And what kind of moves is he planning? The Slovenian selector is mainly dissatisfied with physical condition of the best Slovenian football players. All have been warned, but some of them have shown no improvement. As the match in the full Stožice staduim proved we have a number of individuals capable of carrying the burden of the national team, the decision seems logical.
The hardest part is over, but our aim remains the third place
"We will gradually have to replace certain players," said Srečko Katanec after the match, and later he added that after his analysis is completed, he intends to make the first moves already this year, although the next qualification match against San Marino is scheduled only for March. As usually, he refused to mention any names.
After 2/5 of the qualifications the selector is convinced that the hardest part is over for Slovenia, but still insists he and his wards are fighting for the third place in the group, and not the second place which directly qualifies a team for Euro 2016. This lack of ambition can be contributed to the great problem Katanec freely admits - lack of danger for the opponent's goal.
Fighting spirit could bring goals as well
At the eight matches in 2014 Slovenia scored only four times: three goals were scored by Milivoje Novaković, and one was a gift by the English. The Tuesday match at the Stožice Stadium filled to capacity was inspiring, but the modest number of scored goals remained unchanged. But the Slovenian fans finally saw the promise of a compact team fulfilled, and - which is the most important - a team which displayed a fighting spirit! It was a team made of spare players, or even rookies. They say next year everything will be better…
What is your opinion of the match?
The boys played a very good match. I am sorry it was decided in such a manner. Well, we have lost again, which is good for you, as you will be able to write it down and calculate statistics…
No, I am really glad the stadium was full of spectators, and that they had the opportunity to see something good, also in Slovenia. They were able to see great players who don't refrain from a sliding start in the 70th minute of the match. I am glad our people had the opportunity to see James Rodriguez and Juan Cuadrado, who don't think about sparing their strength, not even 20 minutes before the end of the match, regardless of the fact they play for Real, or for Fiorentina. We could also see that referees show favouritism to established players. We must be aware of the fact that we will never be treated equally as the best national teams, when playing against them.
The good performance of the spare players probably increased the number of players to be considered for the national team?
We saw who can do it, and who can't, speaking both of their physical condition, and strategically. Some of the boys are interesting, without any doubt. Gradually we will have to start replacing some of the players, as the time doesn't stand still and the fact itself that nobody is getting any younger will call for replacements. But I have no intention whatsoever to start giving you names.

What do you think of qualifications for Euro 2016 after the four rounds?
The most difficult part is behind us. Out of the four matches we played three times abroad, two times against the direct rivals for the 3rd place in the group. The first and the second place remain reserved for Switzerland and England, and will remain so in future as well. Our position is good, due to Estonia's draw against San Marino, while we have won against Lithuania. Don't forget we are the only team which has not faced San Marino yet. I think we are in a good position. The decisions in the qualifications will be made at the last matches, that's the only possibility. We will play at home against Estonia and Lithuania, and in San Marino, which is quite favourable for us. We are still in the game, speaking objectively, honestly, and judging by our quality. But the match between San Marino and Estonia (0:0) is a good reminder that you must take every team seriously, and not underestimate anybody, otherwise you can get burned.
Will anything change in 2015?
I am very dissatisfied with certain things. At the moment I am still analysing. I have been speaking of certain things since I became the selector, but nothing changed – mostly I am talking about unsatisfactory physical condition. We will see what will happen before the New Year.