Boss man back with playing class

It's not quite the way he expected it to be when the season got under way, but when Waterford United kick off their Cup campaign against Bohemians tomorrow night at the Regional Sports Centre, Tommy Lynch will be watching from the stand.

It'll be only his second time seeing the team he built up over two years since he departed in late October and instead of issuing orders from the centre of the pitch, he'll be working for local radio, while down below Mike Flanagan attempts to guide his side to victory against a recently improved Bohemians side.

"It'll be good to get back there," says Lynch, who remains adamant that whatever the side's shortcomings when they hit a rocky patch prior to his leaving, he can return to the city with his head held high.

"I may not have taken them as far as I could have, but then it was decided that my time was up and I'm still proud of what we did achieve during the time that I was there. I think the supporters appreciated what was done as well because I received a lot of support when it was announced that I was going and obviously I hope for them and all of the players that it goes well on Friday against Bohemians."

One night later at Rathbane, Lynch's new club Limerick will face one of Bohemians' main rivals just now. Dundalk, like the Dublin club, have been flirting with relegation over the first half of the season and, like Bohemians' Roddy Collins, manager Jim McLaughlin could do with the sort of Cup run that would lift spirits and inject some much-needed confidence into his team.

Lynch, though, is as positive as ever about his own side's chances. True, his is no longer the job on the line for these days the 34-year-old is just another member of the team. Manager Dave Connell is the one who must take the bulk of the responsibility for how the club performs on the pitch.

But a couple of years in management have equipped the former Shrewsbury Town captain with a considerable insight into how Connell will be viewing this game and as a result he feels an even greater desire for the home team to do well.

"It's an important game for everybody at the club because I think we all believe that a win in this match would help spur us on over the rest of the season, in the league as well as the cup. It'll be difficult, we know that. Dundalk have improved dramatically over the last six or seven weeks, but we have a team here that's capable of troubling anybody on our day and I certainly don't think they'll be banking on making it through to the next round."

Lynch, of course, was previously at Limerick when both of these clubs were going through better times and both, he now admits, are in "transitional periods". He is more than happy to be back home now having received the offer of a contract from Connell with whom he had been friendly throughout his spell at Waterford.

"We'd talk to each other on a regular basis, help each other out whenever we could. Then, when I was at a loose end, he said to me that if I wasn't at anything, maybe I'd fancy coming back and play for him for a while. So far, I think it's worked out well, although I do still think I have something to offer on the management side whenever the chance arises again."

Though Lynch's main responsibilities at Hogan Park are to carry out a "holding role in the centre and talk a lot", he has also become involved in the club's highly progressive training scheme for local youngsters and looks to help Connell in whatever way he can.

"It's a good relationship. He might come and ask me my opinion on something, or I might suggest something, or mention that I think such and such might do well in a particular role and he'll take that on. At the end of the day, though, we both know that it's Dave that's calling the shots and for me that's a nice change really."

Just how long, though, does he expect the novelty of the situation to last? "Well, when I finished with Waterford, the main change was that the phone just stopped ringing. It seemed like every day you'd be talking to somebody about football. The media, players, whoever, and then, suddenly . . . nothing.

"It felt a bit strange at first, but for the moment I'm enjoying myself. I've always loved playing and while the legs mightn't be quite what they were I still feel I have a couple of years left in me.

"The set up here at Limerick is good. It's a bit like Waterford when I arrived there, the same sense that you're at a sleeping giant, and we know the support is there for us if we can produce the results and so unless something comes up in management in the meantime, I'm happy to be part of it all here, and happy that we're back amongst our own people."

He'll be happier if Limerick can beat Dundalk this weekend, ideally without the need for a midweek trip back up to what he still remembers as Fortress Oriel.