Dennis Wise is coming to Windsor Park on Wednesday night to see Northern Ireland take on Sweden. The Leeds United boss is hoping to find out how to get the best out of David Healy. If he is successful, the Yorkshire club will not only avoid relegation to League One, they'll be promoted to the Premiership next season and qualify for Europe in the campaign after that.
The thing is it's not rocket science in relation to the man the Northern Ireland fans call King David.
DO play him from the start week in week out.
DON'T keep him on the bench until the team are losing and hope he can find a late equaliser.
DO play him as a centre forward.
DON'T play him out wide. He is a fine crosser of the ball but he does his best work inside the box, not on the wing.
DO play a target man alongside him.
DON'T play him with a forward of similar stature.
DO provide service from the flanks.
DON'T just lump it forward in the hope that he will chase the ball down and do something with it.
There you go Dennis.
With the match ball tucked under his arm, Healy was asked a question he has heard many times - why does he perform so well at international level yet sometimes struggles at club level?
He replied:
"For Northern Ireland I always play with a big man alongside me and of course when you have someone like Keith Gillespie whipping in great deliveries all the time that helps. He has created a lot of my goals." Maybe Wise should buy Gillespie then.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/article2393861.ece
