Armenia boss: No tragedy if we fail

VARDAN MINASYAN has spoken before about the gulf in experience between his coaching CV and that of Giovanni Trapattoni’s but the Armenian manager gave a display worthy of the wily old Italian at last night’s press conference.

The visitors have arrived in Dublin on the back of an impressive run of form that has propelled them into the unforeseen position of needing just one more win to claim a play-off place as they look to secure a first ever appearance at a major championship.

That is one heck of a carrot for a team built on youth and a manager in his mid-30s but Minasyan simply shrugged off the magnitude of it all by insisting that this campaign has been all about gaining experience and building towards a place in Brazil in 2014.

Clever stuff.

“I don’t think we have to qualify,” he said. “We have another task. When I took this team the first task was, because it was a new generation, to build some quality, to begin — to make — a team. I brought in 10 players from the U21s to this team.

“First we make a team with good spirit and good quality. This was my first task. So, also for this game against Ireland, if we don’t finish with a win it is no tragedy for us. We have already taken a lot from this campaign. We are ahead of schedule.”

Such words are clearly designed to deflect the increasing levels of expectation away from the shoulders of men so young and, lest anyone be in any doubt, the visiting coach went on to counter suggestions that his players may freeze given the size of the stakes and circumstances.

They would, he insisted, play with the same freedom that has seen them score 21 goals to date in a Group B calendar which opened with a 1-0 defeat to Ireland in Yerevan 13 months ago.

“This generation have more confidence now. They are young and they have great desire. They want to achieve something in their life because they have just started to play football. They want to get more from the game.”

Minasyan preferred to speak in generalities when asked about specific Irish threats before the first game in Yerevan but he could hardly avoid the absence of Robbie Keane from the home ranks this time and admitted it’s significance.

“I think he is a big player for your team and I think he is a player with great spirit. I don’t know how it will be for the Irish team but for us it is good that he does not play. I like the team spirit of Ireland.

“They fight all the time for 90 minutes, even if they are losing 3-0 or 4-0, for example against Russia last year. It is always a bigger danger to play against a team with good organisation than against a team with some good players but who don’t play a team game and they have very good wingers.”

All of this was delivered in excellent English and, whatever the result tonight, Minasyan and his players have already grabbed the attention of teams across Europe and it is difficult to imagine so many of them remaining in their domestic game for long.

Not that he has harboured such thoughts just yet.

“No I only think about Armenia. I don’t think about anything else but who knows? A coach’s life is not certain but all my feelings now are with Armenia. This is not for me. This is for the people of Armenia.

“This is important for the Armenian national team. Also for Trapattoni it is the same. It is all about the team.”

Trap would no doubt agree.