Monaghan and Conor McManus can thrive in a winter championship, says Kieran Donaghy

Sky Sports pundit Kieran Donaghy feels the winter championship could suit Monaghan and their talismanic forward Conor McManus perfectly.

The Farney County have enjoyed a golden generation over the last decade, performing consistently at a high level, particularly in the National League. Indeed, they retained their Division 1 status last weekend, meaning 2021 will be their seventh consecutive season in the top flight, mixing it with the sport's elite.

Clearly, Seamus 'Banty' McEnaney's charges are well accustomed to delivering top performances away from the summer months.

"It will [suit them]," said Donaghy, when asked about Monaghan in a winter championship. "They have the main man up front, Conor McManus. He always goes well in the league. He is one of those guys that is the right size; he is not overly big that he is going to get stuck in the mud. He is not small and light that you can push him off the ball.

"He is 32 years of age, he is in the shape of his life, he is playing absolutely fantastic football. He is still in his prime. We in the GAA like to retire fellas as soon as they get over 30; I dealt with that for four or five years when I was over 30. Maybe that says more about how I was playing more so than anything else!

He is 32 years of age, he is in the shape of his life, he is playing absolutely fantastic football.

"McManus is 32 and in the shape of his life. When you have got a guy like that up front... Conor McCarthy as well, and they have young [Stephen] O'Hanlon, who played really well last year. So they are going to be really dangerous.

"Banty will have them right, Banty will see this as a sneaky chance. He will know that league football is a great leveller. He will know that Monaghan have two wins and a draw against Dublin in the three recent league outings; wins in Croke Park and in Clones. So he will know they have beaten the best in these type of conditions."

Game plan

The 2006 Footballer of the Year feels the Ulster side have the necessary components to thrive in the coming weeks.

"I would say he (McEnaney) is plotting away a plan on how to be very solid defensively, that the Wylies are at the centre of it," Donaghy continued.

"You've got Karl O'Connell and fellas with speed who can counter-attack up the pitch. They have loads of great midfielders with Niall Kearns and obviously the two Hughes, they can play anywhere. I would look to play Kieran in full-forward with McManus and McCarthy playing off him on the D, and let everyone else go back and tackle and get turnovers, and just be really hard to beat at this time of year.

"In Rory Beggan, they have a long-range kicker, it doesn't matter if he is playing with the breeze or against the breeze, he can still kick it as long as most people would on a normal day. If he has got a gale of wind behind him, this guy can kick the ball the guts of 100 yards!

"They are going to be real [threats]. They are sitting on the easy side of the draw, I think they will be in the Ulster final, waiting for a weary Armagh, Tyrone or Donegal. And Donegal is who I think may come through that side. So whatever way we're going to look at it, I think we're going to have a great Ulster Championship."

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Meanwhile, after Cavan's ambush win in the fixture last year, the Breffni County can no longer rely on the element of surprise.

"The one thing that Cavan have going against them," continued the Kerry man.

"We covered the game last year on Sky Sports, and Cavan played really well. Monaghan were in panic mode with 10 minutes to go, trying to claw their way back into a game they probably thought they were going to win. Cavan don't have that up their sleeve this year. Monaghan will be ready. Banty will have them ready. And I'd be picking Monaghan, just about."