SIMON Davies has a tub-thumping message for his Welsh team-mates ahead of their battle with Euro 2004 qualifying rivals Serbia and Montenegro tonight.

The Tottenham Hotspur star (pictured) told his colleagues: "We deserve to top qualifying Group Nine and let's show Serbia why.

"We are supremely confident and must impose ourselves on them. We've gone past the stage of going away from home and scraping draws.

"We are top of the group for a reason - we have played some excellent football in this campaign and created a lot of chances so we've just got to do the same thing again tonight.

"We need to perform with the authority that group leaders should and, if we win, we win. The most important thing is not to lose. If we lose, the group is all in the balance again."

The 24-year-old wins his 16th cap in Belgrade and will be looking to cut out-of-sorts Serbia to shreds.

That would provide the ammunition for Wolves frontman Nathan Blake, with Davies ably supported by Newcastle's Craig Bellamy and Manchester United icon Ryan Giggs.

Davies, however, knows all to well that all-conquering Wales could face a Serbia backlash. The former Yugoslav republic, fourth in Group Nine and with almost no hope of qualifying for next summer's finals in Portugal, have a new man at the helm.

Ilija Petkovic's arrival following the resignation of Dejan Savicevic - he quit after losing to basement-boys Azerbaijan - has sparked new life into Serbian football and he persuaded PSV Eindhoven dangerman Mateja Kezman to return to the international fold.

And Davies warns: "We are under no illusions. It will be a hard game tonight in sweltering temperatures. "They are a wounded animal. They've disappointed big time this campaign but now they've got a new manager."

"What is at stake is massive so we'll be heavily focused on the game rather than the home crowd."