Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
UP FRONT & HONEST
Baraclough likes the look of two men in attack but admits his side must start to take their big chances
A LACK of goals and a couple of errant defensive moments cost Northern Ireland dear in Parma.
Who was it said, the more things change, the more they stay the same?
The visitors, 17/1 outsiders before kick-off, can reflect on a dogged and driven display, particularly in the second half when the Italians were forced onto the back foot.
But as the flood lights dimmed over Stadio Ennio Tardini, Ian Baraclough and his players were left with nothing to show for a gallant effort.
Plenty of positives but history isn’t carved from retrospective optimism. Positives don’t secure you famous results or book your place at a major tournament.
Baraclough knows points trump promise on a hostile football landscape but he won’t be throwing his principles – or formation – out with the post-parma bath water.
The national boss liked what he saw from his 3-5-2 line-up and on another night Gavin Whyte, Michael Smith or Paddy Mcnair could and should have billowed the Azzurri net.
And if Northern Ireland can ask serious questions of Roberto Mancini’s Italy, albeit from 2-0 down, are they not equipped to make a mark in a difficult group?
Baraclough, who has a USA friendly to prepare for tomorrow before welcoming Bulgaria to Belfast for a second World Cup Group C qualifier on Wednesday night, believes so.
“It feels like a chance gone but we’ll be buoyed by our second half performance,” he said. “I’m also
pleased with what I saw from the formation and I think we carry more of a threat when we have two strikers on the pitch.
“Having two up top put an onus on Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci to defend and we caused them problems in the second half.
“The lads are good enough to defend as a three at the back and you have Stuart Dallas and Michael Smith who can get up and down the park.
“I also thought Steven Davis was phenomenal on his 125th cap.”
While Northern Ireland created three gilt edged opportunities, AC Milan keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma denied Whyte in a one-on-one and parried Smith’s back post shot.
Mcnair also blazed over from 12 yards out after being teed up by Davis. It’s not a problem unique to the new manager but, in his nine games so far, Northern Ireland have only been on target six times, an average of a goal every 145 minutes. Granted, all nine fixtures were competitive outings, including Euro play-offs against Bosnia and Slovakia which went to extra-time but it’s a record Baraclough is keen to address.
“We have to be more ruthless in those situations,” he said. “Paddy normally hits the target and could Gavin maybe have taken it around the keeper?
“We forced Italy to make mistakes and from that we created chances but we certainly need to take those chances that come our way.
“We also have to be on the front foot from the off. We were too passive in the first half and we can’t afford that. When we’re on the front foot we’re a far better team.
“We can’t afford to have 45 minute periods where we’re not on top of the game. In the second half we got five or 10 yards further up the pitch and got close to Italy. We need to take the intensity of our second half performance into the Bulgaria game.”