Sanchez urges his players to learn from Greek example

GREECE’S Euro 2004 triumph has given a lift to all soccer’s smaller nations, Northern Ireland manager Lawrie Sanchez said yesterday before his team’s World Cup 2006 qualifying campaign.

Sanchez, who took over as coach in January, was speaking as he prepares his side to face Poland in Belfast this afternoon before taking on Wales.

“I think what Greece’s achievement has shown, more than anything, is football is a team game and I think sometimes that is forgotten among the big personalities,” he said.

“If a team prepares properly, plays to a level, under a framework they are happy with, then things can be achieved, Greece have shown that.”

When Sanchez succeeded Sammy McIlroy, Northern Ireland had just set an unwanted European record by going 13 games without a goal and finishing bottom of their Euro 2004 qualifying group.

After a 4-1 home friendly defeat by Norway in his first game in charge Sanchez’s side have since gone six games unbeaten, raising hopes among fans that the new campaign will kick off with a win over the Poles.

“They (Poland) are 29th in the (FIFA) World (rankings), 80 places above us, they are not fools,” said Sanchez, who noted that Northern Ireland have not won at home since 2001.

“They have been a country with a good tradition of football, and if I was the Polish manager I would be pretty much expecting to win in Belfast tomorrow - as will Wales ... they will be expecting to beat us, our job is to upset expectations.”

Sanchez confirmed Aaron Hughes would captain the side on Saturday, and, with a tough draw in Group Six, which also includes England, Austria and Azerbaijan, the Newcastle defender said it was vital Northern Ireland picked up early points.

“It’s very important we get off to a good start, we don’t want to go into the games in October with two bad results,” said Hughes.

“Three points on Saturday and perhaps a point against Wales is really the minimum for us.”

Newcastle defender Aaron Hughes, who will captain the side throughout the campaign, is confident the team can make a decent fist of it.

“We have the potential to go and make names for ourselves,” he said.

“The expectation level is a little bit higher than what it used to be.”

Northern Ireland (probable): Taylor (Birmingham), A Hughes (Newcastle), Craigan (Motherwell), Williams (MK Dons), Capaldi (Plymouth); Gillespie (Leicester), Johnson (Birmingham), Whitley (Sunderland), M Hughes (Crystal Palace), Quinn (Willem II), Healy (Preston).