From: fischer@iesd.auc.dk (Lars Peter Fischer)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.soccer
Subject: Re: Denmark panel for wednesday anyone?????
Date: 7 Oct 92 03:05:21 GMT
Organization: Mathematics and Computer Science, Aalborg University


>>>>> "Dave" == Dave Tanner (tanner@kbomfg.enet.dec.com)

Dave> Can anyone out there post the Danish panel for next weeks game
Dave> against Eire or has it not been selected yet????? 

The team is:

  goalkeepers:
    Peter Schmeichel (Manchester United)
    Kim Brodersen (Lyngby)

  defenders:
    Lars Olsen (FC Seraing)
    Torben Piechnik (Liverpool)
    Claus Christiansen (Lyngby)
    John Sivebaek (Pescara)
    Jan Heintze (PSV Eindhoven)
    Jan Bartram (AGF)

  midfielders:
    Henrik Larsen (Pisa)
    John Jensen (Arsenal)
    Kim Vilfort (Br/ondby)
    Johnny M/olby (Borussia M"onchengladbach)
    Brian Laudrup (Fiorentina)

  forwards:
    Lars Elstrup (OB)
    Flemming Povlsen (Borussia Dortmund)
    Bent Christensen (Schalke 04)

Only change from last game is that Povlsen is done looking after his
children and hence replaces Peter M/oller, and that globetrotter Jan
Bartram replaces Kim Christofte (1.FC K"oln). Bartram, age 30, has
played 32 international for Denmark and was last on the team that
defeated Yugoslavia in Belgrade on the 1st of May 1991. At the end of
the '90/91 season Bartram decided to take a sabbatical and travel
around the world as a globetrotter. He arrived back in Denmark in time
to see the EC92, felt like playing football again, returned to AGF,
and is now back on the national team. Taking out Christofte is
natural, since he is currently not playing in K"oln and seems
psychologically down.

It is once again obvious that national coach Richard M/oller Nielsen
is reluctant to make changes in his team -- he is "true" to players
that did well in the past. Bent Christensen gets another chance even
though he has not been very good in recent games and is not doing very
good in the German league. Torben Piechnik is *not* replaced by Marc
Rieper even though Rieper is currently very strong, etc. The up side
to this is that it pays off with a well functioning team, stability and
smoothness. The downside is that it does not necessarily give a team
with the best players on the day.

Dave> What is the general feeling in Denmark about this game????

Well, it's a game that we must win. Ireland is a strong contender for
a WC94 spot, and we have to win all games at home, especially now that
we have lost two points due to silly mistakes. It will be a difficult
game since the Irish have a good team. If we play as against Latvia we
will not make it, but if we play as against Germany (last game in
Copenhagen) the Irish will we thrashed.

I think the game will be interesting, and I believe that we have the
strength to defeat the Irish. There should be no lack of motivation
for this won, and we traditionally do well against British teams.

Dave> Are the players under pressure after their bad run since the
Dave> Euro championship from the media, fans?????

Well, the boulevard press is of course shouting scandal and so on --
the front page of "Ekstra Bladet" had a picture of Sivebaek and
Schmeichel and the words "Shame on You" in the-king-is-dead-font the
morning after the Lithuania game -- but most people still see that
Latvia and Lithuania games as freak accidents. The team played great
in the Germany game, Spain had a 0-0 in Latvia, too, etc. Sure,
journalists are making all kinds of theories, and the results *are*
bad, but in general hard judgment has been till after the Ireland
game -- if we win this one, all is well -- if we loose, RMN hides out
in Paraguay.

In short, the media is not happy, the fans are reserving judgment.
But it's quite clear that this game cannot be lost.

/Lars
--
Lars Fischer, fischer@iesd.auc.dk | It takes an uncommon mind to think of
CS Dept., Aalborg Univ., DENMARK. | these things.  -- Calvin
Newsgroups: rec.sport.soccer