Tyrone County Football and Hurling

[W.A.G. Lover]

Are there any clubs training in bubbles? Surely club football cant be classified as elite!

[GetOverTheBar]

Club Football isn't elite. They are bound by normal NI Legislation at moment, you can train as many times a day as you want, wherever you want (the guidance is 10 miles from home though), with one other person not of your household. So there's a right few breaches of that at the minute. But again I don't really see any harm in that - better out doing runs than in a house party I suppose.

Most of the Senior Teams will be training at this stage, but it won't be full on 30 or 40. That would be madness, word would go round like wildfire. Same thing, in small groups and in home gyms etc.

[Goals_Will_Come]

Anyone listen to Ronan O Neill on TTM interview last night?

Thought it was a good listen. He openly said he wants a run at number 11 this year with Tyrone and feels that is his best position. He said he had been played there in all the trial games by the new managers also. Also said over lockdown he was training twice a day and has lost a stone and a half and is in the best shape he has ever been in.

Reckon he has a chance at making a name for himself in the 11 jersey? Or do you think there's more chance of him being a sub/bit part plyer as per the last few years?

Be very surprised to see anyone but Conor McKenna operating at 11.

I was told he was playing midfield in the trial games.

McKenna could easily play as wing forward either.

I quite like the idea of McKenna and Donnelly as wing forwards with more of a playmaker at 11. For me Bradley's best football in a Tyrone jersey came in his first season at no 11. We do now have Brennan, McCurry, McAliskey, Canavan etc so we could use Bradley further out the pitch.

Mattie Donnelly Mark Bradley Conor McKenna
Darren McCurry Cathal McShane Conor McAliskey.

Would be fantastic to see that come together. On paper that is serious firepower to have.

[Angelo]

Anyone listen to Ronan O Neill on TTM interview last night?

Thought it was a good listen. He openly said he wants a run at number 11 this year with Tyrone and feels that is his best position. He said he had been played there in all the trial games by the new managers also. Also said over lockdown he was training twice a day and has lost a stone and a half and is in the best shape he has ever been in.

Reckon he has a chance at making a name for himself in the 11 jersey? Or do you think there's more chance of him being a sub/bit part plyer as per the last few years?

Be very surprised to see anyone but Conor McKenna operating at 11.

I was told he was playing midfield in the trial games.

McKenna could easily play as wing forward either.

I quite like the idea of McKenna and Donnelly as wing forwards with more of a playmaker at 11. For me Bradley's best football in a Tyrone jersey came in his first season at no 11. We do now have Brennan, McCurry, McAliskey, Canavan etc so we could use Bradley further out the pitch.

Mattie Donnelly Mark Bradley Conor McKenna
Darren McCurry Cathal McShane Conor McAliskey.

Would be fantastic to see that come together. On paper that is serious firepower to have.

Definitely would be interesting to see how it works.

Where do we see the likes of Harte and Sludden fitting into the side, if at all?

I know Harte is a bit of an enigma and tends to go missing but he has too much ability not to play for me. Do we try them out in the half back line, does that leave us a little more exposed defensively if we do? Sludden has gone off the boil the past couple of seasons, a bit like Harte when he is tagged he can be stopped too easily but on his day a fantastic footballer.

The half back line is really up for grabs. We do need a regular at 6 - I'm thinking Hampsey.

Rafferty McNamee Brennan

Sludden Hampsey Harte

Might be worth seeing how it goes - serious scoring power in that defence though.

[Goals_Will_Come]

Anyone listen to Ronan O Neill on TTM interview last night?

Thought it was a good listen. He openly said he wants a run at number 11 this year with Tyrone and feels that is his best position. He said he had been played there in all the trial games by the new managers also. Also said over lockdown he was training twice a day and has lost a stone and a half and is in the best shape he has ever been in.

Reckon he has a chance at making a name for himself in the 11 jersey? Or do you think there's more chance of him being a sub/bit part plyer as per the last few years?

Be very surprised to see anyone but Conor McKenna operating at 11.

I was told he was playing midfield in the trial games.

McKenna could easily play as wing forward either.

I quite like the idea of McKenna and Donnelly as wing forwards with more of a playmaker at 11. For me Bradley's best football in a Tyrone jersey came in his first season at no 11. We do now have Brennan, McCurry, McAliskey, Canavan etc so we could use Bradley further out the pitch.

Mattie Donnelly Mark Bradley Conor McKenna
Darren McCurry Cathal McShane Conor McAliskey.

Would be fantastic to see that come together. On paper that is serious firepower to have.

Definitely would be interesting to see how it works.

Where do we see the likes of Harte and Sludden fitting into the side, if at all?

I know Harte is a bit of an enigma and tends to go missing but he has too much ability not to play for me. Do we try them out in the half back line, does that leave us a little more exposed defensively if we do? Sludden has gone off the boil the past couple of seasons, a bit like Harte when he is tagged he can be stopped too easily but on his day a fantastic footballer.

The half back line is really up for grabs. We do need a regular at 6 - I'm thinking Hampsey.

Rafferty McNamee Brennan

Sludden Hampsey Harte

Might be worth seeing how it goes - serious scoring power in that defence though.

Sludden and Harte back into defence and compete for their places there.
Still have Michael O'Neill, Cassidy, McKernan, Meyler, McGeary and Burns not named there who you would think Logan and Dooher have a lot of time for after their U21 spell.
The level of competition is sure to benefit the set up and having real impact men like the 2018 run will be another exciting prospect.

[Angelo]

Anyone listen to Ronan O Neill on TTM interview last night?

Thought it was a good listen. He openly said he wants a run at number 11 this year with Tyrone and feels that is his best position. He said he had been played there in all the trial games by the new managers also. Also said over lockdown he was training twice a day and has lost a stone and a half and is in the best shape he has ever been in.

Reckon he has a chance at making a name for himself in the 11 jersey? Or do you think there's more chance of him being a sub/bit part plyer as per the last few years?

Be very surprised to see anyone but Conor McKenna operating at 11.

I was told he was playing midfield in the trial games.

McKenna could easily play as wing forward either.

I quite like the idea of McKenna and Donnelly as wing forwards with more of a playmaker at 11. For me Bradley's best football in a Tyrone jersey came in his first season at no 11. We do now have Brennan, McCurry, McAliskey, Canavan etc so we could use Bradley further out the pitch.

Mattie Donnelly Mark Bradley Conor McKenna
Darren McCurry Cathal McShane Conor McAliskey.

Would be fantastic to see that come together. On paper that is serious firepower to have.

Definitely would be interesting to see how it works.

Where do we see the likes of Harte and Sludden fitting into the side, if at all?

I know Harte is a bit of an enigma and tends to go missing but he has too much ability not to play for me. Do we try them out in the half back line, does that leave us a little more exposed defensively if we do? Sludden has gone off the boil the past couple of seasons, a bit like Harte when he is tagged he can be stopped too easily but on his day a fantastic footballer.

The half back line is really up for grabs. We do need a regular at 6 - I'm thinking Hampsey.

Rafferty McNamee Brennan

Sludden Hampsey Harte

Might be worth seeing how it goes - serious scoring power in that defence though.

Sludden and Harte back into defence and compete for their places there.
Still have Michael O'Neill, Cassidy, McKernan, Meyler, McGeary and Burns not named there who you would think Logan and Dooher have a lot of time for after their U21 spell.
The level of competition is sure to benefit the set up and having real impact men like the 2018 run will be another exciting prospect.

Definitely. Michael O'Neill impressed me a lot last season. T McCann's days could be numbered now you'd feel.

The problem for Logan and Dooher is now keeping all that squad happy.

Any other word on departures yet? Just Coney and McCrory gone from last season?

[GaelTheGael]

Anyone listen to Ronan O Neill on TTM interview last night?

Thought it was a good listen. He openly said he wants a run at number 11 this year with Tyrone and feels that is his best position. He said he had been played there in all the trial games by the new managers also. Also said over lockdown he was training twice a day and has lost a stone and a half and is in the best shape he has ever been in.

Reckon he has a chance at making a name for himself in the 11 jersey? Or do you think there's more chance of him being a sub/bit part plyer as per the last few years?

Be very surprised to see anyone but Conor McKenna operating at 11.

I was told he was playing midfield in the trial games.

McKenna could easily play as wing forward either.

I quite like the idea of McKenna and Donnelly as wing forwards with more of a playmaker at 11. For me Bradley's best football in a Tyrone jersey came in his first season at no 11. We do now have Brennan, McCurry, McAliskey, Canavan etc so we could use Bradley further out the pitch.

Mattie Donnelly Mark Bradley Conor McKenna
Darren McCurry Cathal McShane Conor McAliskey.

Would be fantastic to see that come together. On paper that is serious firepower to have.

Definitely would be interesting to see how it works.

Where do we see the likes of Harte and Sludden fitting into the side, if at all?

I know Harte is a bit of an enigma and tends to go missing but he has too much ability not to play for me. Do we try them out in the half back line, does that leave us a little more exposed defensively if we do? Sludden has gone off the boil the past couple of seasons, a bit like Harte when he is tagged he can be stopped too easily but on his day a fantastic footballer.

The half back line is really up for grabs. We do need a regular at 6 - I'm thinking Hampsey.

Rafferty McNamee Brennan

Sludden Hampsey Harte

Might be worth seeing how it goes - serious scoring power in that defence though.

Sludden and Harte back into defence and compete for their places there.
Still have Michael O'Neill, Cassidy, McKernan, Meyler, McGeary and Burns not named there who you would think Logan and Dooher have a lot of time for after their U21 spell.
The level of competition is sure to benefit the set up and having real impact men like the 2018 run will be another exciting prospect.

Definitely. Michael O'Neill impressed me a lot last season. T McCann's days could be numbered now you'd feel.

The problem for Logan and Dooher is now keeping all that squad happy.

Any other word on departures yet? Just Coney and McCrory gone from last season?

Matthew Murnaghan, Conall McCann and David Mulgrew are off the panel.

[Angelo]

Matthew Murnaghan, Conall McCann and David Mulgrew are off the panel.

I suppose no massive surprises there.

Murnaghan and Mulrgew are still young enough to come back in the future. Probably best for them to focus on their clubs at present.

McCann had ample chances under Harte and never really looked like the type of player who could help us get to where we aspired to be.

[bannslide]

Who will be in the running for County Minor position when it goes to clubs for nominations?

[Angelo]

Going to be very tough for Fergal and Brian to pick a final squad with the short preseason they will have. Does anyone know how many players they have on the squad at the minute? Surely they can't keep them all?

From last year's squad that was in place at around March we have lost the following players according to reports

McCrory, McClure???, Coney, C McCann, Mulgrew, Murnaghan, Loughran???

So we are probably looking at

GK: Morgan, Gallen (2)

Backs: Brennan, McNamee, Rafferty, T McCann, Burns, K McGeary, HP McGeary, Hampsey, McKernan, Kelly, C Quinn, Grimes, Cassidy, M O'Neill, Clarke, J Munroe, C Munroe, Teague (18)

MF: Cavanagh, Kennedy, Kilpatrick, R Donnelly, McDonnell (5)

Forwards M Donnelly, Sludden, Harte, McKenna, Meyler, McShane, McAliskey, McCurry, Brennan, Canavan, Kerr, R O'Neill, McNulty, T Quinn, Bradley, Donaghy (16)

So that's currently a squad of 41, possibly have forgotten a few there as well or other posters might know of any other players who have been dropped or opted out.

[square_ball]

Mark McKearney in the squad. I suppose he'd be classed as a defender?

[Angelo]

Mark McKearney in the squad. I suppose he'd be classed as a defender?

Ah yes, knew I likely forgot a few.

Defender I'd imagine though he played wing forward for the Tyrone u20s.

A lot of players there are fairly interchangeable anyway - Sludden, Harte, Meyler, McGeary, Burns etc

[tyroneman]

Cavanagh, Kennedy, Kilpatrick, R Donnelly, McDonnell

Far from convincing MF options.

[GetOverTheBar]

I would say you'll be looking at McShane going back out round the middle with McKenna coming back into the fold. You also have Danny McNulty (if it works out) taking McShane role on.

[Angelo]

I would say you'll be looking at McShane going back out round the middle with McKenna coming back into the fold. You also have Danny McNulty (if it works out) taking McShane role on.

McShane needs to be in around the square, crazy moving him out from there if you ask me. Hopefully big Kennedy can step up to the plate this year.

I agree that the midfield options are very underwhelming but not too many better options inside the county at present other than McNulty.