Shamrock Rovers ace Roberto Lopes says it is time to buckle up because the title race will be fast and furious.
After the pedestrian pace of lockdown, league matches are about to come hurtling back into our lives.
Players and fans alike are not only counting down the days to next Friday, they are already counting down the number of games left.
With the campaign slashed in half, Premier Division clubs have either 13 or 14 games remaining.
So it won’t be long before talk of a resumption is replaced with title run-in discussions - and the Hoops are well placed.
Chasing a first league trophy since 2011, Rovers are top-of-the-table after five games played and lead arch rivals Dundalk by three points.
And Lopes points to the thrilling 3-2 win over the champs in February and November’s FAI Cup final win as proof they have cleared a psychological hurdle.
In fact, the Dubliner - who is also a Cape Verde international - insists the Hoops have the steel to wrestle the trophy from the Lilywhites.
‘Pico’ said yesterday: “That league game, it was only four games in but it felt like a decider in how the league might go.
“But that's not the case and we can't get carried away. We have to play them in Oriel and there are so many teams in the league who can take points off anyone.
“Being such a short season, if you have a bad run the league could tighten up and you're overtaken before you know it.”
Centre-back Lopes continued: “Probably from the outside looking in, people were saying 'Jaysus, Rovers need to change what they're doing'.
“But from within the group we believed in what the manager was telling us from day one and we knew that it was the right thing to do.
"If you look back over the last couple of years, it’s been individual mistakes at key moments that have cost us.
“But when we play the way we can play, we feel it's the right way and it's really nice on the eye as well.”
With so few games to go, the scrutiny will be dialled up a notch with each passing week but Lopes insists Rovers can handle it.
“You’ve got to embrace it and enjoy it. It's about getting points on the board really quickly because the end of the season will hit you before you know it.
“You want to be in the mix come the last three or four games. A short season is going to be really exciting because anything can happen.
“And if you start really well you'll be there come the end of it.”
Rovers host Finn Harps in their first game back on Saturday week, while Dundalk entertain St Pat’s the night before.
The sides will meet at Oriel Park in a huge game in late September with no margin for error between now and then.
Lopes said: “It's like Christmas for us, we’re just raring to go. The pre-season friendlies are coming to an end and it's all about the competitive games.
“I'm just happy that we’re playing football this year, whether it's two games or 30 games.
“There were a few conversations earlier in the year and you didn't know where it was going to go.
“Other leagues around Europe were scrapped, so the fact we have football in the country again is great.
“But it's a clean slate and fresh start for everyone. It's been a long break so the momentum is halted. It's important to hit the ground running.
“We need to be on it from the first whistle. It's Finn Harps on the first day and we have to get three points on the board, build momentum and pick up as many points as we can.”
But the Hoops will be without midfielder Greg Bolger for the rest of the season after he fractured his ankle in a friendly with Wexford last Saturday.
Lopes added: “I’m gutted for him. He has a calmness on the ball and an infectious energy around the group that gets everyone playing at the same tempo.”
