Big buzz in Tyrone as they begin new management era

There is a big buzz in Tyrone as they prepare for the opening game of the season against Donegal in Healy Park, Omagh on Saturday next (throw-in 5 pm).
The buzz is linked to a new management set up. Mickey Harte stepped down after defeat to Donegal in MacCumhaill Park last year and two of his All-Ireland winning team, Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher, have taken the reins.
Logan and Dooher are new to senior management but they did take Tyrone U-21s to an All-Ireland title in 2015, with quite a number of the present senior panel on board.
It will be the first time since 2002 that the Tyrone senior team will take to the field without the presence of Mickey Harte and it is something that Omagh freelance journalist and commentator Paddy Hunter is looking forward to.
"Look, Mickey (Harte) brought something different to it, but we all knew the success that Mickey had with the minors and U-21s. But even though the new management (Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher) have just one U-21 All-Ireland to their name, you know that there is going to be something different here."
Hunter points to a very strong back-up team for the managers with Peter Donnelly, Collie Holmes and Joe McMahon as well as the other strings. He also feels that the team will be able to take advice from Peter Canavan when needed.
He says that the management are working with what is a young squad of around 40. "Apart from Peter Harte and Mattie Donnelly most of them are at their peak," says Hunter, who says the only notable who has left the panel is Conall McCann.
"There has been a lot of in-house games in last few weeks and they would be as tasty as you would get," he said.
The big plusses include the return to full fitness of Conor McShane, the bonus of having Conor McKenna back from Australia and Darragh Canavan back to fitness also.
"They have a quite formidable attack and that showed in a challenge game against Down recently. They looked very mobile."
The notable additions to the panel include Paul Donaghy and Mark McKearney, Dungannon Clarkes, who were impressive county champions last year.
While Hunter feels that overall there won't be many changes, he does feel that there will be a change in tactics.
"Absolutely. If you look back to 2015 think of the style of the U-21s who won the All-Ireland against Tipperary. It was very much focussed on attack. Okay, they had a very good defence but up front they had the likes of McShane, Conor Meyler, Mark Bradley.
"There will be a change in tactics going forward. Certainly it will not be as defensive as it was under Mickey (Harte).
"I would see them going for the game a lot more, say if they were two points ahead. They are not going to sit back on two points.
"I have never, even going back to 2003, seen so much of a buzz in the county. We are looking forward to the league campaign and championship."
Hunter says Healy Park is in good condition with much work done on it during the lockdown and he is looking forward to the visit of Donegal.
And he doesn't expect there will be any shadow boxing ahead of a possible meeting at championship level.
"That wouldn't be Feargal's (Logan) style. Bearing in mind, the boys that he picks on Saturday will want to kicking on for the rest of the league, pushing for the championship against Cavan. That's the way they'll be thinking."
Hunter feels that Donegal and Tyrone are at a similar stage and with the likes of Oisin McConville and Marc Ó Sé saying that if any team is going to put it up to Dublin, it's going to be a Tyrone side, he feels there will be some expectation in Tyrone.
"The Tyrone campaign ended with a whimper against Donegal last year, but they could also have won it, even though they were below par." He feels that the very intense club championship in Tyrone last year left many of the panel heavy legged when they came back in.
"Donegal and Declan Bonner know what they have. But this will be first time Feargal and Brian see what they have. It will be close and I'm really excited to see this game," says Hunter.