gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 07/09/2016 18:31:04    1911470

I think it is understandable that an extension is rejected at this point, I think it was unwise of Mickey Harte to seek an extension, instead he should have waited until next year. However, I think he will be offered a new contract next year as he is a very good manager. His record speaks for itself, at underage and senior levels. It should be remembered that Tyrone had no senior All-Ireland until Mickey Hartes appointment as manager. Tyrone won these 3 All-Irelands during a period when there were excellent teams at their peak i.e. Kerry and Armagh. He is now developing a new Tyrone senior team and had good success this year winning the Ulster championship. Tyrone only narrowly lost out for a place in the All-Ireland final. Mickey Harte has propelled Tyrone as a force for All-Ireland honours. I think Mickey Harte should consider making himself available to RTE, as I am sure the Tyrone sponsors and the County Board wish he would do so.

fainleog (Limerick) - Posts: 598 - 07/09/2016 21:12:33    1911529

It's 8 years since we made it to an All-Ireland final.
The vast majority of people who were in Croke Park for the Mayo Q/F will say we lost because of our tactics. Watch it again. The missing of frees is not the reason we lost. Having no forwards in the attacking half for most of the game was the main reason we lost. (Tactics)
We won 3 All-Ireland's with an exceptional bunch of PLAYERS. Assisted by a great manager and tactics (at the time) The same bunch of players won minor, U-21 and senior with Mickey. Those players have gone, Mickey is still there. So was it the players or manager who was the most important factor in the winning???
Numerous exceptional Tyrone club players have got dumped, mistreated by current management in the last few years.
Time for change is long overdue. Those of us inside the county know the real goings on. And the potential of the players within the county.
Can't wait to see the usual responses of Mickey won us 3 AI but really??
We need a change to move on again. It worked when we replaced Art (and Eugene)

Redhandsam (Tyrone) - Posts: 93 - 07/09/2016 23:29:15    1911585

The_Fridge (Tyrone) - Posts: 2088 - 08/09/2016 00:32:28    1911593

A few thoughts:

- As anyone who remembers the time when Alex Ferguson announced his first (and ultimately aborted) retirement mid-season will tell you, a lame duck manager does no-one any good. United's form faltered considerably, as players felt less need to impress a man who they thought would soon be gone, and he ended up having to change his mind and stay on for several more years. Similarly, in early 2015 with Tyrone stuttering and everyone assuming that Mickey would be gone at the end of that season, there was an exodus of players from the Tyrone panel. I don't believe that those players would have left if they'd thought that there manager would be back again the following year, and that leaving the panel then would effectively spell the end of their intercounty aspirations.

- There is an issue with Mickey and the CB regarding speaking to RTE. As I understand it, when the new sponsors came in at the beginning of 2015, they were under the impression that the row with RTE was sorted. At our first league game, an RTE reporter asked Mickey for an interview and he refused. I've no idea who said what, but there was obviously a breakdown in communication between the CB, sponsors and Mickey. This incident apparently caused a major rift between Mickey and the County Chairperson.

- At the end of last season, Mickey went onto Teamtalkmag radio for his now traditional end of season interview. Despite being out of contract, he announced that he was staying on, and had already met the team to inform them of plans for 2016. This was a power play by Mickey, and a brilliant one at that. Having been clear about his intentions and getting the players onside, the CB was put on the back foot. Mickey ended up getting 2 of the 3 extra years he wanted, and the CB never got the chance to explore other options.

- After a decade of gradual decline, Tyrone have improved dramatically since the start of 2015. while Mickey will get a lot of the praise, I feel that the biggest change was the addition of Peter Donnelly as trainer at the beginning of 2015. Tyrone's previous trainer, Fergal McCann, was there from 2005-2014, and the team had started to look stale and well behind the other top sides in terms of fitness & conditioning. Donnelly has transformed them in this regard and, in my opinion, is the main reason for our improvement.

- Mickey Harte has managed Tyrone sides for 25 years, and the seniors for the last 14. Everyone in Tyrone has a firm opinion on him. Some love him, some can't stand him. That's the way it is with dogmatic, strong-minded people, especially when they've been around forever. As a result, when it comes to assessing his value as manager, it's very hard at the moment for any Tyrone gaels to make a judgement that's purely based on football. When he eventually does go and is no longer omnipresent, I think that it'll be easier to separate Mickey the manager from Mickey the man, and history will judge his achievements very favourably.

- Personally, Mickey gets under my skin for many reasons, but I think it would be foolish to oust him when the team are improving. Given my initial comment about the 'lame duck' scenario, the ideal would be for him to publically get 2 years, but privately resolve to stand down early at the end of 2017 if we don't take another step forward next year.

Thomas Clarke (Tyrone) - Posts: 1002 - 08/09/2016 08:32:35    1911607

Mickey needs to find a freetaker. Cost tyrone against Kerry last year and Mayo this year.

samiscominghome (Mayo) - Posts: 23 - 08/09/2016 08:52:41    1911612

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5016 - 08/09/2016 09:03:57    1911613

Good interview in the Telegraph today looking at this. It doesn't seem to be quite as reported initially.

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 08/09/2016 10:58:22    1911688

cacsmckilly (Tyrone) - Posts: 1294 - 08/09/2016 11:26:54    1911718

- There is an issue with Mickey and the CB regarding speaking to RTE. As I understand it, when the new sponsors came in at the beginning of 2015, they were under the impression that the row with RTE was sorted. At our first league game, an RTE reporter asked Mickey for an interview and he refused. I've no idea who said what, but there was obviously a breakdown in communication between the CB, sponsors and Mickey. This incident apparently caused a major rift between Mickey and the County Chairperson.

Thomas Clarke (Tyrone) - Posts:908 - 08/09/2016 08:32:35 1

Clearly the CB or Chairperson must have told the sponsors that Mickey would start talking to RTE again, without actually clearing that fully with Mickey Harte. That is Mickey Harte's decision to make, and one I 100% support him on. And I would be shocked if his tenure was not extended because this, rather than an appraisal of his performance in the role of senior team manager.

Friction between the County Board and the senior team management is not something new or exclusive to Tyrone. But it maybe highlights the need to explore a better way of doing things, as County Boards are not always full of people of sufficient calibre to make such calls.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3017 - 08/09/2016 13:07:08    1911798

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 08/09/2016 14:24:36    1911863

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5016 - 08/09/2016 16:34:09    1911945

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5016 - 08/09/2016 16:43:31    1911954

Spoddgy (Mayo) - Posts: 660 - 08/09/2016 17:19:45    1911976

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 08/09/2016 17:23:20    1911979

IrishGael3 (USA) - Posts: 1092 - 08/09/2016 17:50:09    1911994

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 08/09/2016 17:52:42    1911995

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 08/09/2016 17:59:42    1911999

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2386 - 08/09/2016 18:40:06    1912007

The feeling would be that Tyrone have not improved since 2015. While they lost against Kerry, the performance was good. While they could have got a draw at least against Mayo, especially if Cavanagh had been on, the performance was not great. Tyrone are not suited to a cautious game and thrive when they have a go. Brennan should be on, what more does he have to do at senior club level. The outrageous point he got last weekend's v Eglish from the left corner flag could not have been scored by any other man on that pitch.

essmac (Tyrone) - Posts: 1141 - 08/09/2016 19:08:55    1912014