With the start of the Ryder Cup now eight days away and Paul McGinley’s biggest fear is dealing with a ‘newer’ Stars and Stripes threat.

For the past eight Ryder Cups Europe has quietly played the ‘underdog’ card winning six of the biennial encounters.

The Dubliner’s got the firepower of four of the leading six players on the World Ranking headed by four-time Major winning Rory McIlroy.

McGinley’s also got a combined wealth in his side of 31 Ryder Cups and five more than Watson can boast,

And while McGinley’s looked at ease in this European leadership role, he is very uneasy with suggestions Europe is virtually a red-hot favourite to retain the gleaming gold trophy.

Ryder Cup Captain Paul McGinley spoke confidently about his preparations and the choices players had made to prepare themselves for next week’s challenge, during the Ryder Cup Media Interview ahead of the ISPS Handa Wales Open 2014 from the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, South Wales. Picture: David Lloyd / www.golffile.ie

“I am under no illusions whatsoever nor are the players in my team as we a ‘gun ho’ and ready for this Ryder Cup,” said McGinley.

“So this Ryder Cup is not about being complacent, and if we don’t win this Ryder Cup it won’t be because of complacency and I can assure you of that.

“We are very motivated. We know it is going to be a very strong American team.  We know it is going to be a strongly motivated team and a strongly led American team, so we are under no illusions how big this task it.

“It is not going to be about just turning up and see how the American team will roll over.

“It is going to be very difficult to win this Ryder Cup as we have a slightly different threat from America than we’ve had in the past so far as they fear like they are underdogs and are up against it.

“So questioning the make of a team, like we’ve been reading about the American team, can galvanise a team, and we’ve seen that happen in the past and certainly from a European Team perspective.

“So with just under a week to go we will not be underestimating the American team and I can assure you of that, and we will be ready for this.”

McGinley met last night (WED) with four of his team contesting this week’s Wales Open at Celtic Manor, and venue for the 2010 Ryder Cup when last staged in Europe.

They include eight-time European team member Lee Westwood, Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn and the rookie duo of Welshman Jamie Donaldson and Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher.

And McGinley has also gone to the trouble of having the European Tour set up this week’s Twenty-Ten course as near as possible to the conditions the four will face at Gleneagles.

“I was keeping on top of the European Tour schedule so I knew this Wales Open was being held the week prior to the Ryder Cup, and I’ve said so many times before about the examination paper that  Gleneagles will pose, so that’s why I wanted to align this week’s course very similar to Gleneagles,” he said.

“So it’s all about preparing them for next week’s examination paper in this week’s competitive environment.

“Also they will get to do that in a very strong tournament and where the Ryder Cup has been held in the past.

“I am delighted also the majority of guys who compete in America have this week off as we didn’t have that at Medinah and as a result some of our players suffered from fatigue as a result of progressing so far that year to the Tour Championship.

“So I am pleased they have a rest this week.”