Indo GAA
McGuinness looks for excuses - but where’s the evolution? | McCarron shines | Cracking quarter-finals
23 Jun 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What happened to Donegal and Armagh in the championship?
What a tense match we have today.
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more power to you T's and C's apply 18 plus bet responsibly gamblingcare.ie Hey there we are Indosport with me John Malloy we cover sport and we have things like this I was kind of blunt well yeah world's not fair you have stage 4 cancer oh well world's not fair but sometimes I think that bluntness helps me and like me and Tommy have Terrible sense of humour.
I think it's really hard for people who don't know us very well because sometimes we throw out something really, really dark and people are like, Jesus, Ciara, they haven't been around me on this process long enough just yet for me to throw out a little bit of that. But me and Tommy find our ways to cope.
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I'm Michael Verney and welcome to the Indoor GA podcast sponsored by AIB. AIB are proud sponsors of the GA All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and know the support of backroom teams can have a real impact. Behind every county are those who lift us all. If you like the show, be sure to follow IndoGA in your podcast feeds.
We'll be looking back to a cracking weekend of football and looking ahead to what is another blockbuster weekend, All-Ireland quarterfinal weekend. There's only one place to start, Pat. The Jacks are back.
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Chapter 2: How did Jim McGuinness's tactics evolve over time?
bringing the ball as close to the opposition's goal as possible and then taking a low-risk shot. In that scenario, they could control the controllables. Then along came Jim Gavin and his FRC colleagues.
Basically, what you're saying is Jim Gavin is getting revenge for the 2014 All-Ireland Semi-Final.
What Jim Gavin did was he tore up the old game of Gaelic football, and he brought in a completely new game of Gaelic football. Right, so what did the new rules create? First of all, it created space for the forwards up front, the David Cliffords of this world. It banned blanket defences. You couldn't park the bus with 15 fellas anymore. Number three, it rewarded risk-taking.
You could shoot from outside the arc and get rewarded with a two-pint pipe. Red cards and black cards were severely punished under the old rules. Cynical play was not severely punished. So the bottom line is the boys did not adopt to the new rules because the new rules, the thing about the new rules is that
If you have space up front, a team with a kicking game who can move the ball quickly into the space, into their staff farmers, will yield dividends. So, for example, Kerry last week, it was very evident from an early stage, Donny kept shouting, move the ball quick, lads, move the ball quick. So... Can we have a kicking game? A tradition, heads up, kicking.
They got the ball quickly into that full forward line and they reaped dividends. The full forward line scored 216 last week, 213 from play. And when the ball comes first time into a staff forward with space, they'll punish you. Now, I have, in this podcast and for the last two years, I've criticised Ahmad and Johnny Gould's running game, that they hadn't adapted to these new rules.
They're still wedded to their traditional running game. And it's a running game that's rehearsed and choreographed to an inch of its depth. I'm sure it's a game plan that they could do in their sleep. But the problem is, it's A, it requires a lot of energy. That running game requires a lot of energy. You take Kropotk last Sunday.
Hot conditions, going into extra time, and particularly in the first period of extra time, they ran out of energy. The energy and intensity that one would normally associate with Donegal teams in the past was not there this year. That's number one. But the second thing about it, with this game plan, it was one-dimensional. it was an element of a one-trick pony about it.
The tree-blind men of Alabama could see what was coming.
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Chapter 3: What were the standout performances in the recent quarter-finals?
And footballers nowadays are cuter, and they devised a defensive system to stop this running game. And that's what you saw last week. They hadn't the plan B. They weren't able to adapt. You'd have been saying, At some stage, you'd have said, right, lads, you take the running game. You take our game down in Killarney. Possession in the first half. Our man had 69% possession in that first half.
They went over and back, in and out, most of it lateral. All played in... Pat, I think... Hold on here.
Can I finish this? No, no, no. You've probably been talking for long enough, Pat.
You've probably been talking. No, no, no. Okay.
No, no. Let Dick come in.
Let me finish this. I think we have an awful habit, Pat, and we're doing it again here. And as you said, you started the piece, Mike, with the Dubs are back and now Donegal and Armagh are for the bin and all of this stuff. No, no, no. We have an awful habit in the GAA of very quickly reverse analysing a whole team in their form and their potential and stability based on one game, right?
The reality is for Armagh, take Armagh, Armagh lost last weekend's game, not in Killarney, the week before in the scheme, right? That's the reality in that one. Donegal, And I would agree with your point to a point with Tony Gall. But Tony Gall have been All-Ireland finalists beaten by a very good Kerry team last year and National League winners. And Ulster winners the year before.
So there's plenty of form there. We'll talk of other teams now in a minute because they won last weekend or the weekend before who never came close to achieving those heights in Armagh as well. Sometimes in Championship football, it's on the day. And this is where I sometimes have the frustration with Jim McGuinness.
And he does let himself down a wee bit after the matches in that he's a tendency to look for excuses. And he's done it again at the weekend. And he talked at length in some of his post-match interviews about the scheduling and the recovery and the demands. All of this stuff that applies to every team. So he is at no more of a disadvantage than any other team.
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Chapter 4: How did Dublin's defense improve in their latest match?
He could have just said, listen, lads, we just got to do better here. We've got to bounce back like every other county team and prepare ourselves for the next game. Next thing was everybody else's fault. It was somebody else leaking stuff out. That environment in the dressing room and everything around it, that's not healthy. That weighs on you. As Pat said, that's emotionally tiring.
And I think they're the things that Jim had in his control that got wrong this year. And that ultimately looked like a fatigued team, which did happen in his last tenure. In year three, they were maxed out.
Because I know, and those boys will tell you, and any of the boys that played, the effort and the level of training and intensity you put in is very, very difficult to sustain physically, emotionally. And ultimately, that's where the fail starts.
this year that they when it came to the championship time of the season they weren't at their peak and that's disappointing for them because they're a better team than they showed in the championship but that's for them to reflect and them to come back with something better next year but for this year they're forgotten yeah but like but Sally you're not disagreeing in any element I said there
I mean, the bottom line, like we're, we're talking about Armand Donegal as being two of the three championship favourites. Indeed, up to last weekend, there were probably the two championship favourites. And the point I'm trying to make, why they're gone is that their game plan under the new rules has been found out. That running traditional game has been found out.
Uh, it's a high energy game and it's now a game that the opposition speak, uh, can see what's coming. Uh, In the case of Armagh and in the case of Donegal, as I said earlier on, they're the most choreographed rehearsed team. They stick to game plan. They have the game plan rehearsed and they're brilliant at that. But unfortunately...
When the game plan is not working, as it didn't work in Croke Park last week or in Killarney, as it didn't work for Donegal in the All-Ireland final last year, they're so wedded to the system. So, for example, the All-Ireland final last year, they were so wedded to sitting deep, to not man-marking key players and to not risk taking two-point shots. But Kerry just outwitted them.
And at the end of the day, look, I was going back to that statistic yesterday. Armand, that first half, had 69% possession. That was an awful lot of possession. But they posed no threat to Kerry's defence. At half-time, Armand went in, six points down. Kerry with 31%. went in six points up. And it was no different with Johnny Gall.
But the point I'm trying to say is, and I, look, I'm not taking anything away from Jim McGuinness and Kieran McGeaney. Absolutely superb manager. These guys brought low-ranking teams to the top table to be serious contenders. Their professionalism, their commitment, They drove standards on and off the field. They've been one-man fundraising machines for their respective counties.
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Chapter 5: What impact did injuries have on Armagh's performance?
And that can't be the case. They didn't beat a top team playing at the top either. They beat a team that weren't, they were probably 60 or 70% and flat energy. But that wasn't their problem. They had to bring a performance. And if they did, they can compete. Now, will it be enough? Have they enough to go all the way? I don't think so, but that doesn't matter.
They've just turned their season around. They've got a bit of... I suppose a bit of spark back and you can't dismiss obviously the impact and the disruption around Gerard Brennan and that dynamic because obviously they've found a bit of stability and a bit of confidence now and it'll carry them. Now, they were unfortunate with the draw. Galway is not the team they wanted.
Big, strong, athletic and they'll just come at them like a crowd of horses.
Do you know something though, Dick? You mentioned the draw there. Sorry, I thought you actually meant the game ending in a draw. This game should have never been a draw.
No, it shouldn't have been. Now, Mark McNally, I know Mark, Monaghan referee, and he had a very good game overall, okay? And there's a couple of refereeing decisions over the weekend, I think we have to point. And I think in the round, right, referees get a fair kicking at times. I think in the round... the referees have been doing a very, very good job for our games.
And I think that has to be called out. They're letting it go. The new rules, remember all the fuss at the start of the new rules, there had been too pernickety and the balls were brought up and there was all this sort of stuff, really frustrating. And it was doing a disfavor to the new rules. They've simmered down.
So then when you've seen Mark McNally do what he'd done, and we talked about that, you know, bringing the ball up rule has been one of the most contentious because I played at the wrong time and incorrectly can have such a bear on a game. And there it goes. And he had no need to do it. He had no need to do it. He had had a brilliant game.
Nobody in the stand would have disputed if that ball just had been taken from where it was. Now, so I, do you know what? And I looked, I watched the game was funny on, on we'll come to the modern game in a wee while, but I was traveling. from the home to Clonus. And I was only listening to the second half of the game in the car. But they actually put the game up on the big screen in Clonus.
Extra time. So I sat and watched Extra Time with a load of the Westmeath and Modern Ones. I felt Mark McNally was very good to Dublin in Extra Time. And I'm wondering, did somebody give him a wee tap on the shoulder? Just, Martin, I says, you got that wrong. And I says, if Dublin don't win this game... Lads, if you're not...
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Chapter 6: What are the implications of the new rules on Gaelic football?
What did I say last week? Something like he can only do one thing.
No, no, no. That was previous. Oh, so you did say it. Michael, you don't listen. I do. I said in the performance against Kildare, one of the notable features was the improvement in... in Shane Murphy's kick-outs, that he was getting them away accurately, he was getting them away faster. Against Armagh last week, 17 out of the 23 kick-outs were successful.
Chapter 7: What does the future hold for Michael Murphy and Donegal?
That's a series. But just going back to Dublin, and Dublin were deserving winners, and it's a hard one to call against Galway. Like, they're shooting stats, 43, 24 out of 43, 14 wide, four goal scoring chances left behind. Like, they weren't exactly shooting the lights out in terms of attacking skill.
And of course, the big question, Matt, the big question, Matt, for next week, which is a, we don't know, we can't be fit.
Yeah, lads, we'll just take a quick break. We'd love to get your feedback and emails in. Viewer emails to indo.gapodcasts at independent.ie. And as always, our GA podcast coverage is sponsored by AAB.
Thank you.
Every GAA season, cameras follow teams on the pitch. But on the sideline is another team. One that's passed on what they learned yesterday to shape those on the pitch today. That's what the game is built on. Because playing it forward isn't just about lifting cups, but lifting a team. And behind every county are those who lift us all.
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I'll call it. I'll call it. I think Galway win this game by at least five or six. And I'll tell you why. This is Dublin's third week in a row. Whatever about the third week in a row. Extra time is an absolute killer. Extra time in the heat. While Galway probably trained that morning. They're well rested. They're primed. They've all their big players available to them.
We don't know how fit Con is going to be. There's no way Kilkenny can be as good as he was last week. There's no way Scully can be as good as he was last week. That's just fodder time. Same with Brian Howard and a few more. Like I would... Genuinely now, I would be amazed if Dublin win this game. And you can play the clip next week if this happens. I've no problem saying any different.
I would be in agreement on that.
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Chapter 8: How did Jack McCarron excel for Monaghan?
There's two games that are 50-50. Mayo and Cork, Monon and Lout. Kerry will be favourites against Tyrone. And Galway will be favourites. And you would expect Kerry and Galway to win. I would expect Kerry and Galway to win. The other two games, Tassie McKay.
Just on that, Dick. But what I said there, the flip of it is, is the pressure is on Galway.
Absolutely. And Galway, Borek Joyce is back to winning all Ireland, right? He's had a few runs at it. He would have been very disappointed in how they finished last year. And he built a team with a view to getting where they are now with another crack at it and to have his team fit and fresh. But not just personnel on the pitch and available when they need them.
a different mindset in how they play. All right, if we go back, we've talked about it before, the lateral, slow, ponderous play that they brought against me last year that ultimately got them caught. You can see that they've worked on that. They're much more direct. They're backing themselves. They're using the athleticism.
And there's a wee bit of, you know, devil may care, just go at it and back yourself. We talked about John Maher. I said, just when it opens up, just go. And you're either going to get through or you're going to get fouled or you'll set up somebody else to come off your shoulder. And Porik's challenge now as a manager is to have his players right mentally to bring that.
So when they see the opportunity, raise the occasion, raise the crow park, don't shrink into it that they've done on a few occasions and they've left all errands behind them and go at it. So they have to do that.
This isn't an ambush like two years ago against the same opposition.
No, they have to do it. The pressure's on them and that's a different challenge for players and it'll come to Monaghan and others that go up and they sometimes shrink into Croke Park. They'll have to go at it. The pressure's all on them and we've seen time and time again and not just in this year's championship and previous year's championship.
the teams that can't deal with that expectation, they wilt. The thing is, as you said, you can't underestimate the demands that was put on Dublin last week and the players. For them to be able to get up that level of game would be an outrageous, like whatever a bit beaten Donegal, because they were sort of in the long grass waiting for them in some respects.
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