Moscow calling? The lines are dead, says Advocaat
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}If Russian fans back home are getting excited about their team's impressive start to Euro 2012, coach Dick Advocaat has not heard about it.
In fact, the phlegmatic Dutchman is hardly getting worked up himself.
"No, I don't think so," he said on Monday when asked if the 4-1 demolition of the Czech Republic in their Group A opener had sparked some European Championship "craziness" across Russia.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I don't have any contact with Moscow," added the coach who will stand down after Euro 2012 to take charge of Dutch side PSV Eindhoven. "So I really don't know. But it doesn't really matter, we haven't won anything yet."
Advocaat, whose side take on co-hosts Poland in their second game on Tuesday, played down expectations of a good run in the tournament, emphasized Russia were a "team" and stuck rigidly to instructions not to answer questions on anything related to off-field matters, especially alleged bad behavior by Russian fans.
"Title talk? That's very optimistic," Advocaat told a news conference at the National Stadium in the Polish capital.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We have only played one game so we'll see how the next two games go. This first game was important to win, of course, but we'll see what happens if we get nine points at the end (of the group stage).
"That (Czech Republic) game has gone... we've got three points and we just have to make sure we play well tomorrow. The first result we'll forget about."
DARK HORSES
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Russia enjoyed a run to the semi-finals of Euro 2008 before losing to Spain and Advocaat has tipped his team to be "dark horses" again at this tournament.
The coach came in for heavy criticism from Russian media during qualifying for his selection policy, retaining virtually the same squad that performed so well four years ago.
Yet those same players, led by the outstanding Andrei Arshavin, hit the ground running in Wroclaw on Friday with a performance of attacking zest that left the Czech defense in disarray.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Advocaat would not single out individual performers.
"We are a team that plays well together, we know that when one player has a lesser game, another has to have a better game. We all have games like that but we all do quite well as a team.
"We know we play a certain way and we want to play attacking football."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Turning to Tuesday's opponents Poland, Advocaat predicted an "interesting game".
"Poland is a very strong team, playing at home which is an advantage but we showed in the first game that we are a very good team and we can make it difficult for our opponents."
(Editing by Ken Ferris)