UKRAINE MANAGER OLEG Blokhin has banned his players from watching replays of England’s 5-0 thrashing of Moldova on Friday.
Blokhin’s side are preparing for their World Cup qualifying showdown at Wembley on Tuesday.
England systematically took apart the European minnows in Chisinau and Blokhin claims his side will lose 8-0 if they play like Moldova did that night.
Blokhin told reporters: “I have told my players there is no point watching the Moldova v England game because one team dominated the whole match.
“If we are in the same position as Moldova we will lose 8-0 because they were beaten before they even came onto the pitch.”
And the 59-year-old is relishing the prospect of facing England with the pressure now firmly on their opponent’s shoulders after the two sides met in Donetsk during the Euro 2012 group stages.
“England is one of the best teams in the world, but have some problems with missing players,” he added.
“When we played them at the Euros in Donetsk the pressure was all on my players because we were at home. Now the pressure is on England and my players have got nothing to fear.”
Despite bad memories of that day in Donetsk when Marko Devic had a goal ruled out despite the ball appearing to cross the line, Blokhin prefers to leave the result in the past.
“Such is life,” he insisted. “What happened in the past doesn’t matter.”
His team’s captain, Anatoliy Tymoshchuk doesn’t seem quite so ready to consign the defeat to history.
“Of course we’ve not forgotten the Euro 2012 game with England,” he said. ”We were a lot better than them but had a good goal chalked off.”
