Lyng finds his feet on other side of line

The future visited Derek Lyng when he was in Limerick.

Working. Not thinking of the Kilkenny hurlers at all, in fact, when Brian Cody’s name flashed up on his phone.

“I was curious to know what was going on. It was really simple — he just asked me would I be interested in getting involved.

“I didn’t take too long to think about it, it was a great opportunity to get involved at a high level again, to see how it works from the other side at county level. So far, I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Why wouldn’t he? Kilkenny have eased to an All-Ireland semi-final with the league and Leinster stored on the team bus.

For Lyng, though, there was an obvious challenge. How was he going to work as a selector with so many former team-mates?

“Those players are all ambitious, driven fellas. To be honest, it’s not something they were too worried about.

“They’re worried about getting themselves right, that they’re in the best shape to get as much out of theircareer as possible.”

Lyng has been getting a lot from his selectorial career. The planning, the organising, a role in picking teams, adding a bit to the training ground as well.

“It’s time-consuming but it’s about organising yourself well. I don’t think we [selectors] have any defined role. We are involved in the training, we are involved in the selection — all aspects. It challenges you as well to step out of your comfort zone.”

Not too far, though. Lyng jokes about bringing the boots just in case but he formed a stellar partnership with Cha Fitzpatrick at midfield in his time. Wearing a selector’s hat, has the job spec for midfield changed or is a settled partnership still necessary?

“I don’t think you’re necessarily looking for a settled midfield or a settled half-forward line. You take it on a game to game basis. You look at what’s ahead, what’s happening in training.

“I take your point that myself and Cha played for a number of years midfield but if I go through my career I played with a lot more midfielders as well. Cha too.”

There’s a basic, serious challenge for him and the management: how long does it take to pick the Kilkenny hurling team?

“You’re thrashing it out from the last match right through. It’s a continuous process.

“That doesn’t make it any easier. We’ve a very competitive panel there. Any time you try and pick the 15, it’s not easy.

“Everybody draws from their own experiences, be it Brian [Cody], James [McGarry] or Michael [Dempsey]. You do look at what’s going on in front of you as well.

“It would be a bit odd if we’re all always agreeing, the four of us. That makes it interesting. That’s why we’re there. Brian is interested to hear our views on different things.”

And then he tells you what he wants?

“Ah, I’ll let Brian answer that one.”

Lyng says there isn’t much change in the manager since he stopped playing.

“The principles are the same. Brian’s highly motivated.

“When you have someone like that in the dressing room, leading the players. They know what they have to do to make the panel, to make the team. Once the players are happy to get the most out of themselves, push themselves — Brian has created that environment. And when new players come in, they pick up on that.”

That relationship has changed, though.

“It’s different,” says Lyng. “As a player, there is a certain line between players and management. That’s accepted. You’re on the other side of it.

“You would [see a different side]. As a manager, what you see is what you get. He’s very fair.

“You know that if you’re performing you’ll be involved. When you’re working with him you see the small things. So you’re learning all the time.”

Fair isn’t a synonym for soft. Some all-time legends of the game haven’t made it onto the team this year. Henry Shefflin. Tommy Walsh. Both subs.

“You look at those players and what they’ve done. You’ve played with them. You’ve been in their shoes before. I would have experienced that feeling when I was playing.

“They come from a place where they know that whatever decisions are made it’s for the betterment of the team at all times. It’s harder for those who have more success but they are probably more clued in as to the reasons why.

“Even though it’s hard to take at times, they know it’s for the panel, for the team.

“I would be friendly with a lot of the senior players, definitely.

“This year, it’s a little bit different in that there is a line there. It’s not a case of ringing them up and seeing how they are doing.

“I think they are happy with that as well. It would be awkward otherwise. You can’t ring up a guy after training and see how he’s doing — that would be unrealistic anyway.

“Something I might say mightn’t be true for the following week. I don’t think it affects the relationship. Those guys who have been involved for a long time know what it takes.”

And they know what happens when that isn’t produced.

“As a player, sometimes it doesn’t come off for you,” says Lyng. “You’re taken off. Or there’s a massive disappointment when you’re not picked for a team.

“There were a few times in my career when that happened. You just have to pick yourself up. I’ve seen bigger players than myself dropped.

“I’ve seen players who felt they were unlucky to be dropped or taken off. It’s par for the course. You live by the sword; you die by the sword.

“I came in on the back of somebody else being dropped. You take your chance when you get in there. It’s as simple as that. Sport, inter-county hurling, can be a ruthless game. We all accept that.

“You have to pick yourself up and go again. We’ve a panel of players who are well able to take it on the chin, show resilience.

“When you come into that dressing room, you’re looking at Henry, Jackie, how they all look after themselves, get themselves ready for training. They feed off that. They see the environment they are in.

“They’ll learn a lot from them from the competitive games we have in training. It’s not a place where they can hang around and think, ‘I’ve made it’, just because they’re on the panel. You have to earn it.”

The reality of the new job arrived soon enough. Take the drama of Kilkenny-Galway part one, and losing a nine-point lead.

“Straight away you’re talking about what happened. It’s a game you felt you should have been closing out. that’s hurling.

“A score or two can change the whole dynamic. That’s Galway, they have the forwards who can do that.

“Straight away you’re thinking of the next week. Regrouping the players. That’s the strength of Brian, he was on to the players.

“Often when you lose a lead like that the momentum can go with the other team but Brian got a hold of that straight away.

“We looked at things that week and made sure we were coming back to finish off the job the following week.

“It was a pivotal week really. If we had lost the replay, we were back to where we were again last year, through the back door, facing game after game.”

Limerick had the kind of facile win over Wexford that Kilkenny often racked up in the past: is that an advantage or not for tomorrow?

“Players are a lot more clued in. Taking that win against Wexford away, Limerick have been very impressive the last couple of years.

“Take an early score or two in the Munster final and it could have been different Munster champions last year. They would have learned a lot from last year’s All-Ireland semi-final as well. That would be motivating them towards this year, to get back to that place as well and rectify that result. They’re a very good team. It’s going to be a huge challenge for us. But as players, and management, that’s what you want.”