Write off Tyrone at your peril.
If teams and tactics are being declared as no longer viable because of how they did against Dublin, there’d be no teams or tactics left. Tyrone losing to Dublin last year shouldn’t be the final testament of how good they are or how useful their system is.
Kerry’s system doesn’t work against them. Mayo’s doesn’t. Nobody’s does. Tyrone had a dreadful day at the office against a superior side and suffered the same fate that everyone else did.
When they lost to a good Monaghan side at the start of the championship this year, the eulogies were written. They’re too limited. Their counter-attacking system is out of date. Don’t let the backdoor hit you on the arse on the way out. That sort of thing.
And here we are, five victories later and Tyrone are looking like booking a place in the All-Ireland semi-finals again and, if they get there, they’ll be on the different side of the draw than Dublin.
They’d need to get a win over the champions or Donegal in their next two games of course but they’re looking like Tyrone again.
Mickey Harte’s men swatted Roscommon aside, doubling the Connacht outfit’s goal tally and point tally as they ripped them apart with 18 points to spare and gave a timely reminder that they are still one of the top counties in Ireland.
4-24 was the total Tyrone racked up but, even though they’re primarily a defensive unit who rely on scores from runners, they’re no strangers to relentlessly putting up huge numbers – despite all the criticisms.
In fact, in the last two championship campaigns – 2017 and 2018 – Tyrone have scored 17 goals and 180 points in 10 games.
17-180.
2017 championship scores
0-22
1-21
2-17
3-17
0-11
2018 championship scores
1-16
3-14
0-18
3-20
4-24
That means, in the last 10 championship games, Tyrone are averaging 23.1 points per game.
To put that into context – and to use the benchmark we all like to use – Dublin have played 10 championship games in the last two seasons too and they’re averaging just four points a game higher.
Dublin are posting an average of 27.1 per game and that’s playing six games in the Leinster championship in that time. And that’s also Dublin.
They’re ahead of Mayo, they’re just behind the traditionalists’ pin-up, Kerry.
Average scores per game in 2017 and 2018 championships:
Dublin 27.1
Kerry 24.6
Tyrone 23.1
Mayo 21.6
Whatever you make of Tyrone’s style, you can’t deny that is perfectly suited to their players. You also can’t deny its effect. Being second best to the Dubs doesn’t change that.
