Manager’s programme notes
Posted : 13th July 2023
Tonight we will return to competitive and European action, as we welcome KF Vllaznia of Albania to Windsor Park for this evening's eagerly anticipated UEFA Conference League first round, first leg tie.
European nights are special occasions and we really hope our supporters can turn out in large numbers this evening and create a terrific Windsor atmosphere that can inspire our players and drive them on to what we hope will be another memorable and positive result and one we can hopefully defend in Albania in next week's second leg.
We've done our research on our opponents and while we know this will be a tough, close and hard-fought tie, we also believe we can come out on top and progress to a second-round tie against
Pogon Szczecin of Poland.
The players enjoyed their well-deserved summer break after a long hard season and they've come back into the rigours of pre-season training, refreshed and raring to go, in both our European and domestic campaigns.
We've prepared professionally for tonight's challenging encounter by playing home friendlies against New Saints and Connahs Quay Nomads from Wales and St. Mirren and Kilmarnock from the Scottish Premier League.
I also want to thank the board for recognising the value of a week long pre-season training camp in Marbella where we also faced the champions of Gibraltar, Lincoln Red Imps in a valuable fixture, as both clubs continued preparations for the European campaigns which get underway this week.
Tonight is a special and proud landmark occasion for me, as it will be the 400th time I've been in charge of the team as Linfield manager. We will be doing all in our power to make this a memorable occasion for all the right reasons. Personal milestones are great but it's success for the team which I'm focused on and determined to deliver.
I was delighted and honoured that the club showed their faith in me by offering me a further one-year contract extension, keeping me here until the end of the 2024-25 season and I will be working as hard as I can, to try and bring further success to this club over the course of this new contract.
If we are to be successful, it will be a real team effort with players, staff, directors and supporters all pulling together in the pursuit of our objectives and hopefully, our season can get off to the best possible start tonight