OWEN MULLIGAN HAS BACKED Tyrone to bring an aggressive game to Croke Park on All-Ireland final day to keep pace with a formidable Dublin outfit.

Tyrone's original 'Castaway': Paddy Power columnist Owen Mulligan says it's 'Harte' over head in advance of the Red Hands attempt to halt Dublin’s domination as All-Ireland Champions in Croke Park this weekend.

Tyrone are ranked outsiders to stop Dublin from winning the Sam Maguire for a fourth successive time but Mulligan believes his former manager Mickey Harte is the right candidate to lead Tyrone to glory against Jim Gavin's charges.

The three-time All-Ireland winner played in some thrilling battles against Dublin down through the years and is confident that the current Tyrone players can match them for physicality at GAA headquarters.

"I’m not saying hit a man or punch a man, but you have to be up to the pace, you have to be in their faces."

Nice footballers don’t win games. Are Tyrone missing some nasty boys? I’d say they have a few there if they need to call on them.

"We don’t know what’s going to happen on Sunday, but if there’s any man that can do it, it’s Mickey Harte. He is a different animal in a final."

Tyrone suffered a heavy defeat to Dublin in last year's All-Ireland semi-final but produced a more encouraging display when the sides met in Omagh during the inaugural Super 8s competition earlier this summer.

Tyrone and Dublin players getting to know each other during their Super 8s tie in Omagh.Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

A James McCarthy goal proved to be the decisive score in the end as Dublin came away with a three-point victory.

Tyrone also come into this All-Ireland final bolstered by a semi-final win over Monaghan, having previously lost to the Farney men during the Ulster championship.

Additionally, Mulligan points out that Harte boasts an impressive record in finals as a manager, losing just three times in some 30 deciders.

"It’s what he thrives on," says Mulligan.

"It’s his bread and butter but he needs a massive, massive push from this group of players.

Harte is the most stubborn man I’ve ever met. He has tunnel vision. He wants to make Tyrone the best, he wants to be the best manager, and he wants to make you a better person and a better player out of every person he manages.

"Now he mightn’t have succeeded in making me a better person," he laughs, "but he did make a better player out of me.

"At the end of the day we have huge respect for each other and if there’s any manager to pull off a shock this weekend it’s Mickey Harte."

Owen Mulligan is a Paddy Power GAA ambassador and columnist with Paddy Power News.