Tyrone County Football and Hurling

[Truthsayer]

I don't get the criticism of the MF. Yes, they aren't putting up significant scores, but that's not what MFers generally are needed for. McGinley and Cavanagh were great for scoring, but you wouldn't be able to survive with them at MF or a Collie Holmes or Hughes with the new rules.

Kennedy, by virtue of being so tall, is one of the best fielders in the country, maybe we need more height to supplement them and maybe Conn could bulk up, but there's no obvious alternatives, unless we're going retread the paths of McNulty or McGleenan.

McNulty?? Are we for real??
Forget this carry on about Morgan outfield too, he won't even be here next year according to my source

Would that be your imaginary friend? Like the imaginary Dregish players on the Naomh Eoghan team...

[cjx]

All Tyrone need is surely 2 big men in the spine CHF, FF or CHB with bit better tactics and strategy from O'Rourke ( this isn't the 1970s but not friary rules please) some serious strength and conditioning for u25s especially and only 2 of Hampsey McCurry Harte and M Donelly to retire from county. Midfield is great near best in country.
What about a specific underage transition coach with 50 candidates to follow should concentrate on that surely?

[cjx]

Has Peter Donnelly any spare time?

[Hard2Listen2]

Has Peter Donnelly any spare time?

Ffs wise up. Pete's a great lad but way too old to play county football!
😉

[cjx]

Has Peter Donnelly any spare time?

Ffs wise up. Pete's a great lad but way too old to play county football!
😉

Very true but wan great strength and conditioning coach ( for mind and body) an given how he minded nets for Fianna in emergancy situations could free Morgan to play CHF for a few minutes mebbe?

[Jerome]

All Tyrone need is surely 2 big men in the spine CHF, FF or CHB with bit better tactics and strategy from O'Rourke ( this isn't the 1970s but not friary rules please) some serious strength and conditioning for u25s especially and only 2 of Hampsey McCurry Harte and M Donelly to retire from county. Midfield is great near best in country.
What about a specific underage transition coach with 50 candidates to follow should concentrate on that surely?

The biggest problem with Malachy is that his current tactics are to suit McGeary and Mattie Donnelly. Maybe they are the ones dictating it but the slow build up suits them because it means they can play on their own terms and not be caught leggy. They have been doing that for years now and people come away saying Mattie and McGeary played well today, yes of course because it was played on their terms, it didn't suit 75% of the rest of the team to play that way.

I thought the tactical magician that we were supposed to have appointed would have come up with a system to suit our very very talented players but alas.

[tyrone08]

Asked AI what were the main issues with Tyrone this year. Got this reponse which I thought was spot on -

Season Overview & Context
Tyrone reached their first All‑Ireland semi-final since 2021 but bowed out to Kerry in a decisive 1‑20 to 0‑17 loss.

They were relegated from Division 1 in the Allianz League for the first time since 2016, finishing on 7 points—just below the safety mark.

New manager Malachy O'Rourke inherited a transitional squad after the departures of key characters and players post‑2021

🔑 Identified Failures
1. Shooting Inefficiency & Conversion Issues
In the semi-final, Tyrone had more attempts (28) than Kerry (27) but managed only three scores from their final 15 shots — stark contrast with Kerry's precision from turnovers.

Similar inefficiency plagued earlier matches, with poor shot selection and a lack of goal threat: only two goals scored across six Championship games, and just four in seven league matches.

2. Midfield & Kickout Failures
Tyrone began well in restarts, winning six of Kerry's first half kick-outs, but failed to turn possession into scores. Kerry exploited them later, dominating kickouts in the second half and mining 0‑5 from Tyrone re-starts.

3. Defensive Breakdown & Tactical Exposure
Turnovers from poor medium/long kickpasses into the full‑forward line were repeatedly cut out, leading to turnovers and then scores for Kerry — including 1‑10 from turnovers overall.

There was no effective defensive plan to contain David Clifford. Initially Paddy Hampsey was deployed, later replaced by Peter Teague—but both struggled to handle Clifford's pace, physicality, and finishing.

4. Squad Inexperience and Transition Helplessness
Tyrone suffered from a squad build-up centred around youth — integration of U20 talent was visible, but senior smarts and game management were lacking. Several commentators noted they were "a team still in transition" that "didn't look hungry".

The mass retirement of senior leaders post‑2021 led to a deficit in character and situational experience within the squad.

5. Inconsistency & Poor Game Management
Tyrone's campaign was punctuated by peaks and troughs: relegated despite big individual match wins, formation of momentum clashing with collapses, and poor execution particularly in ultra‑tactical phases of big games.

Critics flagged poor decision making: indecisiveness, a lack of innovation, and tendency to play slow, sideways, passive football under new rules aimed at promoting attacking play..

🧑�🤝�🧑 Managerial & Tactical Overview
Malachy O'Rourke took charge this season after managerial change; early progress in discipline and structure was evident, but integrating youth and rebuilding culture takes time.

However, league relegation and failure to replicate form in decisive championship moments reflected gaps in tactical adaptability and in-game management under pressure.

📊 Summary Table
Category   Specific Failures
Scoring / Attack   Wasted opportunities; lack of goal conversion; poor shot selection and finishing
Midfield / Kickouts   Won initial restarts but failed to convert; lost second‑half domination
Defense / Tactical   Exposed to high turnover attacks; no plan to neutralize Clifford
Squad / Experience   Transition phase; loss of senior leaders; inconsistent squad performance
Game Management   Passive style; slower tempo; tactical indecision especially late in games

🏁 Final Thoughts
Tyrone's exit was predictable given the underlying issues:

Their All‑Ireland semi-final defeat underlined their inability to compete with elite standards when it mattered.

Earlier poor league form and relegation signalled deeper structural problems rather than a simple one-off tournament collapse.

Transitioning into a new era under O'Rourke shows promise, but patience and integration of experience will be essential.

[God14]

All Tyrone need is surely 2 big men in the spine CHF, FF or CHB with bit better tactics and strategy from O'Rourke ( this isn't the 1970s but not friary rules please) some serious strength and conditioning for u25s especially and only 2 of Hampsey McCurry Harte and M Donelly to retire from county. Midfield is great near best in country.
What about a specific underage transition coach with 50 candidates to follow should concentrate on that surely?

The biggest problem with Malachy is that his current tactics are to suit McGeary and Mattie Donnelly. Maybe they are the ones dictating it but the slow build up suits them because it means they can play on their own terms and not be caught leggy. They have been doing that for years now and people come away saying Mattie and McGeary played well today, yes of course because it was played on their terms, it didn't suit 75% of the rest of the team to play that way.

I thought the tactical magician that we were supposed to have appointed would have come up with a system to suit our very very talented players but alas.

Your first paragraph is absolutely spot on Jerome. Seeing both men soloing the ball out of defence at max a 60% sprint, so often was infuriating
Only to sideways fist pass it, when they came up against the first green and yellow jersey

That game is gone now

We do not have big target men to kick into. Those 30 yard clipped passes into Canavan and McCurry are not a reliable route to a score. If they do indeed gather possession there's an opposing defender climbing all over

So the game plan going forward needs to be more donegal like. Rapid pace out of defence, a basketball like attacking plan - lots of movement, interchange, hand passing and shorter kick passes to work a score
Under the old rules this didn't really work as the intensity applied by defences with 15 behind the ball, within their own 45 forced the turnover.
But now with the defending team forced to keep 3 up, you've got to trust your attack to be able to work a score with some decent movement, runners from deep, overlaps,  cutbacks from those ahead of the ball, working towards getting a shot away in the scoring zone

The likes of Shea O'Hare and Michael Rafferty are ideal for this, both excellent ball carriers and can inject pace and take a man on. Whereas many of the current 15 don't have the lungs for that type of game

[Ballygawleyftw]

Asked AI what were the main issues with Tyrone this year. Got this reponse which I thought was spot on -

Season Overview & Context
Tyrone reached their first All‑Ireland semi-final since 2021 but bowed out to Kerry in a decisive 1‑20 to 0‑17 loss.

They were relegated from Division 1 in the Allianz League for the first time since 2016, finishing on 7 points—just below the safety mark.

New manager Malachy O'Rourke inherited a transitional squad after the departures of key characters and players post‑2021

🔑 Identified Failures
1. Shooting Inefficiency & Conversion Issues
In the semi-final, Tyrone had more attempts (28) than Kerry (27) but managed only three scores from their final 15 shots — stark contrast with Kerry's precision from turnovers.

Similar inefficiency plagued earlier matches, with poor shot selection and a lack of goal threat: only two goals scored across six Championship games, and just four in seven league matches.

2. Midfield & Kickout Failures
Tyrone began well in restarts, winning six of Kerry's first half kick-outs, but failed to turn possession into scores. Kerry exploited them later, dominating kickouts in the second half and mining 0‑5 from Tyrone re-starts.

3. Defensive Breakdown & Tactical Exposure
Turnovers from poor medium/long kickpasses into the full‑forward line were repeatedly cut out, leading to turnovers and then scores for Kerry — including 1‑10 from turnovers overall.

There was no effective defensive plan to contain David Clifford. Initially Paddy Hampsey was deployed, later replaced by Peter Teague—but both struggled to handle Clifford's pace, physicality, and finishing.

4. Squad Inexperience and Transition Helplessness
Tyrone suffered from a squad build-up centred around youth — integration of U20 talent was visible, but senior smarts and game management were lacking. Several commentators noted they were "a team still in transition" that "didn't look hungry".

The mass retirement of senior leaders post‑2021 led to a deficit in character and situational experience within the squad.

5. Inconsistency & Poor Game Management
Tyrone's campaign was punctuated by peaks and troughs: relegated despite big individual match wins, formation of momentum clashing with collapses, and poor execution particularly in ultra‑tactical phases of big games.

Critics flagged poor decision making: indecisiveness, a lack of innovation, and tendency to play slow, sideways, passive football under new rules aimed at promoting attacking play..

🧑�🤝�🧑 Managerial & Tactical Overview
Malachy O'Rourke took charge this season after managerial change; early progress in discipline and structure was evident, but integrating youth and rebuilding culture takes time.

However, league relegation and failure to replicate form in decisive championship moments reflected gaps in tactical adaptability and in-game management under pressure.

📊 Summary Table
Category   Specific Failures
Scoring / Attack   Wasted opportunities; lack of goal conversion; poor shot selection and finishing
Midfield / Kickouts   Won initial restarts but failed to convert; lost second‑half domination
Defense / Tactical   Exposed to high turnover attacks; no plan to neutralize Clifford
Squad / Experience   Transition phase; loss of senior leaders; inconsistent squad performance
Game Management   Passive style; slower tempo; tactical indecision especially late in games

🏁 Final Thoughts
Tyrone's exit was predictable given the underlying issues:

Their All‑Ireland semi-final defeat underlined their inability to compete with elite standards when it mattered.

Earlier poor league form and relegation signalled deeper structural problems rather than a simple one-off tournament collapse.

Transitioning into a new era under O'Rourke shows promise, but patience and integration of experience will be essential.

Cheers Geoff

[God14]

Seems to be a promising bunch at u15

The Brian McLernon Cup has two separate finals, the derrylaughan Cup and the Tyrone cup

Could anyone explain why there are two cups, and the difference

[thebigfullforward]

Seems to be a promising bunch at u15

The Brian McLernon Cup has two separate finals, the derrylaughan Cup and the Tyrone cup

Could anyone explain why there are two cups, and the difference

Unlikely but would anyone have a list of names for that team?

[Sean Og Patriots]

Morgan probably the most stand out midfielder so far. Been excellent, dont know why we dont take advantage of it?
O'Kane is more than capable to pick up that role in nets and let Morgan go out.

[NotedObserver]

Anyone seeing potential county players and ones to watch in championship. Could lorcan Mcgarrity make the step up?

[thebigfullforward]

Anyone seeing potential county players and ones to watch in championship. Could lorcan Mcgarrity make the step up?

McGarrity looks good but how many forwards do people want to bring into the 26? Joey Clarke would be a player I'd be looking at bringing in but it will be the same situation as the likes of O'Hare, R. Canavan and them lads. People begging for the younger lads to be called up and play games then they put in a bad performance and they're getting written off altogether as county players. Whoever does come in it will take 2 or 3 years minimum for them to find their feet

[Goals_Will_Come]

Anyone seeing potential county players and ones to watch in championship. Could lorcan Mcgarrity make the step up?

McGarrity looks good but how many forwards do people want to bring into the 26? Joey Clarke would be a player I'd be looking at bringing in but it will be the same situation as the likes of O'Hare, R. Canavan and them lads. People begging for the younger lads to be called up and play games then they put in a bad performance and they're getting written off altogether as county players. Whoever does come in it will take 2 or 3 years minimum for them to find their feet

Correct about the two or three years but atleast Malachy has been releasing those players outside of the 26 to play club - this will help with retaining squad players for development. The creation of the development panel will also help get players through in time.
Ethan Jordan Eglish be worth a look at, was a wing forward as he came through Tyrone U20s and has been playing to a very high level for Eglish.