McNamara enters the Champions league for the first time.
03-15-2022, 08:18 AM
Blackburn Rovers manager Ian McNamara is making his first appearance as a manager in the ESL champions league. In his sixth season on the circuit he's now decided after much contemplation to enter the ring for the biggest prize in Europe. The team he'll be leading are the side from Portugal Benfica. Expected to be one of the underdogs McNamara is hoping he'll be able to surprise a few other managers by getting the team from Portugal as far as possible. Benfica have a lot of players in the squad from their homeland so some people might argue that this should give them an advantage as a lot of the players will already speak the language however it's not just about that, it's about the quality of the players also.
McNamara has not had any time to train with his players before the first game as the appointment was very last minute so he's gone with his experienced coaching staffs recommendations and played the best lineup he has available to him. He is however hoping as he is against English opposition that he'll have an advantage in regards to knowing how teams in England play. This however will mean nothing as the new manager is still getting to know his players so will need time for his ideas to sink in. Benfica and Norwich City will be least favourites for getting out of the group they are in as they are up against two huge sides in Juventus and Chelsea. This is where they can both enjoy the game and show that they are not just here to make up numbers. A good result against Norwich could make Juventus and Chelsea take them seriously. McNamara said the following.
"After a lot of thought I decided to manage a European team this season, I felt it would help me grow as a manager and provide me with a new experience. Benfica although underdogs have an exciting squad and there are a number of younger players who I feel I can improve throughout the champions league season. My first aim is to start getting to know the players and as I've not had a training session yet due to only joining yesterday it's difficult for me to really know where my strengths are. I am however excited about Nunez and Sanchez both young lads in my squad and both on the bench for this game. I'm excited to see how our striker from Ukraine will perform. We've spoken to him and he's confirmed that he really wants to play in the game. He will also be my captain for the upcoming competition. I've worked with Verisimo before so I'm excited to link back up with him, I worked with him on a different circuit and he was a fantastic player so I'm hoping he'll be much the same for us here. Saferavich our striker from Switzerland is also exciting and I know he's a good goalscorer so I am going to be very dependant on his ability to score goals. It's going to be tough if I am honest as we're in a tough group, it's vital to me that the players give it their best and enjoy the experience.
We'll be trying a few different ways of playing to see how best the players fit into the side and get use to the strengths in the squad. It won't be easy as their is a language barrier to contend with as well and with a few different countries involved it's going to be tricky to get my ideas across. The players however after meeting them have been very positive and I've watched their last couple of training sessions to try and get ready for the game the best I can. Norwich are a very good side and have a fantastic manager in charge of them so this won't be easy. Like us they'll be aiming to prove that they are not here to be the whipping boys of the group so this is expected to be a competitive match. I am looking forward to taking charge of this side and seeing where we can go."
McNamara has not had any time to train with his players before the first game as the appointment was very last minute so he's gone with his experienced coaching staffs recommendations and played the best lineup he has available to him. He is however hoping as he is against English opposition that he'll have an advantage in regards to knowing how teams in England play. This however will mean nothing as the new manager is still getting to know his players so will need time for his ideas to sink in. Benfica and Norwich City will be least favourites for getting out of the group they are in as they are up against two huge sides in Juventus and Chelsea. This is where they can both enjoy the game and show that they are not just here to make up numbers. A good result against Norwich could make Juventus and Chelsea take them seriously. McNamara said the following.
"After a lot of thought I decided to manage a European team this season, I felt it would help me grow as a manager and provide me with a new experience. Benfica although underdogs have an exciting squad and there are a number of younger players who I feel I can improve throughout the champions league season. My first aim is to start getting to know the players and as I've not had a training session yet due to only joining yesterday it's difficult for me to really know where my strengths are. I am however excited about Nunez and Sanchez both young lads in my squad and both on the bench for this game. I'm excited to see how our striker from Ukraine will perform. We've spoken to him and he's confirmed that he really wants to play in the game. He will also be my captain for the upcoming competition. I've worked with Verisimo before so I'm excited to link back up with him, I worked with him on a different circuit and he was a fantastic player so I'm hoping he'll be much the same for us here. Saferavich our striker from Switzerland is also exciting and I know he's a good goalscorer so I am going to be very dependant on his ability to score goals. It's going to be tough if I am honest as we're in a tough group, it's vital to me that the players give it their best and enjoy the experience.
We'll be trying a few different ways of playing to see how best the players fit into the side and get use to the strengths in the squad. It won't be easy as their is a language barrier to contend with as well and with a few different countries involved it's going to be tricky to get my ideas across. The players however after meeting them have been very positive and I've watched their last couple of training sessions to try and get ready for the game the best I can. Norwich are a very good side and have a fantastic manager in charge of them so this won't be easy. Like us they'll be aiming to prove that they are not here to be the whipping boys of the group so this is expected to be a competitive match. I am looking forward to taking charge of this side and seeing where we can go."
