COMMENT Brad’s boys are on way to matching Jim’s heroes

SHAMROCK ROVERS have the league wrapped up after last Friday night’s win over St Patrick’s Athletic.

Rovers were ridiculed in some corners last year, with people mocking the fact that they won the title over only 18 matches but they have proved to everyone this year that they can go the distance.

Two-in-a-row is on the way and I can’t see anyone stopping them next year, or the year after.

What got me thinking about their potential to equal the great four-ina-row team was a picture I was sent the other day by a friend from Mayo.

It was a snap of the Rovers team in 1985. What a squad that was.

I played against them a few times and I watched them on many other occasions — and they were the best League of Ireland side I ever faced and saw.

People love making comparisons about sides from different eras, so I’d love to ask Rovers lads both now and from my time for their opinion on the strongest of the two squads.

Picture

Just look at the players they had — Peter Eccles, Jacko McDonagh, Mick Byrne, Pat Byrne, Noel Larkin, Mick Neville, Noel King, Liam O’Brien...

I looked at the picture and I went, ‘wow, what a team’.

Because I played against them and saw them play in Europe as a spectator, they to me, from my whole time in the game, are the strongest League of Ireland side ever. Just look at the quality, the experience, the maturity, strength and depth.

Jacko was one of most cultured players to ever play in the league.

If he was playing today, he would be one of the best, without a doubt.

Pat Byrne and Noel King?

They ran the game.

I rarely saw anyone show as much concentration on the pitch as Noel.

Wherever Noel played, the performances of everyone around him benefited by 10 or 15 per cent.

Noel Larkin could play centre-back or centre-forward and was a big oldfashioned No.9 target-man.

Mick Byrne could play off the No.9 all day and score goals for fun, while Harry Kenny was a wonderful rightback.

You couldn’t pick a weak player in that squad so that’s why they’d get my nod over the current side. But as far as I can see, Stephen Bradley’s team is getting stronger and better.

They will probably lose a few kids along the way to clubs across the water, but they have the resources there to keep things ticking over.

When they win four-in-a-row, which I am convinced they will, I would love to make an ultimate comparison between the two squads.

Although I still believe the team in my photo from ‘85 will win out because they were just so damn good.

And I would challenge anybody to debate me on that.

It was a different type of football back then but as a team of men playing together, I would back that Rovers team under Jim McLaughlin to beat any other side in the history of the League of Ireland.

Improve

I’m closing in on 50 years in the League of Ireland — from going to watch games with my uncle at Milltown and Dalyer — so I’d like to think I know what I’m talking about.

This current side is only going to get better. They had a disappointing e nd t o t heir European campaign, but they will learn from that, improve in the coming years and reap the financial rewards.

The away performance and result against Flora Tallinn, in particular, will be a huge lesson learned by Bradley.

As for the manager, I think any talk of him going to England and into the lower leagues is not the way to go.

Stick with Rovers; it’s going to be a fantastic journey because of the structures at the club.