012 13:51:28

The Donegal squad will be undergoing a weekend of intense training ahead of their All-Ireland Semi-Final against Cork on Sunday August 26th.

One former Donegal star, Declan Bonner, in a recent interview has stressed that this period should be focused on grounding the current Donegal team, as the hype surrounding the squad could distract even the most humble of individuals.

Donegal have received an unprecedented amount of positive publicity across the GAA forums, after the number of big results have seen the side stride into the semi-finals.

The usual negativity of ‘killing the game’ with ‘everyman behind the ball’ has in recent times been cited as a positive move that was ahead of the curve in the evolution of the game, and has seen other sides adopt similar strategies.

This of course will undoubtedly effect the squad, but manager Jim McGuinness has stated that winning is all that matters, and that the past’s negativity and indeed the current positive publicity will have no bearing on his side, as their only concern is following their game plan and playing winning football.

McGuinness has come under fire from the purists who find the style of play he implements unattractive, yet the same people are still tipping Donegal to go all the way.

With this in mind Bonner said he hopes the waves of coverage don’t affect the squad, and has stated that Cork are indeed a team to be feared, especially at this stage of the tournament.

All eyes will be on Donegal next Sunday as they take on Cork in the Semis. Hopefully Donegal can maintain their excellent run, and provide the fans something to cheer for!