Posted online: Jul 28th, 2010

By Frank Craig
sports editor

New Donegal boss Jim McGuinness doesn’t want any dealings with players not willing to give the maximum in realising the ambitious blueprint he presented at Monday night’s county board meeting.
The Glenties man held a two hour meeting with the county executive on Friday last, and it was there that he sought the four year term he feels is needed to drag Donegal back into the big time.
That request was granted, subject to a two-year review, and the application of McGuinness was then unanimously ratified by the club delegates in Ballybofey.
The manager will continue to boss the U21 squad and merge both set-ups in a mutually beneficial camp that will see McGuinness run the rule over 45 senior players during the course of the winter.
McGuinness will retain the services of Peter McGinley, Maxi Curran and Pat Shovlin from the U21 set-up while Michael McMenamin will also be drafted in to help with logistics.
The new manager also revealed that he is talking to a number of experienced individuals with a view to adding one more backroom team selector in the next week or so.
He said: “It’s a big job, but I want the players to come in and give nothing but 100 per cent. That’s the minimum requirement but I’m looking forward to getting down to it right away.
“I’m talking to a few people (backroom position) and I’ll hopefully finalise that in the next week or two. That’s really the only outstanding thing from the backroom team. Nothing major will be happening at the moment. Our aim is to check with the players, get them tested and then put them on programs.”
McGuinness also stressed the point that he wasn’t just going in to the job to develop players, he was taking on the role with a view to winning trophies starting next year. That quest begins in earnest this Friday night when his U21 side gets down to business with a trail game.
In relation to what those hoping to be part of McGuinness’ senior panel can expect, the 1992 All-Ireland winning panellist is eager to bulk up the side’s physical capabilities – particularly around the middle.
“We’ve mentioned those three lines around the middle; there’s definitely players in that area that need a big winter. The quicker we get them in the quicker we can get them assessed.
“A lot of people have said to me in the last number of weeks that I’m mad! But I believe that we have a core of very good players that need a lot of work. We’ve a lot of good young players that need to be developed,and getting them ready for senior championship football.
“The ball is rolling now. I would personally feel that this is a huge winter for the players. It’s so important that come the start of the McKenna Cup, and particularly the league, that we’re not trying to cram things, or doing too much at that stage. We want to have the hard work pretty much done.”
County chairman PJ McGowan was also keen to emphasise at the start of the meeting that, contrary to speculation, no approaches had been made to any other candidates outside the county by senior GAA figures in Donegal.