Donegal football legend Manus Boyle has appealed for Donegal’s supporters to give new manager Declan Bonner ‘patience and time’.
Bonner’s tenure – his second as Donegal senior manager – will begin a fortnight from today when they host Queen’s University in Ballybofey in the McKenna Cup.
Boyle, a 1992 All-Ireland winning team-mate of Bonner’s, believes the Na Rossa man was the right choice to succeed Rory Gallagher, following his departure after a heavy qualifier loss to Galway in Sligo.
“He’s a great man for the job,” Boyle said.
“He lives and breathes Donegal. It has been and always has been his life. People need to give him patience and time. Hopefully this idea that success can be got overnight will be put on the back burner.
“We need to develop a new style of play because the old style wasn’t working. We need a lot of small parts to come together to make the big wheel turn faster.”
Boyle, who scored nine points in Donegal’s All-Ireland final win over Dublin in ’92, says the new ‘Super Eight’ series of All-Ireland quarter-finals should be the aim; something Bonner has targeted himself.
Boyle said: “If Declan can get to a place where he gets into the last eight that would be a good year – and a realistic year.
“Any team with Paddy McBrearty and Michael Murphy involved won’t be far wrong. If we play to those two strengths, we have always a chance.”
Listen to the full interview below …
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