Stephen Bradley asks for 'alignment' within Shamrock Rovers ahead of crucial European fixture
Shamrock Rovers are united on the field but divisions exist behind the scenes.
Shamrock Rovers boss Stephen Bradley has begged for divisions within his club to heal ASAP as he bids to make even more European history.
The Hoops have performed brilliantly in the Europa Conference League this season, collecting eight points from four games to sit 10th out of 36 teams ahead of tonight’s date with Bosnian side, Borac.
Considering the budget constraints Irish clubs operate under, the achievement is a minor miracle, with clubs such as Real Betis, Copenhagen and Panathinaikos trailing in their wake.
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What makes Bradley's success even more impressive is that it is against the backdrop of a split behind the scenes at Rovers.
The club has a complicated ownership structure, a mix of private shareholders and a Members Committee.
Bradley said: “First of all my job is to manage the team and ensure that’s right. I’m happy with the support I’ve had from a lot of people around the club.
“But there’s no doubt that there are aspects that can definitely improve. If the club wants to keep evolving and get better, that needs to sort itself out – and quickly.
“What these players are doing is giving the club some of the best nights that they’ve ever had. If you’re involved in Shamrock Rovers as a fan, as a director or shareholder, and you can’t enjoy that, then you shouldn’t be around the club.
“We ask these players to cross the white line and put their bodies on the line like they have done for a long time.
“They put their bodies out there to bring knockout football to Tallaght. If you are a part of this club in any way shape or form, and you can’t enjoy that and you can’t be happy about that, then I think that says everything it needs to say. This isn’t the place for you.
“For the club to keep improving, we need alignment and a clear direction in terms of where everyone wants to go. And that is the kind of thing that should exist in any organisation, whether it is a football club or not. We need everyone to go in the same direction and not to pull in different directions.
“Because that is not healthy for anyone.
“We should not be sitting here talking about this on the eve of a big European game.
“It is above my pay grade but I know for sure to keep growing, you need alignment. You need everyone to be better every year.
“And if we have not got that, you can find yourself going in a different direction. We all need to be very careful about that.”
They also need to be careful ahead of tomorrow’s test from Borac, a little known Bosnian club, who lie only one point behind Rovers in the Conference League table, but who have beaten APOEL and Lask and drawn with Panathinaikos in their European games so far.
For context, Greek club Panathinaikos have a European Cup final on their CV. The mistake neutrals often make is to overlook teams with an inferior history and, conversely, to fear teams with a glorious past.
Bradley, however, is acutely aware of the dangers Borac poses.
He said: “I don’t buy into the issue of whether we are favourites or underdogs. That’s a lot of crap to be honest. It is about how we prepare.”
His difficulty is trying to prepare for both next season and to finish off this one. Today he signed Danny Grant from Bohemians, a player Bradley says he ‘has liked for a long time’.
Yet there is not much time to welcome him in. Borac, then Chelsea next week, lie in wait. “The players are motivated, driven. Yet they also deserve a break.”
Defender Lee Grace will get that soon. His wedding date is December 28, his honeymoon booked for Cape Town in January, his stag already completed. By the time he returns, he’ll be hoping for more trips abroad, the knockout stages of a major European competition awaiting.
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