'Derry should view Donegal as their biggest threat' - Paddy Bradley

Paddy Bradley believes a resurgent Donegal have what it takes to get promoted from Division 2 of the NFL this season

And the former Derry star - who was part of the Donegal management team last term - has warned the Oak Leafers that their neighbours will also be quietly backing themselves to deny Mickey Harte’s men’s drive for ‘three-in-a-row’ at Ulster SFC level.

Derry and Donegal go head-to-head in the first round of the provincial championship in May.

However, we’ll get a small taste of all of that this Saturday evening, in Omagh, as the sides meet in the Dr McKenna Cup.

And while great excitement surrounds Jim McGuinness facing off against old foe Harte so early on in the season, Bradley doesn’t expect either side to reveal too much in Healy Park at the weekend.

“This early on, I could see the match very much being a form of shadow boxing, with neither team wanting to give too much away,” said Bradley.

“This will be both sides’ fourth match in January and both managers will feel that they’ve given all the players a chance and have gotten miles in the players’ legs. So, it may not be the most exciting final.

“Yes, Jim McGuinness and Mickey Harte will be looking to win the game, but I don’t think they’ll lose any sleep over it if they don’t get a victory.”

The 2007 All-Star winner - who served under Paddy Carr and Aidan O’Rourke in what was a difficult 2023 for Donegal - has praised the players for bouncing back from such a low ebb last season.

They’ve hit the ground running under the new manager Bradley believes they’ll be one of the real frontrunners from promotion from the second tier of the NFL.

“Over the last two games, Donegal have probably been starting eight or nine of what would be their regular 15.

“Maybe because there’s a new manager there, they want to impress and hit the ground running early,” said the Glenullin man.

“It’s very early to judge where exactly Donegal are at. One thing is, they have players back who were away or injured last year which they’re very fortunate to have.

“There seems to be a feel-good factor at the minute because of Jim’s return, naturally that is going to be transferred onto the field.

“Because things have started so well for them, I would expect, and many others would too, that Donegal would come out of Division 2.

“They’re as good as any team in Ulster. I felt that when I was with them last year even without some of the lads that have come back in. they’re a really good group of lads.

“It’s very important that their top players stay injury-free now but, at the moment, the future for Donegal looks bright.

“It probably is a tossup between Donegal and Derry for who is the best side in Ulster.”

Commenting on the experiences of last year as Donegal coach, Bradley sheds some light on what was a difficult season.

However, he debunks the narritive that there was any lack of buy-in from the squad and, instead, suggests that the team suffered largely through injury and the absence of key players.

“Look, we had a difficult season last year and that usually results in lads wanting to circle the wagon and get back on board to help the team. But mainly because Jim is there, an All-Ireland winner, people will want to play for him.

“Last year, we as a management team never begrudged lads for leaving the squad to do their own thing. We knew beforehand that the likes of Niall and Shane O’Donnell were going to America. Ryan McHugh had work commitments. There were a few others too.

“But I would never discourage young lads from taking a break from the county scene and wanting to do their own thing. Those lads have given so much to Donegal.

“Like, we never had a problem with players not buying into the cause. That wasn’t an issue. We had problems with injuries, which hampered our season. But hopefully Jim doesn’t have that issue.”