Mickey Harte ‘will remain as Derry manager, 100 per cent’ ahead of crucial clash with Westmeath

Social media has been awash with all kinds of rumours in recent days about Harte’s reign with the Oak Leafers possibly coming to an end in the wake of their harrowing 11-point defeat to Ulster rivals Armagh last weekend.

The wheels have come off spectacularly with three successive championship defeats following their epic Division 1 League final victory over Dublin at the end of March.

Any possible departure appears to be wide of the mark, however, after Harte’s future as Derry boss was discussed at last night’s county board meeting before he got the seal of approval to remain in charge.

“Mickey Harte is and will remain as Derry manager, 100 per cent. We’ve an important game against Westmeath and we are fully united,” Derry chairman John Keenan told BBC Sport Northern Ireland.

Amazingly, Harte could still yet lead Derry to an All-Ireland title, his fourth after three triumphs with his native Tyrone (2003, ’05, ’08), despite a hat-trick of humbling losses.

Failure to beat Westmeath could be the end of the road of his high-profile time in Derry, though, as that would signal a finish to their season but victory opens up some tasty possibilities against familiar faces.

One is a mouth-watering preliminary All-Ireland quarter-final against Tyrone (which would be played in Omagh) while another is an intriguing clash with Louth, who he hastily left last September when the Derry job came on his radar.