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On the rise: Daniel Ballard takes Dion Charles with him to practice last night in Sofia
Steven Beacom Twitter
There might not be a World Cup next year, but manager Ian Baraclough insists that the future will be is rosy for Northern Ireland, stating that the national team is in a “good place” for the challenges ahead.
The first of these is a Group C qualifier against Bulgaria in Sofia tonight. Baraclough’s players want to end this international window with a win after the bitter disappointment in Switzerland on Saturday.
Northern Irish fans will remember the game in Geneva as defender Jamal Lewis was astonishingly dismissed in the first half, the received the second yellow card from referee Slavko Vincic for wasting time on the throw-in. Up to this point the visitors were comfortably stuck under pressure. With 10 men they are 0: 2 behind and end the evening six points behind the Swiss in a duel for a play-off place with only three games left.
Switzerland would have to mess up their last three games bring – away against Lithuania and leaders Italy and at home against Bulgaria – while Northern Ireland needs wins in Bulgaria and at home against Lithuania and the Italians to stand a chance.
The chances are slim and none – and at the weekend Slim drove out of town.
Nonetheless, Baraclough, who is to receive a new contract with the Irish Football Association, is optimistic about the future and is pleased that young players such as Ali McCann, Daniel Ballard, Shayne Lavery, Ciaron Brown and Conor Bradley worked well with seasoned stars like Steven Davis, Stuart Dallas, Jonny Evans, Craig Cathcart and Josh Magennis in this campaign.
“I think we’re in a good place. We have more numbers than probably a year ago and more players to move up the roster. It gives me more of a headache choosing a squad, « said Baraclough.
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“There is excitement and the seniors are taking care of the younger players and integrating them. We have seen performances that may have surprised some, but for us as the coaching staff it confirms our decision to throw them in.
“We have to be careful not to put too much pressure on these young players. The seniors still play a big role. They still make up the majority of the squad and we will bring in the young players if necessary. We have obviously made progress there. We’ve seen young guys grow up and play a role in recent meetings and I think the future is bright for Northern Irish football, I really do. «
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As you near the end of each campaign, thoughts inevitably revolve around whether the older stars will continue. Baraclough hopes everyone will keep playing.
“The seniors play an important role. Without them, I don’t think you would see the younger players blooming the way they did, « he says.
» The way they are in the hotel and on the training ground sets standards. Young players look up to them and see where they are from and what they achieved and how they achieved it.
“It’s great for me to have people like Davo (Steven Davis), Jonny (Evans), Corry (Evans), Josh (Magennis), Kyle (Lafferty) and Craig Cathcart. They were massive players for this country and hopefully we got them back on their feet for years to come.
« I know it’s always one thing to get an appointment when Davo is done, but with the performance he delivers, he’s leading the way for everyone. »
Da Lewis for the game Is suspended tonight, Shane Ferguson could step in as left full-back. Another option is to make position changes and include Liverpool’s Conor Bradley for his first start.
Baraclough want a strong finish in the World Cup group in the unlikely event the Swiss fold like a cheap suit and Northern Ireland for future ones Improve tournaments.
« We suffered in the last two major tournaments, we had Germany and the Netherlands, and then Italy and Switzerland were the top seeds in pot two, so it was always a big challenge, » said the 50- year old -old.
« They hope that the next time you will put yourself in a position where the ranking list is a little more favorable for us in order to possibly achieve a more favorable draw. »
On Sunday they had Northern Irish players time to explore the beautiful sights of Lake Geneva. They want to swim in Bulgaria tonight and not get lost so that the referee’s decisions don’t come into play, as has been the case too often lately against Switzerland.
« We felt badly exhausted on Saturday, but it’s a fresh game, a new referee, another country, « said Baraclough. “We still think we should have got a better result in refereeing decisions, but it doesn’t always work that way. The other night was one of those moments. It was also four years ago and it seems to be against the same team for some reason but there we go. We are now facing Bulgaria and the circumstances are completely different. ”
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