Planning key ahead of our big moment

AUSTIN MacPHEE is the only Scottish coach at Euro 2016. He has been a vital part in Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland success over the past two years. Every week of the Finals, the highly-rated Scot will give an exclusive insight into their preparation.

AFTER 30 years of not being at a major tournament, Northern Ireland’s moment has finally arrived.

Tonight, Michael O’Neill and his players will play Poland in Nice and there is confidence. We are unbeaten in our last 12 games and that is the longest of any nation going into this tournament.

Now, to keep that going, it would be far too simplistic and foolish to suggest the only player we need be concerned about is Robert Lewandowski.

Yes, he is a world-class footballer but there is so much more to our opponents. Indeed, when Polish journalists visited our training base midweek, they suggested to Craig Cathcart that the Bayern Munich striker would be the only player ours would know.

They couldn’t have been more misinformed. Craig put them all on the back foot when he rattled off their starting line-up.

Since May 22, we have been planning meticulously for the up-and-coming 90 minutes. We have supplied our players with loads of information, from a Paninistyle booklet with info on every opposition player. That said, we have given Lewandowski (left) the credit he deserves. We have watched him closely, including the qualifiers against Scotland, and we are all aware of the damage he is capable of.

We needed absolute clarity in how we were going to deal with him and we have that.

We have gone in to fine detail on – HOW HE SCORES; WHEN HE SCORES; WHAT HE SCORES WITH; WHO ASSISTS HIM.

For club and country, he has scored 75% of his goals in the last 10 minutes of both halves. And eight of his last 15 goals have been scored in the last eight minutes, only one of which has been from outside the box.

That information heightens awareness for our players that he drifts out of games. We must not switch off at 85 minutes and think it’s job done as he hasn’t been on the ball for the previous 20 minutes.

This is also about our players. Michael’s preparation for the Euros has been meticulous and impressive. I learn something new from him every day and it is an education of the highest quality to be with him.

We have a great harmony within the squad. This point was hammered home during Michael’s conversations with Louis van Gaal and Slaven Bilic. Both have experience of being at major tournaments. Michael wanted an insight and words of wisdom.

They highlighted the importance of a good working environment. They warned some players, mainly those unlikely to start any games, could become disillusioned and disruptive when they are not playing because they have been away from home for a month.

But the Northern Ireland lads, to a man, have been a different class. Thankfully, we have no superstars and no player carries an ego. We believe we can get out of the group, we really do. That said, I believe the winners of the tournament will be either Germany or England. Poland are my outside tip. Only England aren’t in our group, so it shows how hard our task is going to be. But we will embrace the challenge.