Football

Mickey Harte talks of anti-Tyrone agenda in the media

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte believes that there's a bias against his county
Tyrone manager Mickey Harte believes that there's a bias against his county Tyrone manager Mickey Harte believes that there's a bias against his county

TYRONE manager Mickey Harte has lashed out at sections of the media he says accuse his county of continually playing negative football.

He also hinted strongly that Tyrone would not be fielding their strongest side for Saturday night’s showdown with Donegal in the Dr McKenna Cup decider in the Armagh Athletic Grounds.

When asked if Tyrone sometimes got excessive blame for this defensive football, he said:

“Yes but we don’t want to be sounding like the victim people,” he told the Donegal Democrat.

However he accused some observers of having “an agenda against Tyrone”.

He also asked all those whom he described as “independent and objective observers just to see what it is coming out there relentlessly.”

“I would love somebody to challenge it because it needs to be challenged,” he said.

“There are signs of an agenda against Tyrone where there is just continuous talk of how many people we have behind the ball.

“And I have watched many matches and I see the very same thing happening to other teams yet the count isn’t on always.

“So maybe all those people who are making all those comments relentlessly might need to take a step back and see are they really independent thinkers or are they just having other people think for them.”

He added that he was disappointed that there were some who were not “apparent independent thinkers.”

Harte said he was also disappointed in those people who did not challenge them.

“It also disappoints me that those who are in a position to ask for more from the people who are making those comments often don’t do that, and I think they need to start doing that,” he said.

“Because I don’t think a quality interviewer should listen to people saying things that there is no substance to.

“And many of them get that opportunity and I have yet to see them challenge it.”

Harte said Tyrone were trying to do the best they could in every competition they took part in.

“Of course you don’t always get what you want in life in any shape or form but you have to strive towards it, and we have always been real ardent followers of the McKenna Cup.

“I like to try and give good value to the Tyrone supporters with five games and, of course, you don’t always win it.

“That’s a fact of life and we already have played five games.”

But he hinted that he might not be playing his strongest hand on Saturday night.

“Well I hope we get our best from those we have on the field.

“But are we going to be put out the very best team and players who are available to Tyrone at this given period? I don’t think so and I don’t think that would be fair.

“It would not be fair to ask players to give of their best right through January, February and right through to March without some kind of a break.

“So I suppose it is a great time for players who have not got a lot of game-time up to now, not just game-time but game-time in a serious and challenging environment.”