Bradley: Europa clash isn’t a free hit for Hoops
History beckons in Tallaght.
Shamrock Rovers have only reached a European group stage twice in their 125-year history, but this evening they stand one game away from adding 2024 to that list as they host Slovenian champions NK Celje in Dublin 24.
With a 1-0 deficit to overturn from the first leg, progression for Stephen Bradley’s side will secure a spot in the Conference League group stage, which comes with a guaranteed €3m pay-out, as well as a crack at qualifying for the Europa League group stage through a play-off over the following fortnight against either Malmo (Sweden) or PAOK (Greece).
But should they fail to get the job done in front of a home crowd here, the Premier Division champions will still have the safety net of a Conference League play-off to keep their European dreams for this year alive. But the Hoops aren’t seeing tonight as a free hit at all. In fact, it’s a mindset Bradley despises.
Mentality
“I do hate that, I really do hate that. I hate that word [free hit], I hate what it means and I hate the mentality around it, we’re here to win the game,” said the Rovers boss, ahead of tonight’s second leg (8.0, stream on SolidSport).
“We went to Sparta [Prague] to win the game. When you look at the Sparta leg [4-2 loss two weeks ago], we gave away awful goals against a team who qualified [for Champions League play-off ] on Tuesday, a top team. But we were right in the tie and it’s the same with this one.
“We were not thinking, ‘Go to Sparta, free hit and then we have another one’. We genuinely were going to win the game and that’s going to be the same against Celje. You look at the Armenian side [Pyunik, potential Conference League play-off opponents] who are 1-0 up, I think they had seven Brazilians.
“If you think you can look at this as a free hit and that’s your fallback, you are in trouble. You can’t think like that, you have to focus on this. This is a winnable
tie.Thisisateamwhere,ifweknowwe’re at our best, we can win and that will be our focus. Nothing else. If we perform like we did on Sunday [1-1 draw at home to Drogheda], we will get slapped. If we performlikewecan,wehaveeverychance of going through. That’s the black and white of it. That’s the aim. Perform and we know what comes off the back of that.”
Ahead of his 43rd European game as a manager, Bradley reflected on his side’s displays on the continent since taking the reins in 2016. For the Hoops boss, sticking to his principles has been key all along as he targets a second group stage qualification in three seasons.
“When we came in and changed the system, it was always geared towards playing in Europe,” he said, as injured strike pair Johnny Kenny and Rory Gaffney remain out, while new signing Marc McNulty is ineligible.
“WhenwecametoEuropewewouldn’t have to change too much. That was always the game-plan. I always felt, as a player in Ireland, we played a certain way at home, then we went to Europe and it was a complete change. I always
felt there was too much transition to take as a player. I think when you listen to managers speaking about us, they are usually complimentary in terms of how we play, that it’s different and it’s nice to watch, exciting.
“But I don’t think it’s for me to say that we have changed how other people think. You have to be respectful of what’s gone before. I remember in Lansdowne watching Shelbourne against Deportivo [in 2004], they went toe-to-toe with them. I remember looking at that and thinking, ‘This is where we should be, Irish football’.”
With eight goals in 24 European appearances, Graham Burke admits qualifying for the 2022/’23 Conference League through a win away to North Macedonia’s Shkupi remains his standout moment. Getting over the line on home soil would top it all. “It’s a big night for us. The European nights in Tallaght have been special over the years so hopefully we can have another one.” he added.
After 2011 and 2022, the Rovers faithful will be hoping when the full-time whistle arrives, 2024 will join that historic list.