Time for a Rovers revival in Tallaght

The signing of Shamrock Rovers midfielder Gary McCabe by Bray Wanderers recently marked a significant changing of the guard at Tallaght Stadium. The last of the squad members who played with the Hoops five years ago when they qualified for the Europa League group stages is now gone from the club.

Dylan O’Connell takes a look at how the club were not able to build on the success of that incredible 2011 season and what they are doing now to try and bring silverware back to Shamrock Rovers.

It was to be the start of something special in Irish football, the second coming of the famous green and white hoops. On 25 August 2011, Shamrock Rovers made Irish footballing history by beating Serbian side Partizan in Belgrade to make group stages of the Europa League.

The win earned them €1 million from UEFA and, with a squad filled with talent under the guidance of an emerging top-quality manager, the future was bright for Shamrock Rovers.

Five seasons on and it is a very different state of affairs in Tallaght. The two seasons following their Europa League qualification Rovers failed to qualify for Europe and domestic success was limited to a Setanta Sports Cup and EA Sports Cup win.

Recent seasons have seen Rovers finish third and fourth across three different campaigns to guarantee European football but they have failed to win any silverware in that time.

In 2016, a shock European exit at the hands of RoPS of Finland and a 5-0 hammering at the hands of Cork City in the FAI Cup quarter-final were low lights from a season which never truly came alight and ended with another managerial change.

There are a number of questions which have been raised about why Rovers failed to build on European success, with a renewed focus this year since Dundalk’s remarkable recent achievements, both domestically and in Europe (where the Lilywhites banked in excess of €6.5m).

Michael O’Neill’s departure from Shamrock Rovers following their final Europa League group game against Spurs in December 2011 and the subsequent early sacking of his replacement Stephen Kenny are key to where Rovers are now.

O’Neill, who has gone on to great success as Northern Ireland manager, had been in charge of Rovers since the move to Tallaght in 2009. He guided the club from mid-table to league champions in two years – winning their first league title since 1994.

Ushering in a talented squad with the likes of Stephen O’Donnell, Gary McCabe and the talismanic striker Gary Twigg, O’Neill formed a well drilled team bursting with goals and emerging talent.

At the back a blend of experience from Dan Murray and youth with the 23-year-old Scotsman Craig Sives, combined with the pace of Billy Dennehy and Karl Sheppard up front, to round off a balanced unit which would win back-to-back League of Ireland titles – the first time Rovers had achieved that since the days of Milltown.

When O’Neill left and Stephen Kenny came in, the Dubliner needed time to settle with his squad. It was a team bursting with quality but one who seemed satisfied with their medal collection.

Kenny was an established successful manager whose task was to win three-in-a-row for the Hoops and attempt to qualify Rovers once again for the group stages of a UEFA competition.

There was also the small matter of ending Rovers’ FAI Cup famine dating back to 1987. He wouldn’t get that chance as he would be gone from the Hoops hotseat before the club were even eliminated from the cup at the quarter stage.

Costly away defeats proved the downfall of Kenny. A 5-1 hammering at the hands of St. Pat’s, 3-0 to Sligo Rovers and a 4-0 loss to bitter rivals Bohs all put huge pressure on Kenny.

A month after an early exit from Europe at the hands of FK Ekranas, Kenny was relieved of his duties. Since then Rovers have named three permanent managers, along with a number of interim appointments.

A rapid exodus of players in 2012 saw Twigg, Murray, Enda Stevens and Craig Sives removed – the spine of the team that won in Serbia. O’Donnell would follow the next season with Seán O'Connor and James Chambers returning to the club but never fully filling the void that was left.

Rovers’ fall from grace can be attributed to poor signings and managerial upheaval. Trevor Croly came in and did at least win a couple of minor trophies but he was then replaced by Pat Fenlon, who had achieved huge managerial success at Shelbourne and Bohemians. However he couldn’t lead a league challenge during his time at Rovers.

Recently, big money moves for Damien Duff and Keith Fahey brought much attention to Tallaght but not much end product as both had to retire early.

It all meant that a satisfied squad with league medals and wealth of European experiences grappled with shifting numbers and changing managers and they slipped off their green and white perch all to ultimately depart Rovers by the end of this year. 

Positive steps have been made in Tallaght to get the club back up to where they believe they should be. New manager Stephen Bradley has redeveloped the game plan in Tallaght by switching to a three at the back system popularised by Louis Van Gaal and Antonio Conte.

Into this dynamic system, a team of young players is stepping up from their under-17 and under-19 setup. These include 16-year-old Aaron Bolger, who made his full league debut in October, and Sean Boyd, Trevor Clarke, Shane Hanney and James Doona, all 18-year-old players who got valuable first team experience in 2016.

Departures have also served to freshen up the aged spine of the Hoops with Stephen McPhail having hung up his jersey to take up the role as full time Sporting Director. Meanwhile 2011 star Gary McCabe has joined Bray Wanderers.

The signing of Canadian international goalkeeper Tomer Chencinksi and upcoming Galway United ‘keeper Kevin Horgan (see here) shows that Craig Hyland and Barry Murphy are surplus to requirements in Tallaght.

The club are investing significant funds off the pitch with infrastructural development at the training ground in Roadstone, as well as the appointment of additional new full time personnel at the administrative side of the club this year (see here).

What remains to be seen is whether this rebirth of Shamrock Rovers will bring silverware back to Tallaght. From the nose bleeding height of 2011, the Hoops have to rebuild and readjust to a new manager and crop of players.

Allowing players to settle in at Tallaght Stadium and develop as a unit should allow Bradley to rally his troops so the Hoops can challenge for trophies once again. Against the rise of Dundalk and Cork City, it will be difficult but with time and patience anything is possible for Ireland’s record setters.