Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill insists he is not concerned by the British Government’s comments on their game against Belarus and believes it won’t affect their preparations for next Saturday’s Nations League tie in Hungary.
As revealed by the Belfast Telegraph on Monday, Westminster have spoken to the Irish FA and NI Executive about the games and expressed their reservations about Northern Ireland facing Belarus but have ultimately left it up to UEFA as to whether the game goes ahead.
Northern Ireland are the first nation from the UK to face Belarus in a fixture since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and not only has the Group C3 match has been switched to the ZTE Arena in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary but it will also be played behind closed doors.
O’Neill’s side are also due to welcome Belarus to Windsor Park on November 15 but the manager is avoiding any external questions and is simply focusing on preparing his players for the game.
“It doesn’t (affect our preparation), really. Those are all things external to the squad, a lot of our players won’t even be aware of that, if I’m honest,” said O’Neill.
“I know what FIFA and UEFA’s policy is on government intervention on football and the game is to be played in a neutral venue with no fans, which the other teams have to do when they play Belarus. It’s not ideal for them as a host nation. We have to deal with it.
“It will have the feel of a game played during Covid. I didn’t manage internationally during Covid but I was managing on a weekly basis at club level, so the players are familiar with playing in empty stadiums during those times. It shouldn’t diminish the significance of the game.”
At the end of the day, it is another game for Northern Ireland as they focus on trying to top Group C3 and earn promotion back to League B, and two wins in this window would put them in the driving seat to do so.
After a win over Luxembourg and then a tough 1-0 defeat to Bulgaria in their opening two games, O’Neill’s side are third in the group behind their two opponents, who each have four points, with pointless Luxembourg bringing up the rear.
Despite having ground to make up in their bid for top spot, O’Neill was encouraged by what he saw from his squad in their opening two fixtures and hopes they can continue to build in this double-header.
“We were disappointed to lose in Bulgaria. It was a different test for us, a strong, physical team, but the performance was decent throughout the game,” he continued.
“We lost a poor goal, we had to deal with pressure early in the game, physically it was a tough game for a young side, and it took us 20, 25 minutes to get to grips with that. Obviously learning how to play away from home was a challenge for us as well.
“We were disappointed not to take four points. If we can make up for that in this window then that would be good. I think the nature of playing at home then away, a tough game, venue and pitch, those are all experiences we can only benefit from.
“This team is still in the early stages of its development.”
O’Neill has recalled Pierce Charles and Jamie Reid to his squad in place of the injured duo of Conor Hazard and Shayne Lavery but there is still no place for Ronan Hale, who is still undergoing the process of switching his allegiance from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland.
Although the administration process has caused the Ross County star to miss two international windows, O’Neill is remaining patient with it and maintains there are no hiccups and that, for all intents and purposes, Hale is their player.
“I spoke to Ronan before he went to Ross County and I spoke to Ross County before the signing of Ronan, and subsequently post that. There has been a lot of communication with the player, but the process is the process, it’s an administrative thing, it’s not something we can ask if they can do it tomorrow for us,” he explained.
“In our experience, it takes time, not just with our association but with other associations as well. It’s disappointing that it hasn’t come through yet but, if I am honest, I didn’t expect it to be through in this period of time.
“We watch Ronan as if he is one of our own players. Jimmy Nicholl was at his game against Hearts at the weekend, he scored a great goal. I saw him earlier in the season in the Cup, a tough game where they were beaten by Spartans, and our scout watched him against Rangers.
“We’re keeping an eye on him but until we get the clearance from FIFA, we can’t select him.”