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O'Neill's legacy is that he changed how we thought about football in Northern Ireland. Even 2011, we still clung on to the idea that our national team could win matches by showing more belief and passionate than our opponent. We were honest but outdated.
And when we lost, we shrugged our shoulders and sang 'we'll support you ever more'.
'Sure what did you expect, we're only a wee country? Mine's a pint'.
We were an anti-intellectual football nation.
'Sure what did you expect, we're only a wee country? Mine's a pint'.
We were an anti-intellectual football nation.
O'Neill changed that. He challenged our players to retain possession. He asked them to win more free-kicks and manage the game. He built a culture that meant players showed up for even meaningless games. He forced our association to revamp their youth structure and recruitment.
If you want a good example, rewatch the 2-1 win over Hungary and bear in mind that NI had won just one match under O'Neill at the time.
1-0 down with ten minutes left. You'd expect us to lump it into the box. We won the game with two goals from moves that consisted of 10+ passes
1-0 down with ten minutes left. You'd expect us to lump it into the box. We won the game with two goals from moves that consisted of 10+ passes
I loathe to use the phrase marginal gains, as it's associated with something much darker now, but O'Neill's team were always full prepared and he exploited every avenue to improve NI's chances of winning.
Whatever happens next, the IFA must maintain that culture.
Whatever happens next, the IFA must maintain that culture.
