FORMER Louth assistant manager Peter McDonnell believes that the Wee county simply cannot waste the window of opportunity that has been opened with Mickey Harte’s surprise appointment as manager.

Like Harte, McDonnell is well known around Ballygawley having helped guide Errigal Ciaran to the 2000 Ulster Club final while the pair came into direct competition nine years later when the Red Hands earned a three-point win over Armagh in the Ulster Championship.

So from watching up close and from studying him from further afield, the Mullaghbawn native is in no doubt that Louth can make significant progress – if they back Harte all the way.

“There are good footballers there in Louth but whether they are committed enough, and sometimes commitment comes on the back of belief, is vital,” said McDonnell, who was a coach in 2010 under current Louth chairperson Peter Fitzpatrick.

“Mickey is the man for that because the talent is there and now they have the manager.

“It’s one thing getting a big name, it’s one thing having this media coup that goes with that, it’s another thing entirely backing Mickey Harte to the hilt and supporting him at county board level in what he is trying to do.

“I know ‘Fitzer’ and I know he is a Louth man to the bone, and I’d trust that ‘Fitzer’ will be thinking like that too.

“Anything less will sour the whole thing. Louth have an opportunity to do something now.”

Harte is not the first Ulster All-Ireland winner to manage Louth with Pete McGrath taking on the role in 2011.

On announcing his departure, the former Down supremo said that he had “maybe made better decisions in his life” and cited player unavailability as a big challenge.

McDonnell, who guided Armagh to their last Ulster success 12 years ago, expects that every player capable will be racing to make themselves available to Harte.

“Mickey Harte has something very special, and the first thing is a recognition of how important each man is that he has.

“Listen, Mickey is a tough character, he’s a tough taskmaster and he’s always pressing you to be the best that you can be.

“The whole package of you, the whole lot, that’s what he looks at. He gets you to believe in yourself.

“The belief that he instills in people is based on getting simple things right, not elaborate strategies or things beyond a person.

“Mickey will do well wherever he goes and the players will want to be involved in that.

“He had a great impact with St Ciaran’s, Ballygawley. He had a tremendous impact within his own club and, of course, with Tyrone at minor, u-21 and senior.”

In terms of what Harte, who will be assisted by Gavin Devlin, can expect, McDonnell said that there is a certain laissez faire approach to things in the Leinster county, but that there are real raw materials that could be moulded.

“He can expect a bit of everything,” McDonnell said.

“I have to say that the one thing that struck me was the freedom with which the Louth players played their game.

“There is some unbelievably natural talent in that county, and that’s not something new for Louth football.

“I’m not sure if it’s because there is a different attitude, a different approach, or maybe the football hasn’t been coached out of them, but you have players taking points from distance at their leisure, fielding ball magnificently and doing things with flair.”

n.mccoy@gaeliclife.com