THERE WILL BE 3,000 Shamrock Rovers fans at Stamford Bridge tonight for whom this UEFA Conference League clash with Chelsea will feel like the perfect Christmas cracker.
The Hoops have savoured every moment of their European campaign, arriving to the English capital unbeaten in five games and already assured of at least a play-off in February to reach the last 16.
If they pull off what should be the impossible and beat Chelsea, Rovers will head straight for the knockout stages in March.
“We’ll just aim to win so, that’s straightforward,” Rovers boss Stephen Bradley joked.
A draw — which would give Rovers a 67% chance of a top-eight finish — would be a similarly staggering feat against a squad that has cost the guts of €1.3 billion to assemble since the takeover by Clearlake Capital in 2022.
“This is such a big club and team and we’ll have 3,000 fans to enjoy the night. That’s why we’re in the game, to give people connected to the club special memories,” Bradley said.
“Someone asked me last week about financial [rewards]. It’s important but money comes and goes. It’s irrelevant in the bigger scheme and all you’ve left are moments and memories. [Tonight] 3,000 fans will leave here extremely proud of their football club.”
Chelsea are flying in the Premier League, second in the table behind leaders Liverpool and embarking on a title challenge that few would have foreseen.
No wonder Bradley hailed them as probably the most in-form team in Europe.
Such is this competition’s place in their priority list, though, Cole Palmer was excluded from the squad list for the league phase and spent Tuesday night enjoying a festive night out at Winter Wonderland in central London.
The travelling Rovers faithful – and there will be a considerable police presence too – are already in dreamland regardless of the outcome tonight.
Eleven points from five games, and five goals scored in their two away games, has ensured they head into the New Year with a spring in their step. Yet a cloud has gathered, and not just those that led to spitting rain as they trained in west London last evening.
The future of Bradley was very much on the agenda when he spoke at the pre-match press conference.
Just turned 40, the Dubliner has caught the eye of Championship club Millwall after they parted company with manager Neil Harris.
Bradley admitted yesterday he was flattered by the interest but stressed that his 10-year-old son Josh’s leukaemia treatment remains “priority number one” for the foreseeable future.
When you win four League of Ireland Premier Division titles in a row and take a club to group/league phase football of European competition twice before turning 40, you are bound to attract interest.
He has been in the game long enough not to get carried away, though, and this visit to Chelsea also offered a walk down memory lane. It was here that he came as a 10-year-old in 1994, when he was emerging as the most precocious talent in Ireland.
He recalled being brought on the first-team bus to the 1997 FA Cup final win over Middlesbrough as part of their attempts to convince him to sign at Stamford Bridge.
“[Roberto] Di Matteo scored after 43 seconds, that was a special memory,” he said.
A boyhood Chelsea fan, this fixture holds an extra special place in his heart, and also allows for his own family to get some more up to date mementos. Even if it was Liam Brady who convinced him to join Arsenal instead.
“It’s brilliant for my family to be at the game. They have seen old pictures of me at home from when I played for Chelsea when I was young. It’s the first club I came to as a boy. I spent many years here and trained here with some great players.
“From seeing those pictures to now actually coming to the ground and seeing me manage here is special for them, I’m sure. They will be rooting for us, but they also support Chelsea as well, so it will be an interesting one.
“I trained here with some of the club legends – Di Matteo, John Terry, that era of players, Gianfranco Zola. I remember them quite fondly. They were brilliant times. When you walk back in and back up the steps, a lot comes flooding back to you.
“When you are in football, everything gets lost into one, because you are in it. When I came up the steps, there were happy thoughts, which is nice. It’s the club I supported since I was a boy as well, so it’s a special night for all of us.”
That romanticism also extends to Rovers’ director of football Stephen McPhail, who strode around the pitch at Stamford Bridge last evening, 25 years on from his two famous goals for Leeds United in a win here on 19 December 1999.
For Bradley, it is the impact of the here and now that will help form his legacy.
“I would hope we are having a positive impact around Europe for the league and us as a club. I would hope so. I think how we play helps that. We know [the game] is going to be difficult in really showcasing that, but we will still stick to our principles and try to do as best we can within the game,” Bradley said.
“And I hope people have seen that the last few years, and especially this year, and will give us respect as a team and a club, but more so the league. I think that is really important. We are working extremely hard to try and grow this team and club, and the league as a whole. I would hope we have gained a little bit of respect for the league as a whole.
“We know it’s going to be difficult, at times we’re going to be really hurting without the ball. That’s what you expect against this level. When we get our moments, we’ve got to try and show our quality and we need everything to go right for us and everything to go wrong for them. But stranger things have happened.”
Tonight – Chelsea v Shamrock Rovers, Live Premier Sports, 8pm.
Limerick again
Pretty rough on Offaly winning the McDonagh and as consequence facing the tougher opponents. Hard to fancy anyone other than Limerick. I said it to myself the minute after they won the All-Ireland last season. All them injured men returning this time only makes them stronger!
Laois will give Wexford a rattle. Big mental defeat for Clare today. Joe McDonagh competition is strong which shouldn’t be changed. The 2nd tier football competition could learn from it and only have 12 teams playing for Sam Maguire, relegate the rest.
@Alan: Doubt it. Expect Wexford to beat them well. The Joe Mcdonagh is dreadful standard. It’s competitive but that’s not the same as strong. You have Munster and Killkenny. Forget about the rest. They are miles off.
@Ray Ridge: give over you know it all!! Arrogance pouring out of your veins
@Dan Delaney: He’s not wrong, name another team outside of munster or Kilkenny with any hope of winning. I’d be absolutely gobsmacked if it isn’t cork, clare, limerick or kilkenny.
2 good semis to look forward too. Top 4 in country. Limerick v Clare and Killkenny v Clare.
@Ray Ridge: Limerick v Cork and Killkenny v Clare.
I think Wexford can snare Clare assuming they beat Laois. Cork vs limerick should be good too assuming cork beat offaly.
I think most hurling fans would have predicted a Kilkenny vs Limerick final at the start of the year and it is still looking likely at this stage of the season.
I think if that happens Kilkenny will put limerick to the pin of their collar but limerick will prevail.
I do agree Clare will struggle from today, expect Wexford to win that. Kilkenny got no match yesterday and that’s not what they wanted.
Cork could be dangerous but experience on the big occasion will cost them.
It’s Corks year, Kiely and the old boys are going back to the hurling wilderness as the JP era is coming to a close.
Unreal team since 2018 and without doubt the best team so far this century.
Limerick have been an unbelievable team since 2018 but their fans can focus on booking their summer holidays from July 7th and all summers going forward.
Twas great to have Limerick enjoy a run of success as it freshened the hurling up.
Hopefully Offaly can carry on the baton from Limerick and put it up to the traditional counties.