MICKEY Harte may be forced to shake up his defensive formation ahead of this weekend’s Ulster SFC semi-final replay, after conceding three goals to Cavan in a dramatic drawn game.
But one man who is certain to retain a key brief is Colm Cavanagh, who has perfected the role of sweeper.
The Moy man is the glue that holds the defence together, working tirelessly up and down the pitch to combine his midfield duties with those of an astute central defender.
For years, he’s been the unsung hero in the Tyrone set-up, but Cavanagh is finally attracting the kudos he deserves.
However, it wasn’t until he re-invented himself that the rangy midfielder began to turn heads
In a new age of massed defences and sweepers, Cavanagh has found a niche, and is widely acclaimed as one of the best in the business.
While continuing to make a key contribution around the middle of the field, his ability to sprint back to the edge of the ‘D’ when his team is not in possession has provided the Red Hands with a key asset.
Manager Harte believes the 28-year-old is perfectly suited to the brief he decided to hand him last year.
“He’s a very intelligent player. He has got a great physical presence, he’s not afraid of rough and tumble if it happens to be presented his way,” said Harte.
“He’s quite pacey too, he’s deceptively speedy. When he picks up the ball, he can break at pace as well.
“He’s a good man to do a job that’s asked of him, and he doesn’t defer from that particular role. He just sticks with the game plan.
“He’s good in an aerial contest, he has a good physical presence with him, and he reads the game well.
“There’s not many people who have all those attributes, and if I had two or three more of them, I’d love to have them, but they’re not just there at the moment.”
The younger of the Cavanagh brothers has lived in the shadow of five-time Allstar Sean since he made his Tyrone debut in 2007.
But Harte contends that it was wrong to compare him to Sean, as the pair are very different types of footballer.
“I suppose they were comparing him to Sean, and looking for a player who played exactly like Sean, which isn’t very realistic.
“Everybody is their own man, they play their own way, and certainly Colm is a very different footballer than Sean, but certainly a very valuable player nonetheless.”
And Harte believes those who judged Colm Cavanagh less kindly than they should have been forced to revise upwards their opinion of one of the county’s most consistent and valuable players.
“I think he was maybe being judged harshly in those times, and I think he needed some time to show people what he could do.
“I was never one of those that didn’t think he was a good player. I discovered that a lot earlier than other people.”
