19-05-2025
Stephen Bradley suggests radical change to League of Ireland format to combat common schedule problem
STEPHEN BRADLEY believes it is too early to tell if tonight's derby will be a key moment in title race.
But he wishes the season was longer so the game itself could be on later in the year.
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His team have won three in a row
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While Stephen Kenny's men lost two successive games before Friday's dramatic 3-2 win against Cork City
Bradley's Shamrock Rovers' host St Pat's this evening at Tallaght Stadium in a match brought forward from July to allow both sides to focus on European action this summer.
But the change also means over-familiarity.
In a league where everyone plays everyone else four times, this will be the third meeting between the Dublin rivals in ten weeks.
Rovers are top and have the best attack and best defence this season, while fourth-placed Saints are second in both the goals-for and goals-against columns.
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So it is not a wild shout to speculate that the Luas Derby head-to-heads could decide the destination of the title.
But while that is a red line of discussion for Bradley in May, he reiterated his wish that the season was longer so key fixtures were not bunched together.
On the potential title challengers, said: 'It's nearly impossible to say right now because, especially now when you've got three games, in a matter of a week it can all change so quickly.
'I think usually after the break when you're into the third round, getting near the end of that, midway you start to see what it really looks like in terms of who is going to be there.
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'I said many times that I think the league season should be extended and I really do believe that.
'Everyone is full-time in the Premier Division. So I don't see what the issue is.
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"In the past it was some teams aren't full-time, it was about wages and all of that.
'But I think we should extend the season at either end.
'I understand why we're playing each other, it frees up Europe, I get that. But if we extend the season at either end, it kills them issues.
'I don't think I'd be alone in saying that it's something that should be looked at, we're all full-time.'
Even though this will be the third time the Saints and Hoops, have faced each other in ten weeks, more than 6,000 tickets have already been sold for the clash.
Bradley added: 'I'm in the position that over years we've built up a good squad and so it helps.
'But I think for the league as a whole, to get people in the door and showcase the talent, I believe it can be structured better.
'I don't think from speaking to other managers that I'm alone in that.
'Maybe it's something that can be looked at going forward.'
OPTIONS FOR TONIGHT
Playing three games in a week means that Bradley may rotate his side with the likes of Graham Burke being used from the bench following
And the Hoops boss also confirmed that Dylan Watts, Danny Mandroiu and Aaron McEneff are all fit and ready to return.
He added: 'They've trained all week, there wasn't an issue in terms of fitness.
'It's nice that the group is where it is that we didn't have to have them involved down in Waterford.'
Stephen Kenny's St Pat's, meanwhile, have fitness doubts over captain Joe Redmond and playmaker Kian Leavy.
Chris Forrester, however, is definitely out with a groin injury, while Barry Baggley is suspended.
ODDS: Rovers 4-5, St Pat's 16-5, Draw 23-10.
VERDICT: Rovers
