Ciaran McFaul’s return to the Derry panel is a timely boost for the Ulster champions, but Chrissy McKaigue insists results on the pitch will indicate if they are an improved outfit from last season.
The Oak Leafers put their Ulster title on the line in Sunday’s provincial decider against Armagh at a sold-out St Tiernach’s Park in Clones.
The availability of McFaul, who made his comeback appearance in the closing stages of the semi-final win over Monaghan, further strengthens Rory Gallagher’s squad.
The emergence of Eoin McEvoy at full-back has also freed up Brendan Rogers to join Conor Glass in one of the formidable midfield pairings in the country.
Speaking at the Ulster GAA media event in Killyman, McKaigue hailed McFaul as a “special player” but says Derry won’t be getting carried away with praise of their impressive form to date.
“There is no question about it, Ciaran McFaul being back is a massive plus for us, and we’re delighted to have him back, because he’s a very special player,” said McKaigue.
“It’s grand now, because we have done well in the first two games to date, but we live in a sporting world where after one defeat or poor performance, everybody says you’re not as good as you were or whatever the case may be.
“Sometimes a more balanced outlook is needed. We felt at the start of the year that, upon reflection of last year, irrespective of getting to the last four, and being Ulster champions, the reality was that we felt as though we had huge room for improvement.
“There are a variety of reasons that play into that, such as the age profile of the team, the fact that Ciaran (McFaul) wasn’t involved in the team last year.
“We feel as though we’re in a good position, but we’re very aware that we need a massive performance against Armagh to be competitive with them, and we have to stay balanced too, but irrespective of who wins next Sunday, there is still a lot of football to be played this year.
“The nature of the system is so different, so as heart-breaking as it would be for any team not to win the Ulster Championship next Sunday, the bottom line is that the season is far from over.”
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