Shamrock Rovers boss reacts to claim that Europa Conference League action puts him in shop window
The Europa Conference League kicks off with Shamrock Rovers hosting APOEL Nicosia in Tallaght Stadium on Thursday night.
Stephen Bradley claims that the new European competition format is giving teams a licence to thrill.
And he won’t be afraid to send his Shamrock Rovers players out tonight against Cypriot side APOEL with an attacking mandate, as progress from the league phase is firmly on the Tallaght Stadium agenda.
The stats do illustrate Bradley’s point. Prior to Wednesday night’s round of Champions League and Europa League matches, 147 goals were scored in 45 league phase matches. That’s an average of 3.3 goals per game.
READ MORE: Stephen Bradley reacts to ban as he touts establishment of a League Managers’ Association
READ MORE: How much Shamrock Rovers have earned so far in Europe and what they could bank against APOEL
And while a gung-ho approach would be foolish - as some of the more lopsided outcomes so far underline, with Celtic, Dinamo Zagreb and Slovan Bratislava all on the wrong end of thumping defeast - the Rovers boss believes the format will make for more open games.
Instead of competing against three other teams for the top two positions, the top 24 teams out of 36 will progress to the knockout stages in the new year.
That gives teams such as the League of Ireland champions a real chance, with games against Northern Irish (Larne) and Welsh (The New Saints) coming up, as well as ties with Rapid Vienna and Chelsea.
Asked if the so-called Swiss model changed the psychology around the games, Bradley replied: “I does just make you go and attack every game.
“You have the licence to do that if you have the league format because no one knows for sure how many points it’s going to take to get a play-off or to qualify.
“I really like the format. I know there has been some big scores but I think it's only natural in the starting phase of the competition.
“I think if we want to keep the elite as elites, I think the competition should have stayed the way it was previous.
“But the way it has opened up now, it’s showing clubs what they need to do to take that next step and push on.
“I think you can only do that when you play against the top teams so I really like the format of the competition.
“The fact you don't play them home and away can be a disadvantage as you get a real good feel for them on the first time around, you understand what they are trying to do and how you can hurt them.
“But I do like the challenge of the one off games, it makes it exciting and makes everyone go try and win the game.”
Shop window
Rovers’ games in the league phase will also provide Bradley with a chance to grow his reputation at home and abroad.
Fans here won’t need any reminding of his accomplishments so far in his managerial career - four Premier Division titles, an FAI Cup and qualification to the Europa Conference League proper twice in three seasons.
Not that impressing a wider audience and putting himself in the shop window is high on his list of priorities right now.
“I'm not bothered about how people view me to be honest. I understand what I'm good at and what I need to improve on,” said Bradley.
“We’re all developing, we’re all learning, we’re all getting better, it’s a brilliant challenge regarding other people's opinions outside, that doesn't even come into my thinking to be honest.
“It’s just about, can we set up in the right way, pick the right team and make the right changes at the right time to win the game. It’s as simple as that.
“Stick to our principles as much as possible while also respecting what we’re against.”
New challenge
Getting stuck in once again at the business end of European competition is the main aim for Bradley.
“It’s exciting and refreshing, a new challenge. You want to play at European level to see different systems, how teams approach, the tactical changes in game are always challenging and enjoyable,” he said.
“We’ve become very familiar with how opposition set up and play in our league. You get pretty used to the tactical changes too, especially by the fourth round of games.
“So it’s really nice to have this challenge. APOEL are a good team who have different ways of playing and who change systems within the games. It will be challenge but it’s exciting.
“Our experience in this competition from the last time stood to us as players and staff.”
As for Rovers’ prospects of making the knockout stage, he added: “I think we’ve got to focus on what we’ve always done, which is (tonight), can we go and get some points on the board against a good team?
“That has to be the aim. Let’s see where it takes us. We want to have points on the board come December. If that takes us through to next year, brilliant, that has to be one of our aims.
“But it starts (tonight) and we are focused on what’s in front of us.
“I know a lot of people in this country say that we’ve got a good draw and we’ve got some really big games and some games that you’d look at and think, we can target them.
“But the other teams will be thinking that also.
“Let’s just focus on APOEL. Our form here in general over the years has been really, really good, and we’ll try to continue that.”
Trevor Clarke and Rory Gaffney are on the injured list for Rovers.
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