MICKEY Harte has seen almost everything during 22 years at the top of the inter-county, but the frenzied speculation over his future in the wake of Derry’s dismal defeat to Armagh marked a new departure.
Against Westmeath on Saturday night, Derry steadied the ship to a degree after defeats to Donegal, Galway and the Orchard ended hopes of holding onto their Ulster crown, and left their All-Ireland hopes in the balance.
Goals at crucial times from Conor McCluskey and Emmett Bradley helped Harte’s men edge past the Lake County and into Monday morning’s preliminary All-Ireland quarter-final draw, but rumblings of discontent persist.
It is less than a fortnight since WhatsApp rumours swirled around that Harte could be headed for the exit door - just nine months after his appointment, and nine weeks after winning the Division One title – as talk gathered pace in the wake of that 11-point hammering at the hands of the Orchard.
“It was just another Tuesday for me,” smiled the three-time All-Ireland winner.
Yet while the Tyrone man insists the criticism that followed their third loss on-the-trot “doesn’t bother” him, he hit out at the “empty vessels” who had targeted his players.
“It’s to do with the times we’re living in,” he said after Saturday’s four-point win.
“There’s so many people that can have a voice and bring it out as if it was the gospel truth. You know what they say about empty vessels, they make the most noise, and that’s probably part of it.
“I don’t like that it has happened to the players, they don’t deserve it. They’re better than that. They’ve worked their socks off the whole year and played some wonderful football.
“For my part, it doesn’t bother me. I don’t think it’s a nice thing to be at, but it doesn’t bother me, and those who are directing at me, I just tell them they shouldn’t get any joy out of it because I’m not worried about it.”
Harte insists his men didn’t use the criticism as fuel, preferring instead to focus their efforts on best representing the “true” Derry supporters.
“I don’t really believe in negative motivation.
“The biggest motivation we had here was for the true supporters of Derry who come out through thick and thin, who enjoy watching their team and they’ll take the hits of losses with the victories, and there’s plenty of them for that.
“That’s who they were playing for, that’s who motivates them to do what they did there tonight... when we get results, we’ll know who the real supporters are and we’ll know who’s firing the arrows.
“I know the narrative’s out there that one result isn’t enough either so we know that the same questions will be asked next week.”
For Westmeath counterpart Dessie Dolan, meanwhile, it was a case of what might have been as his men failed to fully take advantage of Derry’s fragile confidence on their way out the All-Ireland exit door.
“I’m very disappointed, I thought the game was there for us...”
And he admitted he had some sympathy for the criticism that has come Harte’s way in recent weeks.
“I think it has been a bit unfair.
“He has been an exceptional manager over such a long period of time and his personal situation as well, I think he’s an incredible man. I just felt sorry for him this week.”
