Will Harte hold onto Tyrone job for another season?

Since the final whistle blew at Healy Park last weekend, the speculation surrounding the manager’s future has been rife - despite the fact that Mickey Harte immediately indicated without any possible equivocation that he would see out the final year of his ‘contract’ and then see what happens after that.

Ulster GAA Football Senior Championship Quarter-Final, Clones, Monaghan 15/6/2014
Monaghan vs Tyrone
Tyrone manager Mickey Harte
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Donall Farmer — Ulster GAA Football Senior Championship Quarter-Final, Clones, Monaghan 15/6/2014 Monaghan vs Tyrone Tyrone manager Mickey Harte Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Donall Farmer

While some sections of the media have, predictably, been very measured in their reaction to yet another blow to the hopes of the devoted Tyrone supporters who believe that the Ballygawley man is the one to deliver All-Ireland title number four, others have not been slow to voice their view that it’s time for a fresh face and a different voice in the dressing room.

And one so-called insider, has even claimed to this newspaper that Peter Canavan is the man the people who will ultimately call the shots are eyeing up as the successor to his fellow Errigal  Ciaran clubman.

“My understanding is that Peter Canavan will be asked to join the backroom team for the 2015 season with a view to taking over from Mickey the following year” stated the source, who wished to  remain anonymous.

Indeed, reaction to the defeat to Armagh on our own social media websites was overwhelming in that if Mickey Harte is to stand down then Peter Canavan would be  a natural successor.

Current Monaghan boss Malachy O’Rourke would be another popular choice, along with Clonoe’s Damian Cassidy, a former Derry player.

An interesting combination put forward was former joint manager Eugene McKenna along with Damian O’Hagan and John Lynch.

Harte has twelve months of his current three year term to finish and it is widely anticiapted that he will not be shown the door despite a poor championship campaign.

However, there is a growing groundswell of opinion amongst supporters and respected GAA pundits that the Tyrone set up needs  ‘freshened up’ .