FEARGAL Logan believes Armagh’s return to football’s top tier will re-ignite the fierce rivalry that once raged with Tyrone.
The new Red Hand boss is expecting a feisty welcome to the Athletic Grounds tomorrow evening when the neighbours meet in a crunch Division One North derby.
As a player in the ’90s, he competed in many bruising battles with the Orchard, while his co-manager Brian Dooher was at the height of his powers when the counties took their discord to new heights in the early years of this century.
“Back in our own days, those heady days, Armagh and Tyrone were great games,” said Logan.
“And then it was excellent in the Noughties. So Armagh are back up in Division One and they’re a serious outfit.
“We have got to prepare diligently and hope that we get the bounce of the ball.”
Having slipped to defeat in their opening game against Donegal, Tyrone face a must-win tie against an Armagh side bristling with confidence following their victory over Monaghan.
For Logan and his squad, it’s important to retain composure and focus in Armagh city.
“It’s now a matter of keeping our nerve and keeping going.
“It’s good that we have got a proper competitive match day under our belts, and everybody knows their role.”
A League grouping made up entirely of Ulster teams, with just three games to contrive a title run, could not be more competitive, according to Logan.
“It ups the ante a wee bit, but it was always going to be a short League with the public health emergency and we knew that.
“Listen, there’s no givens with Armagh, or Monaghan or any Ulster team. Armagh are a big ask.”
His first day out as a senior inter-county manager did not go to plan as Donegal left Omagh with a narrow win and two league points, but the Stewartstown Harps clubman feels his talented side can turn the corner.
“We knew it was a big night, and we’ll just have to take the defeat and try and make the best of it now and get stuck in next weekend and hopefully get a win.
“The lads are very ambitious, and Brian and myself, and Holmsey [Collie Holmes] and Joe [McMahon] and Peter [Donnelly] are as well, and there’s a list of people trying to push this down the track for Tyrone.
“We have a deep panel. Cormac Munroe came in and did well, Paul Donaghy did well, and Darragh Canavan came in.
“So we have a good, deep panel and we’ll need everybody before it’s all out.”
The newly installed Red Hand management team, hampered by Covid restrictions, was forced to fast-track the development of a fresh approach, and now the process must continue in a pressurised competitive environment.
“It’s now all about competitive action. It’s a three-week run-in on grass. It was virtual management up to that point across computers and it’s not very good.
“So we have three weeks under our belt on grass, the panel is coming together.”
