I have great belief in my players, says Mickey Harte

On paper, the turnaround has been remarkable.

Consigned to life in the second tier of the Allianz League back in April — by Kerry, of all people — and eliminated from the Ulster Championship in May. Now Tyrone find themselves 70 minutes from a first All-Ireland final in seven years, the familiar form of Kerry again standing in their way.

Except Mickey Harte doesn’t see it in those one-dimensional terms.

“It all depends on how you assess these things. If you are totally convinced by results, and you are attracted by negativity, then it is a very difficult thing to do. But I was not attracted to negative results this year. I was actually attracted to the positive results we got this year, even the positive performances, even if the results did not match that.

“I am sure the players would tell you, I don’t doubt the ability of our team. I have great belief in this squad and I continuously affirm that with the players and I think they’re responding in kind.”

It’s an argument that holds a fair volume of water.

Monaghan and Donegal both beat them convincingly in the spring, but those were Tyrone’s only two defeats in seven outings. Mayo were defeated in Castlebar while draws were banked against Derry, Dublin and the reigning All-Ireland champions.

Not a bad portfolio, all told, and Harte found similar solace in that championship loss in Ballybofey when they pushed Donegal right to the wire. Within that experience was the germination of the belief Tyrone could live with the top teams again, but they had to weave their way through a collection of less exalted opponents in Limerick, Meath, Tipp and Sligo before booking their place at Croke Park with Monaghan.

The qualifiers helped them rediscover their feet and allowed U21s like Mark Bradley, Conor Meyler and Rory Brennan integrate fully into the senior system.

Harte has long been an advocate of the U21 grade and the three years of extra experience it affords promising minors before they are subsumed into the big bad world of senior football, but he believes others have stepped up this year as well.

“They have played their part by all means,” he said of the underage graduates. “There are other players who have come into the group and taken on the challenge of different levels for themselves. It’s not just someone coming in to make the team.

“It’s more like people within the team saying that ‘I have to step it up here to a different level now’. I think they have done that. At the seasoned end of their careers, they are bringing added value. There are different people across the spectrum giving us a little more.”

Harte isn’t conclusive even when asked if this year’s crop stands taller than that of 2013 when they last inhabited the last four. “It’s very hard to say. It will all depend on the result. If we win, we will say, ‘yes, we’re definitely in a better place’. If we don’t, it’s up for question.

“There are more of the players on the right side of 25 for energy than there was at that time and we still have quite a bit of experience in there as well. I think maybe the blend, the mix, is better than it was back then.”