Latest news with #JOEYO'BRIEN
The Journal
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Journal
'Turn that hurt into hunting': Shels boss wants players to bounce back from dramatic Euro exit
The 42 JOEY O'BRIEN WANTS his wounded Shelbourne players go on one final European hunt to ensure qualification for the league phase of the Uefa Conference League. The Reds saw Croatia champions Riejka wipe out their 2-1 lead from the first leg last week before an absorbing ending at Tolka Park led to their exit from the third qualifying round of the Europa League. Mipo Odubeko converted an 86th-minute penalty to level the tie at 3-3 before Milan Mbeng came close to win it moments later, only to see the man who conceded the penalty – Ante Orec – go down the other end and produce a clever reverse strike to send Rijeka into the Europa League play-off in the last minute of normal time. The winner of Icelandic side Vikingur and Linfield, who Shels beat in the first qualifying round of the Champions League, now await in the Conference League play-off. O'Brien confirmed he will travel to Belfast on Thursday to see if David Healy's side can overturn a 2-1 deficit and set up an All-Ireland rematch for the prize of league phase European football and a minimum of €3.8 million. 'I thought we were probably the better team in the second half. Looked fitter, looked stronger towards the end of it,' O'Brien said. 'The second goal they score, it's an unbelievable shot, an unbelievable goal. But again, lads stuck at it, immensely proud of them, how they kept going. Obviously, we got the penalty then, late doors, and here, we were ready for the barnstorming finish. Advertisement 'We had the [Mbeng] chance, we didn't take it, and they went up, got a little bit of luck, I suppose, with a breaking ball, good finish. Yeah, it was a sickener. 'But I said to the lads, like, obviously they (Rijeka) are celebrating and all that, and we want that, you know, and that's it, and you use this hurt now that we're going through as the hunt. 'That's what it is, you turn that hurt into hunting, and that's what we're doing now, we want that celebration in a couple of weeks' time. 'The lads, it's a hard one to take, and bitterly disappointed for the boys, but as you said, we're still in it, and yeah, we need to be on it now for the next one.' The next one is an attempt at creating history for the club by qualifying for group/league stage of European football for the first time, and also ensuring back-to-back qualification to Uefa's third tier competition for League of Ireland sides after Shamrock Rovers did so last season, eventually reaching the knockout phase. The Hoops earned €7.26 million in total for their exploits last season but O'Brien isn't looking at the next two-legged tie as any kind of consolation. 'I think I said that before. I trusted the lads, I fancied our lads. As I said, I couldn't be any prouder of them. The effort that they put in over the two legs, the performance that they put in over the two legs. 'We were right there to the death. And here, as I said, when all said and done it comes down to a little bit of luck late doors, we had a chance, didn't take it. And I suppose you can look at all sorts of the parts of the game and all that sort of stuff. That's where it is. We get a chance after it's in the balance. Don't take it. They go up the other end and take theirs.' Written by David Sneyd and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won't find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women's sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here .
The 42
6 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
Shels boss wants wounded players to force Euro reaction - 'You turn that hurt into hunting'
JOEY O'BRIEN WANTS his wounded Shelbourne players go on one final European hunt to ensure qualification for the league phase of the Uefa Conference League. The Reds saw Croatia champions Riejka wipe out their 2-1 lead from the first leg last week before an absorbing ending at Tolka Park led to their exit from the third qualifying round of the Europa League. Mipo Odubeko converted an 86th-minute penalty to level the tie at 3-3 before Milan Mbeng came close to win it moments later, only to see the man who conceded the penalty – Ante Orec – go down the other end and produce a clever reverse strike to send Rijeka into the Europa League play-off in the last minute of normal time. The winner of Icelandic side Vikingur and Linfield, who Shels beat in the first qualifying round of the Champions League, now await in the Conference League play-off. Advertisement O'Brien confirmed he will travel to Belfast on Thursday to see if David Healy's side can overturn a 2-1 deficit and set up an All-Ireland rematch for the prize of league phase European football and a minimum of €3.8 million. 'I thought we were probably the better team in the second half. Looked fitter, looked stronger towards the end of it,' O'Brien said. 'The second goal they score, it's an unbelievable shot, an unbelievable goal. But again, lads stuck at it, immensely proud of them, how they kept going. Obviously, we got the penalty then, late doors, and here, we were ready for the barnstorming finish. 'We had the [Mbeng] chance, we didn't take it, and they went up, got a little bit of luck, I suppose, with a breaking ball, good finish. Yeah, it was a sickener. 'But I said to the lads, like, obviously they (Rijeka) are celebrating and all that, and we want that, you know, and that's it, and you use this hurt now that we're going through as the hunt. 'That's what it is, you turn that hurt into hunting, and that's what we're doing now, we want that celebration in a couple of weeks' time. 'The lads, it's a hard one to take, and bitterly disappointed for the boys, but as you said, we're still in it, and yeah, we need to be on it now for the next one.' The next one is an attempt at creating history for the club by qualifying for group/league stage of European football for the first time, and also ensuring back-to-back qualification to Uefa's third tier competition for League of Ireland sides after Shamrock Rovers did so last season, eventually reaching the knockout phase. The Hoops earned €7.26 million in total for their exploits last season but O'Brien isn't looking at the next two-legged tie as any kind of consolation. 'I think I said that before. I trusted the lads, I fancied our lads. As I said, I couldn't be any prouder of them. The effort that they put in over the two legs, the performance that they put in over the two legs. 'We were right there to the death. And here, as I said, when all said and done it comes down to a little bit of luck late doors, we had a chance, didn't take it. And I suppose you can look at all sorts of the parts of the game and all that sort of stuff. That's where it is. We get a chance after it's in the balance. Don't take it. They go up the other end and take theirs.'
The Irish Sun
22-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Joey O'Brien calls on Shelbourne to take fight to Qarabag in Champions League as he hails Tipperary's All-Ireland win
JOEY O'BRIEN has told Qarabag: 'Camán have a go if you think you are hard enough.' The Azerbaijani champions have played group-stage football for the past 11 years in a row and are tipped to get past 2 Shelbourne boss Joey O'Brien pointed to the Tipperary hurlers' astonishing second-half display in the All-Ireland final as inspiration 2 Tipperary shocked Cork in the All-Ireland final - now the Shelbourne boss wants his team to do the same against Qarabag But, ahead of the first leg in Tolka Park tonight, O'Brien pointed to the O'Brien said: 'They're going to come over here, back themselves, try to dominate the ball possession-wise. 'We need to make sure we're defending, staying on guard, at the top of the pitch. 'Obviously, playing at this level, for the club that they play at, they're going to have players that can hurt you. And we need to embrace that challenge. read more on football 'That's what it's all about for me, going in against a player that, yeah, on paper, people are talking about, that should be better, or is better than you. 'That's why football is magic, man. You go out in 90 minutes, take a crack off them, see who's standing at the end of it. 'Underdogs, Irish people in general love that, don't they? Watching the hurling there at the weekend and it was the underdogs that won it. 'That is the way we are looking at this, it is a chance for us to attack the game and create an upset.' Most read in Football Shels are hoping international clearance will come through in time for But Lorcan Healy will keep his place in the team with Conor Kearns ruled out with the hamstring injury which forced him off against Linfield last week. Mikel Arteta could not be happier with new Arsenal signing Martin Zubimendi Captain Mark Coyle has shaken off a knee knock.
The 42
17-07-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Shelbourne boss eyes European glory - 'We want to go and create more history by qualifying'
JOEY O'BRIEN SAYS he wants Shelbourne to make memories of a lifetime by qualifying for the league stage of European competition this season. The Reds boss saw his side progress to the second qualifying round of the Champions League after a 2-1 aggregate win over Linfield. Victory means the League of Ireland side are guaranteed at least a place in the Uefa Conference League play-off round with the potential to earn over €3 million by qualifying. A second-round Champions League tie with Qarabag is on the horizon next week, though, with the first leg at home in Tolka Park on Wednesday. Defeat to the Azerbaijan giants would see Shels head for the third round of the Europa League. Shamrock Rovers earned over €6m after they reached the knockout stages of the Conference League last season and O'Brien spoke of the reality such money brings. 'This opens up another door from the club's point of view. Here, listen, the people people at this club don't get involved at this level to make money. The lads in the background do it because they absolutely love it. 'Ultimately, to get the real money, you must make group stages. I told to the lads in there that's the aim. We don't want this to be our want our European memory. We want to go and create more history by qualifying for the groups.' O'Brien said games in Europe are the ones he can remember from his own playing days and he revealed that he challenged his squad to step up and take on the European challenge after Damien Duff resigned last month. Advertisement The Dubliner stepped up from No.2 and is now unbeaten in five games. 'It wasn't something I had planned, just the way it worked out,' he said of taking the job. 'I just said to the lads in there, the manager had a huge say in this and the squad he built, the success that we had last year, a huge part of him created this night, it was up to us and the players, not to me, I said to the players when I took over, you take on the baton, he stepped aside, you take it and run with it and see how far we can go. 'The build-up around this game since the draw was made, it's a massive, massive game. You don't get that in league football. Everything that's at stake, going through and the possibilities that it opens up. It was a great night for the football club.' It was a manic end to the first half with Shels conceding a penalty and seeing Linfield draw level on the night after Ali Coote's earlier goal. The away side then thought they regained the lead with a well-worked corner only for VAR to intervene and the official on the pitch rule it out after checking his pitchside screen. 'I just said to the lads, don't have a regret, this one will not let you by, if you regret this. It's great for us that we don't have that regret,' O'Brien said. 'These two games, with VAR has added something, you have the peno last week, you start off well and get a peno and you think, we are on the front foot, it's overturned. The early subs we had to make, the worked corner, that was a mad few minutes, they equalise, we went up the other end, Davey [McAllister] had drawn up that set play and felt it could have worked and it worked a treat, we thought it worked a treat and then VAR steps in. 'Going in at half time the lads were a bit flat, we had that emotion of being really high and then back to thinking, they are back in the game. I said to the lads, we are still winning the tie, we just need to go out and dominate possession and we'll get more chances.' O'Brien hailed the 'brilliant' Mipo Odubeko up front and heaped praised the 'excellent' JJ Lunney and Kerr McInroy for helping dictate play even more after Linfield had defender Ben Hall sent off on 63 minutes. 'I thought we were better team over two legs but sometimes you don't always get what you deserve.' Shels did here and now a proper European adventure beckons.
The Irish Sun
09-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Joey O'Brien urges Shelbourne to strike early as Linfield face Champions League clash lacking match sharpness
JOEY O'BRIEN wants his players to go for the jugular against out-of-season Linfield. 2 Shelbourne boss Joey O'Brien has urged his side to go on the attack from the off against Linfield 2 Shelbourne face David Healy's side in the Champions League first round qualifier And O'Brien hopes his side's match sharpness can come to the fore at Tolka Park. 'We go out and attack the game to win. That's not going to change. 'The atmosphere will be up but it's also about not getting too emotional, being in control of the performance, wanting it but not wanting it too much that you tighten up and can't perform. READ MORE ON FOOTBALL 'That's something that we've spoken about - attacking the game but not being too desperate or otherwise your performance suffers.' Opposite number David Healy said: "We've been in nearly a month now, we've prepared as best as we can. 'It's probably not like pre-seasons gone by where players are a little bit more unhealthy and whatever else. Now the players are a bit more considerate in what they do in the off-season.' 'I've seen it all' - Michael Buffer introduces Chelsea and Fluminense players and teams like boxers in Club World Cup
