Cavanagh is over optimistic

Sean Cavanagh is a great footballer and seemingly an eternal optimist.
The big midfielder has almost at times lifted his side almost single handedly in recent seasons as the Tyrone dressing room took on the look of an episode of Casualty.
Cavanagh was an integral part of the Tyrone side of 2005 which in my opinion is one of the best teams of the last 20 years.
They were a better side than the current Kerry team and only Galway '98 to 2001 and Down of '91 to '94 vintage have matched them for sheer flair.
They had a wonderful forward line of Canavan, O'Neill and Mulligan with the two Brians Dooher and McGuigan pulling the strings at half forward with Cavanagh bursting through at full pelt from midfield or left half forward.
Their flair and creativity was overlooked by some in their breakthrough season of 2003 because they matched their ability with relentless work rate and tackling which unfortunately Pat Spillane branded as Puke Football when they handed the Kingdom a lesson in an All-Ireland semi final.
However, the 'puke football' simply amounted to sheer hunger to get the ball back as soon as the opposition had possession, something you would teach any child to do.
But in 2005 even the begrudgers acknowledged their greatness when they beat Dublin, Armagh and Kerry on the way to Sam and they don't come any tougher than that.
However, Cavanagh thinks that at last they may be on the way back, Dooher and McGuigan are flying in training he says and he hasn't given up hope that Stephen O'Neill may also put his injury problems behind him and return to the side.
I think that Cavanagh is being a little bit over optimistic. I believe that the injuries to McGuigan and Dooher must have taken their toll and although I would much rather see these two excellent players back in action until they are tested in the white heat of championship the jury remains out.
As for O'Neill it's true that he now has a number of club games behind him with no further occurrences of the hamstring injuries which cost him his inter-county career but it's a huge step up to the fitness demanded for the championship.
I think Cavanagh's optimism is wishful thinking and I am still of the opinion that unless some of the young players who have come on to the panel since 2005 start to deliver the goods then Tyrone won't again reach those heights.