Malta National Teams Head Coach Devis Mangia stressed that patience is the key of making or breaking Saturday’s European Qualifier against Slovenia. Malta are facing this Balkan country in the second of a triple header which will also see the Malta National Team play against Russia on Tuesday evening.
Speaking about the next commitment against Slovenia in the match day -1 press conference, coach Mangia said that this will be a difficult match however he is expecting that the team betters its performance. He stressed the need that Malta as a team needs to be patient, play our game and concentrate.
Mangia was questioned about Ilicic, whom he coached at Palermo at a very young age. He praised the giant leaps the player managed to do. According to Devis Mangia the player is a complete one, that can make a game difficult. However the player will be missing from tomorrow’s match due to suspension.
Whilst speaking about the triumph over Cyprus, he explained that the team played well and that is the reason why the job looked simple. The coach acknowledged that set pieces will always be dangerous and those were the best chances that the Cypriots had. He affirmed that Slovenia might also be treacherous where set pieces are concerned.
The coach declared that he was very happy with the 62% ball possession that Malta enjoyed in the first half. He stressed that being a man up made life easier and it was obvious that ball possession would improve.
Malta national team player and scorer of two of the goals against Cyprus, Cain Attard was present for the press conference. He affirmed that the atmosphere in the dressing room was ecstatic on Wednesday eve however the team knows that they have to focus on the next match.
He explained that if the team works on the coach’s game plan, then he is certain that a positive result would follow.
Attard explained that the Coach and his staff brought in a different mentality. ‘Being in the national team is always a daunting task, however if one works had then he reaps the benefits’ repeated Cain Attard when grilled by the journalists.
Source: MFA
Photos: Domenic Aquilina
