Former three-time All-Ireland winner Enda McGinley feels Tyrone were in a much better place this time last year heading into their championship opener against Derry.  

Mickey Harte's team dished out an 11-point hammering to their neighbours on route to their first Ulster SFC title in six years and face the Oak Leafers again this Sunday at Celtic Park as red-hot favourites at 1/4.

However, McGinley says that a sixth place finish in Division One of the league last month doesn't bode well for the Red Hands heading into the summer campaign.

"In terms of Sunday, expectations would be high. Looking longer term, this time last year we would have been much more optimistic and it ended in failure in the end," the ex-Tyrone midfielder said on Off The Ball.

"I suppose this year it means we're a wee bit shier in terms of being overly optimistic. In terms of the Division One campaign, the big thing you would query is have Tyrone brought anything new to the table or are they essentially playing the same game that they've been playing these last two years which in the end has fallen short?

"So where other teams seem to have brought something new, Tyrone seemed to be trying the same. Now that was based on the league, so it will be very interesting to see on Sunday against Derry whether they are going to bring something new."

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