David Healy: The 'fear factor' driving Linfield boss as he sends warning to squad
Last updated on .From the section Irish
"Some may get to the level required, some may fall short and some may disappear if they don't meet the required standard."
As he looked ahead to what could prove to be one of the most significant periods in Linfield's history, David Healy had a clear message for his players.
The Blues manager did not shy away from the magnitude of the opportunity presented to Northern Ireland's most successful club over the next few weeks, with a first-ever qualification for a European group stage within their grasp.
Healy's men go into Thursday night's Europa League third qualifying round second leg away to FC Zurich 2-0 down from the home game. Depending on the result of that encounter, they will then face a two-legged play-off for a place in either the Europa League or the Europa Conference League groups.
"Huge" as Healy himself described it. But he does not feel that all of his players have been meeting the standards he demands of late, and is clearly not prepared to carry any passengers.
"Absolutely - and I've left the players in no uncertain terms," he said when asked if he expected more from his team, sporting no fewer than 11 changes, after they lost 2-0 to Crusaders as the Charity Shield returned on Saturday.
"Certainly, over the last few games we need to be better if we want to take the club to the next level, if we want to be that team and if we want to be that player that plays an extra six games in Europe.
"We are always pushing and the players are well aware of the standards that we try to set and maintain, but also improve.
"We are still in the early stages of the full-time environment, in our second year, so year-on-year we want to improve.
"I have huge demands that I want to put on the players."
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'I'm still relatively young as a manager'
There is also, of course, the matter of the Irish Premiership champions beginning their title defence on Sunday when they entertain Portadown.
It is the fourth season in a row that they will start out as Gibson Cup holders, and fifth in six campaigns. It does not get any easier, assured a manager who turned 43 last Friday and who was beginning his senior management career when appointed by Linfield in October 2015.
Unlike successful predecessors such as Roy Coyle, Trevor Anderson and David Jeffrey, the current Windsor Park chief had no prior experience of playing for the Blues - but clearly learnt quickly how to use the relentless pressures and expectations that engulf the club in a positive way.
"Any great club that has had success will always want more and more," the former Northern Ireland, Manchester United and Rangers striker explained.
"I'm still relatively young in terms of managerial experience. I am pushing every day with the staff to make sure that the players are fully aware that if we drop our standards then we will be caught and other teams will improve past us.
"That is probably a fear factor for me as a manager - you don't want to be caught, but eventually some other team will win the league.
"We are not going to win the league year after year, as much as we enjoy it when we do. This year is going to be tough."
'We need to be better than what we have been'
It is not the first time under Healy that Linfield are in the middle of vital European games as the Premiership season kicks off, but he insists they are capable of handling the workload.
"Yes, it's huge, and again that is where we want players to nail down their name for the jersey, but we are not quite at that stage yet.
"We want to show them [the teams Linfield play in the league] huge respect but, of course, financially for the club getting through another round in Europe or getting through to a group stage would be huge.
"We will need to be better than what we have shown at the minute, though."
Looking towards Thursday night's match in Zurich, Healy concedes his team face an uphill task, but believes the tie is still alive - though did explain that he will select his team with an eye on what might come next for the Blues.
"We will pick the 11 based not only on what is best for the Zurich game, but on what will come after that because we have five on yellow cards," added Healy.
"What we don't want is go to Zurich, pick up a yellow card and somebody being suspended for the first leg, whoever we are going to be playing next.
"We missed a couple of good opportunities and conceded a couple of poor goals [in the first leg]. Normally teams like Zurich are much, much stronger at home so we will expect a tough task, but when you are still in the tie we will go with huge belief, try and get the first goal and see where that takes us."
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