TREBLE All-Ireland winner Pascal McConnell believes Tyrone must target the knock-out stages of the National Football League in order to optimise the process of building a relationship between management and players.
New bosses Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher still haven’t had an opportunity to get onto the training pitch with their squad, and with just three League ties guaranteed, opportunities to develop a style of play and build a team will be at a premium.
But extra game time in a Division One semi-final and possibly a final would greatly enhance their preparations for the Championship.
“When you’re getting more games, you’re giving more players more game time, and the more games they can squeeze out of it the better, and it will only benefit Tyrone in the long run,” said former goalkeeper McConnell, a Sam Maguire Cup winner in 2003, ’05 and ‘08.
“It will benefit the management in telling what they need to do and to adapt to tackle the bigger teams like Dublin and Kerry when the time comes around.
“Tyrone need to be sitting at the latter stages of these tournaments.
“When you get a rhythm going, you go on a run, you crave more.
“We’re in a county that’s up there or thereabouts, and in a county like Tyrone, success is pretty much demanded. And Brian and Feargal will know the score with that.
“It will be a case of hitting the ground running, there will be a bit of pressure on, but the talent is there at their disposal, and I’m sure they’ll be ready to tear into it.
“We’re in that nice position where we are dining at the top table, we’re playing Division One football.”
Prohibited from training collectively and devoid of competitive action, the players are battling frustration and uncertainty as they maintain fitness levels in isolated sessions.
The much maligned Dr McKenna Cup, removed from the calendar this year, possibly never to return, suddenly seems eminently more attractive.
“In a normal year, you would have a McKenna Cup campaign behind you and getting the National League started.
“Not that the McKenna Cup was the be-all and end-all, but it certainly gave boys games, gave them playing time and gave managers a chance to look at things.
“They would like to have got that, but every county is affected the same way by the regulations.”
But a positive assessment from Croke Park, which flagged up the possibility of a return to playing games next month, has sparked fresh hope bordering on optimism.
“It gives a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel. We can’t get complacent, with the current situation.
“But we’re football people, we crave a bit of football, even on TV.
“There’s only so much of the Premier League we can take, we’re gaelic football people, and we long for a bit of competitive football again.
“And it would be nice to get the ball rolling in March.
“It would certainly lift a lot of people’s spirits, not only the players but the people in general.
“Things are going to come things and fast, and we will have a few derby games in the League if things go the way we anticipate.
“And they will be feisty battles, btu we would have it no other way, and it will be something to look forward to when it does get the go-ahead.
“It’s great to be in a county where you will be challenging for top honours, and this year is going to be no different, whether or not there’s new management.
“It’s certainly an exciting time for Tyrone football.”
