Hughes has got friendly attitude

International

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Aaron Hughes has given the biggest indication yet of how much friendly internationals really mean.

For years the value of friendly internationals has been questioned and even players don't place that much significance on their outcome, although competitive fixtures are different. He will lead his country into tonight's home meeting against Georgia with Northern Ireland looking for only their second win in the last 16 friendly internationals at Windsor Park.

Whatever the score of this evening's game, you can rest assured that Hughes, his team-mates and the vast majority of the 14,500 in the stands won't lose any sleep over it.

"I'd take six losses in friendlies and six wins in qualifiers any day," said Hughes.

"The record doesn't really concern me. It's preparation.

"Sometimes you go into a game with the best intentions and things do work out. That's fine, but turn it around, if it meant losing a friendly to win a qualifier we would take it.

"Those are the ones that get you to World Cup and European Championships.

"They are still important and we try to approach them the way we do a qualifier, but you have to allow a little bit of flexibility for the manager to try some new players, maybe try a few things on the pitch and if it doesn't work out it's no big loss that it hasn't worked out in a friendly.

"The main thing is the qualifiers and I guess that's why we have these games."

Similarly to friendly games Northern Ireland's record in away matches is nothing to write home about.

Liechtenstein were the only team to be beaten away from home in the Euro 2008 qualifying series and the defeats in double-header trip to Latvia and Iceland cost the team qualification.

"In terms of our away form, I don't think that plays on anyone's mind," said Hughes.

"In international football anywhere you go it's a hard game, especially the eastern-European countries.

"No matter who you play out there they are always a hard team to play against on their own patch.

"They maybe don't travel as well, but when you play them at home they are a different team."

Does that sound like anyone you know?