Stephen Bradley acknowledges the Shamrock Rovers' fans.
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'Our performances in Europe this year have been some of the best we have ever had'
With a place in the Uefa Conference League on the line, Shamrock Rovers boss rallies against ‘lazy’ suggestions his side have it too easy in League of Ireland.
ONE SCHOOL OF thought regarding the reasons for Shamrock Rovers’ struggles during the European qualifying stages this summer is that they have slipped into a League of Ireland comfort zone.
A kind of success stupor.
There have been suggestions that the Hoops have coasted through the Premier Division in second gear with a sixth title in seven years within reach as rivals beneath them continue to falter.
Criticism of Rovers for being unable to rise to the challenges provided by opponents on the continent has grown legs as Stephen Bradley’s side dropped from Champions League to Europa League to Conference League football.
A 1-1 draw with Finnish champions KuPs in Dublin last week leaves the second leg of Thursday’s play-off, and the prospect of a fourth group/league phase campaign in five years, in the balance.
Graham Burke of Shamrock Rovers in action during the first leg. Laszlo Geczo
Laszlo Geczo
Rovers’ away form since a fine 2-1 win against Santa Clara of Portugal at the same stage last season suggests they will be up against it. They have lost five and drawn just one of their last six games on their travels with Bradley describing the 5-1 defeat to Egnatia of Albania in the third qualifying round of the Europa League as the worst performance of his 10-year reign.
It’s a tenure that also began against Finnish opposition when he took interim charge of a Europa League qualifier against RoPS. Thursday’s game will be his 73rd European fixture as boss and the Dubliner bristles at the notion that any kind of complacency has kicked in.
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“I think it is a lazy opinion. Our performances in Europe this year have been some of the best we have ever had. Look at what we have done. Look at [the goals] we have scored. Look at everything around the game. It has just been basic errors that have cost us,” he said.
“We have had Albania, one really poor night, but other than that, it has been very, very good. From the outside, people say domestically you don’t get challenged but our standards come from within. In order to say that (you are not being challenged) you have to understand how hard it is to stay at the top.
Shamrock Rovers players celebrate Enda Stevens' goal in the first leg. Laszlo Geczo
Laszlo Geczo
“People say those things flippantly and I understand you have a job to do and have to create a headline and all of that, I get that. We have to try and understand what we have been doing and how we have been doing it.
“I have been in a lot of top environments over the last four years and getting to the top is hard but staying there is extremely hard. That is where your standards come in and your expectations of each other and your drive come from. So throwing flippant comments out there without any depth or any understanding of what we have done and what we want to continue to do is a really lazy assessment of things.”
Talisman Graham Burke didn’t quite put it the same way when he was asked about the challenge of European games compared to domestic ones but then he’s known for operating with a lethal form of grace on the pitch
“No, I don’t think so, you know. Our aim for every game, no matter what the game is or the opposition we’re up against, is to go out and attack the game and win the game. That’s our mindset. We only focus on ourselves and what we can do. So no, that doesn’t really come into the effect of the squad. The lads don’t think like that,” he said.
Burke became the record scorer for an Irish player in Europe when his 16th goal earlier this summer took him ahead of Roy and Robbie Keane. They have all come under Bradley’s guidance and the Rovers boss is adamant no one at Tallaght Stadium is resting on their laurels.
“It’s been good, definitely, from where we were 10 years ago, in every aspect on and off the pitch. We’ve grown in every aspect but there’s still more growth for sure in every way and that’s all of us. Us as a team, as a staff, as a club, there’s definitely more growth to come.
“If there wasn’t, we should be shaking hands and going our separate ways but that’s far from the case. We know there’s a lot more growth within us and that’s the real positive. A lot of learning in those 10 years, good and bad. A lot of experiences built up but definitely more growth.
“We don’t react to results. I don’t react to results. That’s being honest. You can’t achieve and keep growing if everything is an emotional reaction to a result. You have to learn that as you go in management and in football and in cultures,” Bradley said.
Shamrock Rovers' Daniel Mandroiu in action last week. Laszlo Geczo
Laszlo Geczo
“Obviously we know we’re in a results business but everything can’t be an emotional reaction to that. We’re in a sport and operating at a level where not everything is going to go our way. Do we like that? Of course not. But you have to understand that and you don’t just wait for one or two bad results and reviewing it and thinking about how to get better.
“That has to be a constant throughout the year and a constant throughout the club. For me, that doesn’t stop whether you win, lose or draw, the vision to get better and the understanding to get better, and the review process is so important. Genuinely, you can’t just react to results and be making an emotional decision because there is no growth in that.”
Bradley confirmed on Wednesday that Danny Mandroiu was visiting London with teammate Danny Grant to see a specialist regarding their hamstring injuries, while striker John McGovern is also absent but did travel to the game as he continues his recovery.
Even thought Rovers will be without some of their quickest operators for this latest challenge, Bradley has already proven he has made the club capable of lasting the pace in Europe.
Thursday – Uefa Conference League playoff, second leg: KuPS (1) v Shamrock Rovers, 4pm (Irish time). Live on SolidSport.
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'Our performances in Europe this year have been some of the best we have ever had'
ONE SCHOOL OF thought regarding the reasons for Shamrock Rovers’ struggles during the European qualifying stages this summer is that they have slipped into a League of Ireland comfort zone.
A kind of success stupor.
There have been suggestions that the Hoops have coasted through the Premier Division in second gear with a sixth title in seven years within reach as rivals beneath them continue to falter.
Criticism of Rovers for being unable to rise to the challenges provided by opponents on the continent has grown legs as Stephen Bradley’s side dropped from Champions League to Europa League to Conference League football.
A 1-1 draw with Finnish champions KuPs in Dublin last week leaves the second leg of Thursday’s play-off, and the prospect of a fourth group/league phase campaign in five years, in the balance.
Rovers’ away form since a fine 2-1 win against Santa Clara of Portugal at the same stage last season suggests they will be up against it. They have lost five and drawn just one of their last six games on their travels with Bradley describing the 5-1 defeat to Egnatia of Albania in the third qualifying round of the Europa League as the worst performance of his 10-year reign.
It’s a tenure that also began against Finnish opposition when he took interim charge of a Europa League qualifier against RoPS. Thursday’s game will be his 73rd European fixture as boss and the Dubliner bristles at the notion that any kind of complacency has kicked in.
“I think it is a lazy opinion. Our performances in Europe this year have been some of the best we have ever had. Look at what we have done. Look at [the goals] we have scored. Look at everything around the game. It has just been basic errors that have cost us,” he said.
“We have had Albania, one really poor night, but other than that, it has been very, very good. From the outside, people say domestically you don’t get challenged but our standards come from within. In order to say that (you are not being challenged) you have to understand how hard it is to stay at the top.
“People say those things flippantly and I understand you have a job to do and have to create a headline and all of that, I get that. We have to try and understand what we have been doing and how we have been doing it.
“I have been in a lot of top environments over the last four years and getting to the top is hard but staying there is extremely hard. That is where your standards come in and your expectations of each other and your drive come from. So throwing flippant comments out there without any depth or any understanding of what we have done and what we want to continue to do is a really lazy assessment of things.”
Talisman Graham Burke didn’t quite put it the same way when he was asked about the challenge of European games compared to domestic ones but then he’s known for operating with a lethal form of grace on the pitch
“No, I don’t think so, you know. Our aim for every game, no matter what the game is or the opposition we’re up against, is to go out and attack the game and win the game. That’s our mindset. We only focus on ourselves and what we can do. So no, that doesn’t really come into the effect of the squad. The lads don’t think like that,” he said.
Burke became the record scorer for an Irish player in Europe when his 16th goal earlier this summer took him ahead of Roy and Robbie Keane. They have all come under Bradley’s guidance and the Rovers boss is adamant no one at Tallaght Stadium is resting on their laurels.
“It’s been good, definitely, from where we were 10 years ago, in every aspect on and off the pitch. We’ve grown in every aspect but there’s still more growth for sure in every way and that’s all of us. Us as a team, as a staff, as a club, there’s definitely more growth to come.
“If there wasn’t, we should be shaking hands and going our separate ways but that’s far from the case. We know there’s a lot more growth within us and that’s the real positive. A lot of learning in those 10 years, good and bad. A lot of experiences built up but definitely more growth.
“We don’t react to results. I don’t react to results. That’s being honest. You can’t achieve and keep growing if everything is an emotional reaction to a result. You have to learn that as you go in management and in football and in cultures,” Bradley said.
“Obviously we know we’re in a results business but everything can’t be an emotional reaction to that. We’re in a sport and operating at a level where not everything is going to go our way. Do we like that? Of course not. But you have to understand that and you don’t just wait for one or two bad results and reviewing it and thinking about how to get better.
“That has to be a constant throughout the year and a constant throughout the club. For me, that doesn’t stop whether you win, lose or draw, the vision to get better and the understanding to get better, and the review process is so important. Genuinely, you can’t just react to results and be making an emotional decision because there is no growth in that.”
Bradley confirmed on Wednesday that Danny Mandroiu was visiting London with teammate Danny Grant to see a specialist regarding their hamstring injuries, while striker John McGovern is also absent but did travel to the game as he continues his recovery.
Even thought Rovers will be without some of their quickest operators for this latest challenge, Bradley has already proven he has made the club capable of lasting the pace in Europe.
Thursday – Uefa Conference League playoff, second leg: KuPS (1) v Shamrock Rovers, 4pm (Irish time). Live on SolidSport.
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