Poor start for Shamrock Rovers - What's the reason?

Since the 2024 League of Ireland Premier Division got underway on February 16, the Current reigning champions, Shamrock Rovers, have only managed one win in five games.

They have gotten off to one of their worst starts to a new season in years, but why? Let's dive straight in to discover what's been happening at Shamrock Rovers so far in the current campaign.

Where are Shamrock Rovers in the league?

Shamrock Rovers, also known as The Hoops, are currently in seventh place in the 2024 League of Ireland Premier Division with just one win from their opening five games. That win came as recently as Friday, March 15, when they travelled away to play Galway United at the Eamonn Deacy Park.

Thanks to a late goal from Johnny Kenny in the 84th minute, Shamrock Rovers secured their first three points from a 1-0 win. So far, they have played 5, won 1, drawn 3, lost 1, scored 5, and conceded 5, which gives them a 0 goal difference (GD).

In comparison, Dundalk are currently bottom of the league with 2 points after 5 games. Shelbourne are sitting at the top of the table with 16 points after 6 games played, and Derry City FC are in second place with 11 points, also after 6 games.

Can Shamrock Rovers still win the 20204 campaign?

Shamrock Rovers' strong position presents an opportunity for bettors. By leveraging betting bonuses such as Bet365 new customer offers or enhanced odds promotions, punters can maximize potential returns while backing the team's success.

The team is currently priced at around 11/10 in the fractional odds format to win the league outright this year. Not bad odds indeed. In the decimal odds format, 11/10 equates to 2.10, and in American/moneyline odds, 11/10 is the same as +110. These strong odds mean Shamrock Rovers still have a whopping 47.60% implied probability rate of winning the current campaign.

The latest and most competitive odds for the top three odds-on favourite teams to win the 2024 League of Ireland Premier Division outright currently look like this:

• Odds-on favourites: Shamrock Rovers. Fractional odds: 11/10. Decimal odds: 2.10. American/moneyline odds: +110. Implied probability rate (IPR): 47.60%
• Second favourites: Derry City. Fractional odds: 12/5. Decimal odds: 3.4. American/moneyline odds: +240. IPR: 29.40%
• Third favourites: Shelbourne. Fractional odds: 16/5. Decimal odds: 4.2. American/moneyline odds: +320. IPR: 23.80

Shamrock Rovers are the most successful team in the League of Ireland Premier Division. Since the inaugural season in 1985, they have won the title on 11 separate occasions, followed by Dundalk (8) and Shelbourne (6).

Anything can happen in football, don't forget. No bets are ever guaranteed to win, and these odds are subject to change at any time. However, it's still fairly certain that Shamrock Rovers will turn their poor start to the season around and win the league this year to clinch their 22nd title.

What's the reason for their bad start?

The Hoops’ boss Stephen Bradley, and many fans alike, have said that the back three are to blame and that they have been disappointing on several occasions.

Despite having played together for years, they have been playing as though they haven't. They need to work on their defending and stop leaking goals. It's that simple.