Malachy O'Rourke going to Tyrone almost feels as big a blow for Derry as it does a success for Tyrone, because it is common knowledge that the Oakleaf county were interested in him as well.
The Fermanagh native has been sought after by pretty much every county that has a managerial vacancy, but it was the Red Hands who won his signature in the end.
Now Derry, who are still without a manager since Mickey Harte stood down, only a week after they were eliminated from the championship in the quarter-finals, seem no closer to finding a successor.
It looked like Rory Gallagher would be making a return to the hot seat but news around that seems to have cooled, and with O'Rourke currently managing Derry stars like Conor glass and Ciaran McFaul at Watty Graham's Glen, then he seemed the obvious choice.
Speaking on The Puke Football Podcast Derry legend Eoin Bradley doesn't see Tyrone's new appointment as a "blow" for Derry, but he does urge the county board to find someone ASAP.
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"From talking to players and those around the county, Malachy O'Rourke didn't want the job, so a lot people are saying that it's a big loss for Derry, but if he's been offered the job and he doesn't want it, then I don't think it's a loss at all" Bradley told Puke Football.
"I don't know the ins and outs, maybe Derry should have moved Hell and high water to get Malachy O'Rourke, and maybe they did, and he still said no - at the end of the day, working with Glen and that, maybe he thought he had too many close ties.
"A lot of them boys are in the Derry team, and maybe people would say 'you're favouring all of the Glen players', it's a hard one for him.
"His record obviously speaks for itself, but after last year with Mickey, they need something, and I don't know what's going to happen.
"There was a lot of talk of the players wanting Rory Gallagher back, and I assumed he more or less had the job, but that doesn't look to be the case now, and at the end of the day it's not an ideal situation, they need to get it sorted shortly.
"Armagh won an All-Ireland last year, and I think there is one to be won here, Derry proved over the last number of years with two Ulsters that they can compete, so maybe like Armagh, with a wee bit of luck, you could sneak an All-Ireland.
"They really need to get it sorted sooner rather than later."
Derry legend Eoin Bradley joins Lee on Puke Football as they talk about:
- Glenullin going for three-in-a-row in 🏆
- Playing football at a top level in his 40s 💪
- Balancing football with soccer ⚽
- Malachy O'Rourke's move to Tyrone 🤔
- The Derry management situation 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/A6q9RqK1nj— Lee Costello (@PukeFootballPod) September 13, 2024
A former Derry star himself, Bradley has been there when managers leave, and it takes a long time for a replacement to be announcement.
It unsettles the squad who are keen to know if they are going in the right direction or not, and the Glenullin native thinks that they will be frustrated by this whole process.
"I would say the players aren't happy, like county football is almost 12 months a year in terms of the planning, and them boys would be looking their gym programmes, they want to know who is involved, is there going to be trials, and it's just not a good situation.
"I think the county board put out a thing there not so long ago that there was going to be an announcement, and then there was no announcement, and stuff like that.
"They really do need to get it sorted sooner rather than later, and get everybody behind the team, because when you look at the minors and players coming through, there's so much potential."
Rumours have been circulating that outside managers like James Horan, and Peter Keane, are potential candidates, but as things stand it is only rumours, and nothing concrete has been confirmed yet.
You can listen to the full interview, and many more, on The Puke Football Podcast for free right here: The Puke Football Podcast
