Tír Eoghain vs Maigh Eo AIQF 6/8/2016

[seafoid]

The standards Tyrone boss Mickey Hart asks of a player are those he sets as a manager

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By Peter Canavan
22/07/2016
The all-too-brief heatwave this week reminded me of one of the few disagreements I had with Mickey Harte when I was playing.

It was on a training camp before the 2004 All-Ireland quarter-final. Temperatures were soaring and we were staying in a Dublin hotel, but we weren't seeing much of the sun.

Mickey and his management team had decided to bring in a sports psychologist and inside a darkened room we were subjected to what I can only describe as excruciating, meandering droning - when all we wanted to do was go out and kick ball.


My head was fried and I could see all around me boys were tearing their hair out. After about the third session, the players and (Brian) Dooher, as captain, went to Mickey with a plea for the talking to stop. When Mickey was told, he didn't like it one bit, but he relented and we got our way.

What Mickey didn't realise that it was him we wanted to hear and not anyone else, regardless of all their qualifications. As far as I was concerned, Mickey Harte is the best sport psychologist I've ever listened to. Mickey has a mantra that has been in my head ever since my first year being managed by him. These 24 words perfectly sum up what he demands of his players and the man himself - Mr Persistent.

"Persistence is awesome, it is absolutely awesome - it is this that takes an average performer of average ability and moulds him into a champion."

The quote comes from someone that most of you probably have never heard of - George Zalucki, who has been used by companies worldwide as a personal development trainer. That's all I know of George, thankfully I know a bit more about Mickey.

Our family homes are separated by just three fields in Glencull, Co Tyrone, but I was in the 'autumn of my career' before I first came under his management. Fortunately, he made it a golden autumn.

Having been involved in successful Tyrone minor and U-21 teams, he took over as manager of our club Errigal Ciaran at the start of 2002 and by the end of the year, we were both county and Ulster champions. Mickey then became Tyrone senior manager and the following September, I was lifting the Sam Maguire in front of a sea of white and red in Croke Park. The stuff of dreams.


A decade earlier, I had played alongside him on the Errigal senior team. He was entering his forties and was Tyrone minor manager at the time, but he still wanted to play with the club. There was an underlying reason - for eight years, there was no football in our parish over a bitter dispute with the county board and when the club got going again in 1990, Mickey was determined to make up for lost time. Just three years later, Errigal won the Tyrone senior championship and went on to become the first Tyrone team to win an Ulster club with 41-year-old Mr Persistent a sub on the team. While these two medals took an awful long time to get, I know how dearly he holds them.

So what makes him such a great manager, over such a long time? Well, there are many characteristics that make up the man, but from a player's point of view, the one that instantly grabs you and remains a constant is that he practises what he preaches. The standards he asks of you as a player are the standards he sets as a manager.

And as a player, he constantly wants you to think for yourself. For example, if he's looking back at something a player did wrong on a DVD of a game, he won't tell the player 'you should never do anything like that'; instead, he will ask the player 'what do you think you could have done better?'

His positivity is infectious. I always looked forward to what he had to say at the end of the last training session on the pitch and our team meeting prior to championship matches. You'd have 30 fellas around in a huddle but there'd be complete silence and we'd all hang on his every word. The team talk wouldn't last long, but the words would be chosen carefully, delivered calmly and received enthusiastically. You'd float off the pitch when he was finished and speaking to current players, I know this still holds true.


The training, itself, was not rocket science but the emphasis from him is always on quality. When I was playing, Mickey did the sessions (that has changed a bit since but the underlying principles haven't). They never lasted more than one hour, and 99pc of it was done with the ball. The drills were short, sharp and at pace, but the one thing he'd always want is for you to do them at the highest possible standards. There's a saying that you "should always train as you want to play, and play as you want to be remembered" and that is very much his philosophy.

If he wasn't getting 'all or nothing' from the players in training, he wouldn't be long about calling in the group and letting everyone know, in the strongest possible terms, that they were letting nobody down but themselves. I can tell you he can bark with the best of them!

I often laugh when I hear commentators describe him as the paragon of serenity on the sideline. Trust me, this is something which has not come naturally to him. When I see him, I know that inside the calm exterior he is kicking every ball and cursing every dodgy refereeing decision.

Back in his playing days, if there was a Vesuvius erupting on the pitch, the lava would be spilling from Mickey. But as a manager he soon learned that he couldn't afford to be dragged into sideline rows. His focus had to stay entirely on the team.


It's only through pure dogged 'persistence' that he has learned keep his head when all about are losing theirs and we saw the benefits for Tyrone in Clones last Sunday. At half-time, the verbals were coming hot and heavy from the Donegal dug-out, but Mickey didn't bat an eyelid, turned his heel for the dressing-room and just concentrated on getting his players right for the second half.

A great urban myth developed during the noughties about how Tyrone had developed the knack of 'stopping Kerry from playing'. Now I know people won't believe me, but there was no discussion about disrupting their kick-out or targeting certain players such as The Gooch. Mickey's way was to tap into the nervous energy and make it positive energy. There was certainly no paralysis by analysis of the opposition. He was always telling players they were only going to win by getting the best out of themselves, and by the time we got on the field, we'd be 10 feet tall.

Apart from radiating positive energy, perhaps Mickey's greatest attribute is ability to reinvent himself as a manager. I know he reads a lot about managers from other sports and other countries, and he is always willing to learn, keen to embrace new ideas. Back in the nineties, players were attending games in shirts and ties - now, instead of travelling in tracksuits, the Tyrone fellas are getting off the bus dressed in the finest clothes courtesy of Cuba Clothing. He wants his players to look the part and play the part.

That shows in the current Tyrone set-up. It's not that long ago that disgruntled players were leaving the squad and he was also coming under pressure from sections of the county board after some poor performances. But he took a step back and shook things up in his own inimitable way - the appointment of Gavin 'Horse' Devlin as trainer and former All-Ireland winner, Peter Donnelly, as strength and conditioning coach being a prime example of how he was prepared to take something new on board.

These are the reasons why he has three All-Ireland SFC titles in the bag, which is some achievement considering the trials and tribulations he has endured: the tragic loss of his daughter, Michaela; the sudden death of two young players, Cormac McAnallen and Paul McGirr; being subjected to a torrent of abuse from a section of supporters for playing his son, Mark; a row with the national broadcaster; a stand-off with his own county board executive over the demands of the team sponsor; and then having to deal with serious illness last year.

This time 12 months ago, he had to have surgery during Tyrone's run in the qualifiers. Yet, he defied doctor's advice to get out of his sick-bed in order to attend team meetings and, despite being clearly unwell for the game against Tipperary, his sheer willpower ensured he made it on the sideline in Thurles. It is this type of persistence that leaves many in awe and I'm sure it will ultimately mould his players into All-Ireland champions for a fourth time

"Having been involved in successful Tyrone minor and U-21 teams, he took over as manager of our club Errigal Ciaran at the start of 2002 and by the end of the year, we were both county and Ulster champions. Mickey then became Tyrone senior manager and the following September, I was lifting the Sam Maguire in front of a sea of white and red in Croke Park. The stuff of dreams."

Having Sam in Omagh must have felt insane especially for older people

[omagh_gael]

2002 and 2003 must have been pretty epic for Canavan considering the lack of regional and national success he had experienced up to that point. No wonder he holds Harte in such high esteem.

[Maroon Manc]

Is that not the reason so?

Yes! Bad Management by Croker not to put the Dubs on their own on a stand alone fixture. You would not have had to be Einstein to know Dublin would make the Quarter finals as Leinster Champions. And thus the date would be almost 100% known when the fixtures list was drawn up! A bit bit of tweaking here and there would have sorted the fixture out.

I'll be surprised if its a sell out but we'll soon find out. The only issue I'd have with them for bad scheduling is if there's a draw between in the potential quarter final we have between Tyrone & Mayo. The winner in a replay would have a week to prepare for a semi final which would be ridiculous when it looks like Kerry will have a month to prepare for their semi final.

[ONeill]

would rather play cork tbh as i have a horrible feeling it could all click for Mayo on the day against us. derry actually have an easier path to the semis than tyrone.

Would also prefer Cork too even though we've never beaten Cork in the Championship.

The concept of a team that is owned by Mayo is interesting. Mayo cannot beat Kerry.  Kerry cannot beat Tyrone. And Tyrone cannot beat Mayo?

Kerry beat Tyrone last year and a couple of years before that. Tyrone have also beaten Mayo in Croke not too long ago.

It's not that. It's just that a battle hardened team like Mayo, for me, presents a mightier challenge that the rest. Just my opinion. Like me arsehole.

[Fuzzman]

AFAIK Tyrone have only ever beaten Mayo once in the championship back in 2008 in a R4 qualifier 0.13 to 1.09

Mayo won in 1989 in a semi final 0.12 to 1.06
May won again in 2004 in a quarterfinal 0.16 to 1.09 (cracker S.O'Neill goal)
2008 Tyrone won 0.13 to 1.09 before going on to win Sam
2013 Mayo won again 1.16 to 0.13 in the semi final.

I agree that Mayo are most dangerous when they're being written off and remember this is the team that has come closest to beating the Dubs in the last few years. They will hold no fear of Tyrone and likewise Tyrone of Mayo so this could be a cracking game should it happen. I think it would be a lot more open that the Ulster final but not sure how Mayo would cope with their main forwards being tied down.

[Keane]

I'm not sure Tyrone will be favourites if it ends up being them versus Mayo.

Tyrone were a level below the big three last season and while Mayo have possibly gone a bit backwards I'm not convinced by the narrative that Tyrone have improved dramatically either. Decent enough results against Derry and in the replay against Cavan are tempered a bit by the failure to beat Cavan easily first time, with subsequent results in the qualifiers putting a big asterisk beside the form line.

The Ulster final was one of the least intense I can remember and I don't think either team was a whole pile better than ok on the day. Tyrone got a couple of very nice scores and showed great bottle coming down the stretch, but the standard of the game overall was so-so.

Mayo's form line is equally suspect, but if both teams are operating at the top of their range over the last season or two, Mayo are a slightly stronger outfit IMO.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Westmeath are being totally written off already I see -- let's hope the Mayo buachaillí are totally focused on the game against ourselves going into that one!

[BennyHarp]

I'm not sure Tyrone will be favourites if it ends up being them versus Mayo.

Tyrone were a level below the big three last season and while Mayo have possibly gone a bit backwards I'm not convinced by the narrative that Tyrone have improved dramatically either. Decent enough results against Derry and in the replay against Cavan are tempered a bit by the failure to beat Cavan easily first time, with subsequent results in the qualifiers putting a big asterisk beside the form line.

The Ulster final was one of the least intense I can remember and I don't think either team was a whole pile better than ok on the day. Tyrone got a couple of very nice scores and showed great bottle coming down the stretch, but the standard of the game overall was so-so.

Mayo's form line is equally suspect, but if both teams are operating at the top of their range over the last season or two, Mayo are a slightly stronger outfit IMO.

So there is an asterix over the Tyrone form line because they hammered Cavan who were beaten by Derry who Tyrone also hammered? Ok the draw with Cavan Shows questionable form, but Galway drew with an awful Roscommon team....remember who Galway also beat  in Connacht? Form lines like this mean nothing in the GAA.

I think Tyrone have improved significantly from last year and beyond recognition from 2013. There is no evidence to suggest Mayo have improved this year so it will be interesting to see where they are at. But...they have performed in big games at Croke park before (not finals) and for me, are the most dangerous of the qualifiers. But let's wait and see what pans out next weekend before analyzing the quarter finals!

[omagh_gael]

Westmeath are being totally writren off already I see -- let's hope the Mayo buachaillí are totally focused on the game against ourselves going into that one!

Hear hear. I think Westmeath have the potential to buck the beaten provincial finalists trend. They had to have approached the Dublin game with a healthy dose of realism re their chances and should not have invested huge emotional energy into the game a la Roscommon. So they should be more focused versus a team that had genuine hopes of provincial glory and can't get themselves up for the 4th round qualifier.

[Jinxy]

I've a great-aunt living in Tubberclair and she's quietly confident.

[Keane]

So there is an asterix over the Tyrone form line because they hammered Cavan who were beaten by Derry who Tyrone also hammered? Ok the draw with Cavan Shows questionable form, but Galway drew with an awful Roscommon team....remember who Galway also beat  in Connacht? Form lines like this mean nothing in the GAA.

I think Tyrone have improved significantly from last year and beyond recognition from 2013. There is no evidence to suggest Mayo have improved this year so it will be interesting to see where they are at. But...they have performed in big games at Croke park before (not finals) and for me, are the most dangerous of the qualifiers. But let's wait and see what pans out next weekend before analyzing the quarter finals!

Oh yeah obviously Galway are even more blown up again. The Cavan thing is a sidenote really, the quality of the Ulster final would be more of a concern.

Do you think Tyrone are at a level to beat Mayo if Mayo were up to their level from last year's AISF yet, or are they still a little off that?

[greatpoint]

and remember this is the team that has come closest to beating the Dubs in the last few years.

The team that came closest to beating Dublin in the last few years was Donegal, who beat them by 6 points in 2014.

[Fuzzman]

The Ulster final may not have been nice to watch but it was very hard won with it being a real game of cat and mouse & I think Cork will soon find out themselves that Donegal are still a formidable opponent who could also go on to beat Galway or Tipp to reach a semifinal v Tyrone/Westmeath/Mayo.
I think they will learn a good bit from the Tyrone game and realise they have to come out of their shell a bit to win games. Nobody is mentioning them any more and they too are in the easier side of the draw, especially as Cork will struggle with their defensive web.

We all tend to use defeats (or wins) to help us decide how good a team is. We learnt nothing about Kerry or Dublin so far.
We learnt Galway have what it takes to beat Mayo but is that because Mayo have gone backwards. Kildare were very poor in Leinster so Mayo's big win over them tells us little again.

Tyrone are unbeaten since their defeat last year to Kerry though Donegal is the only big team they have beaten.
We can't tell if Tyrone are at Mayo's level of last year until they play each other and that game might not even happen.Personally I think Mayo will fall into the Tyrone turnover play on the break trap as they will not be as patient as Donegal were.
I'm expecting a repeat of 2005 where we meet our Ulster finalists again in the AI semifinal with Kerry waiting for us in the final. 

[Keane]

I'll take that!

[Archie Mitchell]

The Ulster final may not have been nice to watch but it was very hard won with it being a real game of cat and mouse & I think Cork will soon find out themselves that Donegal are still a formidable opponent who could also go on to beat Galway or Tipp to reach a semifinal v Tyrone/Westmeath/Mayo.
I think they will learn a good bit from the Tyrone game and realise they have to come out of their shell a bit to win games. Nobody is mentioning them any more and they too are in the easier side of the draw, especially as Cork will struggle with their defensive web.

We all tend to use defeats (or wins) to help us decide how good a team is. We learnt nothing about Kerry or Dublin so far.
We learnt Galway have what it takes to beat Mayo but is that because Mayo have gone backwards. Kildare were very poor in Leinster so Mayo's big win over them tells us little again.

Tyrone are unbeaten since their defeat last year to Kerry though Donegal is the only big team they have beaten.
We can't tell if Tyrone are at Mayo's level of last year until they play each other and that game might not even happen.Personally I think Mayo will fall into the Tyrone turnover play on the break trap as they will not be as patient as Donegal were.
I'm expecting a repeat of 2005 where we meet our Ulster finalists again in the AI semifinal with Kerry waiting for us in the final. 

Can't happen. If Donegal beat Cork then they will play Dublin in Quarter Final. Winners of that will play Kerry/Clare in semi final.