Mayo captain Keith Higgins has hailed the work James Horan did with the Mayo team during his four years in charge, saying the Ballintubber man completely changed the side’s mentality.
Mayo have shown an unerring consistency in the last four years, reaching two All-Ireland semi-finals either side of two final appearances. Part of that is down to the level of professionalism the former boss brought to the Mayo camp.
In an interview with gaa.ie Higgins said “Being honest, up until James came in. I don’t know how to word this exactly,James put in a whole set-up that made it a lot easier to get the best out of players.”
“I probably wasn’t putting enough into it either. We would have had gym programmes and all that but you’d probably be thinking, some nights you’d go and some nights you wouldn’t, it was as simple as that. You’d go when it suited.”
Higgins won four Connacht titles in a row under Horan’s stewardship, and admits the increased commitment to training has helped to get the best out of him, but there was a time when he may not have been so keen to spend his evenings in the gym.
“When I came in first, it was a matter of train Tuesday, Thursday and play on Sunday. There might have been a gym programme, but it wasn’t exactly monitored or anything.”
You might go and you might not go and you might go down to the chipper one of the days instead!
“But James just came in and changed the whole mentality. The mentality changed, the lifestyle changed, the whole lot changed. Hopefully it’s still going in the right direction.”
Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes have come in to replace Horan for 2015 and Higgins revealed that there has been no major changes, just a few minor tweaks here and there.
One of their first moves was to give Higgins the captaincy, the same honour they bestowed on him when they managed the All-Ireland winning U21 side of 2006.
“They have fitted in handy enough in fairness. It takes a bit of getting used to at the start. When you are with James for so long, you get into a bit of a comfort zone but they have been taking lads out of that a bit hopefully and maybe making things a bit more competitive within the panel.”
The three-time All-star has been a key member of the Mayo hurling panel in recent years but took the decision to step away from the county hurling set-up this year in a bid to focus all his energy on football.
Given that I’m 30 years of age, it’s something that was always going to have to give. Unfortunately it had to happen this year. We’ll see what happens in the future.
Higgins was named at corner-back for Mayo’s Connacht championship semi-final with Galway on Sunday afternoon as the green and red ignite their bid to capture a historic fifth Connacht title in a row.
Cambridge to win!!!!
In the boat race Ben yea ?
Jaysus, if Cambridge did win, would he still call it a twitchy ass?
No train tunnel !
Did Cambridge back off to get the payday?
Ha ha
Cambridge, a town known for its University and Academics,more than its Football. Locals out in force supporting their local team, even though there is a massive gulf in class and they would be regarded as minnows my many.Now imagine if this game was in Dublin, a town that claims to be sports mad. The locals would be supporting the team in Red. We’ve a lot to learn here, as to what supporting a team is really all about.
A town that claims to be sports mad, but in truth is drink mad, and the premier league is on every weekend down the pub. Maybe the fans in Cambridge need a lesson in what latent alcoholism is all about.
Aye but no one turns out for a regular game, that’s not what support is about!
The fact United were the first team to play at the New Lansdowne road was a joke….. “Fans” were cheering goals scored by United against a league of Ireland 11, so embarrassing.
I think we support out national game quite well in Dublin, hill 16 is packed every championship game! Soccer is a foreign game, and the club/ league/ national soccer set up in this country is a complete joke! The GAA make the FAI look like amateurs
I’m assuming u were at the Aviva last season Luke for Rovers v Liverpool. You’re a Liverpool supporter so maybe you ll point out the difference….
I think they average 4-5000 a game so fairly decent. Still chose to get behind their team tonight instead of the ‘big club’. People support their local side in the UK, like people here do their County in GAA. To do anything else would be perceived as odd over there.
Yeah sure Ger. That’s why there are so many Man United fans in London !!!
That’s just not true. Having met countless English people in hostels whilst traveling I can tell you that unless they come from a place with a big club eg Manchester, most do not support there local club. It’s very strange because they don’t even support there nearest biggest club. The amount of people I met from south England who support Man U even though they have no connection to Manchester is staggering and as far as I could see it wasn’t considered strange by other English people.
I wasn’t at that game Gerry because I was on holidays but to be honest if I did Go I wouldn’t have been cheering Liverpool goals any loader than I would have cheered the local teams goals, i am Irish after all.
That Liverpool game was different because it wasn’t the grand opening for our new national stadium. A bunch of sad gits cheering United while their own country men got hockeyed wasn’t the best way to open something we all paid for.
Not as many as in Dublin and people go watch their local teams in London too. Look at attendances across the UK. Even the Conference averages higher attendances than the LOI. Why? Because there is a culture of attending games, regardless of how big or small your team is.
Chadwick has really grown into his face
So far jones final balls have been shocking poor like, Fellaini given away free after free. It’s been pretty tame the last 28 minutes.
LVG should get Ander Herrera, to teach Fellaini on how to tackle and not give away frees all the time. Herrera had more of an impact in the last 15 minutes than Fellaini.
That was just apalling. I don’t care about the conditions or any other excuse. getting stressed watching it. Ruined my Friday evening.
My God that was painful to watch. LVG can take his philosophy and shove it where the sun don’t shine.
Sloop you can’t blame LVG for players poor choice decisions in the final third, to many time player check back instead of going to the byline
I
Sorry B, don’t agree. The manager picks the team so the buck stops with him. Blind was terrible all thru the game but was only substituted near the end. I’ve heard of “blind” loyalty but that was ridiculous.
Of course you can B, That’s his philosophy. It’s brutal to watch, the attacking UTD is long gone with LVG. Very patient but very hard to watch.
Dion Dublin to come on and score the winner for Cambridge
200 million….well worth it.
Well done Cambridge, horrible conditions but they deserve there day out now at Old Trafford . A nice payday for the club aswell now . Will look forward to the replay .
This the real Bazinga?
Ahhh ffs…. You guys always chop my comment…. Journo, why does this happen?
Baz, was saying this year it seems the cups have been about the lil clubs….. Great to see!
There’s a local Malahide lad doing well with Cambridges youth team the last 2 years. It would have been nice to have seen him play tonight. A year or two early for him though!
Cork lad too playing tonight!
Jones , one of our better headerers of the ball hitting corners. Very poor corners at that. Hmmm
Jones is absolute shite. He looks so cumbersome on the ball, gives it away most of the time.
Squeaky bum time glory seekers.
Who do you support then Ben? If it’s anyone except Accrington Stanley then you can FRO
Blind is the furthest thing away from a left I have ever seen!
Any idea why he’s getting booed? It’s hilarious but baffling
V poor, Cambridge were superb. Conditions were poor but no excuse for lads been paid a normal persons salary a week. At least the replay will ensure Cambridge keep their heads above water. Their fans were superb.
F@#King hopeless!!!! Poor tactical formations and no heart from the utd players. Hard to watch.
Why does LVG persist with 3-5-2 ? http://wp.me/p3yGUO-IC
Except it’s 4-4-2 tonight
If that’s your own blog you’re linking you might want to give it a quick proof read for detail. Murinho, while a very good manager, tends to be successful with the traditional 11 man teams, so unless he abandoned the goalkeeping position in his initial spell as Chelsea manager I don’t think it’s accurate to say he “brought in the 4-4-3 so successfully.”
No sure Jose has played the keeper up front loads of times.
Poor Trapattoni lost his job because he insisted on playing 4-4-2 …….
4 4 2
4 4 2
4 4 2
Herrera for felliani, RVP for Wilson.
Falcao doing nothing Time to bring rvp on
They need to provide him with some proper balls
Whats wrong with ball they are using now?
Pretty sure Utd will win
Crikey neither of em !!