Michael O'Neill arrived in France with his stock already high. Shares in his future may have flatlined after Northern Ireland's 1-0 defeat to Poland in the opening group game, but they shifted upwards once again last Thursday when O'Neill demonstrated that he is a manager of serious abilities.
O'Neill made major decisions against Ukraine and coached his squad to a fabulous 2-0 victory. It leaves Northern Ireland guaranteed third place in Group C; if they can earn a point from Germany in Paris tomorrow evening, they will surely be through to the last 16.
They may be already, depending on Uefa’s permutations, and O’Neill is looking like a manager to watch.
The IFA know this. O’Neill signed a new four-year contract in March. But there is a get-out clause should a compensation figure be met – and IFA president Jim Shaw accepts that there will be interest, as there has been previously from English and Scottish clubs.
Determined on contract
“There were a few big things I noticed about Michael,” says Shaw, “and why I was so determined to see him get a new contract. Apart from being a good overall manager on every front, he had a football plan in his head, and you could see it materialising.
“Results were atrocious, but the performances were steadily improving,” he says. “And away from the glare of the fans, he was working beneath the surface on the youth system and so on for the future.
“All of that combined told me that if you got rid of this guy, you have to find somebody else who could do a better job – and I couldn’t see anybody who could at that time.
“I honestly believe Michael could be a success as a manager in any line of business. Remember, before football management he went into the financial sector, having done an external degree. He was with Ernst & Young, and you don’t get into Ernst & Young unless you have something to offer. He really could turn his hand to anything in business.”
Tournament prize money means the IFA has seen its investment in O’Neill and his staff rewarded with qualification.
The association is £6 million (€7.6 million) better off for reaching Euro 2016 and £800,000 (€1 million) better off again after beating Ukraine. Another £1.2 million (€1.5 million) in prize money awaits should Northern Ireland reach the last 16.
Still, the IFA can’t be banking on that, given that Germany stand in the team’s way.
When the finals draw was made, however, facing the Germans in Paris in the third game with something to go for was the aim of all involved.
That has been achieved, thanks to victory over Ukraine. There is now a confidence in the camp that the Irish could work a point from Germany tomorrow.
Germany’s opening results were a 2-0 win over Ukraine and a 0-0 draw with Poland. The world champions have now moved their focus to Northern Ireland, whom they meet in World Cup qualifying as well.
Still, how much insight the Germans gained yesterday at the Irish base north of Lyon is a moot point. It did not sound deliberate or contrived, but if lulling the opposition into a sense of security was the intention, Jamie Ward offered a near-perfect response.
Running around
Ward, Nottingham Forest’s busy-bee forward, was asked what Germany would learn by researching Northern Ireland on video. “They will probably watch it and think we’ve got a lot of energy. That’s what we’re good at. We’re good at running around.”
Well, there is a bit more to it than that. Capt Steven Davis has been excellent as the thread uniting the midfield to attack, set-pieces have been inventive and effective, and the clean sheet against Ukraine was the fifth in the last seven matches.
However, if the players can camouflage their strengths behind “running around”, then O’Neill hopes that Germany show the complacency that big nations sometimes display, as his assistant, Jimmy Nicholl, mentioned on Saturday.
“We’re not daft as players,” Ward added. “[Germany] have got some of the best players in the world. You have to respect them but not fear them.”
Asked by German TV what Joachim Low’s team had to fear from Northern Ireland, Ward replied: “Probably our work rate.”
He elaborated: “We’re a hard-working team. We don’t like to give people time on the ball. So it might be something a little bit different from what the Germans have experienced in the past. Apart from that, probably not much else!”
Ward was one of the five changes O’Neill made between the first and second games. The former Shamrock Rovers manager is now considering whether to stick or twist again.
