Lincoln Red Imps approach Twente clash with belief and ambition

Lincoln Red Imps enter their match against Twente with realistic hopes but, above all, a winning mentality.
With around 140 Twente ticket holders expected to fill the south stands and another 100 visiting supporters among the main stand, the atmosphere at the Europa Sports Stadium should be electrifying by Gibraltar standards. With the Lincoln Red Imps faithful also expected to turn out, this is a match in which expectations will be high, with the prospect of filling the better part of the stadium’s 2,000-plus seats.
Twente’s past and present performances make them favourites. Their sizeable following, in relative terms for Gibraltar, is another indication of the scale of the challenge facing the home side. Even local supporters recognise the Dutch visitors as favourites before a ball has been kicked.
It will not, however, be the 20,000 to 30,000-plus crowds the visitors are accustomed to. This is something that has not escaped Lincoln Red Imps head coach Juanma Pavon. Asked whether the smaller crowd might favour his team, Pavon pointed out that even he, after just four months at the club, was already “very used to” the relatively small attendances at home matches.
Yet numbers are not everything. For the Imps, the support of their own fan base, expected to number several hundred, carries a particular value. While their numbers might not be significantly greater than those of the visiting supporters, their backing is especially meaningful to the local club and its players. Pavon was keen to focus on what that support meant to his team rather than dwell on the opposition.
Accompanied by Dutch player Julliani Eersteling at Wednesday’s pre-match press conference, Pavon displayed confidence in his side’s ability to take on one of Europe’s bigger clubs and remain competitive.
Asked whether teams continued to underestimate Lincoln Red Imps, Eersteling, who experienced Conference League league-phase football with the club last season, gave a simple, clear and unambiguous answer: “Yes.”
The player was equally confident that the Imps could “match their opponents on the field”. His focus, he indicated, was not on the identity or history of those they faced, but on his own and his teammates’ performances.
Lincoln Red Imps face Twente this Thursday evening in their second league-phase match of the campaign and their first home fixture at this stage of the competition this season.
Having already dropped points against Brann last week, the Imps will be looking to take as much as possible from the remaining matches if they are to retain any chance of progressing to the next stage. Last season’s near miss, when goal difference kept them out of the knockout phase, remains a reminder of how fine the margins can be.
Pavon focused on the present
Just four months into his tenure at the helm, Pavon was thrown in at the deep end from the outset after taking over from Bezares. He had to guide the club through the early Champions League qualifying rounds and towards the route that would secure a second consecutive appearance in the Conference League league phase. With little experience of European competition at this level as a head coach, it was a baptism of fire.
Asked how he had approached the challenge, Pavon told this newspaper that, from the moment he arrived, his policy had been to “always work for the moment”. He had four weeks before the Champions League matches to instil the tactics and ideas he wanted the team to adopt.
The Lincoln Red Imps head coach explained that he had maintained a realistic and pragmatic approach, addressing issues as they arose rather than working towards objectives that had yet to materialise. By “taking one game at a time”, preparing “day by day” and ensuring his players enjoyed themselves, the team had progressed through each challenge.
Pavon said he looked at the past “to learn from”, rather than dwell on it, while ensuring his players understood that they were playing “to win”.
He believes the club’s mentality, built around self-belief and being a “team of winners”, stands them in good stead. Since his arrival, he has found that this mentality was already embedded within the squad, providing a strong foundation for the challenges ahead.
“We are playing at home, we are confident, we have dreams, and those dreams nobody is going to remove from us. Which is why this team from the very first minute we only think of winning. We have to win and nothing else.”
He acknowledged the stature of their opponents but insisted that it could not be allowed to distract his players from their task.
“We are facing a major team but we have to put that to one side and give it our all.”
Pavon also stressed the importance of feeling the support of their fans. Although Lincoln Red Imps cannot call on the tens of thousands who fill the stands for some of Europe’s biggest clubs, he believes the backing of their supporters is no less valuable to his players.
The coach acknowledged that lessons had been learned from the defeat against Brann. The challenge now is to put those lessons into practice as Lincoln Red Imps prepare to face Twente, with belief, ambition and the determination to win.