Jimmy winning matches by making players believe

Donegal's most recent All-Ireland SFC final appearance is not on repeat in the McGee household.

In fact, Eamon McGee, a champion with his brother, and now selector, Neil in 2012, admits the defeat two years later to Kerry evokes powerful pangs of regret.

"I still haven't watched that game in total now," he tells RTÉ Sport ahead of the county's rematch in the 2025 decider this Sunday.

"I've tried to make an attempt at it a few Christmases. You know, we're sitting doing nothing, throw it on YouTube, but it's just still too sore."

It's not just the result - an early goal from Paul Geaney, who could be involved this weekend, and a kickout catastrophe helped Kerry to win 2-09 to 0-12 - but also what he sees as "weaknesses" in preparation.

"It's still too sore in terms of the way we just didn't turn up," said McGee. "And lots of regrets about the way we maybe went at it for the few weeks in the build-up.

"One thing that really stood out was, we were nearly cheering for Kerry to beat Mayo in that brilliant semi-final, because we felt Kerry would be easier opposition. And I think that's where the weakness crept in.

"Mayo were in a better place than 2012. They were just very unlucky. But when you think back, to say that about Kerry, who when they get to Croke Park… it was just extremely naive and it was silly thinking by those of us who took part. It shouldn't have bothered us who was playing.

"I remember saying to one of the lads 'We're gonna win this final', and that shouldn't have come into our thinking at all until the analysis side of it.

"There's a fine line. I've seen it from myself, and from other players, that line with confidence and arrogance, and I think maybe talking about opposition like Kerry in that manner, we had crossed over to arrogance.

"But at the same time, you learn these things and I think [Jim] McGuinness, Neil, Colm [McFadden, selector], Michael [Murphy], Paddy [McBrearty], Ryan McHugh, will learn that. It's a different season now too, it's just coming straight out at you. But if they see any weakness at all, they're going to just jump on top of it because it's jeopardising their All-Ireland medal."

Eamon McGee (L) tries to tackle Kerry goalscorer Kieran Donaghy in 2014

McGuinness stepped down as manager two weeks after that final defeat to Kerry. His former assistant Rory Gallagher then led the team to successive Ulster finals but All-Ireland quarter-final exits. His successor Declan Bonner regained the Anglo-Celt Cup in 2018-19 but didn't get out of the Super 8s groups, or the province in the straight knock-out years of 2020-21. Donegal did get back to the Ulster final in 2022, losing after extra-time to Derry, but were knocked out by Armagh in the qualifiers.

Paddy Carr took over for 2023 and stepped down after five months with relegation from Division 1 of the Allianz Football League looming. Making it as far as the preliminary quarter-finals under interim boss Aidan O'Rourke was subsequently seen as an achievement.

Then, the return of the messiah. Back-to-back Ulsters. All-Ireland semi-final last year and final now.

One of Donegal's first champions as a player in 1992, McGuinness has been involved in all four of the county's appearances on the big day, something that slightly concerns McGee.

"We can't keep going back, putting out the Jim McGuinness bat signal every time we through a lull," he observed.

"Why does it take McGuinness to come back and to get involved with the Donegal group, to get them to believe, to put the structures in place that support an elite environment and to put all these things in place, on the field, off the field, S&C? Why does it take Jim McGuinness to do that?"

Eamon McGee and Sam Maguire at an AIB event ahead of the All-Ireland final

Perhaps the likes of McGee, his brother or McFadden, another member of the class of 2012, will find the answer in time. But what does he think is the secret to Jimmy winning so many matches?

"It's numerous things. It's not just about his tactics. I'm delighted now that he has shut up a few of the boys down the country that would have said he was primarily a negative coach, and that he got lucky with a good group.

"He had a good group in 2012, surely. But he's a revolutionary and a visionary and he has done the exact same thing now the second time round, with different players.

"It's just that single-mindedness but if I was to pick one thing out of the many things that he brings, I think it's the belief, that he gets you to believe.

"We had a wile inferiority complex in Donegal and I still believe parts of it do. Sometimes I see it creep in but I try my best not to to view us or myself in that manner, that we're as good as anybody else."

Speaking to RTÉ Sport ahead of the final, the Donegal captain, McGee's former teammate Paddy McBrearty, admitted that finding a way to "curb the influence" of David Clifford would be crucial to his side's chances of victory.

Padraig Hampsey (L) found David Clifford too hot to handle a fortnight ago

McGee thinks that Tyrone's approach in the semi-final proved one marker is not enough to restrict the Fossa sharpshooter, who scored 1-05 from play, but he suggests Armagh's quarter-final game plan of doubling up while standing off the other Kerry forwards is not the only alternative.

"I thought Paudie Hampsey was hung out to dry," McGee said. "He is a good lad and he's been a top defender for a long, long time in Tyrone and, Ulster. He just couldn't do anything and I think when Clifford's in that frame of mind and in that form, I don't think he can be stopped in a 1 v 1.

"Malachy [O'Rourke, Tyrone manager] in fairness came out afterwards and said that he made the wrong call. He went after the suppliers and tried to keep an eye on Clifford at the same time. And I don't think you can do that.

"[Brendan] McCole will be tasked with Clifford. But McCole is going to need some kind of support or some kind of plan from that zonal defence of Donegal. It will be really interesting to see what way McGuinness goes at it now because he loves the zone and he has stuck to it. They're brilliant at smelling the threat and shutting it down.

"I think you've got to double up. You’ve got to bring a savage defensive game, which McCole has shown, he has snuffed out numerous threats throughout the last three, four years. But you've also got to have someone there just to give yourself the best percentage chance, should he slip.

"Within that zonal press, it's about keeping an eye on Clifford, but also recognising that you don't give O’Shea free shots.

"Armagh doubled up, but their zonal press… You know Seanie O’Shea has it in his locker [to score two-pointers]. Letting him have a free shot at it is naive in the extreme. They [the Donegal defence] will not go to the three of them but should Paudie [Clifford] be picked up, Donegal will know that Seanie O’Shea, this is on his radar. Get out quick."

Watch the All-Ireland Football Championship final, Donegal v Kerry, on Sunday from 2.15pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1. Watch highlights on The Sunday Game from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.

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