Hibs' passing style well suited to European football, says Hughes

IT'S been almost a decade since Hibernian truly engaged with European football, exiting the UEFA cup on a wild and at times wonderful night at Easter Road against AEK Athens. Tentative adventures have followed, including a 5-1 aggregate defeat to Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk four years ago.

But manager John Hughes believes the current Hibs team are made for European football and will reap the benefit of an 11-day training camp in the Netherlands, when they faced two perils of the game abroad - humid conditions and opponents who are comfortable on the ball.

A limp reaquaintance with football on the continent during an ill-fated Intertoto Cup adventure two seasons ago is best forgotten and pre-dates Hughes' involvement. Since his arrival last summer, he has sought to promote a style of play that is easier on the eye and is reliant on players taking responsibility when their team has the ball.

The manager expects this to stand his team in good stead as they prepare to face the Slovenian side NK Maribor on Thursday, in the first leg of a Europa League third qualifying round tie which is the reward for a fourth place finish in the Scottish Premier League last season.

Hughes is conscious of the need to make the most of an opportunity that was only secured on the final day of a long, hard season. He also suspects Hibs could find European football to their liking. "I think our style of football might just suit Europe," he said yesterday. "I might be wrong. I might end up with egg on my face. But the way we keep the ball and pass it it might just suit us."

Hughes is leaving little to chance and has already compiled a dossier on Maribor, thanks to Brian Rice's input. His assistant saw the Slovenians win 2-0 against the Hungarian side Videoton in the last round and also watched them at the weekend in the 0-0 draw against Rudar Velenje. As expected, they are a side who know how to play the ball around and Hibs could be required to be patient.

But Maribor gave Hibs a taste of their own medicine by adopting some cunning ploys to ensure that they retain an element of surprise. Hughes mixed up the numbers on the players' shirts on Saturday against Vitesse Arnhem, confusing Maribor assistant coach Simundza Ante. He sat scribbling in the stands, perhaps unaware that only Derek Riordan and Colin Nish were wearing numbers on their back which corresponded to those displayed on the team sheet.

Hughes joked yesterday that "Cropley and Stanton" had had good games in the 1-1 draw,

Maribor responded by fielding a team for Sunday's league match which included only two players who had featured in the European match in midweek. Yet Hughes believes he has learned enough and is confident Hibs can flourish on a stage that is removed from the more frantic environment that is domestic football.

"We know what their strengths and weaknesses are," he said. "Their midfield is very good as well as the two wingers and two strikers. From midfield to front they are very good, and they are all comfortable on the ball. They are a good passing team. We have to be at our best.

"But I think our preparation [in the Netherlands] has been good, coming up against good football sides who have moved us about. We needed to go there, we needed to play in that heat, playing against European opposition who are going to have long periods on the ball. And so the preparation, we could not ask for any more. Everyone trained this morning. We did pick up one or two knocks on Saturday but everyone trained this morning. For me that's most important.

"We will keep our cards close to our chest and let them do the work," he added. "I know exactly what we are up against. Our style is slow. We keep the ball. Our style is more about ball retention. If teams come and press us I think we can keep the ball off them and get in there. Hopefully we can go over there and get a result and keep ourselves well in the tie. If that is the case then I would ask the fans to be patient in the second leg."

Hughes revealed that he had settled on 10 of his team for Thursday. He said he will sleep on the decision which will see him select his 11th man. The dilemma does not involve that of goalkeeper.

He has Graeme Smith, Mark Brown and Graham Stack to choose from but he will not leave the preferred candidate hanging on until the final moments, a la England manager Fabio Capello.

"The boys will know the final 11 when they step on the plane," he guaranteed, before adding on the subject of goalkeeper: "They work ever so hard, they work with each other. They compete with each other. It's just a matter of who I pick now. They all have strengths and weaknesses. Some of them are better at one thing than another. I know what I am going to do."