Tyrone legend Owen Mulligan has claimed that some supporters want to 'get rid of that Harte man' but has warned them to be careful what they wish for.
Three-time All-Ireland winner Mulligan said some feel Mickey Harte, football's longest serving bainisteoir, 'is there too long' in what is his third different decade in the position.
The 2018 All-Ireland final manager is in his 18th season guiding the Red Hands and agreed a deal in late 2017 to take him up until the end of this year.
Mulligan said in an interview for Benetti Menswear that the job is ultimately a 'poisoned chalice' for whoever steps into it immediately after Harte.
"Be careful what you wish for," said Mulligan, addressing those who want Harte out.
"I understand both scenarios, he's there an awful long time, he hasn't brought (another) All-Ireland success but he's got damn near it.
"He's playing the best team probably ever to play the game, as in the Dubs.
"For 15, 25 minutes in that (2018 final), it was looking good for us but again I can see both sides of the argument.
"You hear it all the time, 'That Harte man is there too long, get rid of that Harte man'. But as I said, it's going to be a big ask.
"You've seen the likes of Alex Ferguson, who comes in after him? Moyes. Straight out again.
"Would it be a poisoned chalice for the first couple of years taking it? You don't know.
"People are lining up the likes of Brian Dooher, Fergal Logan, Canavan.
"Would they want to take it? I don't know, after Harte. It's a poisoned chalice that next one or two years after him."
Ex-attacker Mulligan fell out with Harte at the end of his career and 'took a huff' with the Errigal Ciaran man.
But he never lost his respect for his former manager and revealed Harte's tactical masterstroke that helped see off Kerry in the 2008 All-Ireland final.
Mulligan explained that Harte played two goalkeepers in attack for weeks in training before facing Kerry to prepare Joe and Justin McMahon for marking Twin Towers Kieran Donaghy and Tommy Walsh.
"He had Packie McConnell and John Devine, probably the two tallest players, in acting as Kieran Donaghy and Tommy Walsh, and getting Joe and Justy to just punch it," said Mulligan.
"And this went on night-in, night-out and I was going, 'What is this man doing? Two goalkeepers up in the box?'
"But that's what he was doing, he had something in his head and to be honest with you it worked because every time the ball call in that Sunday, they just punched it.
"And he didn't just work on the punch, it was 'Where are the boys? Who is going to read the break?'
"So whenever we punched the ball we had a semi-circle around the boys, we had a semi-circle and we got the breaks."
Colourful Mulligan said that socialising on a Monday, Tuesday and even Wednesday after big games was all 'part of the buzz' during his career.
But he said rumours of his drinking were sometimes exaggerated and claimed Harte got it badly wrong on one occasion.
"He phoned me one day and he says to me, 'Hello Mugsy, I've just had a phone call there to say you're on the drink'," said Mulligan.
"I says, 'I'm actually not, Mickey'. And I wasn't. I was at a wake, a wake! And he says, 'Have you any proof of that?'
"And I says: 'What do you want me to do, go and drag in the coffin?'
"But then in saying that, he stuck up for you, if you were in the right he'd stick up for you.
"There were several times with sending offs and going to CCCs in Croke Park, Harte was the first man to back you.
"Alright, it mightn't have ended well between us, say in later years and how I was dealt with when we were all dropped but I suppose that's the ruthless streak in him.
"I'd say I probably took a huff with him for a couple of years but you can't take a huff with someone who you have that much respect for.
"And you can't take a huff with Tyrone when you love going to the matches and watching the county."
