Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
MICKEY TAKING THE DECISION..
No Frank and earnest chats.. it’s Harte’s call entirely
Tyrone star Frank Burns says Tyrone will pick themselves up quickly from Donegal loss
THE Tyrone footballers will play no part in deciding the future of manager Mickey Harte.
So says Red Hand star Frank Burns, who insists it’s entirely up to Harte to decide whether he wants to extend his reign to a 19th season.
Sunday’s loss in the Ulster Championship to Donegal ended Tyrone’s season and sparked speculation over Harte’s position.
The treble All-ireland winner (inset) declined to comment on his plans in the immediate aftermath of the narrow loss at Ballybofey, saying he has not considered the matter.
“I t ’s e n t i r e l y Mi c k e y ’s decision,” said Burns.
“Mickey’s a good man and has done a lot for Tyrone over the years so that’s his call, not ours.”
Burns sees a bright future for a Tyrone side fortified by the arrival of attacking talents like Conor Mckenna and Darragh Canavan, who scored five of the Red Hands’ six goals since the season resumed.
The team will be further strengthened by the imminent return from injury of All-star full forward Cathal Mcshane.
“We’ve some new men coming in, the likes of Darragh, a serious player, and we’ve Conor back, which is great,” added Burns.
“We’ve Cathal back as well so i t ’s g o i n g to be a short turnaround. We’ll rest up and go again. We’re a young team with plenty of potential.”
Th e Pomeroy clubman expects competition for places to be fiercer than ever in 2021. “You have to work to get that jersey and when you get it you have to work hard to keep it. “There are a lot of good players and we’re still building.”
In a contest of fine margins at Pairc Mac C u mhai l l , D on egal made more of their big moments.
They used Michael Langan’s goal as a platform to build a lead, whereas the Red Hands failed to harness the energy from Canavan’s second half stri ke, which i n c ontra st prompted a bounce fr om the home side.
“Small margins in games like that.
“We’d a four-point lead at one stage but they nipped in at the back for that goal, they have that long kick-out.
“We’d prepared for it but unfortunately they still got behind us, that turned the game.”
As the boots go into storage for the winter, Burns is just grateful that Gaelic football returned from lockdown.
“It gave you something to focus and work towards.
“With everything going on at the minute, it’s good for people to have something to watch.
“I know personally a few elderly ones close to me, that it gives them a lift having football there to watch at the weekend.”