David Healy believes there's no place like home as Linfield chase more European glory

Yahoo

3 days ago

David Healy has backed Linfield to produce another impressive home performance in Europe as they look to overhaul Shelbourne's one goal lead at Windsor Park.
In recent years the Blues have beaten the likes of Bodø/Glimt and Qarabag in Belfast with Healy hoping for another famous night against Shels this evening.
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The Linfield boss accepts it won't be easy against the reigning League of Ireland champions, but he feels his side will be very different from the one which played at Tolka Park seven days ago.
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"I wouldn't say you're ever happy losing a game but with the way the draw worked out in terms of the fitness edge that Shelbourne should have had – and they did - it wasn't a bad result," said Healy.
"We had to give up something last week, we worked on it and credit to the players they took a lot of information on board.
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"We sort of gave up the wide areas a little bit and there are areas we can improve on, certainly in possession. That's something we've touched on in training over the last number of days, we need to be strong in possession.
"We've got to make sure we've got good options, better options than what we had last week. It looked at times as if we did all the hard work without the ball last week, then, when we landed on the ball we were probably giving it away cheaply.
"We didn't have the opportunity to keep the ball and create the opportunities but one thing I will say is, we've a strong record at Windsor Park.
"These players believe there's an opportunity. It's going to be hard, but we look back even at the game last year against Stjarnan, when I thought we were very good.
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"We lost the first leg 2-0 then brought it back to Windsor but ultimately lost a late goal and went out. We won the game though (3-2).
"The previous year we beat Vllaznia from Albania very comfortably at home, I think it was 3-1 on the night.
"These boys believe. The majority of them in the dressing room have been through the highs and lows of European runs.
"It's going to be a big challenge. We're still probably slightly behind the eight ball but even if we had drawn last week we still have to win the game.
"These boys have made a lot of sacrifices.It's not just the three or four weeks now in pre-season for the new domestic season, they put 42 weeks of hard work in, tears along the way with what we achieved.
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"We don't want to give that up in fifteen or twenty minutes. One thing we won't do is be gung ho from a very early stage.
"We'll put a bit more pressure on, of course, but you don't want to waste 95 minutes of hard work last week and put yourself out of the tie within the first fifteen or twenty minutes this week."