Heary: Connor is right man for Galway

Thomas Heary has told Extratime that manager Sean Connor can turn Galway United into a force to be reckoned with in the Premier Division this season.

Not much is expected from Galway this year as most pundits have suggested that they will avoid relegation but won’t do enough to challenge higher up the table.

That suits Connor just fine. The Tribesmen boss is used to his teams being written off at the start of each season and he takes great satisfaction in proving his critics wrong.

While the task facing him with Galway is his "toughest challenge yet" he is certainly the right man to revive the fortunes of the Connacht club. At least that is the view of veteran defender Heary.

The 31-year-old recently agreed to follow Connor out west and link up with him for the third time in his career. Obviously, there is something about the management skills of the former Dundalk chief that lures Heary in each time.

"I enjoy working with him [Connor]. He thinks a lot about the game and I think a lot of the lads at Dundalk last year appreciated that, which is why they tried their best for him," Heary told Extratime.

"It is not just me that has followed him to other clubs. You look at guys like Liam Burns and Chris Turner, top players who have gone with him as they know what he is all about.

"He’s done well at each of the teams he has managed too. The work he did at Sligo was fantastic, then he moved onto Bohemians and even though it didn’t end well there he still brought them to a cup final and finished well in the league.

"Then at Dundalk he showed what he was all about by taking charge of a newly-promoted team, signed some very good players, kept them up and away from the threat of relegation. So I’m sure he will do well at Galway.

"Sean is the right man for Galway to have. He has signed a three-year deal, so I’m sure he will want to get off to a good start this season and build his own team that can do well."

Whether Connor can work his magic at Terryland Park remains to be seen as he is operating on a tighter budget than the one’s he would have had at Sligo Rovers, Bohemians and Dundalk.

Nevertheless, he has proved over the years that he can spot talented players and get the most out of them. It is just a question of how far his latest squad can bring Galway.

Heary thinks it would be foolish to set out any targets other than surviving in the Premier Division this year, but reckons if there is any manager capable of guiding their young team to an impressive finish it is Connor.

With one win, one draw and two defeats from their opening four games the immediate focus will be on beating Dundalk on Friday night. But Connor will also have an eye on his long-term target of finishing in at least a mid-table position.