If there were any doubts about Donegal heading into this year's All-Ireland championship, they went some way to dispelling them when they dismantled Kieran McGeeney's Armagh yesterday.
New Donegal manager Rory Gallagher got the tactical calls right and according to the county's former forward Brendan Devenney, Jim McGuinness' former assistant is putting his stamp on the 2014 All-Ireland runners up.
"You talk about a masterclass tactically. This is Rory Gallagher's team now. I just thought it was awesome to watch," he told Off The Ball.
Donegal manager Rory Gallagher ©INPHO/Presseye/Andrew Paton
"I think Armagh weren't at the races but in terms of everybody complaining about the death of football and blanket defences, Rory Gallagher showed yesterday how you open up a defence. You open it up by interchange, patient build up and having lads comfortable on the ball. Sure, the opposition wasn't great but that's how you get around a blanket defence. If Michael Murphy can hit a ball from 60 yards on the break, that's one way. If not, you keep it, you're patient and you wait for the man to come off the shoulder, break a tackle, work a free, work a space to shoot. Armagh had no answer for Donegal."
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