Byrne Calls on Pat's to Grasp Europa League Chance

Conan Byrne has called on his St. Patrick's Athletic teammates to forget about their indifferent Premier Division season by throwing themselves into their two-legged Europa League first qualifying round tie against Jeunesse Esch.

The Luxembourg side travel to Dublin to take on a Saints team that is currently on a three-game losing streak and have struggled for consistency throughout the 2016 campaign to date. Yet Byrne feels this Europa League game provides the ideal distraction at the perfect time and doesn't think Pat's current form will be an issue in Richmond Park on Tuesday night.

“I don't think so, I think it's more of a break from the league campaign. It's just been so far disappointing for all concerned,” Byrne told extratime.ie.

“That's not getting away from the fact that we're working extremely hard on the training pitch. We're not seeming to be getting the bounce of the ball in the games, but look, as I said, it's going to be a little break from the league.

“You're playing in Europe, you're playing at the highest level possible that we can play in as players, apart from international level which is very hard to do in this league. So, realistically, there's no better position to be in. If you can't grasp that and get the right motivation and determination for the game tomorrow then you're in the wrong game.”

Having featured in five of the six European games Pat's have played since signing for the club in November 2012, Byrne has yet to be on the winning side of a two-legged European tie with the Saints. The former Sporting Fingal and Shelbourne man offers a simple enough reason for that.

“I think we've just come up against very, very good opposition,” said Byrne “We played Skonto Riga which are huge in European terms from a few years ago. I know they don't have the team that they did have, but a big name in Europe. Legia Warsaw, we all know about them and how close we were to causing a huge upset over in Warsaw, we just couldn't do the job at home.

“I just think we've encountered difficult opposition. Obviously we've been disappointed with the European campaigns but hopefully now we can learn from that. We're coming up against a side that not many people have heard about.

“Maybe they wouldn't be a household name like Legia, but it still doesn't matter. We still have to go out and do the job and put in a good performance because if we don't put in a good performance, then we'll be out licking our wounds.”

Byrne saw players of the calibre of Greg Bolger, Killian Brennan and James Chambers depart Inchicore in the close season. In all, six of those who started in the first-leg of last year's Europa League tie against Skonto Riga have since left Pat's. However, the 30 year old winger feels the new arrivals at Emmet Road have ensured there is no shortage of experience around the place.

“I know a lot of lads have left, but a lot of us have European experience, the likes of myself, Brendan Clarke, Ger O'Brien and Christy Fagan, we've been around the block,” said Byrne.

“The lads we've brought in have played in Europe at other clubs, Mark Timlin, David Cawley and sure we've got Keith Treacy in too and he's got the international experience there to help, and the Dennehys from Cork. We have the experience there, we've played together now for a good few months, so that shouldn't be a problem at all I don't think.”

Their opponents Esch have reshuffled their own squad too in the off-season, but with former Luxembourg international Carlo Weis remaining in charge, Byrne feels the overall set-up of the side won't change – and that Pat's have the players capable of breaking Esch down.

“The manager's stayed the same so I'm sure he'll continue with his philosophy,” said Byrne. “They seem to play a kind of deep-defensive line and try to break through. So we've got the players in our team to be able to do that, we just have to be aware of their counter-attack, obviously.

“It's a European tie so it'll be a tough game, there'll be no easy games in Europe. The lads have done a bit of homework on them and we think we'll know what to expect from them. We'll just have to go out and play our own game, that's the most important thing, try not to concentrate on them too much. Just focus on ourselves and hopefully get a good result.”