Stephen Bradley got to this point in his managerial career by setting teams out to play brave, attacking football.
And there’s no reason for him to change.
But there’s also no harm in adapting the approach when needs must and this was one of those occasions.
Being honest, I never thought Shamrock Rovers would win. I hoped they could keep it to 2-0, get it home and have a right go next week.
But Ferencvaros were operating at another level and it was never on the cards.
There are reasons for that and clearly there is a considerable gulf in quality between the two teams.
But if a team can understand and accept that they have certain deficiencies, they can set themselves up in other ways in the hope of upsetting the apple cart.
That didn’t happen last night.
It’s a tall order to expect players who play against inferior opposition week in, week out to suddenly turn it on.
That’s why the first 10 or 15 minutes of these big European games always look a little hairy for the Irish teams.
So used to having the ball at home, they are frantically trying to adapt to the pace and atmosphere.
And the gap was just too big this time because Ferencvaros are not far off Champions League standard.
We also seem to put less and less emphasis on our natural ability to defend with the pendulum swinging too far the other way.
Irish teams in the past would have set their stall out to be defensive and try to frustrate and smother Ferencvaros before bringing them back to Tallaght.
You do whatever it takes, but Rovers were lacking in that department last night. They wanted to play, and had some good spells.
That’s brave, but they were too open and that’s a flaw in this team. At this level, you have to accept your frailties and adopt a horses for courses approach.
But the fallback of the Conference League is there for them and Bradley and his players should just take this on the chin.
There won’t be a fairytale comeback next week, but the second-leg is still important as Rovers are learning so much in all of these games.
These top level European teams are well drilled machines. It’s high level stuff and these opposition players get it - they work and work and work.
Irish teams don’t do that in the same way.
We just don’t have that robotic style of closing teams down and why? Because Rovers have it so easy in the League of Ireland.
I’m sure neutrals looking in on TV last night will be quick to slate Rovers for a pasting, but they need to understand the factors at play.
Rovers could have tailored their game a little, as I have argued. But it’s their domestic opposition that I’d be having the pop at, not them.
Rovers are not being asked enough questions here at home and that’s a damning indictment of the rest of the league.
Yes, Rovers got it wrong last night but if they learn from the experience, they will do some damage in the Conference League group stages.
BRILLIANT SHELS
I’m buzzing for Shelbourne after their Champions League win in Slovenia yesterday.
And what a fairytale story for goalscorer Heather O’Reilly.
A World Cup winner, a three time Olympic gold medalist and an eye-watering 231 caps for USA.
She is a giant of the global game and now, having come out of retirement at 37, she’s firing Shels into the next phase.
I’ve said it before that women’s football can be the catalyst for reviving football in Ireland as a whole. Watch this space.
RIP, MONO
I was devastated to hear about Derek Monaghan.
‘Mono’ gave everything to Bohs and our football clubs are nothing without great volunteers who roll their sleeves up.
Mono was an unsung hero of the League of Ireland and a huge loss to that community, not just at Bohs.
He was a warm character and always had a cheeky joke or slag for me when I saw him at Dalymount.
Hopefully everyone rallies around his wife, his kids, his extended family and his many, many friends.
RIP, Mono.
SAINTS WONT MISS ANANG
Joseph Anang made some good saves in Europe but St Pat’s fans shouldn’t be crying into their cornflakes over his departure.
Firstly, he’s a West Ham player and it’s their decision to send him on loan to Derby County for the rest of the season.
That’s obviously where they feel he will develop more, which is all well and good providing he dislodges Joe Wildsmith as No 1.
If he sits on the bench for Derby, instead of playing every week for St Pat’s, he will go backwards.
I wasn’t hugely convinced by Anang. He certainly didn’t jump off the page for me like Vitezslav Jaros before him.
He’s young, he’s raw and he is getting better but this move would want to go well for him.
St Pat’s knew it was coming and acted swiftly to get Danny Rogers in and I think they’ll cope just fine.
VALUE, WHAT VALUE?
There’s very little value to be had holidaying on the continent, as I’m finding out.
The Spanish, Italians and French have all cottoned on that we’ll pay a fiver for a pint, because it’s the least we’ll pay at home.
Gone be the time where you could buy a round of drinks on holidays for that.
Soon we’ll be returning to the good old days of the 1970s, where we rent a damp caravan in Wexford and run amok.
People on the prowl for €4.50 pints because they’re fed up paying €5 in Spain.
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