Stephen Bradley breaks down exactly how close Shamrock Rovers are to progressing from league phase

Stephen Bradley has worked out just how close Shamrock Rovers are to making the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League.

He says the Hoops are 97 percent sure of qualification from the league phase of the Europa Conference League - but he wants to go one better.

Rovers have clocked up seven points - and close to €5m in UEFA prize money - from their first three games and are on course for a top-24 finish, which means a guaranteed play-off spot in the new year.

Read More:Shamrock Rovers are within touching distance of €5m as Europa Conference League knockout phase looms

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However, Bradley wants to claim a top-eight spot and get straight to the last-16.

“I think it (seven points) is 97 percent (sure) for the play-offs, but we want to go and qualify automatically,” he declared after last night’s 2-1 win over The New Saints.

“I hope it’s enough but if it’s not, it's not. We have three games to go (against Rapid Vienna, Borac Banja Luka and Chelsea) and get points on the board and we’ll do everything we can to try and make that happen.

“We know we’ll be against good teams but we have played against top teams before so the aim will be can we get points and qualify automatically.”

Taking their foot off the gas having hit seven points won’t be an option, according to Bradley.

“Just keep going attacking games. I said up in Larne that our aim was not to get seven points and then just say, okay, pat each other on the back and say job done,” he said.

“That was never the aim. Why limit our expectations and what we want from each other?

“We are the ones who have brought up the standards in this country for a long time and the players continue to do that.

“You see that tonight, they’ve done something that has never been done before (winning two games in the group/league stages), but we want to keep going.

“We understand that we are going to come up against some really top teams, but that’s European football.

“We won’t be patting each other on the back, saying, okay, we have seven points, job done, everyone switch off. It’s not going to be about that, it’s going to be about, we’ve created history, now can we go and push on and raise the bar again?”

As for their history-making exploits - with their seven-point haul moving them past the four points Dundalk picked up in the 2016 Europa League - Bradley added: “We’ve created history tonight and regardless of what people’s opinions are of us as a team, us a club, me as a manager, you can’t rewrite the history books, as much as some people might want to.

“You can’t do it and these players have created history.

“Hopefully more League of Ireland teams come after us and do the same but these are the first group to do it, which is special.

“I keep saying, we didn’t pin seven points up in the dressing room and say when we get that we’ll pat ourselves on the back and have a great Christmas.

“It’s given us a great platform and let’s attack the next games to see where it takes us.”

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As for last night’s match-winner Dylan Watts, Bradley insisted that he wouldn’t look out of place in the Ireland squad, but said there had been no contact from the FAI or manager Heimir Hallgrímsson ahead of yesterday’s squad announcement.

“I’ve no doubt that Dylan has a really high football IQ. This year is the fittest he’s been and he’s mentally matured. He’s respected in all aspects of being a central midfielder,” he said.

“He’s one of the few players in this league, him and maybe Malley from Sligo, who can take the ball and penetrate all in one movement. It’s a unique skill he has and does it really well.

“When teams press heavy, he breaks it comfortably. He wouldn’t look out of place in any international squad.”

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