EVERY year, we journalists ask the same silly question, and every year, managers give us the same answer.
“You don’t win anything in March, April, May or June.”
It is always true of course. But the mood swings of fanbases and the madness of results in the League of Ireland mean it often feels as if titles are won and lost every Friday.
Yet as the season resumes tonight after a two-week break, the summer period could be make-or-break for a lot of clubs.
Shamrock Rovers went into the break on top and Stephen Bradley has routinely pointed to the fact that his side always finishes seasons strongly.
Two weeks ago, in this column I wrote that it looked like they could run away with it.
Fortunately for me, I qualified that by pointing out how it could change. That evening, Galway did a job on them to earn a 0-0 draw in Tallaght.
Rovers still have a six-point advantage as they return with a game against Shelbourne tonight.
Whatever goes down, don’t be surprised to see a quote tomorrow from both Damien Duff and Bradley declaring that you don’t win titles in June.
A Shels victory will tighten up the table again and give the Reds hope that they can put the inconsistencies of their title defence behind them.
But if Rovers were to disappear out of sight, it really does make the summer make-or-break for everyone else as the FAI Cup is an even bigger prize than it has been previously — thanks to the Hoops.
That’s because Rovers’ Conference League run last season means the LOI is now ranked among the top 32 leagues in Europe — which guarantees the cup winners a Europa spot.
Instead of entering in the Conference League second round, they’ll begin in the Europa League first round but be parachuted into the Conference League if they lose.
That means a guaranteed €700,000 for the 2025 FAI Cup winners compared to the guaranteed €525,000 for Drogheda United this year after Kevin Doherty led them to glory, assuming they’re allowed to compete.
The ‘cup winners’ path’ may not be as lucrative as the ‘champions’ path’.
But having multiple chances in Europe has been shown to be the best way to the group stages historically.
League of Ireland clubs have now reached the group stages five times — Rovers in 2011, 2022 and 2024, and Dundalk in 2016 and 2020 — and all benefited from a parachute.
But July also sees Shels, Rovers, St Pat’s and — hopefully — Drogheda go into European action with ambitions.
Drogs’ position is in doubt over Uefa rules on multi-club ownership. They’ll enter as an unseeded team in the second round of the Conference League.
If Uefa refuse them admission, Rovers enter in the second round as a seeded team and will have high hopes of making another Europe dent.
Currently they’re in the first round and are the highest-ranked team there.
But coming from the first round, they will need to win four rounds to make the group stages.
MEMORABLE DUNDALK RUN
Only one Irish side has ever won three ties in a row — and that was Dundalk in 2020 the matches were one leg, a world away from the two-legged chess matches now.
St Pat’s came as close as anyone else to doing it last season when Stephen Kenny’s side — who entered in the second round as cup winners — ultimately lost to Basaksehir of Turkey.
The Saints are also seeded in the first round and, if they progress, would be one of the strongest unseeded teams in the second round.
They’ll hope that their erratic first half of the season is just part of their DNA and they’ll come good in the second half as they have now for three years in a row.
But Shels, as champions, have all the cards.
They know a victory in the first round will guarantee European football until the end of August at least, and three shots at group-stage football.
They’re unseeded which makes for a nervous wait for next week’s draw.
But a good run and Duff and Co could see Shels become the third LOI club to make the group stages.
All involved will be hoping that European football is more of a long-lasting relationship than a summer fling.
