New year, new manager and new hope for Derry

Dr, McKenna Cup - Derry v Monaghan

Monaghan also have a new manager in Eamonn McEnaney who took over from his namesake Seamus under something of a cloud in the Farney county. With teams banned from collective training during November and December it gives little chance for any manager, particularly a new one, to get a good look at his players.

Brennan has picked quite a strong squad and has refrained from selecting players who will never be county players. He has 26 players in his squad but eight more players who will be in his first team squad are tied up with University teams.

With players like Enda Muldoon, Gerard O'Kane, Kevin McCloy, James Conway, Conleth Gilligan, Barry McGoldrick, Paddy Bradley and Dermot McBride the manager will be able to field a strong fifteen.

There are some newcomers in the squad like PJ McCloskey, Banagher, Michael Drumm, Lavey, Dermot Devlin, Ballinascreen and Aidan McAlynn, Loup, Ciaran McGoldrick and Niall Holly Coleraine, Niall McNicholl and Ruairi Shivers Castledawson. It is noticeable that Brennan has gone for players who impressed in the Derry club championships.

Monaghan have a big injury list and will travel with a somewhat inexperienced squad but they will still have the brilliant Paul Finlay at midfield, Dessie Mone in defence and Ciaran Hanratty in attack.

Monaghan are quite strong at the younger age levels and have some fine players coming through. In the last three years they have beaten Derry at Ulster minor level.

John Brennan's main aim is to get Derry back to winning ways again after a few tame surrenders last year when the county's injury problems reached crisis proportions. They were relegated and went out of the Ulster championship to a moderate Armagh team and as the season progressed morale seemed to sink.

Derry may not be blessed with some of the strong squads of former years but that is the type of challenge that John Brennan likes. At club level he took unfancied teams to county titles and his will to win will be transferred to the players.

Normally the McKenna Cup is about experimenting but at the end of the line there is a trophy and Derry will be up for the challenge.