Shelbourne tempo will be key to getting better of out-of-season Linfield

RTÉ News​

08-07-2025

Richie Towell says Shelbourne must use the disparity in match sharpness to their advantage when they face Linfield in Wednesday's Champions League qualifier at Tolka Park.
The first leg fixture between last season's SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division champions and NIFL Premiership holders will be live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
Shels go into the game after a period of turmoil following Damien Duff's abrupt decision to depart as manager two weeks ago.
But the Reds have looked to bring about some stability by appointing Duff's long-time assistant, former Republic of Ireland and Premier League defender Joey O'Brien, as head coach.
After back-to-back draws as interim boss, O'Brien's Shels got back to winning ways with a 3-1 victory over bottom side Cork City on Friday.
That will breathe confidence back into their ranks. But ahead of the Linfield clash on Wednesday and next week's second leg in Belfast, former Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk midfielder Towell believes the tempo Shels play at will be key to their hopes, given that David Healy's side are in pre-season mode - with the exception of a NIFL Charity Shield fixture against Dungannon Swifts last Friday.
"For Shelbourne to get the draw that they have, it's a massive, massive bonus for them," he said.
"Linfield are in the midst of pre-season now. Paul (Corry) will tell you, when you're in the midst of pre-season, you never feel great.
"Pre-season is a hard slog. You come back in after having a couple of weeks off and it's a grind. The legs constantly feel heavy.
"I remember even when I was at Brighton, full of Championship and Premier Leauge players, and you'd go and play against a League Two team, and you'd be getting beaten 2-0 and you just feel like, 'What's going on here?' You can't get the legs going.
"So hopefully the Linfield players are a little bit like that. Now, I know times have changed and it's not running until you get sick anymore. It's a lot more science based.
"I do understand that. But still, Shelbourne are in the middle of the season, they should be firing all guns blazing. They have to go for it, they have to go for the jugular.
"They're playing against a Linfield team who, as we said, are in pre-season. If (Shelbourne) don't go and really raise the levels and have a really high tempo against them, it could backfire."
Also speaking on the podcast, former Sheffield Wednesday, UCD and Shamrock Rovers midfielder Paul Corry, who agreed that Shelbourne have a "huge advantage" over Linfield when it comes to match sharpness, highlighted how vital getting through the tie is if the Drumcondra club harbour any hopes of playing league phase football in Europe with all the financial benefits accrued.
As Shamrock Rovers showed last season, getting to at least the second qualifying round in the Champions League makes the path that bit wider towards the Conference League's own league phase.
And Corry feels Shels are showing signs of a return to form under O'Brien just in time for Linfield, with Harry Wood and Mipo Odubeko among the goals more often.
"There's been a little bit of a bounce in some of the performances since Damien Duff has left," he said.
"They're obviously giving away very sloppy goals but even the little bounce in the likes of Odubeko, who's come in and probably has a little bit more confidence.
"He's come in, he's scored goals. I know he's missed chances and that was very evident when they played Galway (United). But there are small little bits of hope there for Shels fans that they have turned a little bit of a corner in the last 7-10 days and you'd be hoping that they can continue on that trajectory over the next ten days which is ultimately going to be the most important stage of their season."