The 2013 football championship is only one day old and already there is a couple of manager's feeling the heat.

The futures of Armagh boss Paul Grimley and his Galway counterpart Alan Mulholland have come in for scrutiny after their team's defeats to Cavan and Mayo respectively.

This year Grimley has, admirably if a little naively, sought to implement a more attacking style of play in the Orchard County but plan A backfired spectacularly in Breffni Park yesterday.

The absence of a plan B, ie a defensive sweeper, could cost Grimley his job unless he backs down on his principles and the outcome is a dramatic turnaround in their fortunes during the qualifiers.

Meanwhile, Galway's collapse against arch-rivals Mayo has placed Mulholland in a perilous position. It is an embarrassing one to stomach for Tribe supporters and the manager is likely to be given just one shot at redemption.

Donegal and Tyrone take centre stage

The first weekend of championship action has whetted the appetite for a summer of thrills and spills ahead.

The interest levels are sure to rise sharply this weekend when All-Ireland champions Donegal lock horns with Tyrone in the Ulster SFC in Ballybofey.

Ever since the draws for the provincial championships were made this was the fixture that stood out and caught the imagination of the GAA public.

Have Donegal the hunger to repeat the heroics of 2012 in the months ahead or will Tyrone secure an overdue success against Jim McGuinness and his men.

The only thing for certain is that it won't be dull while we might all be a little bit wiser come Sunday evening.

Laois hurling on upward trajectory

In 2012, Cork great Teddy McCarthy guided Laois to a Leinster SHC win over Carlow but they subsequently suffered a 22-point loss against Dublin and a 35-point defeat at the hands of Limerick in the qualifiers.

McCarthy departed the job and interest in the small ball code in the O'Moore County was at a low ebb.

Step up new manager Seamus Plunkett who, if last weekend's Leinster SHC win over Antrim is anything to go by, appears to have stabilised things.

Against the backdrop of last year, the significance of their six-point victory at home on Saturday evening should not be underestimated.

Carlow is next on the agenda for Plunkett and his charges and, ominously for the Barrowsiders, he predicts there is plenty of room for improvement in his team ahead of that clash. Tweet

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