Hughes keen to avoid shock
17 Jul 2008 - 12:00:11
Manchester City manager Mark Hughes is determined not to suffer a UEFA Cup embarrassment at the hands of Faroe Isles side EB/Streymur.
The first qualifying round first leg encounter should end in a straightforward victory for the Premier League side, but Hughes is taking nothing for granted.
The former Wales and Blackburn Rovers boss said: "You never know what's going to happen and I suppose it's our banana skin because they've got nothing to lose.
"We'll approach it in a professional manner. It's part of our pre-season but it has consequences for the rest of the season as well.
"We're here with a strong team and the right attitude.
"Last year with Blackburn we played teams where, over a long season, if you played them ten times, you'd beat them nine times.
"But there's always that one game where, if you don't approach it in the right way, then you can be embarrassed. We don't anticipate that's going to happen.
"The fitness element comes into it because obviously they're ahead in that situation. But we've got big players, big athletes and, even though it's still early in our preparations, we'll expect to overcome them."
