Lafferty at end of the road, warns NI legend Hamilton
NORTHERN Ireland legend Billy Hamilton fears Kyle Lafferty’s international career is over after his fall-out with manager Michael O’Neill.
The Northern Ireland boss was fuming after Lafferty’s late withdrawal from the squad for the weekend double header away to Austria and Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Just hours after coming off the bench in Rangers’ 3-1 win over Hearts on Sunday, Lafferty called O’Neill to inform him he would not be travelling the next day to a training camp in Austria prior to tomorrow’s Nations League clash in Vienna.
Lafferty, who has scored 20 goals for his country, has been struggling with an Achilles problem recently but there was no mention of any injury in an Irish FA statement on Tuesday night in which O’Neill outlined his ‘disappointment’ and declared he would “address the situation after the international period”. A showdown beckons. O’Neill and Lafferty have had run-ins in the past and overcome them but World Cup hero Hamilton believes the striker’s decision to rule himself out of the game against Austria and Monday’s encounter in Bosnia is the beginning of the end for him at the highest level.
“To me this is a bit of a kick in the teeth to Michael. Unless there is a really good explanation that is acceptable to Michael I don’t think there is any way back for Kyle,” said Hamilton (left).
“I think it’s like kicking sand in Michael’s face after all he has done for Kyle. It seems like a loss of trust and respect. It was ridiculously late to tell him though at this stage we don’t know what is going on with Kyle.
“Kyle has been a bit of a loose cannon over the years and maybe this time it is something he can’t repair.”
Former Burnley and Oxford forward Hamilton has described Lafferty as ‘Superman’ for some of his inspirational displays over the years which included scoring seven goals in the successful Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.
MICHAEL O’Neill hates to be distracted from his focus on match week. The Northern Ireland manager is methodical in his approach.
Plans have been put in place for weeks in terms of travel, training, nutrition and game night.
O’Neill prides himself in being in full control of proceedings and deviation is usually only permitted on his say.
It’s a process which he has perfected over the years and with the players and his backroom staff buying into his methods, great success has come Northern Ireland’s way, especially during the last four years.
Therefore, Kyle Lafferty’s self-imposed absence, a surprise rather than a bolt from the blue, is a major distraction he could have done without. And frustratingly for O’Neill, completely outside his control.
Already missing Jamie Ward, who returned to his club Charlton Athletic to work on his fitness, and Conor Washington, due to personal reasons, O’Neill could have been doing with Lafferty’s experience and expertise up front as he is down to three strikers — Josh Magennis, Will Grigg and Liam Boyce — with international caps and new boy Kyle Vassell for tomorrow night’s Nations League clash with Austria at the Ernst Happel Stadium.
Indeed, Lafferty has more caps, 68, than Magennis, Grigg and Boyce combined.
Lafferty, who started against Bosnia and Herzegovina, would have been battling with Bolton’s Magennis for the lone striker’s role in Vienna.
On his day, Lafferty, as proven during the Euro 2016 qualifiers with his seven goals, is Northern Ireland’s best hitman.
But he hasn’t been in that type of form in a green shirt for some time and his last goal for Northern Ireland came nearly two years ago in a big win over Azerbaijan.
After leaving O’Neill in the lurch this week, and going by the manager’s terse statement late on Tuesday evening, the 31-year-old may have played his last game under the former Newcastle United midfielder.
With O’Neill having signed a long-term contract, Lafferty’s international career could finish with 68 appearances and 20 goals.
Lafferty may like to play the practical joker of the Northern Ireland team, but O’Neill certainly doesn’t want to be taken for a fool.
He tolerated Lafferty’s wise cracks, bubbly personality and also put an arm round him when confidence was low after being frozen out at Norwich City. O’Neill was getting something in return — goals and, in truth, forward options were limited. Lafferty was also a lot younger — he is 31 now.
After being sent off against Portugal in 2013, O’Neill publicly admonished Lafferty, something he has rarely done with players. However, over time, O’Neill’s anger subsided and he was welcomed back into the fold.
Last November, Lafferty was banished to the bench for the second leg of the World Cup