FORMER Tyrone star Enda McGinley believes there is enough talent in the current squad to win a fourth senior All-Ireland title.
Despite reaching the last four in the race for the Sam Maguire, the Red Hands are 9/1 rank outsiders of the quartet behind Sunday's opponents Mayo, Dublin and Kerry.
However, McGinley believes Tyrone will have to produce their best performance of the year if they are to defeat James Horan's side at Croke Park.
"There are plenty of teams in the past that have had All-Irelands in them and, though one thing or another, they don't get there. There is an All-Ireland in that Tyrone team - they do have the quality to get there," said McGinley.
"Sunday is going to be their biggest challenge to produce a level of performance above what we have seen.
"It is fair to say that Mayo are playing at a level that Tyrone haven't reached this year yet.
"I think Tyrone, with everything that is going on, will be hugely motivated and will give a huge effort."
The three-time All-Ireland winner, who recently retired from club duty with Errigal Ciaran, played a key role when the counties last met in the Championship in the Qualifiers in 2008.
With Sean Cavanagh deployed at full-forward that year, McGinley anchored the midfield with Ryan Mellon and Colin Holmes vying for the second midfield berth at various times throughout the season.
Tyrone edged to a 0-13 to 1-9 win in the third round of the Qualifiers that year and McGinley feels there is similarities with 2008 and the current campaign.
"That was a very good performance from us to beat them (Mayo) that day and yet, nobody saw it that way," said McGinley.
"No-one seemed to see that it was a win of huge merit. In fact, they thought we were struggling along - a bit like this year.
"These struggling wins can be hiding a very good level of achievement."
McGinley also insisted recent criticism of the Tyrone team is nothing new.
Pat Spillane coined the phrase "puke football" after watching his native Kerry lose out to Tyrone in the 2003 All-Ireland semi-final. Earlier that year, Colm O'Rourke famously stated he would "eat his hat" if Tyrone won the All-Ireland with Brian Dooher in the team.
Joe Brolly's comments regarding Tyrone and Sean Cavanagh, in particular, following the All-Ireland quarter-final win over Monaghan, didn't come as a surprise to McGinley.
However, he believes such remarks ignore that fact Tyrone have been involved in a number of modern classics over the last decade McGinley also fears that referee Maurice Deegan could be influenced by recent comments made about Mickey Harte's team.
"Over the years, there has been strong things said about Tyrone teams," said the 2008 Allstar midfielder.
"The unfortunate thing is that when these comments are thrown out there, they stick and are very difficult to wash off. As the politicians would say, if you're explaining, you're losing.
"If you looked at the 10 best games of football over the last 10 years, Tyrone are probably involved in a handful of them. Take the Down Ulster final (2003) or the Armagh matches or the Dublin matches or the Kerry matches.
"Yet, that's all forgotten about and all we hear is about this cynical team that is leading the game down the wrong way.
"That level of bias is going to be there and it is going to take an exceptionally strong referee to be above that.
"You would worry for the likes of Sean Cavanagh, who regularly gets fouled. I think he will have to work very hard for his frees the next day."