Paddy Tally happy with what Derry have under the hood

By Michael McMullan

NEW Derry manager Paddy Tally’s initial target is to get to know the squad as people.

In the long term, the sights are set on success, developing players and he is fully aware of the talent in the group.

He recalls how Derry pushed the Kerry team he coached every step of the way in the 2023 All-Ireland semi-final.

The Kingdom were the reigning All-Ireland champions and Tally maintains Derry were the best team they met at that point of the season.

Tally was ratified at a meeting of the clubs for a three-year term on Thursday night and met with his management team over the weekend to get their plans in place.

“In terms of long-term objectives, obviously you want success, you want this team to do well and to be successful and develop players along the way,” Tally said, speaking at his unveiling as Derry manager at Owenbeg on Friday.

“Otherwise, why would you take the job on if you didn’t feel this is what you’re here to do, to win games and to be successful with the team.”

The main focus is assembling a squad to set the ball rolling towards the opening of Derry’s NFL defence against Tyrone in Omagh in January.

Now it’s about getting the building blocks in place, establishing a culture and environment.

“We want to create something where the players really want to be here, a place where it’s enjoyable and help develop them,” he said. “That’s the immediate plan.”

In his three seasons in Kerry, under manager Jack O’Connor, Tally coached the Kingdom in two victories over Derry at Croke Park and the Oaks’ win in Tralee back in January.

Chrissy McKaigue, Ciaran McFaul, Gareth McKiness and Brendan Rogers were part of the Derry panel Tally coached during Brian McIver’s tenure as manager a decade ago.

In his role with St Mary’s University College, he had Shane McGuigan, Emmett Bradley and Niall Toner under his watch.

Tally speaks about the time spent analysing teams as a coach. When in Kerry, it was his business to know how opponents ticked. Teams like Derry and those findings are fresh.

“In the modern-day game as a coach, a big part of your job is analysis, so I’m not unfamiliar with them in terms of working against them,” Tally said of Derry.

“I have to get to know them. I don’t know them as players as such, as people.

“I always say this too, these are people who play football. It’s the most important thing. Coaches are people who coach and administrators are people who administer so they’re people first.

“Getting to know them (the Derry players) as individuals, as people, is my most important thing. That those young men that come under my guidance, under our management, will enjoy the process, enjoy being here.”

On being appointed as Derry manager, Tally said it was too big an opportunity to turn down with the calibre of player the county, its schools and clubs were churning out.

To back it up, he can recall a conversation with Ciarán Meenagh in the immediate aftermath of the All-Ireland semi-final when Kerry needed every sinew to overcome a Derry team who bossed the game for long periods until the Kingdom peeled away in the closing minutes.

Meenagh had taken on the role after Rory Gallagher stepped away before the Ulster final earlier in the season.

Meenagh had been part of Gallagher’s management team after having spend the 2019 as part of Damian McErlain’s backroom team.

“The difference between Derry and Kerry that day was just experience,” Tally said of the 2023 encounter.

“Twelve months earlier, Kerry had been down to the last kick of the game, the 74th minute against Dublin, Seán O’Shea kicked a free, a monster free, to win the game (the 2022 All-Ireland final).

“That was the difference between Kerry winning that day and the difference between Kerry winning the following year (against Derry in 2023).

“It was just experience of being there more where Derry just lacked that experience of being there.”

Standing in Croke Park, Tally told Meenagh it was the best team they’d encountered on the way to the semi-final. Best coached. And physical tuned.

“There’s no doubt of the ability of the players and the talent that’s available there,” Tally adds.

“I have absolutely no doubt about that. That’s part of the excitement and the attraction of working with this team, because you know what they’re capable of.”

Armagh became the fourth different county in as many years to lift the Sam Maguire Cup, demonstrating the more competitive landscape after the spell of total Dublin dominance.

Of those four titles, two have been won by Ulster with Tyrone going all the way in 2021.

“The power has definitely swung a bit,” Tally said, referring to Ulster winning every All-Ireland football championship at county, school, club and college level.

“You have to say that there’s a real buzz in Ulster at the moment in football.

“It’s actually great to be back in the middle of it again, back in that competitive arena.

“I think the work that’s been done across the clubs and schools and the counties is starting to really show.”