Northern Ireland: What we noticed from Ian Baraclough's first outing as NI boss
- Published
Bailey Peacock-Farrell made several crucial saves to keep Northern Ireland in the game
A never say die attitude, where have we seen that before?
After all the hype and build-up, the Ian Baraclough era has begun for Northern Ireland.
George Puscas' goal looked decisive in Bucharest, and with Northern Ireland's cause not aided by the dismissal of Josh Magennis, Gavin Whyte stunned the hosts with a late equaliser.
From key substitutions to promising signs, here are five things we noticed from Baraclough's maiden outing in charge of the senior team.
Different, yet the same
Despite the new man in the dugout, Northern Ireland had a familiar look about them in Bucharest with the tried and trusted players retained in the starting team.
Baraclough inherited a few of the same problems that impacted the O'Neill years, such as a lack of playing time for the squad's goalkeepers, however the superb Bailey Peacock-Farrell pulled off several exquisite stops to keep Northern Ireland in the game and ultimately put NI in a position to claim a draw.
With the clock ticking down, substitutes Kyle Lafferty and Whyte combined to rescue an unlikely point after being under siege for the vast majority of the game. The hunger of his team will have been especially pleasing for Baraclough, when many teams would have packed in and admitted defeat.
The work ethic remains and the players look like they are willing to run into the ground for Baraclough, as they did under O'Neill, which is extremely promising and hopefully the on-pitch rust will be have been blown off by the time the Bosnia play-off comes around.
Daniel Ballard helped fill the void let by the absent Jonny Evans
Ballard steps up
With his experience and guile, Jonny Evans is a massive miss in the heart of the visiting defence.
Daniel Ballard was the man tasked with filling the Leicester City man's sizable shoes, highlighting Baraclough's faith in youth, and the Arsenal defender performed admirably and showed good physicality against the lively Romanian attack.
There was one excellent tackle on Rangers' Ianis Hagi in the area, which briefly had everyone looking at the referee, but the 20-year-old put in a strong showing and offered a glimpse into the next generation of NI defenders.
The wait goes on...
So, Northern Ireland's love-hate relationship with the Nations League rumbles on.
Northern Ireland lost all four of their UEFA Nations League matches under O'Neill in 2018-19, one of four teams to lose every match along with San Marino, Lithuania and Iceland - ouch.
Although they failed to get the three points in Romania, Norway, who NI have beaten in recent years, should provide a good opportunity to put that matter right on Monday.
Aside from the fact a new tenure has started, the fixture in Romania is unlikely to will live long in the memory and many Northern Ireland fans will be hoping for bigger and better nights ahead.
Substitute Gavin Whyte headed home the equaliser in Romania
Building the fitness
It felt like a pre-season game, which isn't overly surprising considering a lot of players were stepping out for the first time this season and it was played without the gusto of a filled stadium.
There were loose passes, sluggish tackles and a few nervy moments, all of which are to be expected in what was, for many, the first competitive game in months.
The sluggish nature of the game did not improve once Magennis was sent for an early bath, but Baraclough's boys battled admirably against a lively Romanian outfit and got their reward for digging in, despite being out-passed by hosts, who wracked up 587 to NI's 217 in their dominance.
Ultimately, this was about getting minutes in the legs ahead of the Euro 2020 (or 2021, as it is now) play-off away to Bosnia-Herzegovina in October, which is the main short-term target for the new NI boss.
Esteemed company
Baraclough's journey may not have started with a victory in Bucharest, however the Englishman is in some esteemed company.
After the Romania result, three of the NI's last four managers have failed to win their first games in charge, including Baraclough, Lawrie Sanchez in 2004 and Michael O'Neill in 2012. Nigel Worthington is the last manager to win his first game, way back in August 2007 against Liechtenstein.
However, if Baraclough can give the Green and White Army a few more nights like England and Spain, or a trip to a major tournament, and he'll be remembered just as fondly as his predecessor O'Neill and Sanchez.
Roll on Norway, and then it is onto the big one - that all-important trip to Sarajevo.