Pietro Ghedin has called for the Maltese people to unite behind the national team as the Malta coach addressed a news conference at the LFF Stadium in Vilnius ahead of tomorrow's 2018 World Cup Group F qualifier against Lithuania (kick-off 8.45pm).

The coach's comments come after forward Andrè Schembri delivered a brutal assessment of the national team following its 2-0 loss to England at Wembley, saying "problems start at the top" and that losing without creating any attacking opportunities was "sad". 

Andre Schembri did not mince his words.

Although he refrained from making direct reference to Schembri's headline-grabbing remarks, Ghedin was clearly aware of the hype and controversy caused by the Boavista playmaker's comments during a post-match television interview.

"When you lose you're not happy but all the players played well (in the England game)," Ghedin said. "We all want to attack more and score goals but that also depends on the opposition. Now we hope to play better against Lithuania and get some points.

"The mood is good. Our players always give their best, they play with their heart because they want to do well for themselves, the supporters and the country.

"I can't understand why there are some negative comments about the team because the players approach every game in the right way. We want to give our best every time and we all work hard... we are not on holiday. I'm sorry that some people are against us because we need to stay together and strive to improve."

Photo: Facebook

Labour MP and Sports Malta chairman Luciano Busuttil was also critical of the national team performance, writing on Facebook "losing 2-0 or 12-1 is still a loss. You can only emerge with your head held high if you've tried to attack." 

Ghedin warned that Lithuania are anything but a weak side, as their results in their opening two qualifiers amply illustrate.
Last weekend, Lithuania obtained a creditable 1-1 draw away to Scotland to increase their tally to two points after opening their campaign with a 2-2 home draw against Slovenia.

Ghedin is thinking of making some changes from the England defeat. Alex Muscat, who played the whole match at Wembley, has pulled out of the squad for tomorrow's qualifier as he returned home following the birth of his second son before the England qualifier.

Defender Jonathan Caruana is available after serving his one-match ban but winger Luke Gambin is still out, suspended.
Rain and cold greeted the Maltese squad as they landed in Vilnius yesterday evening.

After playing in front of 81,700 people at the impressive Wembley Stadium, the players returned to mundane surroundings as the LFF Stadium in Vilnius is small, low-key and has an artificial pitch, something Ghedin is not happy about.