Stephen Bradley: ‘We could not be coming into this game at a better time.’

Macdara Ferris reports from A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn

Shamrock Rovers played their first game in Europe in 1957 (against Manchester United) but this is the first time in their 88 game European history that they will face a team they have already played previously in European competition.

The Hoops take on Flora Tallinn just as they did in 2011 en-route to qualifying for the group stages of the Europa League. The prize for the winning team from this 2021 tie is a place in the groups stages of the inaugural Europa Conference League.

For Stephen Bradley, it isn’t about replicating what the 2011 Hoops team did but about his team making their own history. 

“We don't look to the past,” said Bradley speaking in the stadium in Tallinn on the eve of the game. “The club have qualified in the past for the Europa League group stages and the fans and everyone associated with the club remembers that but that is in the past. 

“It is about now writing our own story. That is what my team has done since I've been here and I will continue to do that tomorrow, next week and going forward.

“It is nice to be in this position - two games away from the group stages. That is what you work for.” 

The League of Ireland champions and current leaders come into the game on the back of eight competitive wins in a row – the first time the Hoops have managed that feat since 1987.

“It is a nice record,” said the Hoops Head Coach when extratime.com raised the statistic with him in the stadium on Wednesday evening. “I didn't know about until today. 

“We are in really good form. We are playing well. We have a lot of confidence at the moment. The group is in a good place. We couldn't be coming into this game at a better time. 

“We know we are against a difficult opponent who are a very good team. We know if we play to our levels and trust what we do that we are more than a match for anyone.”

Flora lost out on penalties last week against Omonia in the Europa League third qualifying round which shows the calibre of the Estonian champions who drop into the Europa Conference League play-off.

“I would rank them as the best team we have played this year. We have played Slovan but I think Flora are a step ahead. They should have gone through in the last round in my opinion. 

“They play with a lot of high energy and have a lot of really good attacking players on the pitch. 

“They are very good at running off the ball and their positions are clever. Their counter press is very aggressive. We need to make sure we concentrate for every minute of the game.”

The Hoops have played both their European away games this year in temperatures in excess of 30 degrees but it was a wet and windy Tallinn they landed into on the eve of the game.

Kick-off on Thursday is 7pm local time (5pm Irish time) with the temperature expected to be only 16 degrees.

“We took the Dublin weather with us,” joked Bradley. “It is a nice relief as we have been to Slovakia and Albania and it was really hot in both countries. It was nice getting off the plane and not seeing 35 degree heat. This will suit us.”

Flora face date with history in Hoops play-off clash https://t.co/eWj5K22GUipic.twitter.com/loeV0QoPjV

— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) August 18, 2021