Calendar and new rules frustrating Donegal manager Jim McGuinness

Jim McGuinness has described the proximity of the National Football League Division 1 final and Donegal's Ulster SFC opener against Antrim as "not ideal" as they edge closer to booking their spot in the showpiece game.

The Tír Chonaill manager was also critical of the plan to review some of the experimental rules, introduced by the FRC in the middle of this month, due to the lack of time it gives managers and players to get used to them before the start of championship.

Donegal's comeback victory over Derry this afternoon has brought them to eight points, level with Galway and two clear of Dublin.

McGuinness' men face meetings with Tyrone and Mayo in their last two games where a couple of positive results could see them into the Division 1 final.

That game is due to take place on the weekend of 29/30 March, with Donegal then beginning their Ulster Championship journey on 6 April against Derry.

"The league final and the first round of the Ulster championship the week after is not ideal for us," he said on RTÉ's Sunday Sport.

"There's a number of teams that want to stay in the division, but they don't want maybe to play in a league final and put themselves under pressure. It might be different for a few teams that have an easier passage in their provinces that maybe suits them.

"I don't know if that's the way the competition should be set up. I don't think it's fair on the sponsors in particular. I think you should have a competition that everybody wants to be in and everybody wants to win. So even the fact that you're asking me this question obviously means that that conversation is going on around the country.

"We're safe now and that was what we wanted to achieve. In the coming days [we'll] make decisions that are the right