Erne manager, Pete McGrath has declared that ‘there is nothing to fear in the Ulster Championship’ for Fermanagh as the countdown begins for the 2016 season. In the same week that McGrath announced his under 21 panel the Down native revealed that the senior squad will be back on the training ground in early December and will meet prior to Christmas for a ‘goal setting session.’

‘We will come together in mid December for a goal setting session and I think it is important that we take stock of 2015 and look to set more ambitious targets for the coming season. And in terms of the Ulster Championship there is nothing out there that I would fear and nothing out there that the players should fear either,” McGrath explained.

The two time All Ireland winning manager went on to expand on his point.

“We have Antrim up first and then Donegal if we get over that. Obviously we will be looking only at Antrim but on the wider point I think that there are a lot of teams very even in Ulster. I feel we could have reached an Ulster final last season had things went a little differently and unlike maybe ten years ago or even a few years ago with Donegal I feel that there are a lot of teams of a similar standard and with a good opportunity of winning the Ulster Championship and Fermanagh are one of those teams.”

McGrath has been busy on the football fields of Fermanagh running his eye over under 21 trialists in the past number of weeks and he is pleased that he has been able to put in place a squad at this stage of the year.

“I think it is important that we have a panel in place and that the players know that the county are taking the under 21 championship seriously. Players need to feel that so they can then give the required commitment. The players will want for nothing and I can promise them that in terms of the management they will find we are fully committed,” he revealed.

Fermanagh are indeed putting a whole new emphasis on the Under 21 squad and they will play in a warm up competition in January by way of beefing out their preparation for the Ulster championship.

“We will play Sligo, Donegal and Mayo and that will let the players know exactly where they are,” McGrath stated.

The senior boss also revealed that he has been impressed with what he has seen from the under 21’s to date.

“I think there is talent there, there is ambition and there is commitment and I would be very happy with the squad we have put together. Obviously there are a number of players who have been in the senior squad too but there are four or five others that I have been very impressed with and if they were to improve like I think they can then they would be able to make the step up into a senior squad.”

Returning to the senior squad and the forthcoming season McGrath was of the opinion that it was important to bank what was achieved in 2015 but also not dwell on it.

“2015 was a very positive season. It galvanised the squad and in many ways galvanised football in Fermanagh and it is something that we should build on. But it is also important to know that 2015 is over and that we need to move on from it and improve again. It is not an option to drop back and have a poor year just because of what was achieved last season.”

After the McKenna Cup Fermanagh will face a very tough campaign in division two and while McGrath conceded that it would be a dog eat dog division he believes Fermanagh are as well placed as any team in the division.

“There will certainly be a parochial feel to it all with five teams from Ulster competing and then the other teams; Laois, Meath and Galway, will be a formidable challenge but I think that any team in the division could beat any other on any given day so we have to approach every game in a positive fashion and the league as a whole in a positive fashion.”

Fermanagh U21 squad

Damien McCarville, Tomás O'Hara (Aughdrumsee); Connor McAuley (Belnaleck); Conor Hoy, Garvan Jones, Jack Kelly, Lee Jones (Derrygonnelly); Danny Leonard (Derrylin); Conor Carney, Conor Watson, Patrick Reihill (Enniskillen Gaels); Jack McCann, Luke Ryder, Shane Rooney (Erne Gaels); TJ McMulkin (Irvinestown); Aaron O'Reilly, Ciaran Breen, James Allen (Kinawley); Sean Keenan, Shane O'Hara (Lisnaskea); Ciaran Corrigan, David Teague (Maguiresbridge); Jason Flanagan (Newtownbutler); Micheál Jordan (Roslea); Ryan Kelly, Shane Heaney (St.Patrick's); Cián McManus, Eoin McManus, Ryan Maguire (Teemore Shamrocks)