Donegal still a force, Harte insists

July 14, 2016

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte and Donegal manager Rory Gallagher

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte isn't buying into the consensus that Donegal are over the hill.

There is a train of thought that the 2012 All-Ireland champions' best days are behind them but, as he prepares his team to lock horns with them in Sunday's Ulster SFC final, the Red Hands boss is loathe to underestimate his neighbours:

"It doesn't bother us because we don't really listen to people who make these sweeping suggestions," the three-times All-Ireland winning manager states in The Irish News.

"I'd rather deal in the fine detail ourselves. Let's look precisely at what's going on. It's very easy to label a team. I don't see life that way. I just see: Who are the players? How do they perform? What way do they play? Who are their key men?

"Really, age is not that important if you haven't got three-quarters of your team into the 30s. I don't think it's a big issue. You need players with experience as well. You need players across all the age bands. Donegal are not too badly off on that.

"They have players who are very young, not that long out of minor and U21. Then you have people like Michael Murphy and Patrick McBrearty, who are almost considered veterans too because they've been playing for so long, but they're still very young men.

"They have a lot going for them. The few who have been around the block for a while are still performing very well. If they were there and age was not on their side, and they're not performing very well, then that would be a problem for Donegal.

"The way they are playing, they're a problem for their opponents."


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