By BBC's Jerome Quinn

Who's the best gaelic football manager from Ulster? Joe Kernan? Brian McEniff? Peter McGrath?

All three are in the top 10 listed in this month's excellent Breaking Ball magazine, but the answer is 'none of the above'.

Down to earth and likeable: Dom Corrigan and Mickey Harte

The answer is the manager who wins the next match.

That could be Mickey Harte or Dominic Corrigan or Joe Kernan this weekend.

As Corrigan pointed out at the Allianz head-to-head with Harte in Belfast ahead of the Fermanagh-Tyrone clash: "Managers are judged on results. If you win, you're the best in the world. If you lose, it's all your fault".

Corrigan and Harte represent a new breed of Ulster manager, bringing a freshness and confidence to what had become a stale situation in the province.

No offence meant, but the 'nineties men' had their time - McGrath, Coleman, McEniff, Moran, McRory and McKenna, and the two Brians.

It's quite amazing and a bit disappointing that very few All Ireland winning players from the early nineties have come through to senior county management.

Declan Bonnar had a go in Donegal, Damien Cassidy helped Coleman in Derry and in Down there's now Paddy O'Rourke with Greg Blaney.

Quite a few other ex-players have entered club management, where financial incentives are allegedly common.

Harte handled the fall-out in Tyrone from the McRory-McKenna saga with admirable diplomacy

Perhaps it's simply a matter of transition and in time more of them will progess to county management.

Corrigan and Harte have certainly served their time in the schools and with underage teams, with notable successes.

St Michael's Enniskillen played in four MacRory cup finals in-a-row and numerous trophies were won by Tyrone Minors and Under-21s under Harte and Fr Gerard McAleer.

Corrigan and Harte have also enhanced their reputations in club management.

Both men are down-to-earth and likeable characters, capable of deflecting difficult questions from the media and yet with a ruthless streak in the dressing-room.

For example, Corrigan has responded to the loss of record-scorer Rory Gallagher by taking Fermanagh to their first League semi-final since 1935.

A few months ago, supporters in the Erne county couldn't see a future without their star man.

However Corrigan stood his ground, protected team spirit and pointed out that this Fermanagh team has achieved what no other team has done, so it must be the best ever team from the county.

Nineties man: Peter McGrath

Similarly, Harte has handled the fall-out in Tyrone from the McRory-McKenna saga with admirable diplomacy.

Managers come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and styles.

Pete McGrath may not always have had the best relationships with his players, but he won two All Irelands by simply putting the best players on the field and letting them get on with it.

Martin McHugh is the 110 per cent manager, covering every possible angle so that his players have no choice but to match his commitment, enthusiasm and belief.

Then there's the motivators and I'm told by St Pat's Maghera pupils, past and present, that there is nothing quite like a half-time team talk from Adrian McGuckin.

Also, Joe Brolly gave an insight into Brian Mullins' managerial 'style' in last month's Breaking Ball.

Apparently, the ex-Dub used to say: "Whenever your man is really putting it up to you, embrace the challenge.

Top man McCague?

"Throw your shoulders back, get you chin up and say to yourself: 'Great, this is exactly why I'm here".

Mullins would thump his chest as he said this.

Joe Kernan has set the new standard for managers, by combining all of the above and winning the Sam Maguire in his first season.

A key factor was his right-hand man Eamonn Mackle, an influential businessman who looked after many of Kernan's off-the-pitch requirements.

If Mickey Harte can get the same back-up in Tyrone, I feel that he has all the attributes to follow in Kernan's footsteps this season.

Oh, and the best manager ever?

How about Sean McCague, working with limited resources in Monaghan and winning three Ulster titles from 1979-88, the county's only titles in the last 65 years?

Email me: [email protected]