Mickey Harte has again come out to defend his player, I'm not surprised that he has done this, but do we agree it was an accident or he went in leading with his elbow?

Plus I have to say the ball was passed McCann and he left his elbow up!!

Personally I do think he led with his elbow and I don't think he meant to really hurt Rogers but he went out to put a stamp on the game early.

What do others think?

youngfella27 (Armagh) - Posts: 110 - 05/02/2016 12:21:33    1822533

He is from Tyrone so he is guilty.

Naysayer (Antrim) - Posts: 2071 - 05/02/2016 13:10:28    1822553

imagine someone defending their own players!

passerby (Tyrone) - Posts: 724 - 05/02/2016 13:25:59    1822562

Thought it was an intentional tackle, seriously bad form BUT I'm not surprised Harte is defending McCann. He's hardly going to hang him out to dry is he?

CroiGorm (Dublin) - Posts: 1547 - 05/02/2016 14:01:12    1822576

It was the only bad tackle over the weekend.

Naysayer (Antrim) - Posts: 2071 - 05/02/2016 14:14:30    1822583

McCann was on the end of a fairly solid hit last weekend against Cavan. I expect it won't be the last one he will take this year.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 05/02/2016 14:53:58    1822603

It was the only bad tackle over the weekend.
Naysayer

No.
But it was by a country mile the worst one...

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 05/02/2016 15:02:57    1822605

Is that really any different to the silence of the Armagh management team after the disgraceful scenes at last years challenge match with Dublin?

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 05/02/2016 15:13:39    1822614

It was the only bad tackle over the weekend.
Naysayer

No.
But it was by a country mile the worst one...

It was the worst one since the last bad one Tyrone made.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 05/02/2016 15:15:49    1822616

I am not sure that he defended McCann. He said that he allowed the officials to do their job, and that's what happened. What was he supposed to do? run out onto the field and get involved? We are getting off to a bad start here playing favorites with calling foul.

A couple of months ago there was a melee between Dublin and Galway hurlers in America, that didn't get the attention it deserved, bar Eamonn Dumphy's remark. It was on show for the world to see and was an absolute embarrassment. There was scarcely a whisper about an incident that was worse than the Meath mayo fight of 1996. Why is this the case? we all have to grow up now and stop witch hunts against teams and players. Tyrone are a fine team, and Mickey Harte is a fine manager. I wish them the best in 2016, bar when they meet us of course.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 05/02/2016 15:24:29    1822619

Of course Harte will defend his player. He says there was no intent and who can say otherwise. However, if a player jumps into a player who is not contesting the ball, and is leading with his elbow, you have to surmise he was intent on something more than a friendly greeting. In the Cavan game, McCann and a Cavan back were both competing for the ball and the Tyrone man came off worse in the tackle although it looked as if he wasn't aware that the Cavan player was also challenging for the ball. I'm sure Harte doesn't want to see any grudges building up between the teams as they head into a number of meetings in the coming months.

neverright (Roscommon) - Posts: 1648 - 05/02/2016 15:31:43    1822625

I saw the tackle several times and I don't think there is conclusive evidence with regards to intent. Mickey Harte has every right to defend McCann and that is what you expect him to do. Last years incidents were completely different and the criticism directed at Tyrone was justified . However Tyrone quite rightly highlighted the double standards exhibited in relation to incidents in both the All Ireland semi final between Dublin and Mayo and most particularly the All Ireland final between Dublin and Kerry. The panel on the night of the All Ireland football final were a disgrace. Donegalman there was plenty of coverage of the incidents that happened during that match between Dublin and Galway. However both you and Dunphy have exaggerated the scale of the incidents.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 05/02/2016 15:52:44    1822638

Whilst I'm a bit betwixt & between in relation to how much intent was involved in the challenge from McCann I don't think Mickey much choice but to speak up in his defence as the media has been running a few stories expressing Damian Barton's apparent anger and disgust at the challenge.

downredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 567 - 05/02/2016 16:18:54    1822645

It was the worst one since the last bad one Tyrone made.
Offside_Rule

If you say so. I just know that this specific tackle warranted all the criticism it got.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 05/02/2016 17:03:06    1822659

Mickey Harte has every right to defend McCann and that is what you expect him to do.
Greengrass

I don't think he does to be honest - how does he know the intent any more than anyone else? Being manager doesn't give you the right to make claims you cant back up.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 05/02/2016 17:12:10    1822662

If a player is guilty he is guilty, and a manager has no right to defend his players bad behaviour.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 06/02/2016 15:42:24    1822859

Derry V Tyrone is a special kind of fixture, probably the best fixture in Ulster.
Every game is very heated and on most occasions a lot of controversy.
I think if Mc Cann hadn't of drawn blood from Rodgers then we wouldn't be having this debate, as there was several incidents just as bad throughout the game.

All managers have to defend there players no matter what.

bullwork (UK) - Posts: 11 - 06/02/2016 16:12:43    1822867

Defending your players bad behaviour is not something you have to do. Its something you CHOOSE to do.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 06/02/2016 16:31:01    1822873

I see you seem to have decided there was definite intent joncarter and that McCann deliberately tried to inflict this injury on the Derry player. Can you let us know how you are so sure of this? When I seen it first I thought there was nothing in it, then a thread was started and everyone lined up to vilify McCann I thought maybe I'd got it wrong, but from watching it many times I still can't say if he deliberately hit him or not, maybe he did (wouldn't be the first player to do so if he did, won't be the last) or maybe he over ran the breaking ball.....did you ever play? Did this ever happen you?
Can you let us all know how you can be so sure that he did? Thanks in advance.
Maybe you could also let us know how much dirt to Tyrone have to stand and let Derry sling their way (with an eye to the championship meeting looming in the summer no doubt) before they are allowed to reply?
By the way have you any words on the Carlow / Antrim story of a similar ilk or are you not interested as it doesn't involve Tyrone?

benched (Tyrone) - Posts: 534 - 06/02/2016 17:57:30    1822889

The Master you are just too predictable now.You can't wait to get stuck in the minute an anti-Tyrone thread gets started,and there are plenty on here thats for sure.How come when Tom Cunniffe or Colm Boyle "take men out" its ok cos there was no malicious intent?Is it because you can read the mind of your fellow county men and know they didn't mean to hurt the opposition player? I'll tell you what, you and others on here are an absolute disgrace by trying to suggest that Mc Cann intentionally meant to hurt the Derry lad and that Mickey Harte knows this to be true and is therefore equally wrong in defending his player.Talk about looking at something in the worst possible way.I didn't see you coming on here to air your thoughts when Mc Cann was on the end of a very heavy tackle last week.Is it because you know there was no malicious intent from the player who administered that hit on Mc Cann or because it doesn't suit your anti Tyrone narrative to speak of such an incident? Don't bother with an answer cos it will no doubt be more of same from you.

seanie_boy (Tyrone) - Posts: 4235 - 06/02/2016 21:41:24    1822950