Pat Spillane Says Jim McGuinness Made Three 'Criminal' Errors In Donegal Loss To Kerry

While the inter-county season is now in the rearview mirror, it is likely that the inquest into Donegal's All-Ireland final loss to Kerry will go on for quite some time.

Kerry put in a brilliant performance on the day, but it's also fair to say that their opponents were well short of their usual standard. Not only did Donegal lack intensity both on and off the ball, they also seemed to be well short in a tactical sense.

Jim McGuinness received a huge amount of praise throughout 2025, with it being claimed that he had already mastered the new rules used in Gaelic football this season. That was not the case in the final, with Kerry completely outmatching Donegal in terms of their tactical approach.

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Jim McGuinness has received quite a bit of criticism in the aftermath of the All-Ireland final, something that has now continued into a second week.

Writing in the Sunday World, Kerry legend Pat Spillane would point out three 'criminal' errors made by the Donegal boss that cost his team dearly in Croke Park.

Jimmy McGuinness, the Messiah, is no doubt a brilliant coach and manager, but he didn’t have a good day.

The players made a lot of errors and so did Jimmy. They were flat, and he didn’t have a game plan that was suited to beating Kerry.

No marker for Paudie Clifford. Criminal. Zonal marking. Criminal. No attempt at two-pointers or setting up goal chances. Criminal.

If Jack [O'Connor] had lost he would be getting a lot of flak. The same goes for Jimmy.

They are all fair points.

The freedom given to Paudie Clifford in the final was baffling, while the use of a zonal marking system also played into Kerry's hands. Donegal's refusal to to use the two-point arc had also been a topic of conversation throughout this year's championship.

McGuinness is sure to have learned from this game, meaning it will be interesting to see how Donegal alter their approach in 2026. Still, there is no doubt that his reputation as some sort of tactical savant has taken a hit on the back of this defeat.