It has been confirmed. The boisterous ‘Green and White Army’ will be stuck watching the 2022 World Cup in Qatar from the comfort of their homes next winter as Northern Ireland have once again failed to book their place at the major tournament — a feat that now spans the whole back to the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
With Ian Baraclough’s side paired alongside two European powerhouses in the form of European champions winners Italy and Euro 2020 quarter-finalists Switzerland in Group C, qualification was an almost impossible task from the start for Northern Ireland. However, they haven’t even put up much of a fight and with two games remaining of the group, they sit second bottom with a mere five points from six matches.
Whilst actually qualifying for the World Cup never seemed like a reality for Northern Ireland, the least the fans would have expected was to finish a respectable third with Bulgaria and Lithuania making up the rest of the group, but with a 2-1 defeat away to the former during the recent international break, even that looks out of the question now for Baraclough’s men.
All that is left to fight for in the final two games is the chance to restore some pride and humility. Northern Ireland will face Lithuania, a side they are heavily expected to beat according to betting sites like Betdaq, and Italy in front of a home crowd at Windsor Park in Belfast, but giving the recent results under Baraclough it could be quite a hostile environment in the capital as opposed to the usual loud and rowdy atmosphere that backs their team 100%.
It may be over in terms of qualification, but not for Baraclough. Time is running thin on the 18-month contract he signed to replace the outgoing Michael O’Neill early last year and if he wants to keep hold of the Northern Ireland reins then he needs to win over the fans, and possibly even the Irish Football Association, in the remaining couple of games.
It goes without saying that the Northern Ireland fans are not happy with Baraclough, and it could be said that it is for good reason. The Englishman has won just four of his 18 matches in charge of the nation, a record that is well below the expectations set by everyone involved — especially as it is worth noting that over half of those matches have ended in defeat.
Despite his poor record, there is an argument that he needs the Northern Irish fanbase to remain patient with him. Michael O’Neill was in the same boat after his first couple of years in charge, with fans calling for his head when the side finished second bottom of their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign with just one win.
Fast forward to the current day and O’Neill, who is now at Championship side Stoke City, will go down as one of the best managers in Northern Ireland’s history. He guided them to their first European Championships in 2016, topping their respective group before taking them to the knockout stages in France. He then got Northern Ireland to the 2018 World Cup play-offs, which ended in defeat to Switzerland, and the Euro 2020 play-offs — a 2-1 defeat to Slovakia overseen by Baraclough.
It must be said that the bar has been set extremely high by the Northern Irish fans for Baraclough due to O’Neill’s successes, but with the likes of Gareth McAuley and Aaron Hughes retiring and Steven Davis, Kyle Lafferty, Jonny Evans and co. not getting any younger, there was always going to be a period of decline after that generation.
Baraclough has had to bring young players through, and that is something he has actually done well. Liverpool’s Conor Bradley, Arsenal’s Daniel Ballard and Cardiff City’s Ciaron Brown have all came into the side as defensive options, while Leeds United’s Alfie McCalmont, Preston’s Ali McCann and Manchester United’s Ethan Gilbraith are being slowly introduced in midfield.
After spending three years with the under 21s, very few managers that could come in to replace Baraclough would have a better knowledge of the best youth players coming through the ranks than him and given the position Northern Ireland are in, with key players like Davis and Evans on their last legs, that familiarity and relationship Baraclough with the younger players could prove crucial for Northern Ireland.
Patience is required during this state of transition. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was O’Neill’s side that qualified for the Euros. This was Baraclough’s first attempt at qualifying for a major tournament and he deserves at least one more crack of the whip as Northern Ireland’s attention turns to booking their place at Euro 2024.