Linfield manager David Healy questions 'strange' Shelbourne rematch
But Healy is convinced that Shels will be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of a rematch, having already dumped his Blues out of the Champions League.
Shelbourne edged that first round qualifier 2-1 on aggregate but Linfield were in the early stages of pre-season and now have seven competitive games under their belt.
Healy is adamant his team will be stronger for the experience, having knocked Lithuanian and Faroe Islands opposition out of the Conference League in the meantime.
But on renewing acquaintances with Joey O'Briend's Reds, Healy said: 'It's for people on another day and people above my pay grade. But that you can somehow meet in the first round of the Champions League and then meet in the Conference League playoff, I think it's a wee bit strange.
'For us, you'd have preferred a different draw but Shelbourne may be quite happy with the draw, that they've got us. I believe people in and around the League of Ireland, Shelbourne especially, were probably quite pleased with the draw. So it's up to us to go and perform and show the people who are watching the game, our supporters, Shelbourne supporters, that we've improved from the first time.'
There will be 306 Linfield fans making the trip to Dublin, with club members snapping up the prized tickets with attendance restricted at Tolka Park for European games.
There were no serious flashpoints when the teams played in Dublin last month, but a tight Garda security operation will be in play around Drumcondra. Mark Coyle at training ahead of the Linfield game (Image: ©INPHO/Dan Clohessy)
UEFA slapped Linfield with €12,000 in fines for two separate incidents arising from the Windsor Park leg of that Champions League qualifier. A €10,000 sanction was applied for "racist and/or discriminatory behaviour of its supporters" while the Blues were also hit with €2000 for lighting fireworks in the ground.
Shields is a League of Ireland stalwart having won five Premier Division titles and three FAI Cups at Dundalk, under Stephen Kenny. And he insists it would be up there with anything he achieved in Europe with the Lilywhites if Linfield were to reach the league phase for the first time in their history.
But like Healy, Shields does find it really odd that Linfield are playing Shelbourne all over again with so much riding on the line for both sides.
Shields, 34, said: 'You look at the format of the Champions League now. They don't even play each other twice in the lead phase of each competition. So it's funny you can meet each other again in the same pathway in the space of an eight-week period.
'Like David said, it's probably a higher pay grade to be able to sort that out. It seems a bit lazy maybe, because it's not the same path that they get each other again.
'But it's out of our control and we just have to prepare ourselves again. They say no two games of football are the same. I'm sure you'll find that over the next week or so that these two games will be probably different than the first two we played.' Mipo Odubeko of Shelbourne and Linfield's Josh Archer in action in the Champions League first qualifying round second leg at Windsor Park (Image: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne)
Shields is a former Dundalk team-mate of Shelbourne trio Paddy Barrett, Sean Gannon and Daniel Kelly.
And he laughed: 'Yeah, didn't like them then, don't like them now! No, we were very close but I'll be doing everything in my power to upset them in the next week.
'We want to be at this level and getting through this round is absolutely monumental for both clubs. We want to be on the right end of that and whatever it takes to upset them along the way.
'After losing to Shelbourne, we had to go through a bit of hard work to get here. We have done that and we're well worth being here. This is the end goal realistically for clubs in the Irish League and the League of Ireland."
And Shields added: 'The Conference league phase is such an attainable goal, especially through the Champions Path as Shamrock Rovers have shown in previous years. So it's all down to ourselves and Shelbourne over the next two legs"
Meanwhile, Joey O'Brien has shrugged off claims that Shelbourne's celebrations at Windsor Park will play into Linfield's hands.
Reds defender Paddy Barrett and striker Sean Boyd went into the stands at the Belfast venue to collect tricolours thrown down to them from Shels fans in the upper tier.
And they took the flags onto the pitch to celebrate with team-mates after dumping Linfield out of the Champions League. The sides meet again on Thursday night, with the winner over two-legs progressing to the league phase and pocketing €3.8m for their efforts.
But Shels boss O'Brien doesn't believe the Windsor Park celebrations will work against his team and said: 'No, I don't think so.
'Up there, coming off the pitch, they clapped us off. We didn't get too carried away. I remember in the dressing room, that moment, the euphoria, that's what it's about.
'That's what you play the game for and I wasn't going to tell the lads to calm down. They put too much work and effort into it and when you win, you celebrate.'
O'Brien added: 'It's like Rijeka (winning) here the other night, and to start complaining about them celebrating. For me that's what football is all about, celebrating when you get through and win. And I'm sure next week whoever gets through will be the ones celebrating.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The 42
3 hours ago
- The 42
Celtic fans sing 'sack the board' amid draw in home Champions League qualifier
Updated at 22.26 CELTIC COULD only draw 0-0 against FC Kairat of Kazakhstan in their Champions League play-offs first-leg clash at Parkhead tonight. Irish pair Liam Scales and Adam Idah both started for the Bhoys, although the latter was substituted at half-time, while ex-Shamrock Rovers loanee Johnny Kenny was an unused sub. In Brendan Rodgers' 800th match as a manager, there was no traditional early onslaught by the Hoops as the accomplished Kazakh side more than matched their hosts. However, with Yang Hyun-jun on for Idah and Daizen Maeda moving to centre forward at the start of the second half, Celtic stepped up the pace and piled on the pressure in the later stages, but could not find a way through despite 10 added minutes. After Saturday's home William Hill Premiership game against Livingston, Celtic will get ready for the return leg in Kazakhstan next Tuesday night, which involves a 7,000-mile round trip, knowing qualification requires perhaps more work than many anticipated. Advertisement Much of the build-up to the game was centred on if and when Rodgers would add to his squad for the European campaign. There were no late signings, but Rodgers made six changes to his side, with Kasper Schmeichel, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Liam Scales, Reo Hatate, Benjamin Nygren and Idah returning, and Viljami Sinisalo, Dane Murray, Auston Trusty, Arne Engels, Luke McCowan, and Kenny dropping out. Rafael Urazbakhtin stressed his side were playing for the glory of Kazakhstan, and the Kairat head coach was pinning a lot of hopes on 17-year-old Chelsea-bound Dastan Satpayev. The visitors settled early, and in the 11th minute, captain Aleksandr Martynovich had the ball in the Hoops' net from close range but was offside. With Satpayev influential, Kairat attacked fluidly and at pace on the counter, dampening the mood of the expectant home support. In the 32nd minute, Celtic defender Alastair Johnston pulled up with what looked like a hamstring injury as he backtracked and was taken from the field on a stretcher, replaced by Anthony Ralston. Moments later, Kairat goalkeeper Alexandr Zarutskiy saved from Maeda when Celtic at last got through, but at the other end, Ofri Arad's powerful drive flew just wide of Schmeichel's post. Yang for Idah for the start of the second period, and Maeda moving central was no surprise, and within a minute, Yang set up James Forrest, whose shot was touched onto a post and then gathered by Zarutskiy. In the 58th minute, after some sloppiness by Carter-Vickers in the Hoops defence, Brazilian striker Edmilson tried a speculative shot from 40 yards and it landed on the roof of Schmeichel's goal. Celtic's corner count mounted but to no avail, and Hoops fans — perhaps also frustrated by a lack of transfer activity — began singing 'sack the board' as the game moved into the final quarter. In the 75th minute, after sustaining an injury defending a corner, Zarutskiy had to be replaced by understudy Temirlan Anarbekov, and he had his head bandaged after taking a knock. The visitors, though, were wasting time at every opportunity and 10 added minutes gave Celtic scope, but Maeda spurned a gift when he ran through alone and could only manage a tame shot which was easily saved by Anarbekov and there were boos at the end from irate supporters.
Irish Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
What time and TV channel is Hibernian v Legia Warsaw on today?
Hibs take on Legia Warsaw this evening in the play-off round of the Conference League. The winners of this tie will progress to the league phase of the Conference League. David Gray's side will be hoping to improve upon the fortunes of their fellow Scottish sides who have struggled this week. Rangers were well beaten at home by Club Brugge, while Celtic limped to a 0-0 home draw with Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan. Here's what you need to know about the game: Where is the game being played? Easter Road. What time is kick-off? 8pm kick-off. Is the game on TV? The game is not being shown on TV. Can I stream the game live? There is nowhere to stream the game. Betting odds Hibs - 7/4 Draw - 5/2 Legia Warsaw - 23/20
Irish Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
What time and channel is Shelbourne v Linfield on today? TV and stream info, start time and more for the Europa Conference League playoff
Shelbourne are going back to the very start in their pursuit of an historic - and lucrative - European Shels and Linfield met in the first round of the Champions League last month, it was a hyped, novel pairing that naturally sparked All-Island commentary. There was plenty riding on it, with the 2-1 aggregate win allowing Shels to open the door to the 'champions path' and tap into the various parachute options it ventured to Azerbaijan and then, in the Europa League, to Croatia only to find themselves back where it all started with a winner-takes-all clash against the Blues. After losing to Shels, Linfield dropped straight into this Europa Conference League and have seen off competition from Lithuania and Faroe Islands to reach this point. The difference now for Shelbourne is there are no more safety nets as they look to make history over these two legs and reach the group/league stage for the first time. Doing so would also swell the coffers by an impressive €3.8 million and extend their season until the week before Christmas, at the very least. Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . So while there's a strong smack of familiarity going into tonight's first-leg it's a position Reds boss Joey O'Brien would have taken at the start of summer.'At the very start, when the balls were taken out of the pots, if you had been offered a chance to qualify for group stages, you'd have taken the hand off you,' he said. 'We're two games away, four halves of football. What's gone along in the past doesn't really matter. It's about this. But I'm sure it's a great opportunity for Linfield too. They will see it the same way as we do. I think it's going to be a great couple of games.'Now that he's the manager, O'Brien is tasked with trying to keep players in check and block the outside noise from his dressing room as much as possible. That's easier said than done, considering what's on offer. And it was certainly an easier task in his own playing days when it was only his own ears and mind he had to worry about, not an entire squad now under his while O'Brien doesn't need to be told that €3.8 million goes a long way, he insists the financial gains cannot be his or his team's focus or motivation tonight.'You can't look at football like that,' he said at Tolka Park last night. 'I was lucky enough to play across the way and you don't think about that sort of thing. I know people will think you have to, but you don't. You can't. I'm focused on the lads and reminding them it's about your own performance.'There's obviously outside noise as people are wishing you the best of luck and stuff like that. It can get in, so you have to use it as a motivation and a privilege that we're in this position and it's not a pressure. It's about going out and making sure you enjoy the moment. If you start thinking of the outside stuff and what might happen if I do this and that, you don't enjoy the moment.'When you stay in the moment and stay in the present, you're able to perform at your best and that's what I've been banging onto the lads about. You'll have no regrets then.'As a former Irish international and a defender who enjoyed European nights with West Ham, Bolton and Shamrock Rovers, O'Brien knows what he's talking about.'Here, these words roll off kind of cheesy about control and stuff but ultimately all you can control is your own performance,' he said.'You control your own preparation by making sure that you're ready and attacking the game, and that you're enjoying it and not gripping the bat too tight. Sometimes if you want something too much it can have a negative effect on your performance.'This is a skill based game we're playing in - you have to be clear in your mind and clear in your technique and it's that repetition of over and over again. When you get these moments you take them.'Having already faced each other competitively, Shelbourne's approach against Linfield will be interesting tonight but both sides have strengthened with new Blues were early in their pre-season on the last visit to Tolka Park and O'Brien has no doubt the European run will stand to the Belfast outfit. "There's always a feeling out of each other, even though we're familiar with them and they are with us,' he said. "We want to attack the game with a high tempo and get on the front foot, try and impose ourselves on the game. I'm sure they have their own game plan. There wasn't a lot in it, tight games, the scoreline - their lad getting sent off. I think it will be very similar."But considering everything that's on the line, this has to be one of the biggest games in Shelbourne's history, right?O'Brien smiled as that pesky 'outside noise' tried to infiltrate Shelbourne ranks again, but said: 'I suppose it is when you step away and think about what's at stake.'But as manager and players, you don't wake up every minute of the day thinking, 'Jesus, this is the biggest game we've ever played!'You wouldn't be able to play. That's not what it's about. It's about focusing on your performance, focusing on what has got us to where we are. Our performance in Europe has been really, really good. It's about implementing that tonight and having no regrets after the game.' WHERE IS THE GAME BEING PLAYED? Tolka Park is the venue for this Europa Conference League playoff round, first-leg. The second-leg will take place at Windsor Park in Belfast next Thursday, August 28. WHAT TIME IS KICK-OFF? The game at Tolka Park will kickoff at 7.45pm IS THE GAME ON TELEVISION? Yes, RTE are showing live coverage of the game and their programme starts on RTE2 at 7.30pm. BBC Sport NI is to livestream the first-leg, with coverage on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website beginning at 7.40pm. ARE SHELBOURNE AT FULL STRENGTH? No, as first-choice goalkeeper Conor Kearns suffered a setback on his return to action after the hamstring injury he sustained in the second-leg of the Champions League clash with tonight's opponents Linfield last month. He limped off during Sunday's FAI Cup defeat to St Pat's and has been rued out. But striker Sean Boyd should make the bench at least after missing the Reds' last three games with a calf issue. AND WHAT ARE THE ODDS FOR THE FIRST-LEG Shelbourne 4/5, Linfield 16/5, Draw 9/4 Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.
