Conor Glass: Derry were missing Paddy Tally's authority and calmness in recent seasons

Before a ball was kicked in the 2024 Allianz Football League, pundits were talking up Derry. And while Mickey Harte's arrival as manager did prompt questions as to how the collective would fare, a narrow loss to Kerry in the previous year's race for Sam at the semi-final stage showed that the Ulster men were a genuine threat.

Under Harte, Derry would claim a Division 1 crown. An Easter Sunday epic saw them prevail over Dublin after a penalty shootout. A three-week break would follow before they opened their championship account against Donegal. An early-season blockbuster, we thought, but Jim McGuinness' men found goals easy to come by at Celtic Park. The hosts were a well-beaten docket come the end of the 70-plus minutes.

In truth, Derry never really recovered after that, despite reaching an All-Ireland quarter-final. Their exit at the hands of Kerry after a drab affair typified their year, post that thrilling league finale on Jones Road.

Harte would eventually depart. It took a while for a new man to be installed. A decade on from when he last worked with the county, Paddy Tally was announced as the new manager at the end of November.

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Another Tyrone native in the hotseat.

Tally is well-travelled. He was part of Mickey Harte's management team when the Red Hands claimed their breakthrough All-Ireland triumph in 2003. He also helped out James McCartan as Down made it to the Sam Maguire decider in 2010, and would later go on to manage the Mourne County. Coaching positions in Derry