Oliveira - forced to change his tactics. (Allsport)

By Reece Killworth, Sportinglife.com

When Antonio Oliveira took over as Portugal boss, he told the country it was time "to be the first instead of being the best".

Many people interpreted that as meaning he would cut down on the flair that has been Portugal's trademark in recent years.

But he actually meant he would be demanding 100 percent effort and a high work-rate from all of his players, even the exciting talents like Rui Costa and Luis Figo who are more known for their ball play.

Along the way, the tactics nearly cost Portugal their World Cup place - and Oliveira his job - but they rode out the storm to book their place in the Far East.

The problems came in the away games against Holland and Cyprus, where Oliveira opted to field a defensive formation and rely on counter-attacks.

But when Holland led 2-0 and Cyprus 1-0, Oliveira was forced to throw on another striker and alter his formation to keep his unbeaten run in tact.

Oliveira took the post as Portugal manager in 2000 after Humberto Coelho opted to turn down a new contract.

Prior to taking over the national side Oliveira had built his reputation at Rel Betis and Porto - where he had won two Portuguese titles.