Former Derry defender Gerard O'Kane feels the county's Allianz League group and Rory Gallagher's ability to analyse his opponents will be an advantage for the Oak Leafers in this year's Ulster Senior Football Championship.
Derry, who are searching for a first win in the Ulster Championship in almost six years, their last a narrow win over Down at Celtic Park in 2015, will face the winners of the Mournemen and Donegal who face off in the preliminary round.
First up, Derry will play Ulster champions Cavan, Fermanagh and bogey team Longford in a new-look Allianz League Division 3 North before the Championship gets under way.
“The League campaign will reflect what way the Championship will go,” O'Kane states.
“It will help them and get them three games in that environment as opposed to playing teams down the country who set up differently.
“It will mimic what way teams set-up in Ulster and what way teams set up against them. I think that will definitely help.”
While Down and Donegal may have a Championship game under their belt, the former All-Ireland winning skipper points to the tighter calendar.
“All teams will get three league games and there is not going to be a massive gap between the league and championship like there used to be, so Derry will be as primed as the other team.
“You are not going back to your club and switching off, you are still in that bubble and that environment,” O'Kane said.
He also backs manager Rory Gallagher's ability to study his opponents, using the example of Tottenham' strange decision to sack Jose Mourinho ahead of this weekend's League Cup Final with Manchester City, a manager with a track record in results.
“I think Gallagher is like that,” O'Kane feels. “I think he thrives on going to watch a team, pick them apart and see what way he can set up a team against them.
“He will have learned a lot from last year and playing Armagh and I think he will have Derry well set up to handle any of the two teams.”
While Derry have gone five seasons without a win, O'Kane feels the draw wasn't kind to them.
Under Damian Barton, the county were drawn against Tyrone in 2016 and 2017, with Damian McErlain's tenure seeing the county face Tyrone and Donegal at the opening hurdle.
Donegal were going for three in a row before Cavan dramatically overturned them with an emphatic performance in last year's final, but the bookies have them as second favourites to Tyrone to lift the Angle Celt Cup this summer.
O'Kane doesn't necessarily agree and could see Down overturning them in the preliminary round
“I still think they (Donegal) are very heavily reliant on Michael Murphy,” he reckons. “If he has an off day I think they struggle.
“He is so pivotal to them playing well and everyone around him playing well. Where they play him is a big thing too and they try to play through him a lot.''
The Glenullin man ranks Down as an 'anomaly' and looked back to the League clash last season when they pipped Derry with a late charge in Páirc Esler to win a game that essentially decided promotion from Division 3.
“I think that's where the two teams are at, there is literally a toss of a coin between them. The fact that Donegal have to go to Newry, Down will love that and Paddy Tally will use the whole controversy surrounding his ban to galvanise them.
“Down are an anomaly. Donegal, you know what way they are going to set up and what players they are going to have, but Derry will get to see Down in action if that's who they are to play."
