Stephen Bradley belives that his Shamrock Rovers side can dominate League of Ireland football for the next few years and the Hoops manager's focus has now turned to securing the league and FAI Cup double before the end of the season.
Rovers were crowned league champions with four matches remaining and lifted the trophy at Tallaght Stadium following Wednesday night's scoreless draw with St Patrick’s Athletic, meaning that the Dublin club remain unbeaten throughout the 2020 campaign with just two matches remaining.
And the Hoops manager was delighted with his players’ performance to keep a clean sheet with ten men as Rovers had to see out the final 20 minutes without influential defender Joey O’Brien, who was sent off in the 70th minute for a second bookable offence.
In truth, the home side looked comfortable for the final stages of the game to maintain their push for an unbeaten season, and the manager said that it was a sign of the quality of the team that has emerged over the past two seasons.
Rovers won the FAI Cup last November, which the manager believes gave his side the belief to push for the league title this season, and likewise, this year’s title has shown his side that they can dominate in future campaigns.
The last time a League of Ireland team went unbeaten in a season was back in 1926-27 and remarkably it potentially mirrors this Covid-interrupted season as that year the Rovers side that did not lose throughout the campaign also played 18 games.
"I’m just delighted that we didn’t concede in the end and we can still go unbeaten for the rest of the year, because that was one of our aims when we came back," said Bradley, speaking to the media after the game.
"I said after the [Cup] final that we are only getting going, and I really believe that.
"If you look at the age of the squad, it’s a good age and we’ll obviously strengthen during the window and we’ll look to go again next year.
"But the Cup is our priority now, go unbeaten in the Cup and then get ready for next year."
Rovers will finish their league campaign with two games in three days, starting on Saturday, as they welcome Derry City to Tallaght in a refixed clash before finishing the Premier Division at Tolka Park on Monday against Shelbourne.
The FAI Cup will follow soon after and the Hoops are three games away from retaining the trophy, having won it last year for the first time in 32 years.
Bradley’s side take on Finn Harps in the quarter-finals and should they come through that game, they will face the winners of Sligo Rovers and Derry City for a place in the final.
The manager believes that the current crop have developed a big-game mentality that will stand to them in these vital games to finish the year and build towards next season.
"We’ve managed to build a good team that knows how to win now, knows how to win big games.
"And you can’t give that to someone, you have to earn that, and we’ve earned that, and you saw that tonight, when we went down to ten men, we looked comfortable."
"It’s gives us more hunger to go and do it again, we’re only getting started, we had a staff meeting today to discuss what we’re doing next year and how we are going to get better.
"We have got a taste for it and I really believe this team can go and dominate for the next few years."
At an empty stadium in Tallaght due to ongoing coronavirus restrictions, however, the manager said that he has told his players to enjoy these nights, albeit a surreal one, as these big days are rare in the career of a footballer.
"It’s not the same without the fans but we have to be respectful of the Covid restrictions," said Bradley.
"It’s important also for the players to understand that you have to celebrate these nights, because football is a tough game and you don’t get too many of them, so as a group, we have to make sure that we have a glass of wine tonight together."
Bradley has now won the title with Rovers as both a player and a manager, and the Tallaght native admitted that leading his side to this year’s league championship is more rewarding on a personal level.
"This is so much better for me," beamed Bradley.
"As a player, without being selfish, you enjoy it more for yourself, but as a manager you see everything that goes in behind the scenes, what the staff do, and then obviously what the players put into it.
"So this is so much more rewarding for the work that you put in."
