Leitrim's chief marksman Keith Beirne has praised Andy Moran with bringing a new 'professionalism' to the side, though acknowledges that their faltering promotion bid is a source of frustration within the squad.
Moran's outfit were initially touted as likely contenders to emerge from Division 4 after a crushing victory over Waterford - subsequently placed in perspective - in week one of the campaign.
However, these hopes have curdled somewhat since, with damaging away losses against Wexford and Wicklow, the latter occurring last weekend.
They now face into two testing games against the sides occupying the promotion spots, with both Laois and Sligo coming into Carrick-on-Shannon in the closing weeks of the campaign.
"When the fixtures were set out, we targeted the first four games," Beirne told RTÉ Sport.
"Going off the previous year, and challenge matches the year before, we'd played Laois, we played Sligo in Tailteann. We'd actually played Wicklow before championship as well.
"We kinda said them three and us were top four. We really looked at having eight points going into Wicklow.
"So when Wexford went the way it did, we didn't have that cushion of having eight points. Wicklow was kind of a must win. We are kind of a bit frustrated so we are under pressure going into the last-two.
"Andy put into the group this morning that we've championship games now. Which is probably good for us and good for the fans, knowing that we've do-or-die games against Laois and Sligo. Those two games are must-wins and it's going to set us up well going to New York.
"You'd always like to have the safety net of having eight or ten points and saying if we mess up against Laois, we'd still be okay for Sligo. But it makes the Laois game a massive game for us."
Leitrim last won promotion to the third tier in 2019, colliding with Derry in the Division 4 decider, their first competitive outing in GAA HQ for a quarter of a century.
They subsequently tumbled out of the third tier in the Covid-interrupted campaign of 2020 and Beirne admits it's a source of frustration that they have been unable to escape the lowest rung in the past couple of seasons.
"It's frustrating in a sense, seeing us in Division 4. Because we would see ourselves at a higher level. That's why we put so much emphasis on trying to get out. Because I feel if we could get out of Division 4, we will this time stay in Division 3.
"There is really very little between Division 3 and Division 4. There's about 10 or 12 of us all around a similar age. But we feel we need to be up at the top of Division 3 and playing at that higher standard to try and start moving us along."
Following the departure of Terry Hyland at the end of the 2020 campaign, Moran was drafted in as a high profile replacement.
Beirne credits the 2017 Footballer of the Year with bringing a new professionalism to the Leitrim set-up, in particular citing the arrival of a full-time strength and conditioning coach, a first for a county which traditionally has operated on a shoestring.
"The big thing would be professionalism. He'd have brought a sense of that coming from Mayo. Leitrim has been kind of neglected in that sense. We've never had a real structure in place.
"Whereas Andy came in and said, look, we need to have a full-time S & C. We've trainers and everything is separate. We've a full-time S & C. Our stats are gone through the roof compared to what they were a year or two ago. It's small little things like that on the professional side of things that we're getting more benefit out of. Andy has brought that and it's helping us massively.
Somewhat contentiously, the Connacht championship has pitched all three Division 1 teams on one side of the draw, with the four remaining teams - three in Division four plus New York - on the other, thereby closing off the avenue for the Division 3 sides to reach the Sam Maguire race via the league route.
This has major implications for Cavan, likely to earn promotion from the third tier, but who must navigate their way through elite opposition to reach an Ulster final, if they're to make it into the Sam Maguire competition.
Leitrim, who were pipped by Sligo in their inaugural tilt at the Tailteann competition last year, begin with a trip to Gaelic Park, with the winners of the London-Sligo tie in Ruislip lying in wait.
For Beirne, there is no sense of mixed feelings at the prospect of forsaking a shot at the secondary competition should they reach a provincial decider.
"For us, it's extremely exciting. It's 10 years ago that all the lower division teams ended up on the same side of the draw (in Connacht). But for us, it's a serious chance. It's an opportunity we have looked at.
"When you see that draw, it immediately sets you up to think 'oh my God, I could be playing in a Connacht final here.'
"As a county, that's one of our main goals - as well as the league - that we could possibly play in a Connacht final. We've massive games in that, against New York and then possibly London/ Sligo. It's a one in a lifetime opportunity.
"I know around the different counties, there's a lot of complaints about Division 2 counties possibly missing out. But sure, that's sport. And if we're lucky enough to get in we're not going to complain."
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