Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
The prize is worth the effort
3-5-2 formation, believes his players have a thirst to back up their Euro adventure with a trip to Russia.
Northern Ireland have featured at four major tournaments – Euro 2016 and three World Cups in 1958, 1982 and 1986 – but have never gone to back-to-back finals.
O’neill said: “The good thing we have now, when you’ve been through the experiences that Jonny and Steve Davis have been through, you don’t want to go back.
“That’s all the motivation you need. This group of players made the last 16 of Euro 2016 and has now reached a World Cup play-off. They don’t want to let that go.”
O’neill, who will hand Davis his 100th cap this evening, accepts tonight’s game is one of the biggest of his managerial career.
He said: “I’m apprehensive, excited and looking forward to it but my focus is on managing the team before and during the game and when we’re in the heat of battle.”
Lose this and it will signal the end of Davis, Aaron Hughes, Chris Brunt, Michael Mcgovern and Gareth Mcauley’s dreams of playing in a World Cup while O’neill could be lured away.
O’neill joked everyone was relaxed apart from him and says his players can draw on their experience of winning defining games against Greece and
Ukraine.
“Other than myself, they’re fine!” he smiled. “These players have experienced a lot.”