Great win offers a glimpse into NI’S brighter future
O’neill’s side head into Nations League full of confidence after mature display
VINDICATED on the open acres of Glasgow’s south side, the spirit, energy and enterprise of youth. Already years ahead of their time.
The last Northern Ireland victory on Scottish soil was a full half century ago. Michael O’neill had vowed to give Scotland a ‘tough’ game at Hampden Park — and how his coltish outfit obliged in this friendly clash.
Scotland found themselves consistently unsettled against the determined and ice cool Northern Irish — and the famous Hampden scenes of victory over Spain a year ago seemed like a distant age for their manager Steve Clarke.
However the night comprehensively belonged to Northern Ireland. This 1-0 win illustrates that O’neill’s side can move ahead with assurance and authority. It has been a decent few months in response to the embarrassment of the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
Scotland losing in the Netherlands is one thing — losing to Northern Ireland was not part of their assumed script ahead of taking their place at Euro 2024. That Tartan Army favourite John Mcginn was substituted in the latter stages evidence of how the Ulstermen expertly managed the contest, the Scots’ abundant possession ultimately pointless.
Finally, there is something in the air for Northern Ireland. Match winner Conor Bradley, in his latest escapade, is central to that.
The build up to the Hampden clash was shadowed with reports linking O’neill with the managerial vacancy at Aberdeen. Knowing the Scottish scene as intimately as he does, perhaps this is inevitable.
Crucially, and — reading between the lines of a diplomatic response — the former Stoke City boss didn’t unequivocally kick the link to the Dons into the long grass either. How deeply should
Northern Ireland fans be concerned? There was also a juicy irony in that O’neill was quizzed prior to a game against Scotland, who he turned down the opportunity to manage in 2018.
The Irish FA have tied the Ballymena man to a five and a half year contract from his appointment at the end of 2022, so they would be amply recompensed in the event of a shock departure. However, on the balance of probability, Aberdeen — a parochial club with a curiously bombastic notion of itself — and their current position at the wrong end of the Scottish Premiership, is not an attractive option. And that is before considering the Dons having to compensate the IFA, plus a massive salary for O’neill to merely firefight in the short term at least.
Nights like this trounce other considerations, surely?
It would also be a wrong turn for O’neill as he, more than anyone, knows that he has a coterie of players at international level blossoming in front of his very eyes.
Victory over Denmark last November, and a creditable draw in Bucharest against Romania, show precious green shoots of fearlessness. Witness Bradley’s 32nd minute strike to put the men in green ahead, the latest career incision from a precocious operator Northern Ireland can call their own. How could any manager walk away from such enticing possibilities?
Castlederg crusader Bradley is, of course, the epitome of consistent, gambolling aggression for both Liverpool and his country. In Shea Charles, Trai Hume and Isaac Price for instance, Northern Ireland possess a unit coming together. And Daniel Ballard is future captain material. All shone at Hampden.
This team’s welcome self-belief — with a touch of Bradley boldness — suggests potent fuel when the Nations League games against Luxembourg and Bulgaria come around in the autumn.
A cursory glance towards Scotland’s odyssey to the summer Euros in Germany will not have gone unnoticed either for, broadly speaking, they are in the position which the Green and White Army can reasonably expect to see their own side in a couple of years’ time, rather than four, as Stephen Robinson, O’neill’s former assistant suggests.
O’neill and Northern Ireland supporters all appreciate this is a squad in transition, yet the changes in personnel can be readily embraced as each game and subsequent experience passes. Hampden’s characteristic roar was not something especially intimidating for a set of players who acquitted themselves so well in Bucharest’s vast Arena Nationala last week either. The Scots laboured throughout and lacked ingenuity.
Despite their qualification, Scotland had not won in their previous six games, and a late shipment of goals away to the Netherlands in their friendly fixture last Friday was a frustration following an enterprising display.
As can be often the case in friendlies, neither keeper, Angus Gunn of Scotland and the returning Bailey Peacock-farrell for the visitors were unduly troubled — until Scotland’s Nathan Patterson made a double error of judgement allowing bullish Bradley the opportunity to shoot home to change the whole mood of the night. Indeed the respective fortunes of Patterson, on the margins at Everton, and his Liverpool counterpart, spoke loudly.
Charles missed a golden opportunity to intensify Scotland’s edginess to double the lead before the interval, as part of a counter attack which suited Northern Ireland, whose three man central rearguard of Eoin Toal, Hume and Ballard compressed space.
There were positives galore to Northern Ireland’s performance. Fundamentally, the composure, bite and solidity away from home against a nation ranked 34th in the world, and wider proof of the kind of team O’neill hopes to fashion in the next international phase. Inch-by-inch, this squad is going places.
Scott Mctominay personified Scotland’s restlessness, with Hume equal to the Manchester United man’s scant threat. Lewis Ferguson, the Scottish standard bearer in Serie A with Bologna, was also forlorn in midfield.
As expected, the Scots improved — if only marginally — in the second half, the marauding Ferguson frustrated by Ballard. Lyndon Dykes was rendered anonymous, too. Clarke’s men, out of ideas, dismissed as ordinary at best by an opponent on the up.
Northern Ireland are, unfortunately, gazing through the glass at Euro 2024. However, the rock solid nature of this squad will be, beyond the summer, aiming high.