Tyrone boss ready to get into Harte of the action

THERE is no prize for guessing which manager has most reason to be optimistic about the season ahead facing into tomorrow’s opening Allianz NFL encounter in Hyde Park.

Mickey Harte is the man who has stepped into the hot seat in Tyrone following the replacement of Art McRory and Eugene McKenna in controversial circumstances last year.

And, considering his background with the county at minor and U-21 level, he certainly doesn't need to be reminded the public at large continue to regard them as strong championship contenders.

Former Dublin boss Tommy Carr admits to a degree of surprise to find himself in charge of Roscommon, all the more so since he did not envisage becoming involved in management again so soon.

Carr says the approach came from Roscommon, unexpectedly, and one of the influencing factors in his decision to accept their offer was that he lives in Mullingar. The call of course came after one of the most troubled times in the county's history after player turmoil.

"Initially things had to be dealt with after I took over, but I would like to think that is done, that there is no fall-out lingering from last year,'' he says. "We carried out that exercise and everybody got their viewpoints across. I think there is a better understanding of what happened, between the County Board and the players."

Carr says he "always fancied Roscommon as a gutsy team", one with a lot of potential. Based on his view that Gaelic Games are predominant and mindful of its tradition, he believes Roscommon have under-achieved over the years.

Taking on the holders without influential midfielder Seamus O'Neill (on his way back and 'making good progress' after a recent knee operation), Carr acknowledges that his team faces a major challenge.

"They were tipped last year as All-Ireland outsiders and while they didn't quite achieve that status, I certainly think they are a team that are improving over the years.

"I would regard them as the best League team over the last few years without doubt. Certainly, when I was with Dublin, I don't think we ever beat them.''

Mickey Harte, who will continue the partnership with Fr Gerald McAleer which helped deliver two All-Ireland U-21 titles in the past three years agrees it's 'a wonderful' time to be taking over.

His reasoning is simple. "It's better to be taking over a team with potential rather than a spent force and I don't think anyone could say Tyrone are a spent force!''

Even before the competition starts they are being tipped in some quarters to win the League again, which is hardly logical.

From Harte's perspective, that's something the management have no control over. "You can't pay too much attention to that, otherwise you put yourself under pressure.

"I would rather concentrate on the football end of things, on the talent and quality that is there, to get the players to believe in themselves and to be the best 'they can be.'

"But, that pressure has been there over the last decade, since Tyrone made the breakthrough at U-21 level. There is greater expectation within the county and I figure that until Tyrone deliver the Sam Maguire people will never really feel that expectation has been properly met.''

On the eastern seaboard Dublin and Armagh re-introduce themselves to each other in Croke Park 45,000 people may be expected for their league opener tomorrow, but if you were to offer the Dubs a non-stop express to their June 1 Championship meeting with Louth or Wicklow right now, they'd probably bite your arm off at the elbow in their eagerness to accept. Last year's roller-coaster has left a bittersweet taste in the mouth and only this year's Championship can rinse it out.

Of course, talk to anyone in the Dublin camp and familiar platitudes about the League aren't slow in arriving. "We'll take every game as it comes this year, in the league and the Championship," insists captain Ciaran Whelan. "Division 1A is extremely competitive with the All-Ireland champions of the last three years, the league champions, ourselves.

"There's some great teams in it so it's difficult to know how the form is but we enter each National League campaign trying to win it. Dublin haven't won one since 1993 so we are certainly focussed on it and we'll be hoping to progress in it."

Whelan's point was backed up by Lyons at Tuesday's Allianz league launch in the Burlington House with the manager claiming he had enormous respect for a competition he won whilst in charge of Offaly six years ago.

The Dubs have work to do before their meeting with the Wee or Garden counties in five months. Last year Lyons claimed at least three more players would need to be unearthed if Dublin were to field a starting 15 with serious All-Ireland title credentials.

The former Kilmacud Crokes boss went even further this week saying a much-improved half-forward line was top of his agenda for the Spring, along with a handful of top class defenders.

Just as it was last year, the NFL will be Lyons' laboratory, his testing ground for the prize that he covets most.

"There was criticism of our performances last year (in the League) but what nobody twigged was that we played about 34 or 35 players and found four or five to come through and play Championship," he claims. "We're looking for two or three more but all managers are looking for that in the League."