Exit Interview - Tyrone

Following their defeat by Mayo in Sunday's AI Semi-final, we take a look back at Tyrone's year:

2013 at a glance

As they did in 2012, Tyrone started the year in very good shape, again winning the McKenna Cup and reaching a league final.  That league run ultimately finished with a 1pt defeat to Dublin in a game which saw Peter Harte and Stevie O'Neill unable to start.  Having started as 3rd favourites for relegation, Tyrone had pleasing wins over Down, Mayo, Donegal, Dublin and Kildare (x2).

The championship opened with a disappointingly comprehensive defeat by Donegal in Ballybofey, but the qualifiers saw Tyrone go on a run of 5 wins in 6 weeks against Offaly, Roscommon, Kildare, Meath and Monaghan.  None of those games were at home, and the last 4 all came via 2pt margins.  Tyrone exited the championship to Mayo in the AI Semi final, turning in a very spirited performance that partly came unstuck due to an insurmountable injury list and some dubious refereeing decisions.

What went right

As a Tyrone fan, wary of the heavy defeats we suffered in exiting the 2011 & 2012 championships, my hopes at the start of the year were to retain our division 1 status and reach an AI quarter final.  Against those expectations, this season was a success, as Tyrone were highly competitive against everyone in the league, and were a big 35 minutes away from playing on the 3rd Sunday in September.

In addition to the encouraging results, Mickey Harte further developed his new team.  Ciaran McGinley, Ryan McKenna, Niall Morgan, Connor McAliskey and Darren McCurry established themselves as regular starters in their first full year on the panel, while the likes of Mattie Donnelly and Cathal McCarron continued to improve.  Niall Morgan showed enough to suggest that he will be one of the best goalkeepers in Ireland in the years to come, unless Mickey decides to use him outfield!

Some of the veterans also had big years, with both Sean Cavanagh and Conor Gormley looking fitter than they have in a long time. After missing 2012 due to double shoulder surgery, Cavanagh's performances were especially brilliant, and he played his best football in many years.

Though some of the performances were workmanlike, the league final and the first half of the AI semi showed that Tyrone are not too far away from the top 2-3 sides.

What went wrong

Injuries hurt Tyrone as the year went on.  Stevie O'Neill was never the same player after tripping over a water bottle before the league final, while both McMahons fought ongoing fitness battles throughout the summer.  Justin, in particular, missed large chunks of the season for the 3rd successive year.  Niall Morgan was another who had his year cruelly cut short.  Of the first 16 players used against Donegal in the championship opener, 4 were unable to start against Mayo, and 3 more (Harte, O'Neill and McMahon) went off injured early on.  

Tyrone struggled to score goals in 2013, only twice managing to score 2 goals in a total of 16 league and championship outings.  They also failed to score any goals in 8 of their last 13 matches. Over the whole year, Tyrone averaged 0.59 goals per game, far less than the likes of Kerry (0.9), Cork (0.91), Mayo (1) and Dublin (1.38).  

Part of this was, no doubt, as a result of a very isolated 2 man FF line.  Tyrone lacked dominant ball winners inside, and attacks were often snuffed out due to laboured approach play.  To be fair to Mickey, he did try to play with 3 FF's twice in the league, but on both occasions we were overrun in the middle third and lost the game (vs Cork & Kerry).  In the end, it looked very much like we were sacrificing scoring power for defensive solidity and possession.

In terms of personnel, the county's 2 most highly touted young players made limited progress this season. Ronan O'Neill always seemed to be playing catch-up after returning in March from a year out (cruciate), while Kyle Coney also battled injury and looked off the pace in all bar his last appearance.

Outlook for 2014

The progress made in 2013 should encourage Mickey Harte to return for another year, though conspiracy theorists will be quick to point out that a considerable amount of his time is now spent on the Michaela Foundation, and that Peter Canavan is yet to commit to another season with Fermanagh.

Assuming he is still there, Mickey will be hoping for another big push in the league, as spring form translates to summer form.  He may not need to experiment quite so much as this year, as Tyrone's extended summer run established several players as first team regulars, and 2014 should be about building experience and finding solutions in a couple of key areas.

One of those areas is a fullback.  Conor Gormley may not be back, while Justin McMahon must also have a question mark beside his availability.  Joe McMahon is 30 now, and will increasingly struggle with faster forwards.  Conor Clarke is still very young, but I'd imagine that a move to midfield will be on the cards.  Put simply, with his size, power, engine and footballing skills, he is wasted at fullback.

The other problem is finding a playmaker in attack.  The game has changed, so I'm not saying Tyrone need an out and out CHF, but they do need someone playing behind the inside line, opening up defences.  Such a creative force would help develop more goal-scoring opportunities, and perhaps provide a more suitable type of ball into our smaller forwards.  Stevie O'Neill has the required skills, but no longer has the legs, and I suspect that we may not see the great man in a Tyrone jersey again.

In terms of physical preparation, Tyrone are a young side, and need to get stronger.  Several players should return stronger next year, and the likes of McAliskey, Coney, McKenna and McGinley all have tall, rangey frames on which to add muscle.

I'd expect to see a faster and more expansive Tyrone side in 2014, and certainly one that scores more heavily.  There is considerable talent among the young inside forwards, with Ronan O'Neill, Coney, McAliskey and McCurry all still 23 or younger.  Tyrone will have taken great heart from their many wins this year, and I would expect them to be stronger in 2014.

I'd be afraid to post a response, given that an effort of mine at analysing Tyrone's future prospects was denigrated and cast aside by another forumite.

In essence, I think this summary is fair and reasonable, if tinged with more aspiration than conviction. Tyrone, for my money, are hanging onto the top teams by their fingernails. TC is correct in his doubts regarding "punchy" forwards, nothing evidenced this year indicates the fulfillment of this necessity.

To my mind they need a more solid f/b line, tough, tenacious guys with a bit of football about them. They can indulge featherweights like Peter Harte at 6, only if he has pacy, robust lads at his sides. Clarke is a midfielder for the future, enabling both Cavanaghs dispersal further afield, Colm to 12 and Sean to 14. SON has a final hurrah at 11, where his abilities to control matters and effect passing can be best utilised.

The remaining 8/9 places can be fought for between now and next May.

Great report TC but I can hear the music in the background.....

Boxtyeater wrote:
In essence, I think this summary is fair and reasonable, if tinged with more aspiration than conviction. Tyrone, for my money, are hanging onto the top teams by their fingernails.

I appreciate your point Boxty, but I guess it depends on where you think Tyrone are in terms of development.  I felt that, having slowly regressed from our considerable mid-noughties heights, we bottomed out in 2011, failing to get out of division 2 of the league, and being comprehensively beaten by Donegal & Dublin in the championship.  

Since then we have become much younger and faster, and have achieved a much more consistent level of performances and results.  Our championship performance this year was our best since 2009, while our finishing league position was our highest since 2003.

I take your point about replacements being needed for Gormley and, before long, Cavanagh & Joe McMahon, but the vast majority of our players are still at an age where they should be improving.  Of the players who would have become regulars in 2013, Morgan, Clarke, McAliskey, O'Neill, McCurry, McKenna, McNabb, Harte, Donnelly and Coney are all 23 or under.  The likes of McCarron, McGinley, Cassidy, Colm Cavanagh are all 27 or younger.  That is the nucleus of a very good squad, and I've no doubt that a couple more will break through in 2014.  

Perhaps my optimism is somewhat rose-tinted, but I look at the Tyrone squad and see a lot of pace and reasonable skill.  What I don't see is power, but I'm expecting that to improve over the next 12 months.  Rather than a side hanging on by their fingertips, I see Tyrone as edging back towards the big guns.

A fair assessment & if i were a realistic Tyrone fan (thank God i'm not) i'd be really optimistic going towards 2014. After that hammering in the championship by Donegal Tyrone grew into a team that looked like they could upset Mayo, & indeed they looked like they would for much of the first half. Once Mayo got to grips with Tyrone it was one way traffic in the second half of the Semi. Thats not something to be ashamed of, thats a growth peg for this current squad and will stand them in good stead going forward.

People in Tyrone should be very careful what they wish for in terms of management, Harte is a legend in the Red Hand county and in my view deserves to decide when he will finish as manager. Is Canavan a realistic option that would take the team forward, or is he a romantic choice? I feel his management record for both club & county actually go against him if there is a decision to make regarding a Harte replacement, perhaps there is a better option available that is not currently cleaning out a county board?

bald eagle wrote: People in Tyrone should be very careful what they wish for in terms of management, Harte is a legend in the Red Hand county and in my view deserves to decide when he will finish as manager. Is Canavan a realistic option that would take the team forward, or is he a romantic choice? I feel his management record for both club & county actually go against him if there is a decision to make regarding a Harte replacement, perhaps there is a better option available that is not currently cleaning out a county board?

I'd disagree about Mickey deserving to decide when he finishes, simply because I've seen it end badly for too many greats (Heffernan, O'Dwyer, McGrath, O'Mahony, Boylan). Part of what makes them great is single-mindedness and self-belief, but those can be be negatives if you are on the wrong track. I'm not for a second saying that I hope Mickey stands down - I don't really believe he will, and very much hope he doesn't, as I think we are heading in the right direction again. I'm just giving the caveat that people shouldn't give anyone, anywhere, any job for life!

To answer your question, though, I would like to see Canavan come in. I know that Bocerty disagrees with me, but I think he has done quite well with Fermanagh. He took over when they were the worst team in Ireland, and now has them inside the top 20. That is a decent jump. I wouldn't worry too much about his time as a club manager, as intercounty is a totally different ball game. It is more about being an organiser and figurehead, and if you lack expertise in a certain area, you go and find it elsewhere, so long as you are sufficiently open to taking advice.

I have no interest in an outside manager - no self respecting county should - and I'm certain that the Tyrone County Board feel the same way. None of our AI minor winning managers made an impact at U21 level, and won't be considered. Nor will the likes of Gavin Devlin or Chris Lawn, although either could be involved as coaches. When Mickey goes, we need another person that a successful squad can respect. Could you imagine an unknown dropping Sean Cavanagh if he was 32/33 and out of form? It needs to be a real leader, and that is what Canavan is. At this stage, he'd be my choice, although it is all hypothetical, and things do change. Perhaps someone else will enter the fray whenever the time comes.

TC it might be a different ball game but the job of management is the same trying to get the best out of the players you have unifying them as a tight knit bunch of lads with a common goal who would run through brick walls for each other and never know when they are beat.

Now i would have my doubts about Canavan at the minute, he did nothing for Errigal when he was there and for me that speaks volumes, his own club a place where everyone has him on a pedestal and he literally does walk on water up there. That he couldnt get these young lads playing for each other and yet the year after he leaves they win a Championship and very nearly an Ulster title along with it.

He seems the obvious candidate but there are question marks for me yet.

As for Mickey, no man is bigger than the GAA and i'd agree with TC that for all he has done for Tyrone he shouldn't be in a position to pick and chose when he goes.

so what tyrone players do you see stepping down this year,must be a few thinking about it

bronco wrote:so what tyrone players do you see stepping down this year,must be a few thinking about it

Well, unfortunately I'd be very surprised to see Cathal McCarron playing for Tyrone again. Pascal McConnell is about 34, so he's another who will go.

Gormley and Stevie O'Neill are both 32, so they will consider it, but may feel that they can hang on one more year. I read an article by Dara O'Se a couple of years ago, and he was saying that older players realise they are no longer as good as they were, and they base their decisions on whether or not to stay on the talent level of the young lads in the dressing room. He says that if an older player thinks the young lads can drag him to an AI, he will probably stay. If he doesn't, he will probably retire.

Beyond those mentioned, you have the 2001 minor team survivors of Joe McMahon, Sean Cavanagh, Martin Penrose and Dermy Carlin. I'd suspect that Carlin will consider calling it a day, but the other 3 still have something left to offer.

In summary, McCarron and McConnell almost definitely. O'Neill and Gormley possibly. And maybe Carlin.

Wouldn't agree with McCarron going, i don't think an all star nominee is finished just yet due to off field issues. He'll play again, certainly not in the league but perhaps championship at some stage.

bald eagle wrote:Wouldn't agree with McCarron going, i don't think an all star nominee is finished just yet due to off field issues. He'll play again, certainly not in the league but perhaps championship at some stage.

I'd like to think so, but would be doubtful.  A lot will depend on how his teammates receive him back into the fold - especially the one whose house he visited.