Tyrone a poor shadow of a great side

Was very disappointed in Tyrone's performance yesterday although relieved that the injury to Sean Cavanagh was not as serious as first thought.
I have always believed that the Red Hands could emerge as one of the dark horses in this year's championship race if they could get their top players match fit with a run through the qualifiers.
However, they looked only a shadow of the side which won two All Irelands earlier in the decade and most importantly the key players they depend so much on look to be still off the pace.
Brian McGuigan shows flashes of the brilliance which made him the best centre half forward in the country before injury but isn't yet involved enough to meet the challenges of one of the top sides.
Dooher works hard and intelligently but for me has lost a yard of pace and at times looks a bit pedestrian and will struggle to make space against the top sides.
Mulligan never kicked leather when he came on and the full forward line just doesn't carry the threat that it used to and it's no wonder given that they had the two best forwards in the country at one stage playing with Mulligan.
Enda McGinley's performance was a big plus at midfield but the Red Hands will not win games against the teams now left in the qualifiers unless they can raise their game significantly and I haven't seen anything this year which convinces me that they can do that.
They are now in the last twelve and there are no poor sides left. Unless Tyrone draw one of the less fancied sides such as Wexford, Kildare their All-Ireland dream could finish next week especially if Cavanagh is ruled out with concussion.

Life of Brian

Looking forward to seeing how Brian McGuigan and Brian Dooher perform on Sunday week against Down for Tyrone.
It has to be good news for Tyrone that they're back because these men would give any team something special even if they are not firing on all cylinders.
Dooher is a great leader for Tyrone on the field and his work rate has been phenomenal. If he genuinely is going well there is no doubt with his commitment to fitness that he can get much better if the Ulster champions get a run.
McGuigan is sheer class and it was interesting that Sean Cavanagh said that he also matches this with tremendous fitness and that he is one of the men driving Tyrone in training.
McGuigan was the best centre three quarters in the country before the string of injuries which almost put him out of the game after a horrific eye injury followed a leg break.
The Ardboe man had brains, vision, pace and heart and his passing and shooting are a joy to watch.
It's hard to say where Tyrone are at the moment but there's no doubt that if the two Brians can put on any sort of a show against Down that people may quickly have to reassess their challenge.

Red Hand Dooher sees red

Brian Dooher's straight red in his first club game back from injury is a blow Mickey Harte's Tyrone could well have done without.
Dooher had scored two points for Clann na nGael in his first start in a senior game in a year before being sent off.
His sending off will delay any chance he has of making it back on to the Tyrone side for the Ulster championship.
Technically Dooher could be back and fit for Tyrone's first game in June but there is now no chance of Dooher being match fit and I'm sure that Mickey Harte will be raging at someone as influential as Dooher seeing red.
Harte must reckon that he is jinxed given the injury lists he has endured in recent seasons and Dooher is not the first Tyrone star to get himself sent off before big games.
I am doubtful that Dooher can ever be the same force for Tyrone as he was in 2003 and 2005, but he has been a great player for his county and he is respected as a leader.
He is coming to the end of what has been a great career, it's a shame that he has compounded his injury problems by seeing red.