Shay speaks

Speaking to the press ahead of the game tomorrow Shay has outlined the need for defensive stability and a good counterattack if we want to pagger the Dutchies:

"On their home ground, it will be harder than it was last week and we are expecting them to go for it. AZ showed in spells last week that they are a good team so it will be difficult. I'm sure they will come at us and we know what to expect. We have always known that they are an attack-minded team. They drew 5-5 on aggregate against Fenerbahçe (in the previous round) and went through on away goals so we know that they like to attack.

Louis van Gaal is bound to have them up for it and we won't take anything for granted. But we can't worry about them and what they can do. I think if we can get a goal in Holland we will have one foot in the next round. We have players who can hurt them. We showed that last week and, if we play the same as we did in the first leg, we will be fine. AZ score a lot of goals. But they concede as well and if we can get a goal, we will have a good chance to go through. We started well in the first leg, we were on song and we will have to do that again. We scored some great goals and played some exciting stuff. That's how we want to play all the time.

We have a two-goal advantage and we would have taken that before the first game. We're still disappointed to have conceded the second goal but if someone had said that we would be going to Alkmaar with a 4-2 lead we would have taken it. AZ will feel that the second goal gives them a better chance to get through to the quarter finals. But it's still a positive result for us and we have to make sure we don't let our advantage slip away.

Titus is playing really well at the minute. He made a great challenge in the game last week and it's things like that that make him so important to us. He does get a bit of stick sometimes but he has been playing really well in the last few weeks and we will need him to perform like that if we want to continue in this competition.'

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