Danes laughing all the way

By Pete Sanderson in Blackpool

Al Capone may have coined the phrase "you can go a long way with a smile" but Denmark coach Peter Bonde is the man who is putting the words into the practice as his spirited side go into their final Group A game with Finland needing just a point to reach the last four.

Great comeback
Having drawn their opening game with Sweden thanks to a stirring second half fightback, the Danes then stole the show at Ewood Park from hosts England, coming from a goal down to claim all three points to move top of the group.

Great comeback
The 47-year-old has been like a breath of fresh air for the women's game since his appointment as their head coach in March. And if his team talks are anything like as entertaining as his post-match press conferences, two of which have left a number of journalists in tears of laughter, then they could well be laughing their way all the way to the final.

High spirits
"I was not aware my press conferences were so amusing," said Bonde. "I just like them to be relaxed and the results have been good so far which have probably kept me in good spirit."

Great comeback
Perhaps the pick of Bonde's comments came after the England game when a number of journalists pounced on him to get some exclusive quotes from the win. Asked what he thought of his side's display he stunned the expectant posse of hacks by exclaiming: "We were awful - bloody awful - that's the worst I have ever seen my side play. But if we can play like that and win then imagine what we'd do to the opposition if we played well."

Constant contact
Bonde, who was Morten Olsen's assistant for the men's side at UEFA EURO 2004™, also revealed he was in constant contact with the coaching team at Denmark's FIFA World Cup qualifier with Albania which was being played at exactly the same time as the women's England fixture.

Deafening silence
"I was in contact with Morten and the team all the way through the England game because we were having a competition to see who could win by the most goals," he told uefa.com. "He thought he had won when they went 3-0 up but when we got the two goals I phoned him and said 'listen to that'. He said 'I can't hear anything'. I said 'exactly - that's the England fans'. He laughed!

Women's songs
"I think he is worried that women's football is probably bigger than the men's game at home right now. He was also a bit jealous because when the news that we had won filtered in to the stadium in Denmark because all the fans were singing songs about the women!"

Culture change
Bonde said he has adapted easily to the women's game after working with men for so long. "It is very similar and I was really impressed by my team's overall attitude when I took over," he said. "But there is one major difference. If one of the girls has a little problem then they all start to worry for her - even if it is something minor like her top has shrunk in the wash.

Different breed
"That kind of thing never happened with the men, in fact I think you could have shot a couple of the men's squad at point blank range and none of them would have batted an eyelid. But I guess that we're a different breed."