THIS weekend is the weekend we have all been waiting for as the 2020 Ulster Football Championship swings into action. It’s not the season we imagined that we would be having but nonetheless, we are all excited and thankful that it is here.

Before I touch on this week’s games, I want to speak a little about what championship football played at this time of year will look and feel like.

We are all used to the sunny summer days when the ball is dry and the sun is high but things will be very different this time around. Championship football is normally two or three steps up from what league football would be but this year I have my doubts.

I think that this year’s championship will be much slower and the intensity might just not be what we have become accustomed to. There are a few reasons for this. The pitches will be heavier and slower to play on and the lack of crowds will, without doubt, have an impact on the pace and the urgency of the games.

Having been in attendance at the last two rounds of the league, it’s clear to see that the players are just not at the level physically that they would normally be at mid-summer, and that is to be expected given the circumstances.

I do believe that playing the championship at this time of the year acts as a leveller to the teams that have been chasing the likes of Dublin over the last few years. I fully expect to see some shock results this year which could add to the competition.

The big game this week is without doubt the clash of Ulster heavyweights Donegal and Tyrone. I covered their league meeting two weeks ago and I will admit walking away from that game that I thought Donegal would beat them easily this Sunday, but after being at Tyrone’s game in Mayo last weekend I’m not that sure anymore.

Against Donegal, Tyrone played with 15 behind the ball and offered very little going forward but against Mayo they played a style that was the polar opposite to that.

Tyrone pressed Mayo high and they kept three up top for most of the game.

We saw what McKenna could do against Donegal but when Tyrone added Peter Harte and young Darragh Canavan into the equation they became a different animal. They will cause Donegal problems this weekend, there is no doubt about that.

I want to single out young Canavan this week for some special praise. When he was named to start last weekend I kept a close eye on him during the game and his movement was sublime. We cannot expect him to light up the championship this year but one thing is for sure, he will be a special player in the years to come.

I admire how Tyrone have handled him as I remember watching him in an u-17 match in Derry a few years back and he was on fire.

However, instead of fast-tracking him into the senior ranks, he crept away and developed himself and now he seems like he is ready to make the step up.

For Tyrone to win I feel they need to play with the same tactics that they did against Mayo. If they play with three up top and attack with real venom like we know that they can then they will have a chance, but if they play with 15 behind the ball Donegal will simply pick them off.

Donegal are used to playing against this system so it’s second nature to them at this stage but if Tyrone mix it up like they did against Mayo then that will be a totally different ballgame.

Donegal performed really well against Tyrone two weeks ago and there is no doubt that they are hot favourites heading into this weekend‘s clash.

Donegal are well set up structurally and they have a frightening counter-attacking aspect to their game. We had some massive individual performances from the likes of Michael Murphy and Ryan McHugh the last day out against the Red Hands and a lot will depend on how Tyrone can curb those threats.

I have been impressed with Donegal over the last 18 months or so and I feel that they are not too far away.

If they were to get over the line this weekend then the gates will open up in front of them and you just would not know where they could end up.

I mentioned the impact of the championship being played at this time year and I feel that Donegal are one of those teams who could benefit from this given their geographical location and the fact that we are used to playing against the elements up here day in, day out. Winter football could suit Donegal.

A lot will depend on how each team approach the game but from what I’ve seen over the last two weekends, I just put Donegal slightly ahead of Tyrone at this stage and I expect them to get the job done on Sunday.