Sport

North aren't getting ahead of themselves - O'Neill

The Northern Ireland squad during training at the Torsvollur Stadium in Torshavn on Thursday<br/>Picture: Pacemaker&nbsp;
The Northern Ireland squad during training at the Torsvollur Stadium in Torshavn on Thursday
Picture: Pacemaker 
The Northern Ireland squad during training at the Torsvollur Stadium in Torshavn on Thursday
Picture: Pacemaker 

Euro 2016 Qualifying Group F: Faroe Islands v Northern Ireland


(Friday, 7.45pm, live on Sky Sports 5)

APPEARANCES can be deceptive. Northern Ireland may be the bigger fish in this setting, but manager Michael O’Neill made clear what a massive achievement qualification for Euro 2016 would be.

Although the kit he was wearing may look like that of the current world champions, he pointed out: “I’m not sitting here like the Germany coach, who qualifies for tournaments time after time.”

Aiming to bridge a 30-year gap since reaching the 1986 World Cup, O’Neill put the scale of his side’s progress into perspective, saying: “I would never describe this as a banana skin. People forget, we are a small nation ourselves.

“If we were to manage to maintain our form and secure qualification, I think it would be the first time in history that a pot five team has qualified. That gives you an indication of where this team has come to.”

A ticket to France could be in the North’s grasp with wins here and at home to Hungary next Monday, depending on the result of Hungary-Romania on Friday, but O’Neill insists he has a longer view of the situation.

“I think there is a feeling that Euro qualification could all be done by Monday night," he added. 

"That’s the best scenario – the dream scenario. We’re not looking at it as a team from that point of view. If we have to go to Finland [in the final group game] and get the win to secure qualification, then we’d be happy enough with that situation.

“We’re not sitting here in the Faroes thinking it is going to be a two-game scenario. If the result goes against us out here, then the destiny is still in our hands. That’s the reality of the situation and it’s a nice position to be in.”

O’Neill expressed confidence that his squad can secure one of the automatic qualification slots, commenting: “Obviously the prize is huge and you do think both about the significance of qualification and, if it didn’t go our way, the significance of that also.

“But within this group of players there’s a hardcore of players who recognised that there’s a real opportunity for them to have their international careers significantly remembered.

“There are lot of players who have played down the years for Northern Ireland and not had the chance to go to a major finals, a lot of really good players. This is a group of players who have given themselves this opportunity with what they’ve done to date, so I don’t worry that mentally they’ll not be able to handle the situation or the games that lie ahead.”

Northern Ireland stumbled to a 1-1 draw in the Faroes five years ago and failed to beat Azerbaijan and Luxembourg in the last World Cup qualifying group.

However, O’Neill believes this team has changed: “We saw the Achilles heel to some extent with those results but I think we’re beyond that now…

“They recognise the prize that lies ahead for them and I’ve every confidence. The likes of Steven [Davis], Aaron Hughes, Chris Baird, just to name three players alone, have served Northern Ireland now for the best part of 10, 15 years.

“It would be their reward to get to the finals. It’s that type of player and other senior players around them that have put themselves in this position.”

He smiled when recalling his own “illustrious” career, which did not include participation in a major finals, but insisted that qualification was about much more than him.

“The motivation is there because Northern Ireland needs it. Simple as that. Nothing else,” said O’Neill.

“We need it as a country and as a group of players, as a group of supporters. We’re not hiding behind that – and we want to deliver it. We need this and I think the players recognise they have the capability to deliver it”.