Carr admits he must be 'fairly imaginative' as McKenna Cup clashes with Sigerson

Donegal, under new manager Paddy Carr, will have their first competitive outing of 2023 when they travel to Newry on Sunday next to take on Down in the Dr McKenna Cup.

Donegal are in a group with Down and Monaghan, with these two meeting in the opening game on Wednesday under lights in Carrickmacross. Donegal’s second game will be on Wednesday of next week when they host Monaghan in MacCumhaill Park and this game is a cause for some concern for as ATU Donegal are in Sigerson Cup action on the same evening, hosting DCU at the Donegal Training Centre in Convoy.

Donegal panellists that night will be involved with ATU Donegal, among them Jason McGee from Cloughaneely, Conor O’Donnell of Carndonagh, St Eunan’s Kieran Tobin, Joel Bradley Walsh from MacCumhaill’s, Kealan Dunleavy of Glenswilly,
Milford’s Rory O’Donnell and Ryan McFadden from Termon.

There are also a considerable number of players involved with other colleges, with six Donegal natives in the DCU panel alone - Shane O’Donnell from St Eunan’s, Downings’ Johnny McGroddy, Oisin Cannon from St Michael’s, Termon’s Jamie Grant, Oisin Gallen from MacCumhaill’s and Ross Marley, Glenfin.

“I believe so, that’s the way it is working out,” Carr said on the fixture dilemma, “So we have to be fairly imaginative in that at the moment. We can’t close off the squad.

“It is a dilemma but it is something that all counties are juggling with at the moment, and we have to work hand in hand with them. We have to respect that the ATU are making great progress in that regard and we will be supporting them in their endeavours as well,” said Carr.

The manager had Donegal back in training for the New Year on Monday and he says it was a very busy Christmas. “It was good. We were working with the team all over Christmas. We just had a couple of days of downtime. And with everything coming fairly rapidly at us now, we are conscious that the games will come like bullets at you.

“There is an awareness there of the importance of a full squad because, I think, the format going into the league and new championship, the teams that have worked on having bigger squads are going to have an advantage because of the level these lads are playing at, the risks of picking up injuries, so you need strong lads to come in.

“We have been trying to keep an eye on that in bringing some of the younger lads coming through, that they are up to it when they are given game time.

The Donegal boss said that apart from a number of the experienced players that are carrying injuries, some of the new members of the squad are carrying knocks and he would wait until he gets reports from his physios before finalising a panel for Sunday’s game in Newry.

But the one thing that he stressed was that he would not be risking any player who is carrying an injury, with the main aim to have his squad fit and ready come championship time.

In relation to challenge games, Carr said they would have to wait and see how the two games in the Dr McKenna Cup work out, adding that there are contingency plans in place should Donegal not advance to the semi-finals of the competition.
Donegal open their Allianz League campaign with a home fixture against Kerry on January's last Sunday.

“It is still fairly open ended," Carr added. "I suppose one of the disadvantages in coming in as a new management is the fact that December was closed off for any meaningful challenge matches, it has meant that we haven’t, and in fairness to the lads who are working in that open-ended squad at the moment, they all have to be given a fair chance,” said Carr.

“You only get a certain window of opportunity to do that on any given year and there is an onus on any intercounty set up to try and create the opportunity for emerging talent. As well as a number of other things, we are keeping an eye on that as well. And there are a number of the younger lads coming through who have been quite impressive with the work we are doing internally.”