Derry City vs Riga: 'We know what to expect from Derry City' says Riga coach

The 36 year-old who served a short spell as interim manager with the Latvian Cup champions believes his team face a difficult assignment against Ruaidhri Higgins side.

It's the second time in four years Riga has been paired with League of Ireland opposition and Blanks believes Derry are of the same standard as the Latvians' 2019 Champions League qualifier conquerors, Dundalk.

The Lilywhites are the measuring stick for the Latvians and having avoided a tricky trip to Iceland to face KR Reykjavik and improving Finnish opposition SJK Seinajoki in the first round draw, Blanks considers Derry City a more favourable tie.

Having lost out in the Conference League playoffs to Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar in last season's competition, perhaps a return to take on their compatriots FCB Magpies was a preferable tie.

Welsh outfit Newtown AFC and Derry were the other two potential unseeded opponents in Group 6 of the draw and Blanks claims the Candy Stripes were 'somewhere in the middle' in terms of difficulty.

"In terms of the five teams we could've got in the draw, Derry City were somewhere in the middle," said the ex-Skonto Riga striker. "Not what we wanted but not what we didn't want. Some teams we didn't want. Some teams were difficult to travel to like Iceland and we wouldn't know what to expect there.

"With Derry City we already know what to expect and what football they play because we played Dundalk recently. Same stadiums, same fans, same religion, same everything. Maybe the Finland game would've been a better one because we played in Finland two years ago against HJK who are the same level as the Latvian championship or maybe now a little bit better. And Gibraltar of course is not so strong. For me there wasn't one special team but in my opinion Derry City were somewhere in the middle to get in the draw."

Dundalk, featuring Derry's Patrick McEleney, advanced to the Champions League second round qualifiers after dumping out Riga in 2019 and Blanks believes Derry will present similar problems for the Latvians.

"Derry City is a good team. We had an experience some years ago with Dundalk and for us, Derry City is the same level as Dundalk. Maybe Dundalk were maybe a little bit better at that time than they are now but Derry City last season were fourth and at the moment are third place. We understand Shamrock Rovers are the best team in Ireland but for me, I would put Derry City on the same level as Dundalk.

"I understand the Derry City coach was a player in that game at Skonto Stadium and after some years he was with Dundalk and already knows Riga and Skonto Stadium. He came to see us playing and had a look at us to get some information about us because we play now under Sandro (Pervokic) and some things will have changed.

"Nowadays you can get a lot of information on the internet or INSTAT or whatever but of course when you look at games live it's something different and you can see a lot of details about what you want to see.

"We will check the Derry City squad, the coach, and how they are playing too. Of course the international break is finishing up and the championship, like in Latvia will be starting back up again. We will then get more information about Derry City and then we will show the guys all the information we need to show them. "

Sandro Pervokic's side are preparing to face a typically Irish team but Blanks insists the team will be able to adapt to any playing style, depending on how the game evolves.

"I remember some players too (from Dundalk). Most of the Derry City players are from Ireland, Northern Ireland and some Scottish guys as well. The style of Irish football is a difficult style. Lots of duels, lots of concentrated duels at set-pieces, lots of crosses into the box.

"Of course this style is a different style but we will check more games over 90 minutes and see how they are playing, who is playing, how they open the game, how they close the game.

"There are a lot of details and we need to spend a lot of time to see who the leaders are, which substitutes come on, how the coach changes the game, or maybe the system. These are the details we must look at and understand how they are playing.

"We have that experience with Dundalk too. For me Derry City is the same level as Dundalk and we remember how we played against Dundalk both home and away and both games finished 0-0. We lost on penalties of course. We had that experience with Skonto, we drew 1-1 and lost 1-0.

"Some of our coaching staff and some players were there. It was a good atmosphere and so we must be ready because lots of supporters come to watch the team. It will not be easy to play in but players like a good atmosphere and in a good stadium. You feel like you are playing in a big game."

With the recent changes in management, Blanks taking over briefly from ex-Bayern Munich midfielder Thorsten Fink before Sandro Perkovic took charge, the current assistant head coach claims he isn't sure what way the new boss will approach the match.

"It's difficult to say because we've changed the coach. The Derry City coach will see all our games and how we played before but he won't know how we play now because with the coach changing, all times things change.

"Of course we will try to play attacking football. In European fotoball you never know how the game will be. There are two games, so it will depend on how the first game goes and then it dictates how you play the second game.

"When it's just one game you can maybe do something more but when it's two games, you wait to see what happens in the first game and then make changes for the second game.

"For us it's good that the first game is away. I think it's better to play the second game at home. Maybe not for Sandro. There's no away goals so we will see how the game goes. We understand Derry City is a good team because we know how Dundalk played. We know how to travel there, what to do and some of these details are important too. We will see what happens."

The artificial pitch won't be an issue either for the Riga players, insists Blanks given the Latvian league play their opening months of the season on 4G surfaces.

"It's not a problem. Of course everyone wants to play on natural grass but the weather in Latvia in March is not so good so for the first one or two months we play on artificial pitches. Two months before the season and for a month at the start of the season we play on artificial pitches. So for us it will not be a problem."