MICKEY Harte’s knowhow and proven track record of success is the extra “two per cent” he has brought to Derry, says Conor Glass.
With three-time All-Ireland winner Harte at the helm, Derry begin the defence of their Ulster title on Saturday night in what promises to be an engrossing heavyweight battle against Jim McGuinness’s Donegal at packed Celtic Park.
The Oak Leafers won the last two Ulster titles with Rory Gallagher (2022) and Ciaran Meenagh (last year) at the helm and Glass says the transition to Harte has been virtually seamless.
“It hasn’t been a change at all,” he said.
“Obviously he’s put his own spin on things and training is slightly different – not all coaches train the exact same – but he hasn’t come in and tried to reinvent the wheel.
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“There was nothing really broken to a certain degree when he came in but he has done his bit to put a new spin on things.”
Harte has already propelled Derry to the National League title and his experience at “the pointy end” of the season could be invaluable as the Championship progresses, says Glass.
“He has that experience of winning Sam Maguire – he’s been to the pointy end of the season,” says the Glen clubman.
“That was something we needed from a manager coming in, someone who had been there before who knew what it takes to win an All-Ireland. That’s Mickey’s two per cent.
“And Gavin Devlin is a brilliant coach. I’ve been very lucky to have great coaches over the last two or three years – Ryan Porter, Ciaran Meenagh and Rory Gallagher… Gavin is up there with them and he is relatively new to our environment so he’s still probably figuring boys out as well but he’s made a fantastic start.”
Saturday night is Harte’s Championship debut with Derry but Celtic Park has been a happy hunting ground for him. In 2016, and again the following year, he inspired Tyrone to 11-point wins over Derry. It’s difficult to envisage a similar margin for the winners on Saturday night and Glass expects Division Two champions Donegal to come with confidence and quality.
Everyone expects their manager Jim McGuinness to have something new up his sleeve.
“I don’t know what to expect from Jim to be honest,” says Glass.
“He always has something up his sleeve, he’s a fantastic manager and a fantastic brain in terms of sport whether that be soccer or Gaelic or any sport.
“Donegal are a fantastic team, they were in an Ulster final two years ago so it’s not as if they’re rebuilding, they’ve always had the players and we’ve always had serious battles through minor, U20s and seniors with them.
“This won’t be any different and whatever Jim throws at us, I’m sure we’ll have something to counteract it.
“If we’re going into the game as favourites that means we must be doing something right but complacency doesn’t come into it. We’ve got players who’ve been there and done that so we won’t get ahead of ourselves in any way – we take it one game as it comes like everyone says.”
There aren’t any busier Gaelic Footballers than the Glen players – Glass, Ethan Doherty, Ciaran McFaul, Emmet Bradley, Eunan Mulholland and Conleth McGuckian – on the Derry panel. However, Glass remains a steadfast advocate for the current ‘split season’.
“It’s difficult when both teams are winning – when your county and club are both successful there’s obviously an overlap - but it’s a good problem to have, you’re going deep in the club and county season,” he says.
“I’m an advocate of it even though the Glen and Derry players have probably suffered the most for it over the past couple of years. I still feel it was a good decision to bring it in.”
