They may be hailed as the best footballing side in the League of Ireland this season.
But Ethan Boyle knows that counts for nothing unless Shamrock Rovers see the sheen of silverware.
Dundalk are four points clear of Hoops at the top of the Premier Division table, with two games in hand, and thus highly likely to retain their title.
That means the only trophy realistically available to Rovers is the FAI Cup.
It’s 32 years since the ‘Cup Kings’ last saw their crown, almost a decade before Hoops’ fullback Boyle was born.
“That’s what teams are judged on,” agreed Boyle on Rovers needing a cup in the cabinet as they prepare for tonight’s second round clash at home to promotion hopefuls Drogheda United - the side that put them out of the cup last year.
“If you look back in years to come at our team, people won’t care too much that we played good football.
“Did we win anything? That’s what we’re judged on and that’s what we’d like to do - win trophies, if possible.”
Given the generational gap, Rovers’ cup tradition isn’t something Wexford native Boyle overly dwells on.
“I can’t speak for everyone else, I can only speak for myself,” he said.
“When I go out and play, I just go out and I want to play my best football all the time.
“I don’t think about any of the other stuff. If you play well and the team plays well, then all that stuff just comes off the back of it.
“Of course it would be lovely to win the cup or the league or any trophy.
“But I just want to play well in every game, regardless of cup or league.
“The plaudits and rewards should come off the back of that.”
Boyle has been used as a right-back and right wing-back this season as boss Stephen Bradley has mixed up Rovers’ formation on a match-to-match basis.
“Whatever you want to call it. It’s all the same really, isn’t it? A lot of running. That’s all I know,” quipped the former Ireland underage international on which ever role he’s asked to play.
Aiding that, either beside or behind him, has been the experience of ex-Ireland international defender Joey O’Brien.
“We do speak. If I have any questions in training, I’ll ask him,” said Boyle of O’Brien.
“Before he was injured, we were playing 3-5-2, he was at the back and I was the wing-back. We played that last year a few times in Europe. It was great.
“He’s got such experience. He is always telling me to go, stay tight, go wide. He knows his stuff and I really enjoy playing with him.
“He knows his stuff and you can see that he has played at a high level.”
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