Devlin optimistic Red Hands can prove their critics wrong
May 13, 2015
Tyrone selector Gavin Devlin and manager Mickey Harte. INPHO
Mickey Harte's second-in-command Gavin Devlin doesn't subscribe to the theory that Tyrone are a spent force.
The Red Hands suffered the ignominy of relegation from Division One in recent weeks but Devlin - who lined out at centre-back when Tyrone made the All-Ireland breakthrough in 2003 - insists they are not in a bad place ahead of Sunday's Ulster SFC opener against Donegal.
"We drew with the All-Ireland champions Kerry, did well against Dublin, beat Mayo in Mayo," he recalled to The Irish Independent.
"Cork was a game we could have and should have won. But we got relegated. People are painting this picture about how bad we are going.
"Along the way we had a few good performances but that day in Ballybofey against Donegal they were streets ahead of us and from there to now we have been working really hard on the training field to close that gap. We'll see on Sunday how bad we are really going."
Tyrone great Peter Canavan, meanwhile, believes Harte's charges have a lot of improvement to make in the coming months.
"They are a bit away yet. They'll have to make serious progress as the summer progresses.
"They still have some exceptional footballers who, if they get playing together, can bond. They're capable of taking a big team out of it.
"Donegal will give a lot of teams hope after last summer, nobody gave them a chance. I'll be looking to see if Armagh make the same improvement from the start of last summer."
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