Stephen Bradley outlines Shamrock Rovers' approach to getting the most out of Graham Burke
GRAHAM BURKE knows the logic of not doubling up in 72 hours — but admits he will never be happy being taken off the pitch.
Burke has featured in all of Shamrock Rovers' 19 league games to date, chipping in with six goals and five assists.
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His form saw him named Player of the Month for May
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Stephen Bradley is desperate to help him avoid any injury hiccups along the way
His contribution in May saw him collect the SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers Ireland Player of the Month Award.
But, on the five occasions to date when Rovers have had a Friday game followed by a Monday match, Burke has been benched for one of them.
It is not ideal but the 31-year-old knows that sort of management of minutes is better than time on the sidelines.
Burke said: 'The last two years I've got a run of games and then got an injury, rehab and trying to come back and get up to speed.
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'It just felt that every four or five games I was back with the physio.
'Even around Europe last year, I don't think I started any of the games in the group stages other than Larne.
'It was a frustrating time with injuries but, luckily enough, this season I have managed to stay healthy.'
When it comes to two games in quick succession, Stephen Bradley has opted to start Burke in the one which, on paper, looks the tougher fixture.
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The Hoops chief — who will have to decide whether to bench him tonight against champions Shelbourne or on Monday against Drogheda United — explained his logic.
Bradley said: 'We are a better team when Graham is on the pitch. It's my job to get him to that point where he's available to be on the pitch.
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'At times last year we had to push certain players at certain times as we were so low on bodies. Some players suffered due to that.
'But when we have a healthy squad, which we have, it's about trying to mind the likes of Graham to get him to the pitch in good physical condition.
'His stress load goes through his calves and hamstrings. When you build that up over a period of time it becomes a problem.
"How he plays and his running style, everything is explosive. It took us a while to get to the bottom of that, understand it and it's about managing it.
"Once he's like that, you can see his form this year, how good he's been.'
OCCASIONAL FRUSTRATION
For Burke, though, being left out or taken off does not become any easier, which has led to some strops when he has been substituted.
But he did point out that, since being shown a straight red card twice in his first 15 league appearances for Rovers in 2017, he has been dismissed just once, for a second yellow card.
The three-times-capped Ireland forward admitted: 'As a player, you want to be playing constantly.
'Stephen knows how I am as a person. There's no badness in it, it's just a frustration thing of mine. Once I come off, I'm fine.
'There's certain times I can switch and have a mad ten seconds. But when I leave the football pitch and I'm quite calm, if you're around me, I'm quite a chill person.
'We all have flaws at times and that's probably a little flaw I have. I wouldn't want it to leave me. It's a part of me.
'It's obviously got me sent off over the years at times. But I think I've only been sent off once since my first season at Rovers. So I've really kept control of that.'
And Bradley is happy to tolerate the odd outburst.
The Rovers boss shrugged: 'He doesn't like coming off the pitch.
"That's part of Graham, part of his beauty and what he is. You have to understand and accept that Graham is on the edge all of the time.
'If we're winning 5-0, he's done everything and you take him off, he's not happy.
'You're not going to change that now. He will say things for sure but you have to allow him to have that.
"If you try to take that away, you kill a bit of what he is. He's a bit of a maverick and you've got to allow him to be that.'
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