Emilio Izaguirre has hit out at the pessimism of the Honduran press following the national side’s 1-0 win over Cuba on Tuesday.
Following a 3-0 win over the same side four days earlier in Havana Honduras were expected to win heavily on home soil.
After qualifying for the World Cup in South Africa expectations are high that Honduras will make it through to Brazil but the qualification path has been far from plain sailing.
Panama look favourites to top Group C of the North and Central American region with Honduras and Canada battling for the other place in the final qualifying stage.
That situation has brought heavy criticism of coach Luis Suarez and his team with the tension getting through to the players.
“I think whoever gives optimism is not in the press,” the Celtic defender stated. “I don’t think that Cuba were respected.
“It’s never a case that you just turn up and get three points. We won both games and collected six points from two hard games.
“If we can get a point in Panama and draw at home to Canada we’ll get through, that’s the plan.
“I remember the parties and celebrations when we qualified in the past. The journalists are being pessimistic but our mindset is strong and focused on success.”
Izaguirre’s theme was picked up by Gary Caldwell as he attempted to talk up Scotland taking two points out of six from Scotland’s easiest qualifying matches.
The Scotland skipper said: “The negativity which surrounds this group – whatever it is, whatever agenda people may have against the manager or the players – it has to change.
“We need everyone – and that’s the whole country – to get behind this team because it’s difficult to qualify. We need the positivity to come back.
“Everyone here is honest but we need positivity. This is the best crowd in the world but it was difficult – we needed them behind us.
“Who’s got a problem with the manager? We haven’t – we support him. He works hard, he shows us videos and gives us tactics, which we work hard on and we have a game plan which we try to execute.
“The media and what they write affects public opinion. You have to take responsibility for that. I don’t think his tactics are negative.
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I fear tactics were never garys strong point, if craig the mean machine levein stuck a tellytubbies book down in front of him hed run around shout la-la in the oppositions face… afterall gary would think this very important tactics because its written in big words!
I am 100% Positive…Levein is a dud and Scotland don’t have a hope in hell of qualifying. I’d exepect all the current players to stand behind Levein – after all he keeps picking them, form, fitness, ability seemingly irrelevant.
Quite clearly it isn’t working, this has been obvious for some time so we are left with 2 choices (1) Continue to sink lower or (2) Take action and plan for the future.
Levein does not have a clue about getting the best out of a group of players and moulding them into a team. He plays players out of positions all the time to suit his own narrow interests of how the ‘team’ should play. It’s pretty obvious that he is a marked man for the SFA as his predecessor is being lined up already. Prepare and make way for ‘Walter-The- Cardigan-Smith’. I notice he is showing up on t.v on big Scotland game nights to get noticed. Paving the way for a ‘comeback’ and to keep the SFA sevco / rangers links strong again as per usual. It shouldn’t be forgotten that this was the man that abandoned the Scotland manager’s job to be with his beloved corrupt rangers so that there would be an emotional connection when they went under. As they kept winning the enevitable was delayed but as soon as they began to wobble and loose games the bogy was up and McCoist became the emotional connection as they sank into the mire. Scottish football will never be free of this corruption until someone in authority grows a pair and stands up to them.