During today’s press conference, manager John Toshack stated that the door is not closed for any player, including Darko Tasevski.

John Toshack mentioned that he was satisfied with the group of players from the Russia and Andorra games so that is why many of them received another call up for the upcoming games against Armenia and Slovakia.  Toshack said he will closely watch the Macedonian U21 team in their qualifier against Serbia to further analyze the players.  He will work in the future during friendlies to test those young players in order to create the best team for the 2014 World Cup qualifications.

Toshack also answered a question that the door is not closed for any player.  That question was about Darko Tasevski who stormed from the national team last month after not making the trip to Russia but Toshack mentioned his name and said the door is still open for Tasevski.  The Macedonian manager said that several other players have arrived in Skopje in case something unexpected happens this weekend.  Several players on the squad are nursing injuries and might be forced to withdraw so Toshack used that opportunity to have other players in town.

As for the players, Toshack noted, “The fact is that the majority of the Macedonian internationals play abroad in various clubs and leagues.  However, when they are here, they work together and are disciplined.  Now, I am a new coach and the players want to win my trust and that is good.”

Toshack said it is imperative for the team to become more efficient, saying without goals there is no wins.  The quality chances must be converted as the finishing has not been good enough.

Answering questions about whether Macedonia can finish in the top 2 of the 2014 World Cup qualifications, Toshack said the following, “I will reiterate that I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe that.  That has been my career as well.  I started as a player in one small village in Wales.  I believed that I would become an important player and ultimately ended up with Liverpool where we won many trophies.  That is the same with my coaching career.  My first team, Swansea, started in the fourth division and we worked all the way up to the premier league.  In football, anything is possible.  I am optimistic that the level of Macedonian football will also improve because the difference in quality between the players abroad and the players in the domestic league is visible.”

Macedonia plays away to Armenia on 7 October and then hosts Slovakia four days later.