ENGLAND ARE LONG BALL MERCHANTS

The Moldovan national football team assistant manager Ivan Testemitanu has said that England certainly do not know how to play football and are more interested in playing long balls.

Moldova will be taking on England in the first World Cup qualifiers for the European nations, as they prepare to take part in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Moldova are one of the rank outsiders to qualify for this competition, but Ivan Testemitanu is more keen on putting up a good show against the English. Ivan Testemitanu is no stranger to the English game after having played in England with the current Premier league club Stoke city.

The 38-year-old has also played in the qualifying matches against England back in 1996. He recently took his coaching badges and had a two-week stint with the Premier league club Stoke city. The Stoke city manager Tony Pulis is one of the well-known manager is to employ the long ball tactics to great effect. Despite not having the best squad in the Premier league, Tony Pulis has been able to keep them afloat in the Premier league for the last four seasons. Ivan Testemitanu, though, is not a fan of this style of football.

"I think we a little bit better than that. No long throws. We play with legs and not our hands. I was in Stoke for two weeks in December last year to do my pro-licence - I stayed with him (Pulis) one week - I watched the two games against Wigan and Aston Villa. I want to say a special thanks. He helped me learn how to be a good coach. I enjoyed playing in England. I had a great two years there. It was like another world, football in Moldova and football in England," said Testemitanu ahead of the match.