Ominously, Michael Murphy believes Donegal can improve even further in 2013.

As Jim McGuinness' charges prepare to do battle with Tyrone at Ballybofey on Sunday, last year's All-Ireland winning captain says there is room for improvement throughout the team that captured Sam last September:

"Without a doubt there are facets of our game we can still improve," the attacking ace says in The Irish Sun. "All facets of our game we can improve really.

"You like to look at everything - whether defence, attack or midfield - and there is huge room for improvement. The name of the game is 'concede as little as possible and score as much as possible'.

"And with the tightness of the games we have played the last few years, there is still massive room for improvement. It's something we will strive for in the coming weeks and months, hopefully.

"The All-Ireland was won in September and the beauty of the draw was you knew two weeks after who you get. We got Tyrone and we had to focus in straight away.

"It has always been in the back of the mind. Constantly. It has to be there all the time.

"Whether Antrim two years ago, or Cavan last year - it has to be the date is engrained in your mind once the fixtures are released. It was May 20th two years ago, it was May 25th last year and it is May 26th this year.

"Tyrone tick all the boxes. They're all fantastic footballers, they're all comfortable on the ball and they're all well-organised defensively. You can throw out all the clichés but they cover it all.

"They compete very well around the middle and are dangerous going forward. They have lightning-quick forwards and every type of modern-day ball player that you need." Tweet

Most Read Stories