Ulster's mixed bag in this year's National Football League continues with Donegal and Derry dropping points at the weekend against Kildare and Kerry respectively.
Both sides have looked good so far this season but they simply do not have enough top-class attackers to win the biggest games later in the year.
Paddy Bradley continues to star for Derry and the Oak Leaf side will hope that Enda Muldoon improves with games but despite the individual brilliance of this pair Derry simply don't have anyone else who will trouble top defences.
Armagh struggled much in this vein when their side of 1999/2000 depended heavily on McConville and Marsden.
It wasn't until they were joined by Stephen McDonnell and Ronan Clarke in 2002 that the Orchard men won an All Ireland.
Unless Derry can find even one more attacker who can ship some of the load being carried by Muldoon and Bradley they will come up short once again.
Monaghan are showing signs that their great performance in last year's Ulster championship and All-Ireland quarter finals was no fluke and are going well in Division 2.
They overcame an Armagh side which is showing some signs of recovery after their poorest season last year for a decade.
Monaghan's biggest problem is still a lack of strength in depth and one or two injuries could be enough to prevent them making the breakthrough.
Talking of injuries brings us once again to Tyrone, Mickey Harte must think at this stage 'doesn't it always'.
He has been robbed of the services of some of the best players in the country for almost three years.
Stephen O'Neill has been forced to call it a day, Dooher even if he returns from injury will never be the force again he was in 2003 and '05.
However, the return of Sean Cavanagh and the hope that Brian McGuigan might at last play again will give the Red Hands some hope that they can at least compete this season if not go all the way.
Donegal too lack the knock-out punch needed for the big occasions and while I expect the Ulster sides to be difficult to beat this year I don't see a winner from their ranks on the evidence to date.
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