Jim McGuinness left frustrated by widespread tactical fouling

Jim McGuinness is still re-adjusting to life once again as an inter-county manager, yet the modern possession-based game, as it is currently refereed, isn't exactly to his liking.

The Glenties man, a long-time county player and a substitute for the first All-Ireland title victory in 1992, presided over Donegal's rise during an unforgettable and revolutionary four-year stint in charge in the early 2010s, a period which yielded three Ulster titles and the county's second All-Ireland triumph in 2012.

Having left Gaelic games to pursue soccer coaching, his return to the Donegal hotseat raised expectations within the county that they can progress after struggling to make an impression in recent years.

Yesterday’s win over Louth sees the Tir Chonaill men top of Division 2 alongside Armagh and primed for a return to the top tier.

Seven weeks out from an Ulster reunion with Mickey Harte when they take on the provincial champions Derry in their own backyard, McGuinness feels his team have been solid, if not spectacular in amassing four wins from five.

"We have a lot to get right between now and then (20 April)," he told RTÉ Sport, "but we’re actually happy that in the process of looking at a lot of players and a lot of ideas around how we want to play, we have still managed to basically keep on winning, with the exception of the Armagh game."

After guiding Donegal to a first Ulster title in 19 years in his first season in charge in 2011, McGuinness was subsequently castigated for the team's tactics in their narrow defeat to Dublin in the semi-final, with the term 'blanket defence' entering the Gaelic football lexicon.

Despite their detractors, a year later they lifted Sam Maguire.

The stunning ambush of unbackable favourites Dublin in