THE GOOD NEWS for Shamrock Rovers is that at least they’re back among home comforts for tonight’s crucial Uefa Conference League play-off first-leg with Finnish champions KuPS.
It will surely feel like a sanctuary after a sobering week on the road, one which has increased pressure while at the same time seemingly draining momentum from a campaign that now feels somewhat fraught.
They began their European journey seeded on the champions’ path with hopes of breaking new ground but have slowly tumbled to this point of no return courtesy of gnawing defeats to opponents from Malta, Armenia and Albania.
Defeat to St Patrick’s Athletic in extra-time of their FAI Cup tie on Sunday followed a chaotic Europa League exit away to Egnatia on Thursday. It was a performance head coach Stephen Bradley described as the worst in his 10 years in charge, taking a 3-1 lead from Dublin only to see their Albanian opponents score three times inside a painful opening 20 minutes and take a 5-0 lead into the half-time break.
Speaking on Wednesday ahead of a tie which Bradley described as “a tough 50-50 game”, he said he saw nothing in his players’ demeanour or attitude to suggest such a capitulation was on the cards last time out.
They looked to respond in perfect fashion by going 2-0 up against St Pat’s at Richmond Park a few days later, only for their city rivals to produce a stirring comeback.
All of a sudden there are different questions being asked about this Rovers team. Not just if they can win a sixth title in seven years (they are seven points clear) or make it to the league phase of European football for the fourth time in five campaigns, but are they now more susceptible than at any point of the manager’s reign?
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“The players are on it. They’re in a good place. It’s a difficult week in that regard. In terms of two results, one performance and one result. There’s so much more that goes into it than that,” Bradley said.
“And that’s up to us to understand that and see it. Look at the numbers and everything around that. It’s not our job to react with emotion like that. And just jump on the headline.
Aaron Green (left) and Jack Byrne in training on Wednesday. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
“You see this every year. If we qualify for groups, the league is in a great place. If we don’t, it’s in a terrible place. That’s the narrative. And if we start thinking like that, or feeling like that, or acting like that… There’s no stability. There’s no growth in that. So that’s not us. We leave that to youse and let youse get carried away with all of that.
“We’re in a good place. You can’t look at that team on Sunday and tell me that’s a vulnerable team. That’s players who give absolutely everything. For themselves, first of all, for the team, for the fans. That’s all we can ask for. And they gave that. That’s not vulnerability.
“Sometimes to be your best, you have to be vulnerable. You have to give everything. You have to go out there on your shield. And be willing to lose games and go to a dark place. These players have done that time and time again.”
That is partly where Bradley draws his belief from, while the last month at Tallaght Stadium has shown his side is not exactly struggling to create and score goals.
They’ve found the net 17 times in five games, against sides in the Premier Division, FAI Cup and Europe. They failed to keep a clean sheet in those games, though, and it’s their struggles on the road that fuel concerns.
Since that fine 2-1 win away to Santa Clara of Portugal that secured qualification for the league phase last season, Rovers have lost five and draw once in six ties on their travels.
Progress once again will ensure minimum prize money of around €3.7 million but the resilience and confidence which Bradley speaks of is not something that can be bought off the shelf.
Matt Healy and Graham Burke are back in training while Arsenal-bound Victor Ozhianvuna will be absent for another few weeks as they take their time with a back injury that requires dialogue between both clubs.
“One thing I can’t guarantee is a result [tonight] but I can guarantee the players will show up because I saw it on Sunday [against St Pat’s]. And for me, as a man and as a manager of this club, I can stand over that [defeat],” Bradley said.
“I can go to the board or to anyone and say, I can accept Sunday. I can stand over that and say that’s us. Whatever happens in between that, happens. But you can never question, over a period of time, these players’ character or desire to show up and win. That’s why no-one’s been able to touch them.
“The players have made this look easy for a long, long time. And maybe everyone’s got a bit complacent with it. I mean outside. And I understand that expectation is rising. We accept that. That’s fine.”
Tonight - Uefa Conference League play-off, first-leg: Shamrock Rovers v KuPS, 8pm.
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Stephen Bradley rejects talk of Shamrock Rovers vulnerability ahead of crucial European tie
THE GOOD NEWS for Shamrock Rovers is that at least they’re back among home comforts for tonight’s crucial Uefa Conference League play-off first-leg with Finnish champions KuPS.
It will surely feel like a sanctuary after a sobering week on the road, one which has increased pressure while at the same time seemingly draining momentum from a campaign that now feels somewhat fraught.
They began their European journey seeded on the champions’ path with hopes of breaking new ground but have slowly tumbled to this point of no return courtesy of gnawing defeats to opponents from Malta, Armenia and Albania.
Defeat to St Patrick’s Athletic in extra-time of their FAI Cup tie on Sunday followed a chaotic Europa League exit away to Egnatia on Thursday. It was a performance head coach Stephen Bradley described as the worst in his 10 years in charge, taking a 3-1 lead from Dublin only to see their Albanian opponents score three times inside a painful opening 20 minutes and take a 5-0 lead into the half-time break.
Speaking on Wednesday ahead of a tie which Bradley described as “a tough 50-50 game”, he said he saw nothing in his players’ demeanour or attitude to suggest such a capitulation was on the cards last time out.
They looked to respond in perfect fashion by going 2-0 up against St Pat’s at Richmond Park a few days later, only for their city rivals to produce a stirring comeback.
All of a sudden there are different questions being asked about this Rovers team. Not just if they can win a sixth title in seven years (they are seven points clear) or make it to the league phase of European football for the fourth time in five campaigns, but are they now more susceptible than at any point of the manager’s reign?
“The players are on it. They’re in a good place. It’s a difficult week in that regard. In terms of two results, one performance and one result. There’s so much more that goes into it than that,” Bradley said.
“And that’s up to us to understand that and see it. Look at the numbers and everything around that. It’s not our job to react with emotion like that. And just jump on the headline.
“You see this every year. If we qualify for groups, the league is in a great place. If we don’t, it’s in a terrible place. That’s the narrative. And if we start thinking like that, or feeling like that, or acting like that… There’s no stability. There’s no growth in that. So that’s not us. We leave that to youse and let youse get carried away with all of that.
“We’re in a good place. You can’t look at that team on Sunday and tell me that’s a vulnerable team. That’s players who give absolutely everything. For themselves, first of all, for the team, for the fans. That’s all we can ask for. And they gave that. That’s not vulnerability.
“Sometimes to be your best, you have to be vulnerable. You have to give everything. You have to go out there on your shield. And be willing to lose games and go to a dark place. These players have done that time and time again.”
That is partly where Bradley draws his belief from, while the last month at Tallaght Stadium has shown his side is not exactly struggling to create and score goals.
They’ve found the net 17 times in five games, against sides in the Premier Division, FAI Cup and Europe. They failed to keep a clean sheet in those games, though, and it’s their struggles on the road that fuel concerns.
Since that fine 2-1 win away to Santa Clara of Portugal that secured qualification for the league phase last season, Rovers have lost five and draw once in six ties on their travels.
Progress once again will ensure minimum prize money of around €3.7 million but the resilience and confidence which Bradley speaks of is not something that can be bought off the shelf.
Matt Healy and Graham Burke are back in training while Arsenal-bound Victor Ozhianvuna will be absent for another few weeks as they take their time with a back injury that requires dialogue between both clubs.
“One thing I can’t guarantee is a result [tonight] but I can guarantee the players will show up because I saw it on Sunday [against St Pat’s]. And for me, as a man and as a manager of this club, I can stand over that [defeat],” Bradley said.
“I can go to the board or to anyone and say, I can accept Sunday. I can stand over that and say that’s us. Whatever happens in between that, happens. But you can never question, over a period of time, these players’ character or desire to show up and win. That’s why no-one’s been able to touch them.
“The players have made this look easy for a long, long time. And maybe everyone’s got a bit complacent with it. I mean outside. And I understand that expectation is rising. We accept that. That’s fine.”
Tonight - Uefa Conference League play-off, first-leg: Shamrock Rovers v KuPS, 8pm.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
League of Ireland LOI Shamrock Rovers Soccer Stephen Bradley Uefa conference league