Harte hits out at ‘agenda against Tyrone’

TYRONE team manager Mickey Harte has lashed out at sections of media observers who have accused his county of playing negative football.

When asked if Tyrone sometimes got excessive blame for defensive football, he said, “Yes, but we don’t want to be sounding like the victim”.

He then accused observers of having “an agenda against Tyrone” and asked “independent and objective observers” to challenge that perception.

“I would love somebody to challenge it because it needs to be challenged.

“There is all signs of an agenda against Tyrone where there is just continuous talk of how many people we have behind the ball.

“And I have watched many matches and I see the very same thing happening to other teams, yet the count isn’t on always.

“So maybe all those people who are making all those comments might need to take a step back and see are they really independent thinkers or are they just having other people think for them.”

Harte, who was speaking to the ‘Donegal Democrat’ ahead of Saturday night’s Dr McKenna Cup final in Armagh, said Tyrone were trying to do the best they could in every competition.

But he hinted that he might not be playing his strongest hand at the Athletic Grounds.

“Well I hope we get our best from those we have on the field.

“But are we going to be put out the very best team and players who are available to Tyrone at this given period, I don’t think so and I don’t think that would be fair.”