National coach Held wants Malta to earn opponents' respect

Sigfried Held's resolve to transform the Maltese team into a competitive unit that would give any opposition a good run for its money has not been lessened by Malta's opening EURO 2004 defeat to Slovenia in Ljubljana last month.

Although the German is under no illusions about how far our team, with its paucity of playing resources, can go in a tough group which also comprises giants France, Israel and Cyprus, he nonetheless wants his players to strive to earn the respect of their opponents.

"I was not satisfied with the 3-0 defeat to Slovenia. Our performance was adequate before we conceded that own goal but then we fell apart.

"We now have to look ahead to our next games against Israel and France at home. Malta will always be the underdogs in for international competitions but we have to try to make it hard for anybody who plays us.

"That does not mean that we will not try to win points in this group. It's our target to gain good results, even against the strongest teams," Held commented during yesterday's news briefing at Ta' Qali.

He is unlikely to draft in any new faces in his squad. News of Michael Mifsud's cameo appearance for Kaiserslautern in Sunday's 1-0 league defeat to Nuremberg will have gone down well with Held who is hopeful of having all his key players fit for this month's tough qualifiers.

Joe Brincat has also been playing regularly for Sliema Wanderers after recovering from a hamstring injury but it remains to be seen whether Held would thrust him into the starting line-up for the Israel match.

Joe Mifsud shared Held's view that Malta had coped well against Slovenia before the team fell 1-0 behind.

He maintained that the MFA is expecting the national team to obtain a positive result against Israel.

Mark Miller, the Malta U-21 coach, is looking for improvement from his team, performance-wise, after their 1-0 defeat in Ljubljana.

"Our first game against Slovenia was difficult but the result was not so bad. The performance can be better but the boys put in their best effort.

"I want the team to play a little bit better in the next games. Results are always important but I also believe in performances because people come to the stadium to be entertained," Miller said.

"We have a young squad. These are the players whom I trust even if maybe club coaches don't believe in them as much as I do," he added.

Miller also hinted at more adventurous tactics after his rather cautious module for the Slovenia game.

Gareth Sciberras has been one of Pietà's most consistent performers after he recovered from an injury which forced him out of the Slovenia qualifier while club-mate Lee Lombardi has also made the squad lately after a long lay-off.

Miller confirmed that he will have a look at these two players who, he believes, will strengthen his squad if at the peak of their physical powers.

Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza, the Floriana striker, is also in the frame after a couple of good performances at club level.

Information...

EURO 2004 Qualifiers

Malta vs Israel (12/10/2002) - 7 p.m. Referee: Sergey Shebek. Assistant referees: Taras Klym, Victor Suslo (all Ukraine FA).

Malta vs France (16/10/2002) - 8.45 p.m. Referee: Alexandru Dan Tudor. Assistant referees: Nicolae Marodin, Ion Inicas (all Romania FA).

U-21 UEFA Championship

Malta vs Israel (11/10/2002) - 6 p.m., Ta' Qali. Referee: Kostadin Kostadinov (Bulgaria).

Malta vs France (15/10/2002) - 7.30 p.m., Ta' Qali. Referee: Dejan Stanisic (Yugoslavia).

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