Harte and Tyrone ready to start on a new script

THERE'S a slight smile on Mickey Harte's face when he hears the question. He hears it a hundred times a day around Ballygawley, of course. How are things shaping up, Mickey?

Tyrone is eager to know, how things are shaping up? So's the rest of the country. Everyone is eager to know how Tyrone are shaping up. Nobody is quite sure.

Not even Mickey Harte. Strange what a one-point defeat to a decent team on a roll does to the perception of one of the All-Ireland favourites.

Tyrone disappeared from view. A few weeks later, Harte woke up and discovered experts were already talking like it was Armagh's All-Ireland to lose. Suited Harte fine. Let them wonder how things are shaping up. This Tyrone team have been used to doing their own thing for some time.

"Of late, things are getting better," Harte says through the smile. "Honestly though, four or five weeks ago, things were as bad as they ever had been. Brian McGuigan was in Australia, Stephen O'Neill and Owen Mulligan injured while Peter Canavan hadn't returned. All of that contributed to make things look fairly bleak."

And now? "Well now, there is talk of Brian McGuigan coming home before the summer gets too old, Owen Mulligan's injury has cleared up, Stephen's injury has cleared up, Chris Lawn's injury isn't that bad. All very positive things. And we are in probably as good a position than we have been in a long time. But we won't know until we take the field against Down."

A heroic Wexford performance can do many things, but it can't alter the perception that Sam Maguire will be resting with Tyrone, Armagh or Kerry no matter how much Harte plays down the former's prospects.

"We are just one of the contenders, we are looking up at Kerry and Armagh, and that's the fact of the matter, that's not playing us down, that's just the way things are. We are nothing special."

You suspect Harte says this more in the hope than expectation people will believe him. This year's a lot different from last year. Harte looks at 2004 now and is able to pinpoint the moment their title defence fell apart. That morning his phone rang and he was told of Cormac McAnallen's death.

"Last year was totally different for us than many defending All-Ireland champions would experience. Defending the All-Ireland became secondary last year, it was all about Cormac and getting to grips with what happened.

"Now we are not champions, we have grieved, and we are not such a big deal because several teams have beaten us in the last twelve months, so we have to build a new respect for ourselves."

Respect remains, however. Tyrone are shoe-horned beside Armagh as favourites for Ulster and perhaps the whole thing. Harte shakes his head.

"Tyrone and Armagh have been touted as big-time favourites for Ulster. I believe Donegal can beat anyone and Armagh have to meet them. Derry were in an All-Ireland semi-final last year and they were there on merit. If Armagh get over Donegal, they have to meet Derry. If Donegal or Derry beat Armagh for example, who would suggest either of those weren't All-Ireland contenders.

"People outside the province have always perceived it as a minefield, but it has become even more acute than that in recent years. Down are coming full of confidence on taking Tyrone's scalp."

Should that happen this weekend, it will be a sensation. Brian McGuigan enjoys the wonders of Oz and Peter Canavan is still somewhere on his slow road to full recovery, but Tyrone have enough quality to get by.

Like Stephen O'Neill. Last year's goal against Mayo was simply a taster of what he can do when in the mood. An injury robbed Tyrone of their most instinctive finisher-and it showed through the League.

"Stephen O'Neill is vitally important, you could see that in the league campaigns. He is as important to us as a footballer as Steven McDonnell is to Armagh and that is the best tribute you can pay any footballer at the moment," says the manager.

And how Harte would love to have young McGuigan joining O'Neill on the frontal lines. "I am optimistic he will back. He went out there to enjoy himself and we left him to his own devices. He always has this real desire to be playing football and I knew that lure would eventually get through to him. I do believe it will be some time in June, mid-June, but we have no definite date yet.

"While Peter is working hard on the fitness, but he is 34 now and hasn't played competitive football since the All-Ireland of 2003. As the season evolves, Peter can only get better and that is a good place to be, for him and for us."

People are keen to see how Tyrone's season evolves. Nobody is holding much credence to the belief Down can cause an upset tomorrow, nobody except Mickey Harte maybe.

"Maybe, if we have a good run in the championship and are still around late in the summer, we might be able to look back and say that it was a good thing Wexford beat us. But we would want to be on a seriously good run for me to say that. What it did, it gave us a new script and that script starts to develop from Sunday."