Soccer

Northern Ireland boss Baraclough struggling but must be given more time

Jonny Evans with Northern Ireland manager Ian Baraclough after the 3-2 defeat away to Kosovo.
Jonny Evans with Northern Ireland manager Ian Baraclough after the 3-2 defeat away to Kosovo. Jonny Evans with Northern Ireland manager Ian Baraclough after the 3-2 defeat away to Kosovo.

LEICESTER City. That's it. That's the Tweet.

Brendan Rodgers's team is the only side from Europe's top five leagues to provide a player for Northern Ireland in their 3-2 defeat away to Kosovo. Jonny Evans is a terrific defender - but he's also 34.

Compare and contrast the talent available to Kosovo manager Alain Giresse in Pristina: players from Norwich City (moot point, but they were Premier League), Real Mallorca, Napoli, Empoli, and Reims (2).

Even stretching that out to Europe's top 10 leagues, to include Scotland, NI boss Ian Baraclough could only call on 37-year-old Steven Davis, another 34-year-old in Kyle Lafferty, and the uncapped Charlie McCann, who has made two senior appearances for Rangers.

Giresse also had players from the Swiss and Turkish leagues.

I wasn't the slightest bit surprised that NI lost to Kosovo for two reasons: the visitors were significantly under-strength and the hosts are better than most people realise.

Indeed, there's an awful amount of ignorance about 'the Dardanians', whose 15-match unbeaten run several seasons ago earned them another nickname - 'the Brazil of the Balkans'.

The Kosovans' world ranking is a false one, not reflecting their true ability, because they've only been competing internationally for less than six years.

Even so, they came close to qualifying for Euro 2020, beating the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Montenegro in their group, before losing out to another team from the former Yugoslavia, North Macedonia, in a play-off.

Admittedly, they struggled once again in their second World Cup qualifying campaign, finishing bottom once more, but their form has picked up. Vedat Muriqi has now scored 20 goals in 41 international appearances.

A place of similar size and population, it's extreme arrogance to expect NI to win away to Kosovo.

Obviously the pressure has been building on Baraclough. The boos didn't flow, the 'cheerios' didn't come just because of this one bad result; it's not about only one poor performance.

The goalless home draw against Italy, which could and should have been a famous win, is the jewel in a pile of disappointing displays recently.

Three wins from 19 competitive outings is clearly not good, especially with two of those coming against lowly Lithuania, and 10 of those matches ending in defeat.

However, the major downside, the struggle for goals, the lack of creativity, is nothing new for Northern Ireland, and definitely not Baraclough's fault.

Even with the two scored in Pristina it's just 14 goals for in 19 competitive matches.

Twenty-five goals have been conceded, but there have been five clean sheets, six draws, and seven one-goal defeats.

Clearly that last stat can be viewed in two ways - either that NI are close to becoming a better team or that they don't have what it takes to win tight tussles (or at least not lose them).

Baraclough does need to decide on a system of play. Formational flexibility is good to have, but a settled style is better.

Three at the back is his preference, and even though most players will be more familiar with a traditional four-man defence, deploying three centre backs and wing-backs probably is best given the players generally available to him.

IMNSHO, this is Northern Ireland's best current XI (with some options for debate):

Peacock-Farrell; Dallas, Cathcart, J Evans, Ballard, Lewis/ Ferguson; McNair, Norwood/ S Charles/ Smith, Davis; Boyce/ Whyte, Washington.

Of those, only four started away to Kosovo. Sure, Michael Smith, Olly Norwood, and Liam Boyce are all in international exile, but those last two are only 31, and Smith 33.

Even if none of them can be persuaded back, 'Bara' was without Paddy McNair, Craig Cathcart, Jamal Lewis, Stuart Dallas, Corry Evans, Shane Ferguson, and Josh Magennis, almost all of whom have played fairly regularly under him.

Northern Ireland simply cannot cope with such a large amount of absentees.

The recent results may make many despair, but there is hope for the future - and even the present.

Manchester City youngster Shea Charles already looks the successor to Chris Baird at defensive midfield, and could eventually be a centre-half long-term. Manchester United's Ethan Galbraith is another excellent midfield prospect, while Liverpool's Conor Bradley can grow into the right wing-back role, and doesn't turn 19 until next month.

Finding a regular goalscorer is the Holy Grail for international managers, especially those outside the top teams.

Until that hero emerges, Baraclough is trying to make NI hard to beat. Admittedly they've often been hard to watch over the last few games.

The parallels with the struggles of Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny are clear.

Patience will pay off on both sides of the border.

A victory at home to Cyprus tomorrow is imperative, but even if that doesn't happen Baraclough should be given until the end of his contract, after the end of the qualifying campaign for Euro 2024, to prove his worth.