Reflective Andrews ready for Donegal test

AS Manhattan smouldered in the dusk on September 11, 2001, events were playing out thousands of miles away which resulted in a short news story, buried in the sports pages — Val Andrews, having not received unanimous backing from club delegates, resigned as boss of the Cavan team he had led to within three points of an Ulster title.

Fast forward 10 years and Andrews is back patrolling the sideline at Breffni Park tomorrow, in conjunction with one of his 2001 selectors, Terry Hyland. The wheel has come full circle, but a lot has changed also.

“It was a little bit quieter,” Andrews drawled, when asked what the press night a decade ago was like.

“I have a different outlook on the press, I’m 10 years older. It’s just part of the gig. I don’t pass much heed on it. Once you’re honest, what have you to be worrying about?”

On the playing front, things couldn’t be much different in Cavan. The year after Andrews’ side made an Ulster final, they were in an NFL Division One decider. Tomorrow they are rated as 4/1 outsiders at home to Donegal.

“Ah well, it’s a different era,” said Andrews.

“How has football changed? It has become more organised, more defensive. It’s á-la-carte professionalism. They take parts of the bits and pieces of professionalism and they impose them on amateur players, which is probably a bit of nonsense. And the demands that we make of the players can be unrealistic. But I think they only have this God-given talent for a few years and you should make the best of it and enjoy it and if you’re not enjoying it, maybe you shouldn’t do it.”

The notoriously demanding Breffni support will accept nothing less than a win and Cavan’s home form (they have beaten Waterford, Offaly, Wexford, Fermanagh, Roscommon, Tipperary, Louth, Limerick and Wicklow among others in the past two seasons) suggests they may come closer than the bookmakers predict.

To do that, though, they’ll have to work harder than ever, says Andrews.

“You have to enjoy it, they do enjoy it — I hope they do anyway — but I mean it’s a lot of time. It’s not kindergarten stuff... there’s pressures and there’s expectations on them. I wouldn’t whinge about Donegal’s defensive system. Jimmy sets out his team and they’re going well. Why would he change it? It seems to be based on a full court press on basketball, they’re up and down the court. Fair play, if that suits their style, let them off. First of all you have to match their hard work, commitment and honesty. And they have that in abundance and that’s why they won Division Two. We match that and it becomes who’s the better footballers, then we’ll see.”