HARD WORK will always beat talent if talent doesn't work hard.

It is this slogan which the players of St Patrick's Athletic are surrounded by on the walls of the canteen at their training base in Celbridge, and in the dressing-room before games. Rarely has it seemed so pertinent.

Realistically, if the Saints are to achieve their dream of qualifying for the group stages of the Europa League then they will need the comparatively pampered players of Steaua Bucharest to take their foot off the gas and fall victim to the same complacency which afflicted Russian side Krylya Sovetov in the previous round.

There is reasonable evidence to suggest that the Romanians possess a similar sort of dangerous confidence.

Yesterday, their Italian boss Cristiano Bergodi admitted in his musings that the only video he had watched of St Pat's was a DVD brought over by the travelling party which was delivered on Tuesday night. He didn't seem overly concerned to have left it so late.

"We will have time to see how they play in the first leg," he said, while also offering the usual platitudes. "They knocked out a strong team from Russia, so we must respect them and know they will be difficult opponents."

uncertainty

These are strange times for Steaua, a club gripped with the kind of uncertainty which the visitors will be looking to seize upon.

In truth, they've had a miserable couple of weeks here. Their colourful owner Gigi Bacali, recently elected to the European Parliament and a budding presidential candidate, is planning wage cuts across the club citing the global economic climate.

Their financial health hasn't been helped by repeated indiscretions from the terraces which have resulted in the situation where this game is being played behind closed doors.

Offensive banners unveiled against Hungarian side Ujpest in the second round were the cause, although considering the far-right Bacali has managed to offend Hungarians as well as Jews, Africans, women ("they have no more value after giving birth to a child") and the gay community ("they should go to priests if they have problems in their head") in his recent history of outrageous comments, then the club can hardly claim the moral high ground.

Their most recent league game at the weekend, a defeat to champions Inirea Urziceni -- managed by ex-Chelsea man Dan Petrescu -- was also played at an empty Stadium Ghencea after objects were hurled from the crowd in their previous home encounter.

Steaua would have expected a crowd in excess of 20,000 for both those games, and are sore about the loss of revenue.

They also suffered heavy flooding a fortnight ago which, combined with the everyday sweltering temperatures, have turned the playing surface into an uneven, patchy mess that they don't expect to be right before September.

Playing wise, they're going through a transitional period in terms of personnel and will be without their two first-choice centre-halves from the beginning of the competition with Dorin Goian sold to Palermo for €2m and skipper Sorin Ghionea not being risked with a hamstring problem.

Yet before Saints fans get too carried away and start planning six further European days out, the reality is that Steaua are still a side with over half a dozen full internationals and a plethora of U-21 representatives in their ranks. They may be under-par domestically, but they brushed aside Motherwell 6-1 on aggregate in the third round.

Both Bergodi and striker Romeo Surdi repeatedly cited that game yesterday, with the implicit suggestion that a similar performance should suffice against a side from the same part of the world.

There is a real belief in the Saints camp though, an assurance that is surprisingly emphatic. Indeed, their fans have launched a very simple message with the word 'Believe' being printed onto t-shirts and dispatched around the team hotel last night. Kenna is feeling positive vibes.

"The atmosphere has been fantastic. Just sitting around at dinner and listening, there is plenty of joking, plenty of laughing so they seem nice and relaxed.

"I'm very confident," he continues, "Very confident. I've watched them four times -- all the video of the same game against Cluj -- and I think from the few games against Motherwell there hasn't really been a big change in personnel.

"By no means will we underestimate them, but we came up with a game plan to get past the Russians and I would certainly like to think that we can do the same again."

From the Saints point of view, the return to fitness of Mark Quigley and Gary Dempsey has left Kenna in something of a quandary in terms of finalising his chosen XI.

Repeating the formula that eliminated Sovetov may be the aim but the indications are that Kenna is set to take a risk and spring a surprise by pitching in Quigley as the lone front-man in the 4-5-1 formation, meaning that the prolific O'Brien is redeployed to a wide role.

'Fabio' did start there in the first leg at Richmond Park against the Russians but it was a half-time switch which saw him moved up front and Bobby Ryan introduced on the flanks which prompted the offensive show of strength that followed.

Ryan is set to be the loser here, dropping to the bench where he will be joined by Dempsey, who it appears hasn't done enough yet to displace Stuart Byrne, Garreth O'Connor and Damien Lynch from the three central midfield roles.

Essentially, a lot of emphasis will be placed on those players to shield the back four and contain their hosts. Kenna feels that there will be goalscoring opportunities as well, rather than a complete backs-against-the-wall job.

"We cannot expect to defend for 90 minutes because inevitably, no matter how well organised you are, you are going to concede chances," he explains.

"If we have no way of getting out and causing them a problem or two then we will get beat.

"Yes, it will be a cautious approach and we obviously want to keep the tie alive for when we go back to Dublin. Certainly, though, I do feel there are areas where we can exploit them."

It all comes back to belief again, the buzz word which has been the central tenet of this unlikely adventure.

On paper, the Dubliners shouldn't have a chance, but they've made a wonderful habit of ripping up the script.

More of the same please.