Vox pop

– Compiled by GAVIN CUMMISKEY

JACK O’CONNOR Former Kerry manager

How does a team break the Donegal system?

I took off a back and put Darran O’Sullivan up there near Mark McHugh. Now Darran wasn’t firing on all cylinders this year but there is no point putting a man marker on McHugh because he will have no one to mark, it must be someone who can do damage.

A utility player, a fella who’s a threat on the ball because he will get it in space at some stage. Coláiste Na Sceilge won a Hogan Cup three years ago against a defensive team. I put on a seventh forward and it made the difference.

What are the key match-ups?

Mayo have to get tight on McBrearty, McFadden and Murphy but the big conundrum is McHugh. Alan Dillon is a massive playmaker for them, while Aidan O’Shea was inspirational in the first half against Dublin.

If both teams play to their full potential then Donegal win, right?

On paper, Donegal deserve to be favourites. They are the form team and beat recent All-Ireland champions in Cork and Kerry to reach the final. But the All-Ireland final is a different animal to any other game and there is a fair bit of heat on Donegal , especially this past week. Mayo, on the other hand, beat Dublin in Croke Park and perhaps most significantly, their bogey team Kerry is out of the way. My gut says Mayo.

JASON RYAN Former Wexford manager

How does a team break the Donegal system?

For all the talk about their tactics, Donegal make fewer mistakes than every other team. They take their scoring opportunities. They do all the simple stuff better than the rest. Be it tackling, putting the ball dead, whatever, they get it done. Jim McGuinness deserves enormous credit for that.

What are the key match-ups?

Mark McHugh only gets the ball when the opposition fail to put it dead. Against Dublin, Mayo put the ball dead every time they shot for the posts. You have to put the ball dead against Donegal or you will never get it back. Midfield is another key area. Mayo must be dominating here to have any chance. They have the players in Aidan O’Shea and Barry Moran. A kick-out can break any blanket defence. There is no blanket if you can take clean possession and shift it on quickly. Also, kick-outs lead to frees.

If both teams play to their full potential then Donegal win, right?

Sorry, but in that case I think it will be a draw. Not that I think either team will be allowed play to their full potential because of how they both set up. If the Mayo backs perform as we know they can, they will snuff out the threat of Michael Murphy and Colm McFadden – nullifying Donegal’s target men, who are so important for support runners to feed off. The Mayo backs, individually, are the best in the country at the moment. It’s not going to be the prettiest of finals. But it’s Donegal for me; in a tight game the mental toughness they have built up over the last year will stand to them.

KEVIN WALSH Sligo manager

How does a team break the Donegal system?

Quick ball is very important. That means winning possession out around the middle of the field. Neil Gallagher enjoyed a big day against Cork. They will need a Plan B as I don’t believe he will enjoy that kind of day against Mayo.

Donegal don’t seem to care about the opposition’s kick-out but they need to win their own. Otherwise, they will be under severe pressure.

What are the key match-ups?

The key thing for Mayo is they get some return from their inside line. It was crucial in beating Dublin, They ran the Dublin fullback line fairly ragged, without scoring too much.

If both teams play to their full potential then Donegal win, right?

I think this is Mayo’s year. In the Connacht final we led until the 67th minute. Every time they got a point we pulled ahead again. Until the 67th minute. That was something Mayo wouldn’t have done in the past. It seemed to bring them on. Having said that, they have lost Andy Moran and now Colm Boyle. We thought against Dublin that losing Moran would be too much to bear but they have a panel and a system that works no matter what.

Jim McGuinness says his team are not getting involved in the outside politics but there are still little arguments about where the cup would go, Letterkenny or Donegal town. Some of that may seep in somewhere. They have to guard against that. The pressure is really on them.