Former Mayo manager James Horan believes Ulster football is no more physical than it is in other provinces.

He joined Off The Ball on the line from Ballyhaunis after we played Dave McIntyre's chat with Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney and spoke about perceptions of styles up north.

"Kieran was in the media recently about Dublin, Kerry and the physicality there and if you look at that in the context of Armagh, and maybe Ulster football in the wider context - and I think Kieran is right on this - I think football is as physical, if not more physical down south. The Northern teams, the game is considered more dour, much more physical and with much more following and I'm not sure that's exactly the case anymore," he said. 

We have Derry v Down live on Off The Ball tomorrow and Horan believes relegation, which Derry experienced this year, does "cause a stir in the management team and in the county board".

As for Derry's opponents, he said: "Down, on the other side, have been playing Division 2 and Division 2 is just not near the standard of Division 1. Even if you look at some of the results in Division 2, some of the main teams like Roscommon, Down, Galway and Meath are hammering each other week after week. So the consistency that you have in Division 1 isn't there."  

But he also highlighted some of the positives Down could draw from their league campaign.