Exit of old Hands is likely to impact on champions

TYRONE will get a champions’ reception when they walk out in Omagh today, but Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan can hardly be blamed if the sound is drowned out by ringing alarm bells.

It is somewhat perverse that five players – Tiernan

McCann, Mark Bradley,

Ronan O’Neill, Hugh Pat McGeary and Michael Cassidy – have departed from the Tyrone camp during the close season.

Okay, it will hardly weaken the team to a huge degree although the impact that

McCann (right) had as substitute against Donegal and Bradley – in a rare starting role – had against Monaghan, will mean that some will be missed more than others.

Of course, it can be argued that none were regular starters and their departure will facilitate the infusion of new blood, while the last thing that a winning team should do is stand still.

All of that is true but when you lose so many experienced players at once, you run the real risk of dialling down the competition for places within the group.

And that is a change the Red Hand men could do without.