Lauren McCann

The news which many Northern Ireland fans had been patiently waiting for finally came on Friday with the IFA having announced that they had taken the brave decision to part ways with Ian Baraclough after a tumultuous two years in charge.

The former U21 boss stepped up to lead the senior team after Micheal O’Neil’s departure for Stoke in June 2020 but failed to replicate his predecessor’s success in making Northern Ireland able to punch well above their weight and get the results needed to qualify for a major tournament once again.

Baraclough signed a two-year contract extension last year to take him through the Euro 2024 qualifying, but the IFA still decided to cut ties with him.

There were a few false dawns which seemed to suggest Northern Ireland were on their way up under Baraclough, the 0-0 draw against Italy in March, the first time Northern Ireland seemed capable of holding their own against a world class team during his reign. The snatch and grab win against Kosovo was far from pretty, but reminiscent of the type of results Northern Ireland used to be capable of conjuring when well below their best. There was also the emergence of players who have become mainstays in the team such as Daniel Ballard, Ali McCann, and Conor Bradley.

However, the stats ultimately don’t lie, and the manager boasted just seven wins in his 28 game reign, many of those also coming against nations Northern Ireland would expect to take points from. The four Nations League games in June are a prime example, with Northern Ireland mustering just two points from a double header against Cyrpus and games against Greece and Cyprus.

That was the point in which many fans lost confidence in the manager and calls for him to be dismissed only grew louder after the dismal defeat in Greece in September. This ultimately proved to be his final game in charge and one which summed up Northern Ireland for the majority of his spell in charge; disorganised, blunt and lacking ideas.

After letting the dust settle on that car crash of a Nations League campaign, the IFA began deliberating the next step. The discovery of a favourable draw (given the circumstances) for the 2024 European Championships, with qualifiers starting in March next year appeared to be the straw which broke the camel’s back for the IFA in weighing up what to do. They needed to act fast for Northern Ireland to prepare for fixtures early next year and the departure of Baraclough was confirmed.

Sacking Baraclough however, is the easiest decision for the IFA in this process. Who they believe is the right man to take over and attempt to rejuvenate the squad could be one of the most significant in recent years, and one they can ill afford to backfire like Baraclough’s appointment did.

Options considering Northern Ireland’s position now, are slim. Of course, the elephant in the room is that O’Neill, one of Northern Ireland’s greatest ever managers is out of a job. There is certainly appeal for him to return given many of the players he worked with are still in the squad, but whether the IFA can afford to bring him back and whether he can be coaxed back into managing the national team and take the risk of tarnishing the incredible reputation he has with the fanbase, remains to be seen.

There are a few Northern Irish managers currently available, but who have never managed at international level, although the question of the difficulty of transition from club to international football is an ongoing debate.

Neil Lennon has just been sacked by Omonia Nicosia after doing a decent job in Cyprus, and has in the past stated he would like to manage his country.

Stephen Robinson, Tommy Wright and Northern Ireland’s Women’s manager Kenny Shiels were all on the initial list drawn up by the IFA to replace O’Neill in 2020 alongside Baraclough.

According to the Belfast Telegraph all remain interested in taking the job this time around and have enough experience in the club game and internationally to warrant an opportunity in the circumstances, particularly Shiels for his work within very limited constraints with the Women’s side.

Most of the managers linked with the job are Northern Irish.

Grant McCann and David Healy are also names which have been thrown into the mix, but both have stated previously that the job remains an end goal rather than a present one.

Healy in particular, would be a cheaper alternative and a wildcard shout at this stage as the IFA have surely learnt their lesson from Baraclough on the pitfalls of appointing managers with little experience at a high level.

Also, with his Linfield side currently in the middle of a rough patch, his reputation certainly doesn’t stand up alongside competitors for the vacant position.

There are pros and cons for each candidate, but the ones beyond the tried and tested O’Neill or other names which have been rumoured such as the experienced Tony Pulis, Steve Bruce and Sam Allardyce, represent significant risks which the IFA would have to be extremely bold to take with a huge chance of reaching a major tournament on the horizon for the first time in several years.

Every Northern Ireland fan is hoping the grass can be greener after Baraclough, but it is not yet known if that can be translated into reality. Time is ticking, and the IFA have a huge decision to make. Get it right and Northern Ireland fans can dare to dream again, get it wrong and it appears they have a few more years of suffering ahead.

Lauren McCann is the Scoop’s Sport Editor and an English and Spanish student at Queen’s University Belfast.

Baraclough’s sacking and the impending managerial search for NI Football