Tiernan McCann says the trend towards attacking football is happening in Ulster with counties now believing it is the best route to success.
Six-in-a-row All-Ireland champions Dublin have played their way to the top with an attractive brand of football and there has been a noticeable shift away from blanket defences and sweepers in the early weeks of the season.
“Holistically, not just in Tyrone, I think most teams now realise that to beat the top teams, you’re going to have to scramble the defence,” said McCann.
“You’re going to have to go out and try and win the game by kicking more scores.
“I know it sounds so simplistic, but that’s really the template now at the minute and I think with most teams there has been a shift.
“Most of the newspapers and the media this last couple of weeks have been praising Ulster football, because it has gone down that route, which is refreshing to hear for once.
“Most teams are playing at least four forwards up, you’re trying to out-score the opposing team, kick through the lines, get one v ones.”
Ulster football has traditionally got a bad press with many counties reliant on a defensive template and Tyrone are now not the only ones to move away from that.
Like all the Tyrone players, McCann is adjusting to life after Mickey Harte having played all his senior career under the three-time All-Ireland winning manager.
Now Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher are the new joint ticket with Joe McMahon, Collie Holmes and Joe McMahon part of the backroom team.
McCann says: “I suppose from an organisational point of view, we have a lot more men involved.
“We have two men at the helm, three or four different coaches, and a couple of doctors.
“There’s just a lot more people about, offering their expertise. But it’s still football at the end of the day, we’re still going to Garvaghey, and there’s still a lot of the same faces about, driving the thing forward.”
