Sunday Mirror: Football: IT'S RUSSIAN ROULETTE

THE Russian revolution may be confined to the dim and distant past - but that didn't prevent a warning shot being fired at Mark Hughes last night.

"Their football has been in a state of revolution for the past 15 months - and that means you need to be ready for anything in Moscow," the Wales manager was told.

As Hughes prepares to take his team on a 2,000-mile journey east for the first leg of next month's Euro 2004 play-offs, the message comes from a Welshman who has already witnessed the two vividly contrasting faces of Russian football.

Ian Evans, once a strong-armed Wales defender who scored their only goal when they reached the quarter-finals of the European Championships 27 years ago, was assistant manager to then-Ireland boss Mick McCarthy for four years.

That included their first game of the current Euro campaign - when the Irish crashed 4-2 to Russia in Moscow.

Evans said: "They had gone through a complete upheaval after having a bad World Cup. The coach was sacked and a lot of the older players were left out.

"The result was they played a far more open and attacking game than we had expected. There was an adventure about their play I don't think we've ever seen in Russian teams before.

"But it meant that their defence was left exposed - and looked dodgy. In fact, we got the score to 3-2 and we really had them shaking until we gave away an own goal in the last few minutes.

"They carried on scoring a lot of goals and looking invincible at home. But then those defensive weaknesses caught up with them as they lost their way to Georgia and Albania.

"The Russian public just couldn't stomach that - losing to two of their most hated rivals and two countries they should have beaten.

"The new coach was sacked and I heard that even the President had got involved, warning players that things had to improve. I don't know if they talk about salt mines over there any more, but it seemed to do the trick!

"Gorgi Yiartseb came in as their third coach in barely a year, he brought a lot of the old guard back - and they seemed to become a much tighter side straight away. They got an away draw in Switzerland and then against Ireland in Dublin. Although Mick and I had left by then, I still followed the Irish team and I noticed there were barely more than a handful of Russian players who had played in Moscow.

"Those two draws and thumping home wins against Switzerland and Georgia were enough to get them above us in second place in the group.

"So will they continue that way in the play-offs? I would expect them to. All coaches have their own agendas, and it is unlikely that Yiartseb will change now.

"But you can't be sure. He might feel that the way to success lies in attacking Wales at full throttle and building a good lead for the second leg at the Millennium Stadium. They are a hell of a side in their own backyard. Wales will also have to contend with sub-zero temperatures. We were luckier - we went in September. But I certainly won't rule Wales out. With the likes of Ryan Giggs, Craig Bellamy and Big John Hartson in their attack, I fancy us to score over there.

"And that could be the crucial away goal that decides it. If we can come away with, say, a 2-1 deficit that would set us up for a fantastic second leg. With 70,000 Welsh fans screaming for their team I'm not sure whether the Russians would have the bottle for it."

Evans, currently No2 to McCarthy at Sunderland, hopes to be among that vast audience. And it will rekindle memories of the famous occasion back in 1976 when Wales won their European Championship qualifying group - but still didn't reach the finals.

He recalled: "Only four teams were scheduled for those finals, so we had to play Yugoslavia home and away in the quarter-finals. We lost 2-0 over there and then could only draw 1-1 at home. I got the goal when John Toshack flicked on a corner and I half-volleyed it in.

"It was the only goal I ever scored for Wales so it's a proud memory. But I would have willingly given it up if it meant we'd got through."