HIS TEAM may not have made the most inspired start to their campaign, but Bryan Hamilton remains surprisingly optimistic ahead of Northern Ireland's game against Portugal in Belfast this afternoon.
Ukraine's win at Windsor Park last year and Armenia's draw would surely have reduced a lesser man to talk of the next European Championships, but after a recent improvement in his side's fortunes, Hamilton is maintaining that a trip to France is still a realistic target.
Currently placed fourth in Group Nine, Northern Ireland depart for the Ukraine early next week where they will play the sixth match of their qualifying programme. If they finish the five-day spell without having more than doubled their present points tally to 11, then all hope of emerging from a particularly tough group will almost certainly have been surrendered. But Hamilton, perhaps uniquely, is convinced that taking all six points is not beyond his team.
"We're looking forward to the two games and, if we play as well as we have done in our last three or four matches then there's no reason why we can't do well against both Portugal and the Ukraine," he says. "Two years ago I would have gone into a game against Portugal thinking we would do to get something out of it. Now I feel we have the talent to win. That's a big difference."
A hard-earned draw away to European champions Germany has done most to prompt the renewed confidence, while a 2-0 win over Albania and last month's 3-0 defeat of a disappointing Belgian team have helped to rebuild morale within the team. But Hamilton faces a number of selection problems for this afternoon's game.
Kevin Horlock and Michael Hughes are both suspended, five more will miss Wednesday's game if they are booked today, while amongst an already depleted squad, Barry Hunter, Danny Griffin and George O'Boyle are out through injury.
On the brighter side, Nigel Worthington is fit to return to what will almost certainly be a five-man defence, while Jim Magilton appears to have patched up his rumoured difficulties with the manager. Up front, however, Hughes's absence means that either James Quinn or Jeff Whitley must be thrown in at the deep end alongside Iain Dowie.
Portugal's away record so far has been less than inspiring, but they arrive in Belfast hoping to add to the three-point advantage they currently enjoy over Germany, following the draw between the pair in Lisbon last month.
Manager Artur Jorge has had problems of his own, with one Sporting Lisbon striker, Pedro Barbosa, injured and another, Ricardo Sa Pinto, said to have assaulted Jorge when told on Thursday that he was not to be included in the travelling party. In their absence Celtic striker Jorge Cadete may get his first start of the current campaign, while the visitors may also be strengthened in midfield by the return from injury of Paolo Sousa.
