IRVINE: IT COULD BE HISTORY

Alan Irvine believes it would rank alongside the greatest European results in the club's history if the Blues can turn around the first-leg deficit against Dinamo Bucharest tonight.

The Blues go into the Uefa Cup first round tie trailing 5-1 from the first-leg in Romania.

Only four sides have ever turned around a four goal deficit to win through in European competition.

Irvine told ToffeeTV: "It would be one of the greatest European results in the club's history and would be a terrific achievement. It would be great to be a part of that but if we did manage it I would not want to be in this position again.

"We wish we didn't have as much to do. It is a very big task, there is no doubt about that."

Irvine has revealed the Blues have been working hard on the training ground to strike the right balance between defence and attack as they seek the goals they need to turn the tie on its head.

He continues: "We don't feel the tie is dead yet but it is important we do have a go for it without being silly because the last thing we can afford is to give them another goal.

"We do need to go for it but the match does not need to be won in the first 10 minutes. Obviously we need a good start but as long as we don't give ourselves any harder a task early in the game then we can keep plugging away and hopefully turn up the pressure as the game goes on.

"Obviously, the longer the game goes on the more risks we will have to take if we haven't got the goals we need but we will assess that as the game progresses.

"Everyone will expect us to have a go and it would be wrong not to do that. But we have to be sensible. We can't pile everybody forward and then leave all sorts of gaps at the back because as we have seen from them their finishing is excellent. If we give them too many chances they will score again so we have to make sure the players are trying to get forward and creating efforts on goal but we can't leave anything wide open by pushing everybody forward."

Goals are the order of the day tonight and Irvine admits that if the Blues do rediscover their touch in front of goal it could have an impact on the side's league form.

He adds: "It would be nice to go and score some goals for a start. That would give us a boost, even if we don't score what we need in the tie.

"Ideally we will score the goals we need, but if that doesn't happen and we still score two or three goals that would be some kind of consolation - not what we are looking for, but a consolation. It could also give the scorers a confidence boost."