Vaduz warning

By Joel Taggart

David Healy is back to lead the N Ireland attack in Vaduz

Five months after the excellent performances against Denmark and Latvia, the Lawrie Sanchez Roadshow sets off for Liechtenstein, the weakest team in the group.

David Healy thankfully returns after missing the friendly against Wales through injury, a game that highlighted our lack of a goalscoring threat when he is absent. But more about that later.

It's disappointing to lose Sammy Clingan through injury, just at a time when he was cementing his place in the starting line-up. The Nottingham Forest midfielder had started the previous eight games.

Chris Baird, who's being playing regularly for Southampton this season, also misses the games because of injury, but Michael Duff has proved himself to be a more than capable deputy.

The back four that stood firm in Copenhagan will once again be on duty in the much less intimidating surroundings of the Rheinpark Stadium on Saturday night.

Over 2000 members of the Green and White army are expected to invade the tiny Principality which has a population of just 33,000, that's less than half the current capacity of Old Trafford or the Millennium Stadium.

Losing to the group minnows really is unthinkable. They've lost their opening three games to Spain, Sweden and Denmark shipping 11 goals in the process and scoring just one. So why should we be concerned?

Well, it's always the games that Northern Ireland are expected to win that cause the problems.

Anything other than a win against Liechtenstein would make the Sweden game in Belfast next Wednesday an anti-climax. Joel Taggart

And just in case you need a reminder, 0-0 in Liechtenstein five years ago falls into that category. As does 0-0 at home to Cyprus, 0-1 at home to Armenia in 2003, 1-1 in Bardbados in 2004 and of course the goalless draw against Azerbaijan. Are you nervous yet?

What about the 1-0 home defeat to 10-man Canada two years ago or the 1-1 draw in Malta when Maik Taylor spared blushes with a late penalty save.

Lawrie Sanchez will want his players to approach this match in the same way, and with the same attitude that they approached the games against Spain and England at Windsor Park.

They cannot afford to think about Sweden until Sunday. Anything other than a win against Liechtenstein would make the Sweden game next Wednesday in Belfast an anti-climax.

Portugal and Slovakia both dropped points in Vaduz during the qualifying series for the 2006 World Cup finals. Be warned!

I really want to say that personally I'm not concerned, not nervous, and fully expect a comfortable win for Northern Ireland. I just don't like to tempt fate.

Lawrie Sanchez has guided his team to third place in Group F

What I will say is that Northern Ireland are more than capable of taking nine points from the next three games, including both this month.

If they do, then we really can start to dream about a trip back to The Alps for the finals.

And finally, Healy goes into this double header carrying a yellow card, and is therefore just one booking away from suspension.

It's pretty unrealistic to expect him to go through the rest of the campaign without getting another card.

Now, I'm not for one second suggesting that a manager would ever tell a player to deliberately pick up a booking, but it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if David was to collect a caution against Sweden.

That would rule him out of the match against Liechtenstein at home, one that Northern Ireland should be capable of winning without him.

Lets be honest, if we can't beat Liechtenstein at home, even without our leading goalscorer, then we don't deserve to qualify.