Canavan outlines 'worrying' early season signs from Tyrone

After a dismal defence of Sam Maguire last year, the last thing Tyrone want for 2023 is to be heading into this year's championship on the back of a poor league campaign.

Sunday’s opening round defeat to Roscommon, in such a competitive top-flight, has the Ulster side already with work to do and former player Peter Canavan says the signs of what he has seen from the early evidence is "worrying".

A McKenna Cup final defeat to Derry was far from the end of the world, but not only the defeat itself in Dr Hyde Park, but the trends appearing are what is giving Canavan grounds for concern.

A Kieran McGeary goal 12 minutes into the second half gave Tyrone a three-point cushion, but the Rossies plundered three goals of their own to take the win.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Game On, the two-time All-Ireland winner outlined some of his county’s recent problems.

"From a Tyrone perspective, it’s worrying," he said, backing up a point made by former team-mate Sean Cavanagh on Allianz League Sunday.

"Very worrying for Tyrone" Seán Cavanagh reacts to Tyrone's defeat to an impressive Roscommon off the back of a difficult 2022 for his native county