Rare is the wonderful sight of an Irish team comprehensively dispatching European opposition in a Champions League qualifier.
That’s exactly what Shamrock Rovers did to Maltese champions Hibernians on Tuesday in Tallaght stadium. That Stephen Bradley’s side romped to a 3-0 win without Jack Byrne, Danny Mandriou and Graham Burke revealed a squad (hopefully) primed for the long road ahead.
Rovers were impressive but it’s impossible not to factor in Hibernians lack of cohesion on the night. Depleted by suspensions and with new signings being bedded into the team, the Maltese looked every inch a team heaving through preseason. They were miles off the match-sharp Rovers.
Summer football has proved a benefit for Irish clubs come European competition, especially at this time of year, as Rovers are in the middle of their season, which gives them a distinct competitive edge over almost every opponent.
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If Bradley can guide them into the Europa Conference League group stages, this unique advantage will swing the other way come winter. But this week, in the heart of summer, Rovers did all that was asked of them.
I remember during my Cork City days, I analysed the amount of time the ball was in play in European games versus ball in play in domestic games and in some cases there were discrepancies of four to six minutes per half. It had a real impact on fatigue levels late in the second half.
In training it’s vital that coaches prepare players for this and to taper intensity levels to ensure their exposure to the higher demands does not come as a shock. This also has to be factored into training weeks to avoid an increase in each player’s risk of injury.
It’s a delicate balancing act that can be partially solved with specifically timed small-sided training games and shortened recovery periods in between. The science of it all is fascinating but it demands a prolonged Rovers run in Europe, which connects this and next season’s domestic campaigns.
When Irish teams come up against stronger opposition in Europe they invariably spend longer spells without the ball, so you have to prepare them for that as well.
With the financial stakes so high — prize money will tip over €5 million if Rovers reach the Europa Conference group stages, with a further €500,000 for every win thereafter, while a pot of just €600,000 is shared among the League of Ireland clubs, so there’s an enormous incentive to keep these European nights going.
Reaching the group stages remains the Holy Grail. There you are counting millions instead of hundreds of thousands. It is life-altering money. As is a move to the top three tiers of English football or switching Richmond Park for Serie A.
Back in 2011, when Rovers first qualified for the group stages of the Europa League, they had a wage bill of less than €600,000 annually. In their group, they had Tottenham Hotspur, PAOK Salonika and Rubin Kazan. Financially, these clubs were heavyweights in comparison. PAOK were operating off a wage bill of €7 million. Rubin Kazan were up around the €18 million mark. At the time, Tottenham striker Jermaine Defoe was earning €72,000 per week. In two months Defoe would have banked the entire Shamrock Rovers annual budget.
It was and remains a different world. Summer football helps to level the playing field as much as it will eventually hinder the progress of Irish football. The obvious problem Rovers constantly cope with is the midseason loss of key players like Liam Scales to Celtic last season and this week’s news that Danny Mandroiu is joining Lincoln City.
When a League One club makes an offer for Mandroiu or Rotherham come in for Bohs striker Georgie Kelly, it is impossible to stave them off.
Life-altering wages on longer contracts makes it impossible for a player’s head not to be turned.
The challenge for Rovers, and potentially Dundalk and Derry City in the coming years, in that UK clubs come calling just as the European qualifiers kick off. At Cork City in 2017, top scorer Sean Maguire and Kevin O’Connor were signed by Preston right after the second leg defeat to Larnaca. Rovers face a similar issue with Mandroiu’s departure.
Irish clubs are at their most vulnerable when needing their best players to be ultra-committed to the cause. How is that sustainable? At least they are learning to negotiate fees and sale clauses for potential superstars like Gavin Bazunu — the gift that keeps on giving to Rovers — but most deals are way off the rewards that follow a run of European games.
These two revenue streams are increasingly in conflict with each other. Again, how is that sustainable?
It’s a tricky conundrum because players know that a good performance in Europe puts them in the shop window for bigger clubs to come and get them.
There is a silver lining, if you remain patient, because as one player leaves, another rises up. Mandroiu departs Tallaght just as Ireland under-19 midfielder Justin Ferizaj made his European debut as a sub during Tuesday’s victory.
Ferizaj’s arrival proves that the conveyor belt is definitely working again, but an underfunded league will struggle to keep such an exciting talent when winter blows in.
