Stephen Bradley sends 2025 warning to newly crowned champions Shelbourne

Stephen Bradley doffed his cap at Damien Duff and congratulated him for leading Shelbourne to the league title.

But the Shamrock Rovers boss warned the newly crowned champions that his side will be a different beast next season after falling short this year.

And Bradley claims the 2025 Premier Division won’t be as wide open as it was this season, when four teams were in contention up until last week’s penultimate night.

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Rovers beat Waterford 2-1 in Tallaght Stadium tonight to force the issue but Harry Wood’s late winner in Derry sealed the title for long-time leaders Shelbourne.

Bradley said: “When you're in with a chance of winning a league on the last day, you're going to be disappointed.

“But if we’re being honest, we haven't done enough over the course of the year. Shelbourne deserve it. They have been there for such a long time and you don't win a league by fluke.

“We are disappointed but you have to say a massive congratulations to Damien, his staff, and Shelbourne. When you win a league you deserve to win a league, and they have won it.

“We haven't done enough. We haven't been good enough domestically. Hence why we are in the position tonight, needing things to go your way elsewhere.”

Asked to put his finger on why Rovers fell short, Bradley insisted it was a conversation for another day.

But he said: “We’ve known for quite some time where it's gone wrong. In-house we reviewed it and we know where it's gone wrong, it's quite clear for us. It won't happen again. That's football, that's life, we made mistakes, and it;s cost us, someone needed to capitalise on it and Shelbourne did.

“Tonight's about saying congratulations to them, well done, a brilliant achievement from Damien, his staff and his players.”

Bradley still has four more games to go in Europe - with TNS next up in Tallaght on Thursday - and wants to become the first Irish club to reach the knockout stages.

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But on the domestic front, he doubts next year’s league title race will be as wide open as it was this year.

“I don't think so,” he said. “Take St Pat's, if there was another round of games they are only going one way. When I look back on our last four years, the Covid year, if you are at your levels your points level is only going one way.

“This year has been really competitive and it's been great for the neutral, for the league, but I don't see that happening again. From our side, the mistakes we made this year won't happen again.”

And eyeing up the rest of the Europa Conference League league phases, Bradley added: “We’ve a chance of doing something that's never been done before in this country.

“Win on Thursday and I think that will get us the playoffs, and give us a chance to see can we get something out of the last three games.

But we have to win on Thursday and we’re against a good team. But it's a brilliant time to be at this club, big games. We were in a title race and we lost but that's sport, that's the level we are operating at. This hurts, this stings. We’ll let it sink in and on Monday get ready for TNS.”

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