Mickey and Jose – the cautious ones
IN terms of personality, they are worlds apart but every time I looked at Mickey Harte last Sunday, I kept being reminded of Jose Mourinho.
They are two of the most successful managers in their respective codes, but both have found themselves facing questions in recent years as to whether they have fallen behind the curve in sports that they once ruled.
In reaching last year’s All-Ireland final, Harte half answered that question but watching his team score just seven points over 70 minutes of football last Sunday, he still has some way to go.
When you look at the Red Hand’s attack, and you see the likes of the manager’s nephew Peter Harte as well as Mattie Donnelly, Niall Sludden and the exciting emerging talent that is Darragh Canavan, you know the quality is there.
But then, with Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez in his team, you would also have thought Mourinho had the attacking talent to deliver with Manchester United.
The sense is that both Harte and Mourinho are cautious by nature and because of that they don’t always make the most out of the quality they possess.
Tyrone were just too slow, too careful in getting the ball up the field in Killarney and it made Kerry’s task of shutting down their forwards that much easier.
Harte will have to be bolder and more ambitious if his team are to build on what they achieved last year.