Football

Mickey Harte happy that Tyrone has right balance of youth and experience as he chases third Ulster Championship title

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte speaks with the media as Monaghan player Neil McAdams is photographed during the launch of the Ulster Senior Football Championship at O'Neills, Strabane on Monday April 30 2018. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin
Tyrone manager Mickey Harte speaks with the media as Monaghan player Neil McAdams is photographed during the launch of the Ulster Senior Football Championship at O'Neills, Strabane on Monday April 30 2018. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin Tyrone manager Mickey Harte speaks with the media as Monaghan player Neil McAdams is photographed during the launch of the Ulster Senior Football Championship at O'Neills, Strabane on Monday April 30 2018. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin

MICKEY Harte believes he is close to striking the right balance between youth and experience as he chases a third Ulster Championship title.

Young players like Lee Brennan and Frank Burns, from the 2015 All-Ireland U21-winning team, have been making their mark, alongside experienced campaigners such as Mattie Donnelly, Peter Harte, Ronan McNamee and Colm Cavanagh.

Transition in Tyrone is constant and subtle, and there’ll be no surprises in the team selection for the Anglo-Celt Cup opener against Monaghan later this month.

“I do believe you need balance in a team across the whole age spectrum, and I suppose in intercounty football now, that’s from 20 to 31, is the time you believe that players have the potential to give of their best,” said Harte.

“The young ones are learning the ropes, and bringing energy to it. The boys who are now called veterans, when they reach 31 or 32, that’s the way of the world, nobody is playing till they’re 38 or 39, as they used to do years ago.

“So there is a good mix, we have people at every age band there who are good footballers, and that’s the mix I think you need to be the best you can be at any given time, and I’m happy that we’ve got a good spectrum of players at this point in time.”

Harte sees certain similarities in a Monaghan side that will arrive at Healy Park with a core of established players, but also with some exciting new talents. “They have been steady for a number of years now and they have a few Ulster titles to show for that.

“They have some new players in and they still have a lot of seasoned campaigners there as well, so they have probably a good mix of experience and youth.

“And they must be very confident, with the wins they have had this year. Beating both Kerry and Dublin in the same year is not easy to do in the National League or anywhere else. They did that, and I think that’s going to give them a lot of confidence going into the Championship.” 

WHEN Tyrone and Monaghan met in the League at Castleblayney on February 24, it was the Farneymen who edged a close contest by a single point, thanks to some telling late interventions by Conor McManus.

Tyrone boss Mickey Harte (right) is preparing for a similar tactical encounter, but promises that the pace and intensity will be cranked up a few notches. “I think a lot of the players who performed on that particular night will be taking the field again in this Championship match.

“Who knows? No two games really follow the same pattern, but there is a trend within the game now that teams set up in a fairly predictable way, and they try to work on the way they play, to perfect it to a higher level, and I suppose that’s the difference we might see.

“A lot more training has been done since that, more very important games have been played since that time, the players have played a lot of club football.”

A rare opportunity to play a Championship game on their own ground is, in Harte’s opinion, a dubious advantage for Tyrone.

Though they did finish the League strongly with two wins at Healy Park, the Omagh stadium hasn’t always been a fortress for the Red Hands.

“Some grounds are more of a fortress than others, but I still think it’s good to be in your home ground. “Your players know that place better, and it just seems that you have got that little psychological advantage.

“But Monaghan know Omagh well enough as well, and they have played there a number of times in the last few years, so they’re no strangers to it either.

“I don’t think it’s going to make the difference, it just saves us travelling a wee bit.”