International friendly
Northern Ireland v Switzerland
(Friday, 7.45pm, live on BBC Two NI)
ONCE again, Michael O’Neill finds himself trying to unearth a goalscorer as his Northern Ireland team prepares to face Switzerland at Windsor Park tonight (7.45pm).
Although tonight’s game and Tuesday night’s encounter with Sweden in Stockholm are friendly games, they are a step up in class from the Nations League success this year.
A 5-0 thrashing of Bulgaria in Belfast last October was the highlight but O’Neill is now focusing on the autumn World Cup qualifiers when his team will face either Germany or Italy, Slovakia and Luxembourg.
After being knocked out of the Euro 2024 finals by England on penalties, the Swiss endured a torrid Nations League campaign when pitted against Spain, Denmark and Serbia, only drawing two of their six games.
But O’Neill still believes the nation that knocked Northern Ireland out of the 2018 World Cup play-offs in controversial fashion still present a daunting task.
“Very challenging”, rapped the Northern Ireland manager.
“Switzerland had a very difficult Nations League but they were playing at Group A level and that’s a tough ask.
“I saw them twice live in Euro 2024 and I thought they were excellent, well structured team, well organised team, unlucky to go out in the way that they did.
“They’re a little bit in transition as well but their players are still playing their football at a very high level.
“Look, we are not a team that has a striker playing at this minute in time at the top level of European football.
“When have we been blessed with someone that will score 25 goals? We’ve not had a real match goalscorer since David (Healy).
“A lot of the teams do have that, so that’s a challenge that we have to compensate for by the sum of the parts and we need goals from all areas of the team.
“In the 2018 World Cup campaign I think our top scorer had three goals (Lafferty and Josh Magennis).
“The goals have to come from throughout the team, that’s always been the way.
“If you look at the modern game, the significance of set pieces is important in the game and as a team we probably have to improve in that area of the game.”
Magennis has been allowed to sit this double header out as O’Neill looks at younger options in Ronan Hale and Jamie Donley, two additions to the international squad.
With Jamal Lewis injured, O’Neill is also bereft of an established left-sided player and will likely employ Huddersfield Town defender Brodie Spencer tonight.
Spencer can also play in midfield while Terry Devlin has moved from midfield to right back at Portsmouth, and O’Neill says he is grateful to have such versatile players at his disposal.
“I think it’s beneficial to have two or three”, said the Ballymena man.
“We have a problem in that we don’t have a natural left-sided player that is fit, that’s a problem area of the pitch for us.
“Brodie’s come and played there and did extremely well. He has played there for his club so having adaptability is important.
“I think we are in a good place.”