Peter Canavan: Mickey Harte holds all the aces for Donegal clash

Former Tyrone star forward Peter Canavan believes Derry boss Mickey Harte holds "all the aces" ahead of Saturday evening's Ulster SFC quarter-final clash with Donegal.

It's a fascinating match-up. Derry are the Allianz Football League Division 1 champions and genuine contenders to lift the Sam Maguire Cup, while Donegal are once again under the guidance of Jim McGuinness, a man who knows how to shake up the landscape and upset the odds.

Harte - who led Tyrone to three All-Ireland titles - and McGuinness are two of Gaelic football's biggest characters, and though Canavan expects Donegal to give a good account of themselves, he can't see beyond the Oak Leaf County.

"There's a lot made of the sideshow, but it's not a bad sideshow - Mickey Harte v Jim McGuinness," Canavan told the RTÉ GAA Podcast.

"They've had a bit of history down through the years. It'd be fair to say that McGuinness has held the upper hand in a lot of those clashes but I'd say this time around it's Mickey Harte that's holding all the aces.

"I don't think Mickey has to do a lot in terms of his troops. They play to a very set system, they know what they're about, they're a team that's been in development this (past) four, five years.

"It's been an upward trend. A lot of people felt when Mickey came in he was going to have to add to the Derry panel to strengthen them. He has managed that. He's brought in two, three, you could say four players that have really come on.

"They've had plenty of experience through the league and now Derry have a strong panel.

"They don't have their 12, 13 players maybe that people were suggesting last year; they have a really strong panel. There's a sense of togetherness there, so I don't think the Derry management have to do a lot."

Derr