NORTHERN LIGHTS
How O’Neill’s marvels lit up another glorious Belfast night
THERE was a beguiling pink sunset on the horizon; there was a full stadium rocking with noise and colour; there was a victory — another one; there was a clean sheet — another one; there was stern defence and some flowing one-touch midfield passing; there were enthralled Ugandan children singing and cartwheeling at half-time; there was vibrancy, smiles and an atmosphere to remember.
There was even a wave to the crowd from Michael O’Neill. Windsor Park, Belfast on Monday night had it all.
At its end Northern Ireland had once again done what Northern Ireland do under the talented O’Neill: exceed expectation.
In overcoming the Czech Republic 2-0, O’Neill’s unflinching players had sealed their grip on second place in a group dominated, as expected, by world champions Germany. But that is a dry analysis. This was so much more than that.
This euphoric night carried echoes of the defeat of Israel in 1981 at Windsor Park, which led to the 1982 World Cup finals appearance, or the goal from Ian Stewart which beat West Germany here a year later in the European Championship. The defeat of Greece to reach Euro 2016 was not too bad either. Understandably, O’Neill hoped his players will ‘cherish’ it.
In the 1980s Northern Ireland had established, experienced top-flight players and a European Cup-winning captain in Martin O’Neill.
On Monday they had a team made up of two players from League One, five from the Championship, a 37-year- old in Aaron Hughes who has played two of Hearts’ eight games this season and three men from the Premier League.
On the bench was Shay McCartan, who joined Bradford City from Accrington Stanley in June, and as the Burton Mail pointed out gleefully, two players from Burton Albion. The Czechs, meanwhile, contained two players who will start for Basle against Manchester United next week in the Champions League.
A sceptic could say that Michael O’Neill does not so much announce squads as cobble them together.
But from a collection he has forged a collective. There is no other way to explain the Irish recording seven clean sheets in eight qualifiers. They defend like a clenched fist.
Only the Germans have scored against Northern Ireland, who have conceded the fewest goals of any team in qualification. There has been no competitive loss in Belfast for four years. This was a fifth consecutive win in the group.
The Czechs were given a lesson in tactical discipline and organisation. The Premier League trio of Jonny Evans, Chris Brunt and Steven Davis were immense, but then so was Conor McLaughlin of Millwall and Corry Evans, now in League One with Blackburn. It was so composed and mature a performance that O’Neill caved in to crowd demands for a wave. He has mentioned before that he hates this.
O’Neill used three significant words in his post-match press conference: chemistry, patience and intelligence.
All three are key to understanding his coaching abilities. The 48-year-old has overseen Northern Ireland’s rise in FIFA’s rankings from 129 five years ago to 23 today.
No fan of celebrity or gestures, so impressed was O’Neill with Monday’s effort that he considered taking his players back out on to the pitch for a second ovation.
But his mind was whirring with other details. He was using his A-level mathematics to consider the permutations not just of second-place totals and possible play-offs, but of yellow cards and potential suspensions.
Northern Ireland began Monday with five players one booking from a suspension. Evans’s yellow card took it to six. The cards are carried into November’s play-offs and with two group games remaining, but still some play-off uncertainty, O’Neill is cautious. It is Germany in Belfast next month, which is exciting, but does O’Neill risk bookings if the following match against Norway matters?
As such, he was an island of restraint amid the shaking Windsor Park on Monday. The old ground has been renamed the National Football Stadium in an effort at inclusivity in a divided society. It has been redeveloped and modernised, a metaphor for the team.
Under Michael O’Neill, Northern Ireland’s perspective includes pinky sunsets.
Northern Ireland have seven clean sheets from eight games... they defend like a clenched fist