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Outside opinions mean little to Donegal manager Jim McGuinness and his single-minded approach will continue into Sunday’s All-Ireland final rematch against Kerry in Ballyshannon [13:30 GMT].

The Kingdom romped to a 39th Sam Maguire success last summer, defeating Donegal 1-26 to 0-19 in the final as Jack O’Connor’s side exploded into life on their run to the title.

Some queried Donegal’s zonal approach in that game but McGuinness insists “we’ll decide what’s right and won’t be listening to anybody else” in terms of his team’s tactical approach.

“There’s loads of opinions out there and loads of people saying loads of things but that doesn’t have any impact on my thinking whatsoever – I don’t listen to those people,” he said following Saturday’s opening win over Dublin.

“Most of them have never coached at inter-county level, most have never stood on a sideline, most have never won anything as a coach. I only take counsel from people who have been there and done that.”

Sunday’s Division One game may not have the same high stakes, but for McGuinness, this will be another step along the road to where they want to be in 2026.

Donegal opened their campaign with a 1-20 to 0-20 win over the Dubs in Croke Park, while Kerry left it late against Roscommon in Killarney as Tomas Kennedy’s buzzer-beater snatched victory.

Naturally, there will be a keen interest on how this weekend’s game pans out and whether there will be tweaks in approach, but it is anything but a revenge mission for the Ulster champions according to their coach whose focus is on developing his squad for this year’s championship.

“That game is long gone,” he said of last year’s All-Ireland final.

There’s also a repeat of the 2024 All-Ireland final this weekend as Armagh welcome Galway to the Athletic Grounds on Saturday [17:00].

Kieran McGeeney’s side were impressive in their opening win over Monaghan, while Galway head to the Orchard County seeking to bounce back from their home defeat by Mayo, who entertain Dublin on Sunday [13:30].

Monaghan are seeking a response from that 12-point reverse to Armagh when they travel to Roscommon [Sunday, 14:00] who are smarting from their last-gasp loss to Kerry.

The Rossies were furious Kennedy’s score stood, insisting the hooter to end the game had sounded before the ball was release, but it was counted as a fine performance went unrewarded.

In Division Two, Saturday [18:00, live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport NI website] sees the big Ulster derby as Derry welcome Tyrone to Celtic Park with both bidding for a first win, while that’s also the objective for Cavan on Sunday [15:45] who host Meath.

Dermot McCabe’s side seemed on course for a victory over Cork but a seven-point advantage in the closing stages finished in a one-point win for the Leesiders as Steven Sherlock’s last-gasp two-point free completed the turnaround.

Meath enjoyed a much happier start as they were 0-19 to 1-13 winners over Derry with seven points from Jack Flynn helping last year’s All-Ireland semi-finalists home.

Elsewhere in the Division, Kildare host Offaly on Saturday [18:00] while on Sunday, Louth welcome Cork [13:30].

Down made a winning start in Division Three, overturning a five-point deficit at the break against Clare to run out winners by the same margin at Pairc Esler.

Conor Laverty’s men are on the road this weekend with Limerick their destination on Saturday [14:00] as they bid to grab another two points against the Treaty side who opened with a draw away to Laois.

It was a disappointing start to the campaign for new Fermanagh boss Declan Bonner as the Ernesiders were beaten 1-13 to 0-12 by Wexford in Brewster Park and they will make the long trek to Clare on Sunday [14:00] aiming to get their campaign on track.

New Antrim manager Mark Doran is also seeking his first league win as his side fell to a 2-16 to 1-15 home defeat by Carlow in Division Four.

Like Antrim who host Clare on Sunday [13:00, live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport NI website], Down’s hurlers came up empty-handed in their opening Division 1B fixture and will seek to bounce back when hosting Wexford in Ballycran on Sunday [14:00].

Ronan Sheehan’s men led by four at the break against Carlow at Dr Cullen Park, but a Barrowsiders’ blitz early in the second half before Down lost Ruairi McCrickard to a red card turned the tables as Carlow went on to record a 2-18 to 1-11 win.

Their visitors on Sunday were 1-13 to 1-12 winners over Antrim in their opener, but had goalkeeper Mark Fanning to thank as his last gasp-free found the net to rescue the situation.

Derry endured a tough start in Division Two when falling to a heavy home defeat by Kerry and it doesn’t get any easier for the Oak Leafers this week as they travel to face Laois [Sunday, 13:00] who romped to an opening win against Mayo.

In hurling’s Division Three, Donegal got off to a good start with victory over Tyrone and they will seek another win over Ulster rivals when hosting Fermanagh – who had the bye last week – in Letterkenny on Saturday [14:30].

Tyrone travel to face Louth [Saturday, 14:00] who opened with an away win at Armagh, with the Orchard men away to Wicklow on Sunday [14:00].

Alexander Isak was still technically a Newcastle United player.

But it did not feel like it as Eddie Howe’s side prepared to take on suitors Liverpool at a fiery St James’ Park back in August.

This was a night when one Geordie turned up in a Newcastle replica shirt which, at first glance, looked like any other.

From the front at least.

However, on closer inspection, Isak’s name and number had been painstakingly scratched off the back.

Bridges had long been burnt after the Swede went on strike in an attempt to force through a move to Anfield as Liverpool supporters repeatedly urged Newcastle to “hand him over” during a dramatic 3-2 win.

Isak went on to complete a British record £125m switch to Liverpool just a few days later.

These sides now meet for the first time since the deal was finally struck.

Isak will be absent once again – after breaking his leg last month – and Howe insisted he has long since “moved on”.

But this saga clearly left its mark on the Newcastle head coach.

“I’m not necessarily sure it brought us closer together,” he admitted on the eve of his side’s trip Merseyside. “I don’t think it was that kind of moment, really.

“It was a distraction if I’m honest while we were trying to glue the squad together for the season and trying to impose our culture and how we want to play.

Isak was just one player, of course, but this side had been built around him.

Just as Isak has taken time to adapt to a new environment at Liverpool, following such a disrupted pre-season, Newcastle have also been adjusting to life without the Sweden international.

Such was Isak’s importance, he scored 27 goals last season – three times more than Newcastle’s next highest goal scorer.

He even netted what proved to be the winning goal in last season’s Carabao Cup final as Newcastle ended a 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy following a 2-1 victory against Liverpool.

Isak’s place in the club’s history was assured at Wembley that evening.

However, for Newcastle season ticket holder Adam Stoker, the manner of his subsequent departure “left a bit of a bad taste in people’s mouths”.

“When I was in the stands at Wembley, in March, I couldn’t have imagined a situation where Isak wasn’t going to be a hero for life in Newcastle,” he said.

“One day some of the raw emotions might die down, but it was just a horrible summer.”

It was certainly turbulent.

Newcastle’s attempts to sign strikers Hugo Ekitike, Joao Pedro and Benjamin Sesko all failed before they managed to land Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa for a combined £124m in the final throes of the summer transfer window.

But those inside the club felt it was “impossible” to replace Isak like-for-like because of his lethal skillset.

It was not just the goals.

This side had long relied on Isak’s movement in behind.

Though Wissa also plays on the shoulder, the 29-year-old suffered a knee injury on international duty with DR Congo, which severely delayed his debut after he pushed to leave Brentford.

The towering Woltemade, who has a very different profile, was left to shoulder the burden from the off, as a result, having never previously played outside Germany.

Woltemade found the back of the net with each of his first six shots on target, but it was hardly sustainable for the forward to keep scoring at such a rate – not least with the number of games he had to play while Wissa was sidelined.

Before Wissa made his full debut, last month, Woltemade started 19 matches for club and country in just 92 days – an unprecedented run for a player whose career only truly took off at Stuttgart little more than a year ago.

The pair have had to adapt quickly to the detail, structure and intensity of life under Howe.

That was challenging enough for fellow forward Anthony Gordon to do when Newcastle had clear weeks to prepare for games following his move from Everton in January 2023.

But the schedule has been particularly relentless as Newcastle fight on four fronts this season, so Woltemade and Wissa have had to rely on individual video analysis sessions.

“It took me a long time to adjust to the way we play when I first came here, so I understand the position that they are in,” Gordon said.

“We have got so many games so they are chopping and changing who plays because of the heavy load that we have.

These are very different players.

But Wissa has helped ease the physical strain on Woltemade since returning to action, and Howe hailed the pair for “trying to give the team the best that they have”.

Howe also acknowledged that Newcastle were still attempting to “get the best” out of them.

It has been a frustration of an especially hands-on coaching staff that they have been unable to extensively drill the forwards on the training pitches.

Isak’s former team-mates knew the runs he would make and the Swede, conversely, knew his side’s patterns inside, out.

But Woltemade and Wissa are mainly building up an understanding with those around them through matches and vice-versa.

Saturday’s trip to Anfield will be the latest step on that journey.

“It’s an ever-challenging thing,” Howe added. “You lose a player like Alex and, let’s put this right, Liverpool paid the money they did because he’s an outstanding footballer, an unbelievable talent.

“We were privileged to have him for the years that we had him. We loved working with him. He was an outstanding player.

“When you take that player away from your team, it’s going to change the dynamics, that’s for sure.