Tyrone’s Michael McKernan feels improving on their discipline is an area that the Red Hand county has focused in on in the last few weeks.
The reigning All-Ireland champions’ last outing in Championship football was on the Sunday, May 1 when Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher’s side fell to Derry by 11 points.
Discipline has been an issue for this Tyrone team, who have received eight red cards between League and Championship.
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Some of these red cards were issued in dramatic circumstances, where players received their marching orders for contributing to a melee.
Nonetheless, players and management with Tyrone will want to see more discipline in their side.
“The Fermanagh game we weren’t at the level but we got through it thankfully and then Derry just thought us a lesson that day,” admits McKernan.
“But look we’ve had five or six weeks of hard training. We’ve reviewed our games, our season to date and we’ve looked at the discipline aspect, just the basic skills and concentration within games.
“So, there’s been a lot to work on it in the last few weeks but hopefully we will get back up to the levels we were last year.”
The Coalisland native doesn’t feel there is a difference with the way Tyrone have approached last year to this year.
“We prepared the same way we did last year.
“We knew throughout the League that the discipline was maybe not where it was last year.
“With the red cards but even basic skills, tackling and stuff like that, giving the ball away, where we maybe weren’t holding ourselves to the high standards like last year.
“We had red cards against Fermanagh and Derry so that’s one of the major things we’re looking at. It’s maybe showing a lack of focus as well and that’s one of thing were looking at improving on.”
Seven players departed from their All-Ireland winning panel — Tiernan McCann, Lee Brennan, Paul Donaghy, Mark Bradley, Hugh Pat McGeary, Ronan O’Neill and Michael Cassidy — which has left question marks about the depth of this Tyrone team.
More recently, All-Ireland U20 winners Niall Devlin, Michael McGleenan, Steve Donaghy and Ruairi Canavan have been drafted into the senior panel.
McKernan feels the group is in a healthy place.
“Them boys all had personal reasons, a lot of them are getting married or moving into homes and they have been great servants to Tyrone over the last number of years.
“There’s still a strong enough panel and new boys have been brought in at the start of this year.
“We have brought in some of the U20s, that have strengthened it even more and they’re pushing on. We had U-17’s at the weekend and we had the U20s, who won Ulster and the All-Ireland this year.
“Them boys are leaving and have given their time and it was just their time to move on and there’s new boys coming through and there pushing it on.”
Tyrone face Armagh this Sunday in round one of the qualifiers at the Athletic Grounds.
It’s a massive opportunity for one of these sides to get their season back on track but for the other side it will be an early Championship exit.
“Even for the neutral it’s good,” added McKernan. “In Armagh, it’s not a nice place for any team to go to. Their fan’s get behind them and the last game will be in the back of our minds probably.
“We’ve played them twice this year they’ve beaten us twice.
“So, we know the challenge that we’re facing by but look it’s something to look forward to for us, for Tyrone and Armagh fans and even just in general GAA people can look forward to it too.”
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