McCann relishing Windsor clash

The Whites will travel to the home of the champions hoping to get their season up and running, and McCann, as a former Glentoran player, is expecting quite a reception from the Linfield support.

“I’m looking forward to it,” McCann said. “It’ll be my first trip to Windsor as a manager. I’m expecting a bit of stick off the Bluemen because I’m ex Glentoran, I’ve had an indifferent relationship with the Linfield fans over the years, but I’m looking forward to it.”

McCann is expecting a tough trip for his side, but he says his men have ‘nothing to lose.’

“It will be a tough trip, but one a lot of players are looking forward to, going to Windsor Park, the national stadium, it’s somewhere players want to play. Some of the younger guys maybe haven’t played there before so it will be an experience for them,” McCann added.

“We have nothing to lose going into the game. We outplayed Glentoran for 60 minutes and I believe we are 90% of the way there, all we need is the finishing touch. We’re playing well, creating chances, we’re just not getting the goals. Hopefully that wee bit of luck will come for us.

“There is really no pressure on us,” McCann continued. “No one is expecting anything of us and maybe we can catch them on the hop.

“Linfield are a good side. David Jeffrey has been there for years because he’s a winner, every manager in the league should aspire to be where he is. Of course with that comes pressure, and the pressure at Linfield is that you have to win every week, that’s just the way it is, that’s the bottom line at club’s like Linfield and Glentoran.”

With the exception of Philip Simpson, McCann can expect a full squad available to him for the match.

“It would be quite easy to chop and change, to shake things up because we haven’t been winning,” said McCann. “But we have been playing well as a group, playing well as a side to a certain point, so there is no need for a radical change, although there will probably be some changes.”

The Whites Co. Antrim Shield clash with Donegal Celtic was called off on Tuesday night due to a waterlogged pitch, which could have left the Whites at a disadvantage, however, they managed to fit in a vital training session in Lisburn instead.

“We got to train on Tuesday night which was helpful. We managed to get training at the eleventh hour at the Rec in Lisburn, which allowed the boys to get a good bit of a workout. It would have been a problem if we had not been able to train, but luckily we got an hour’s training.”

McCann added: “The fans probably read articles or hear stories about how we’re dominating matches and just not getting the luck, and I’m sure they are fed up hearing a hard luck story and our tale of woe, but it is the genuine truth. I would be more worried or concerned if we were getting hammered every week, but we’re not having any of that. Any fans going to the games, or even opposition fans and coaches know that and have said ‘you’re one of the best teams we’ve played this season’. We just need a little bit of luck, that finishing touch. Elliot Morris pulled off three world class saves on Saturday and you can’t legislate for that. If someone produces a great bit of skill to deny you, or someone misses a gaping goal from four yards out, that’s down to the individual. We are creating plenty of chances, one of these days maybe they will all go in.”

Looking ahead to tonight’s match, McCann said: “I’m looking for us to do the fans proud and doing the shirt proud.”

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