'We have definitely helped grow the league outside Ireland' - Deflated Bradley's pride in Shamrock Rovers
The Rovers boss also expressed his disappointment that his side were forced to play a league fixture between the two legs of their knockout tie against Molde.
STEPHEN BRADLEY EXPRESSED pride in his Shamrock Rovers players in the wake of their penalty shootout exit to Molde in the Uefa Conference League, hailing his squad as history-makers.
Rovers lost only once across six games in the league phase before Christmas, thus becoming the first Irish side ever to qualify for the knockout rounds of a Uefa competition. Their journey did not include a further step into the last-16, however, as they lost their 1-0 first-leg lead to Norwegian side Molde in a 1-0 loss at Tallaght. The deadlocked tie was settled on penalties, with Rovers’ Aaron Greene the only player to miss in an otherwise flawless shootout.
“We are hurting”, said Bradley at his post-game press conference. “It’s a difficult one to take, I thought we were the better team over two legs and I thought we deserved to go through, but that’s football. We haven’t and we have to make sure we learn from it, and make sure the experience of the whole campaign makes us better.
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“We can be really proud of what we have done for this club and the league. We have definitely helped grow the league outside of Ireland, which is only a positive thing. The FAI Cup winners going into Europa League shows what we have done, which is brilliant.
“Hopefully this time around, this season, the teams in Europe will all feel they can push and emulate what we have done. This team has created history. I know tonight we wanted a little bit more, when we look back and reflect, they have been excellent, they have created history and I am extremely proud of them.”
Rovers were ultimately hampered by injuries and absentees. They finished the tie with four teenagers on the pitch, with their bench consisting of Greene, reserve goalkeeper Leon Pohls, and seven teenagers, two of whom were goalkeepers.
Dan Cleary and Dylan Watts were suspended from the first leg, while Jack Byrne, Rory Gaffney, and Trevor Clarke were injured prior to that initial game in Molde. They were then joined on the sidelines by Danny Mandroiu and Adam Matthews, both of whom were injured in Sunday’s derby defeat to Bohemians at the Aviva Stadium.
“We are down bodies”, said Bradley. “We were missing eight or nine tonight, I am not one to hide behind that. There were different reasons for it, I’m not going to go into it. I thought the players that played were excellent, I thought the players that came on were excellent. I think we did enough to win the game, considering we gave away a terrible goal and possibly should have had a penalty.”
Bradley did lament the fact Rovers were forced to play a league game last weekend, between both legs against Molde.
“We have come straight back into the league and played Thursday-Sunday-Thursday. I said yesterday I don’t think there’s any other league in Europe that does that, coming straight in after your off-season. But we have been made do it. What happens then is player welfare comes into it, and you pick up injuries. That’s quite normal. We have been off for four weeks, and go into high-level games and travelling. That’s not an excuse: there’s a fine line between excuse and reasons.
“We have never had an Irish team with the chance to go into the last-16 of a European competition. I think most leagues would have helped you out with the fixtures. Would we have won the game tonight? I don’t know. But you pick up injuries.”
Bradley believes where Rovers have led, their Irish rivals believe they can follow, and deliver regular Conference League football.
“The days of looking at other nations and thinking we are inferior to them are long gone. I speak for myself and my club, but I am sure Damien [Duff] and Stephen [Kenny] would tell you the same. The clubs are ready to have this on a regular basis. I have no doubt they are ready.”
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Rovers’ attention now turns to reclaiming their league title crown, and will look for their first points of the infant season against Cork City at Tallaght on Sunday.
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'We have definitely helped grow the league outside Ireland' - Deflated Bradley's pride in Shamrock Rovers
STEPHEN BRADLEY EXPRESSED pride in his Shamrock Rovers players in the wake of their penalty shootout exit to Molde in the Uefa Conference League, hailing his squad as history-makers.
Rovers lost only once across six games in the league phase before Christmas, thus becoming the first Irish side ever to qualify for the knockout rounds of a Uefa competition. Their journey did not include a further step into the last-16, however, as they lost their 1-0 first-leg lead to Norwegian side Molde in a 1-0 loss at Tallaght. The deadlocked tie was settled on penalties, with Rovers’ Aaron Greene the only player to miss in an otherwise flawless shootout.
“We are hurting”, said Bradley at his post-game press conference. “It’s a difficult one to take, I thought we were the better team over two legs and I thought we deserved to go through, but that’s football. We haven’t and we have to make sure we learn from it, and make sure the experience of the whole campaign makes us better.
“We can be really proud of what we have done for this club and the league. We have definitely helped grow the league outside of Ireland, which is only a positive thing. The FAI Cup winners going into Europa League shows what we have done, which is brilliant.
“Hopefully this time around, this season, the teams in Europe will all feel they can push and emulate what we have done. This team has created history. I know tonight we wanted a little bit more, when we look back and reflect, they have been excellent, they have created history and I am extremely proud of them.”
Rovers were ultimately hampered by injuries and absentees. They finished the tie with four teenagers on the pitch, with their bench consisting of Greene, reserve goalkeeper Leon Pohls, and seven teenagers, two of whom were goalkeepers.
Dan Cleary and Dylan Watts were suspended from the first leg, while Jack Byrne, Rory Gaffney, and Trevor Clarke were injured prior to that initial game in Molde. They were then joined on the sidelines by Danny Mandroiu and Adam Matthews, both of whom were injured in Sunday’s derby defeat to Bohemians at the Aviva Stadium.
“We are down bodies”, said Bradley. “We were missing eight or nine tonight, I am not one to hide behind that. There were different reasons for it, I’m not going to go into it. I thought the players that played were excellent, I thought the players that came on were excellent. I think we did enough to win the game, considering we gave away a terrible goal and possibly should have had a penalty.”
Bradley did lament the fact Rovers were forced to play a league game last weekend, between both legs against Molde.
“We have come straight back into the league and played Thursday-Sunday-Thursday. I said yesterday I don’t think there’s any other league in Europe that does that, coming straight in after your off-season. But we have been made do it. What happens then is player welfare comes into it, and you pick up injuries. That’s quite normal. We have been off for four weeks, and go into high-level games and travelling. That’s not an excuse: there’s a fine line between excuse and reasons.
“We have never had an Irish team with the chance to go into the last-16 of a European competition. I think most leagues would have helped you out with the fixtures. Would we have won the game tonight? I don’t know. But you pick up injuries.”
Bradley believes where Rovers have led, their Irish rivals believe they can follow, and deliver regular Conference League football.
“The days of looking at other nations and thinking we are inferior to them are long gone. I speak for myself and my club, but I am sure Damien [Duff] and Stephen [Kenny] would tell you the same. The clubs are ready to have this on a regular basis. I have no doubt they are ready.”
Rovers’ attention now turns to reclaiming their league title crown, and will look for their first points of the infant season against Cork City at Tallaght on Sunday.
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