San Marino will not be a walk in the park for Northern Ireland, says Michael O’Neill

Boss admits fixture list has thrown up a kind opener but warns that minnows mustn’t be taken lightly in quest for perfect start

NI manager Michael O’Neill during last night’s training session at the Stadio Olimpico di San Marino

Northern Ireland’s Daniel Ballard in action ahead of the clash with San Marino

thumbnail: NI manager Michael O’Neill during last night’s training session at the Stadio Olimpico di San Marino
thumbnail: Northern Ireland’s Daniel Ballard in action ahead of the clash with San Marino
Steven Beacom
© Belfast Telegraph

Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill has told his players if they think they can stroll through Thursday’s encounter in San Marino, they have another thing coming.

O’Neill was in a relaxed mood in his press briefing ahead of the Euro 2024 opener.

He said he was feeling good about his team, that preparation had gone as well as possible and even with all the injuries to key players, he was confident they would do the business.

Tellingly, he made the point — and will relay the same message to his side — that if they aren’t bang on it and bang up for it, a shock in San Marino against the lowest-ranked nation in FIFA’s rankings could be in the air.

O’Neill appreciates that this match offers Northern Ireland the opportunity to start their campaign on a high but there will be no taking the three points for granted and he wants the same focus that led to a 3-0 victory in San Marino six years ago when he was in charge.

“I suppose in a way playing San Marino is a kinder fixture than we could have had — for example, Finland are away to Denmark in the first game — but they will see this as an opportunity,” stated O’Neill.

“Any time you play a bigger country you see it as an opportunity of getting a result so we have to make sure that our focus is there right from the off. It is not a game where I think you can just play through and stroll through the game. We won’t be able to do that and the players know that.

“There’s different ways to play against teams that will defend deep, maybe concede some level of possession to ourselves. The key for us is not to get dragged into a slow game.

“When we played here the last time, we made the opposition defend and that’s what you have to do, don’t play in front of them. That’s the message that we’ve hammered home to the players.

“The training has been as intense and as detailed in the last three days as it has ever been. We are trying to get a style of playing and a way of playing into a group of players, some of whom are accustomed to it, some of whom are new to it and some of whom have never worked under me either, so there is a lot to cram in. It is a very challenging thing to do.”

Northern Ireland’s Daniel Ballard in action ahead of the clash with San Marino

O’Neill has lost a host of experienced players due to injury, leading to promising youngsters such as Everton’s Isaac Price being called into the senior squad.

The boss has been explaining the standards he expects from teenagers Price, Dale Taylor, Shea Charles and Conor Bradley.

“It’s been enjoyable for me getting to know some of the younger players but also being able to put some demands and standards on them. In this campaign we are going to have experience which is invaluable to us but also what the young boys bring will be very important,” stated O’Neill.

The 53-year-old feels pace in wide areas could be key versus San Marino, name-checking Bradley, Jamal Lewis, Trai Hume, Gavin Whyte, Shane Ferguson, Dion Charles and Matthew Kennedy in that regard.

He added that set-pieces, so vital in his first spell as boss, could be another area to exploit.

“We know the value in being good at set-pieces. We’ve got people who are good at attacking the ball, we’ve got to make sure we have people who are good at delivering the ball as well,” he said.

“We’ve not got Chris Brunt or Gareth McAuley any more in terms of that, but it doesn’t mean that with a bit of clever movement and good delivery we can’t be a threat.”

O’Neill genuinely feels Northern Ireland have a shot at qualifying for the Euro 2024 Finals in Germany and while Euro 2016 is a distant memory, he admitted there are some moments from back then that he may use this time around.

“I think we drew a line under 2016 when we went forward to the World Cup 2018 Play-Off but there are moments in any campaign or with any group of players where you may use examples to emphasise where we are in a campaign and what we need to do to get through that situation.

“We have been there, we have done it and we know what the prize is. I think the big thing is that when you bring players into the squad who have not had that experience, they get highly motivated being around players who have been to a major tournament and had that experience.”