Donegal manager Jim McGuinness has revealed that players interact and engage in a very different way than when he first took over the Donegal footballers in 2011.
McGuinness' first stint as Donegal manager saw his Donegal side win the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 2012. This also included the National Football League in 2014 and the Ulster Senior Football Championship in 2011, 2012, and 2014.
McGuinness revolutionised Donegal's playing style, putting emphasis on a highly organised defensive system.
After his tenure with the Donegal senior football team, Jim McGuinness became involved with Celtic Football Club in Scotland. He joined Celtic in 2015.
He has since returned to Donegal for a second term to a very different Donegal side.
Team styles and player outlooks change with the years that pass, and Donegal in 2023 and 2024 has been no different.
This week, McGuinness sat down with the Irish News to talk about the Donegal footballers and other topics.
McGuinness was asked specifically about what was the biggest difference between his first Donegal side and this one.
The Donegal boss explained that there was a massive difference, and the likes of social media and mental health played a far more important factor than ever before.
"There’s a massive difference in the players. Massive difference. Different generations, different thought processes, different intensity in their lives," said McGuinness to Irish News.
Sat down with Jim McGuinness last week for a rare in-depth interview that will be published this weekend. Piece below touches on his thoughts on the proposed new rules and the return of Michael Murphy. https://t.co/HjTX8vJjKr
— Cahair O'Kane (@CahairOKane1) November 27, 2024
"Reared on technology, the intensity of that, social media, and mental health—all those things are real. You don’t even want to acknowledge them sometimes because you’re coming from that different generation.
"The last group was a totally different group. This group wants information; they want data; they want information on themselves. That’s how they engage and interact."
Social media doesn't just affect players; managers are also affected by it all. However, McGuinness has admitted he is not someone who uses social media in that way. The Donegal native revealed that people masquerading as experts, when it is essentially opinion at the end of the day, is another reason why he hasn't warmed to it.
"Trying to navigate your way through that is not easy; parents and agents have a huge impact. Social media’s there, and you could be ruined by a couple of comments," he added.
"That’s why I just don’t go there, don’t like it, and don’t agree with it. It’s way too personal a lot of the time. Everybody’s an expert—well, you’re not, like.
"You just aren’t. Experts are experts for a reason. Everybody’s entitled to their opinion, but you’re not an expert."
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