Record-breakers: How Shamrock Rovers’ possession system has put them on course to retain the LOI title – tactical analysis

Shamrock Rovers are one of the most historic clubs in the League of Ireland and have also won more top-flight titles than any other team in the Republic with 18 in total.

In 2020, the Hoops were crowned league champions for the first time since 2011 under the guidance of Stephen Bradley, a former Arsenal academy product, who was just 35 years old at the time.

The young manager has been commended for his team’s attractive and possession-based style of play. Since last season’s title victory, Rovers managed to go on a 33-game unbeaten run in the league, which carried on until the twelfth game-week when they were beaten by the 2019 champions Dundalk, 2-1 at Oriel Park. This is currently the longest unbeaten streak in the league’s history, an incredible collective feat by the players and the coaching staff.

Again this season, Rovers have started really well, winning eight of their opening twelve matches and they are now top of the league. Bradley’s side have shown that there is so much more to the League of Ireland than long balls and physicality, and they are arguably the best side to watch in the division from a neutral perspective.

This article will be a tactical analysis of Shamrock Rovers in the form of a team scout report. It will be an analysis of the tactics that Bradley has implemented so far in the 2021 campaign with a particular focus on how they set up in possession.

It must be noted that this team analysis was completed prior to Rovers’ game against Sligo Rovers on 24 May and so the stats may be slightly outdated.

Lineups and formations

Bradley has preferred to use a back three variation so far this season. The 3-4-2-1 has been the formation deployed the most by the Hoops and has been used 46 percent of the time, whilst the similar 3-4-1-2 formation has been used in 32 percent of their matches.

The third most-utilised structure has been the 4-3-2-1 and Rovers have been set up in this formation in 8 percent of their games. The other 14 percent is made up of formations where Bradley’s side have been a man down due to a sending-off such as the 4-2-1-2 or the 4-4-1.

The manager has chopped and changed his side quite a lot in the current campaign and has used his squad to its fullest extent for the most part.

It is difficult to explicitly rhyme off Rovers’ best eleven due to the constant rotation of the starting lineup from game to game, but the image above shows their starting lineup from one of their recent matches against Derry City which ended in a draw at home. It can be argued that this is as close to their best starting eleven as possible, give or take one or two players.

Alan Mannus has been a main-stay in the Shamrock Rovers net, protected for the most part by a back three. This three-man defensive line typically comprises Lee Grace, Cape Verde international Roberto Lopes, and Sean Hoare, although at times, left wingback Liam Scales has been used as a left centre-back, a position he is very comfortable playing. Former West Ham United man Joey O’Brien has also been utilised as a right centre-back in place of Hoare on several occasions.