Closed training sessions adding vital edge in modern era, says Karl Lacey

With a dismissive “Boys up trees again!”, Karl Lacey greets mention of news that Tyrone have moved their training away from their Garvaghey centre of excellence ahead of facing Donegal on May 17.

His reference, of course, is to last September when a musician familiar to the Donegal management was reportedly spotted in a tree overlooking Fitzgerald Stadium in the build-up to their All-Ireland final with Kerry.

It was yesterday reported Tyrone have switched training venues, something they did before the 2010 Ulster final when they feared Monaghan were watching their sessions.

Donegal are no strangers to changing locations themselves not to mention staging practice games behind closed doors. Their own centre of excellence in Convoy is less than eight miles from the Tyrone border.

“There are a lot of Tyrone people living in Donegal close to where we train, the same in Tyrone,” says Lacey.

“You are always looking at getting that wee edge and it’s a common thing now in inter-county senior teams. Closed sessions. Tactically, Gaelic football is gone up to another level. It’s important that nobody can see what you are doing.”

Lacey admits Donegal count missing out on the Division 1 final as a blessing. Not necessarily because Dublin were in such mean form last Sunday against Cork but for the fact it would have cut into their plans to face Tyrone.

“We probably would have lost two weeks of our championship training, which we got to do (by qualifying for the final). It was great to play in a semi-final but once it was over against Mayo (in their last league game before qualifying for the semi), all our eyes were on championship then. Everything else was a bonus after that.”

Lacey admits Donegal are one of the most settled teams in the country having started just 18 players in their first five league games. “We’ve had a strong panel, and not everyone got game time, but that was the manager’s call.

“Division 1 is not easy. We wanted to remain there. We don’t have the same talent of players as maybe Dublin, or Kerry, and Rory felt he had to play his strongest team, each game we went out.

“Rory Kavanagh is one guy who has gone but there’s still good competition for places in the squad, young lads breathing down your neck and Rory (Gallagher) has made us aware of that.

“He’s not afraid of dropping anybody, But in fairness all the older lads are pushing hard, which is good.”

Jim McGuinness has kept his distance from the players although he was at March’s league game against Tyrone in MacCumhaill Park. Lacey forecasts bigger things for his former manager at Celtic.

“Jim will go to the top if he really wanted to. He’s obviously thinking about management or coaching in the soccer club as he’s doing his badges through the FAI. I never had the conversation with him about it but I see he was in talking with Saracens as well so he’s opened doors for himself.”