Ryan knows Tipperary need something different

New Tipperary hurling manager Michael Ryan has vowed to put his stamp on the Premier squad.

Having previously served under Liam Sheedy and more recently Eamon O’Shea, Ryan says the Tipperary set-up “needs to be a little different” in 2016. Ryan, along with his back-room team of Declan Fanning and John Madden, were ratified at a County Board meeting on Tuesday night.

“My experience is largely based on my workings with Liam and Eamon. In terms of what to expect next, we are all different. We value different things. Our opinions on hurling might be closely aligned, but they are never identical,” Ryan told Tipp FM.

“The Tipperary team of 2016 will reflect the views of Michael Ryan, John Madden and Declan Fanning. It needs to be a little bit different. ”

Different, how? “By its nature, there will be some movement in the panel and that brings change. Guys we hope to add to the panel will bring something slightly different. It always gives you a different focus or a slightly different presence in the dressing-room, a different voice and a different skill-set. That is one of the things that will make a difference.

“In terms of our views on how the game should be played, the whole point of me putting my name forward last year was that we were looking to have some continuity and that continuity is important. We didn’t get across the line in 2013, 2014 or 2015 and that is the ultimate test.

“I would like to think that the way we are trying to play the game and the way we went about it [over the past three years], the style of play was a very entertaining style of play. We brought the county to a very high level, particularly last year. We didn’t just get there this year. We will be looking to retain the good things we have been doing, and we have got to add some.”

U21 selector Billy O’Shea will act as conduit between the senior and U21 sides, an important move, according to Ryan.

“It is a new departure for us in Tipperary and a very welcome one. There is an awful lot of crossover these days that the top U21 players will form part of the set-up at senior level. And those numbers can fluctuate. It could be anything from three, four players up to seven, eight, nine players, as it was in 2010 when that really talented bunch came through.

“This is a really positive development, a very good initiative. It was something the Co Board had been thinking about and had been asking us to think about as to how we could be more inclusive and work together.

“It works in football and is an easier fit in football given the U21 football finishes before the senior starts. It is not quite as easy to achieve in hurling given the competitions run concurrently. This is a very good attempt to work a bit smarter, to make sure we are more aligned and managing player welfare, are managing fatigue and we understand the type and quality of training that lads are doing. Burnout is real.”