Spillane takes swipe at McGuinness’ big-game record and ‘Ulster GAA gurus’

Pat Spillane has taken a swipe at Jim McGuinness’ big-match record following Donegal’s defeat by Kerry in Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC final.

Despite a fine run to the final, Donegal fell short at Croke Park as David Clifford and co strolled to a convincing victory for Jack O’Connor’s Kerry, their 39th All-Ireland crown.

And Spillane, who won eight All-Irelands with Kerry, says the ‘Ulster GAA gurus’ are still looking down on Kerry, claiming they are the teams playing progressive football, not the Kingdom.

Speaking on the Indo GAA Podcast, Spillane said: “Look at all these Ulster GAA folks and there seems to be a herd mentality and a group thing by all of them where they’re cheerleaders for Ulster teams. Kerry get feint praise.

“Tactics may come and tactics may go, rules may come and rules may go. Brilliant innovative may arrive and preach about how brilliant they are and their methods are so successful, that Kerry are so far behind the table, and yet, every year Kerry are either at the top table or very close to the top table…

“I look through all Jimmy’s teams. He has a great game plan and has the players choreographed to that process. But you look at all Jimmy’s big matches. In the cold light of day, Jimmy talked about his players and the errors by his players. Jimmy had a bad day at the office.

“When you look at the analysis, Jimmy’s track record in big matches is not good.

“I hear the Ulster GAA gurus, from the time of Joe Lennon in the 1960s, they have been telling us once they’re winning games they’re preaching to us that they’re miles ahead, that Kerry is traditional, backwards, and not evolving. Guess what, we’re still at the top.”