ST MIRREN manager Danny Lennon reckons Spanish midfield stars Xavi and Iniesta have once again proved they are masters of the passing game.
But he reckons his own pocket dynamo Paul McGowan displays the same bravery and willingness to get on the ball as the Barcelona superstars.
As someone who has tried to adopt a similar passing game, the Saints boss was thrilled to see the Spaniards win and he believes it only served to highlight the impor-tance of retaining possession during matches, something his team are especially good at in the SPL.
He said: "The Premiership is one of the best leagues in the world and England have a squad full of terrific players but I just see them going direct with the long ball too often.
"The players from the likes of Spain and Italy believe in each of their team-mates' ability. They know that, even if you have a man marking you tightly, they can still give you the ball because they are confident you can handle the situation and get out of trouble.
"Paul can have two players on him and he will still demand the ball and, more often than not, he will retain possession.
"We believe in the same philo-sophy as Spain in that we want to control the game through possession and the only time we want to hand it back to the opposition is when it is in the back of their net."