Stephen Bradley: 'Losing the league can make us better and stronger'

Manager Stephen Bradley speaks to the media during a Shamrock Rovers press conference at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin.

Having emerged from one Celtic derby as victors, another would propel Shamrock Rovers to a wider reach in Europe.

The Hoops have accrued four points from their opening pair of league phase games, holding APOEL to a 1-1 draw before pulverising Larne 6-1 at Windsor Park a fortnight ago.

Another victory at home to Welsh side The New Saints would all but confirm at least a playoff place in February, with half of the six games remaining – culminating at Chelsea on December 19.

The rampage Rovers wreaked in Belfast is unlikely to be replicated against a side champions of Wales for the past three years.

Up until the final six minutes of the League of Ireland season on Friday, Stephen Bradley’s Rovers were heading for an unprecedented fifth title on the spin. Then, Damien Duff masterminded a late winner against Derry to usurp them.

“Success can be a horrible teacher,” reflected Bradley about the impact of history being wrested from their grasp.

“It can make you comfortable, you can lose your edge and sharpness. There is a reason that it’s not done around European and world football very often, in terms of being successful over a long period of time.

“Sometimes losing is not a bad thing, it hurts, it’s sore, but it’s not a bad thing if you’re willing to take the learnings from it and the lessons from it. It can make you better and stronger.

“It’s not raw because we didn’t deserve to win the league. Being that simple, it’s very easy to move on.” Seeing off Craig Harrison’s team carries the potential of elevating an Irish team to a new frontier. Their €4m of prize-money earned up to the league phase from their European exploits was bolstered by an extra €400,000 by winning last time out.

While the domestic season ends with the final two matches of FAI Cup final on Sunday and the promotion playoff six days later, Rovers still have four matches in Europe remaining. Shelbourne will take their place in the Champions League next season while Rovers hurdle the testier route through the Conference League and Dan Cleary is eager to maximise this opportunity.

“How well we’ve done over the last few years is why we’re here,” said the defender who sampled this stage with both Rovers and Dundalk, the latter featuring a trip to Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

Josh Honohan applauds the fans after Shamrock Rovers lose the league

“You don’t just get into the league stages by chance. This started last season in 2023. If we didn’t win the league, we wouldn’t be here.”

All contracts have been extended to legislate for this extra-time in the season and should they secure their passage, either to a playoff or directly to the knockout stage, this decorated team will be operating in Europe while their new season kicks off.

Squad improvements are a constant. Striker Johnny Kenny is on his second loan spell from Celtic and it's clear Bradley would like to keep the Sligoman on a permanent deal for their tilt at regaining the title from Shels.

“All last year when I met him with maybe six months left in the season, all the talk was about going to the Belgian or Dutch second division,” explained his boss.

“I said, ‘Johnny you’re mad, you need to stay here.’ I showed him the stats here, saying how we could develop him.

“To be fair to him, he trusted it, he’s done the work, came back after an injury and been a different person.

“He’s really calm about his future now compared to being in a rush.” Amid the hype around the Ireland U21 striker, Bradley broadens the conversation to slate a national glitch. He was once proclaimed as a saviour when coaxed to Arsenal under the noses of Manchester United.

“We are too eager in this country,” he notes.

“Johnny has a really high ceiling but the mindset of rushing someone to run and jump because there’s been a good year is the last thing a young player needs.

“You miss a lot of steps of development when we do that because you get caught in the moment and ride that wave but when that wave stops, it’s a big bang. We see that so often.” 

TNS are top of their league and arrive in Tallaght having registered an impressive 2-0 win over Astana – capping their first progression to this stage of European competition.

Two ex-Derry City players – Rory Holden and Josh Daniels – are part of their team, with the former scoring against the Kazakhstan outfit. Veteran striker Darren McManus, formerly of Aberdeen and Dunfermline, was another that Bradley singled out as a threat on his recent scouting trip. TNS, while in the Welsh league, are based over the English border in Oswestry, Shropshire.