NOTHING can be done to address the crisis of confidence in Tyrone football until the management position is sorted out, according to former player Kyle Coney.
Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher have yet to indicate whether they are prepared to remain in the role following the team’s exit from the All-Ireland series earlier this month.
Their three-year term ended in a 12-point quarter-final defeat to Kerry, after which Dooher said the situation will ‘look after itself in due course’.
The pair led the Red Hands to an All-Ireland title in their first year in charge, but the team has struggled for form in the two seasons since then, making an early exit from the Ulster Championship in both.
Last year, a quarter-final defeat to Derry was followed by a Qualifier loss to Armagh and an early exit from the race for the Sam Maguire Cup.
And the current campaign began in similar fashion with a second successive home exit from the Anglo-Celt Cup, this time at the hands of Monaghan at O’Neills Healy Park.
Tyrone subsequently finished third in their group in the new All-Ireland round-robin format, before sparkling optimism with a convincing preliminary quarter-final victory over Donegal in Ballybofey.
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But they were overrun by a rampant Kerry side at Croke Park, with the Kingdom dominating their Ulster rivals in the second half to run out 2-18 to 0-12 winners.
Since the 2021 Sam Maguire Cup triumph, Tyrone have added an All-Ireland U20 title, and a combination of experienced stars and exciting young talent has been assembled.
But the future is uncertain, and the process remains at a standstill until the 2024 management is confirmed.
“Tyrone need to get the management situation sorted first, then go back to the drawing board and address the issues,” said Coney.
“I don’t know if the management will stay on or not. It will be a tricky one for them after a couple of disappointing years.”
Coney hailed the contributions of Dooher and Logan, both of whom have reached the highest levels as players and managers with Tyrone.
Logan played at midfield on the team that reached the 1995 All-Ireland final, losing narrowly to Dublin, while Dooher won three All-Ireland medals, two as captain.
In 2015, Logan, with Dooher and Peter Canavan as his assistants, guided Tyrone to the All-Ireland U21 title, before achieving the ultimate success with the senior side.
“Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan are great men, they have done great work for Tyrone.”
Coney suggested that injuries picked up on the day contributed to Tyrone’s disappointing showing against Kerry.
“They picked up injuries in the warm-up and they picked up injuries during the game, and a lot of county boys didn’t play at the weekend for their clubs.
“They probably felt they were in a good position at half-time, but things didn’t go their way.”
Among those who were unable to line out with their clubs on the weekend after the Kerry defeat were Conor Meyler and Ruairi Canavan.
Coney spoke of the frustration shared by the supporters, who have watched their team’s endeavours to find form, but failing to build on the more promising performances they did produce.
“You feel as if they’re in a good place, and all of a sudden they come out on the wrong side of a bad result,” he said.
