Northern Ireland v Bosnia: The tactical calls facing NI boss Ian Baraclough
- Published
Baraclough moved up from his Under-21 role to replace Michael O'Neill as NI manager in June
Northern Ireland may have conceded five goals in their last match, but how to strengthen his defence is perhaps one of the easier tactical decisions Ian Baraclough will make this week.
The NI manager has spoken of his delight that Jonny Evans is available for Thursday's crucial Euro 2020 play-off semi-final away to Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Having missed September's Nations League games through a combination of personal reasons and injury, the Leicester City centre-half will no doubt return to his country's back four in front of goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell for the match in Sarajevo.
That defensive unit will likely include Watford's Craig Cathcart alongside Evans, with Jamal Lewis at left-back and Stuart Dallas, fresh from a promising start to the Premier League with Leeds United, at right-back.
What about the rest of the team, though? BBC Sport NI examines three important tactical decisions Baraclough has to make in terms of how NI will line-up against Edin Dzeko and co.
The midfield shape
Saville made his international debut in 2017
A midfield three, with Paddy McNair to the right of captain Steven Davis and George Saville to the left, was how NI lined up for most of their eight Euro 2020 qualifiers.
A feature of their attacking play during the campaign was McNair's driving forward runs from midfield, a role which the Middlesbrough man has prospered in, scoring a vital late winner away to Belarus last summer.
Baraclough clearly appreciates the former Manchester United defender's attacking ability as well, deploying him much closer to striker Conor Washington for both his opening matches in what looked like a tweak to the formation, from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1.
It can be debated whether McNair is more effective making his runs from a deeper position, but maintaining this shape would mean a decision has to be made about who anchors the midfield alongside captain Steven Davis.
Corry Evans fulfilled the role against Romania, with Jordan Thompson getting the nod for the Norway match, and both these players could give Davis more freedom to attack. The experienced Evans was a go-to player for Michael O'Neill in big NI matches, and it would be a surprise not to see him feature somewhere in the starting line-up.
Saville played to the left of the front three against Romania and Norway, but was a peripheral figure in both games, and may be keen to return to a more familiar midfield berth.
Who plays wide?
Former Kilmarnock winger Jones is in his second season at Rangers
Whatever midfield shape Baraclough goes with for the play-off, his team will likely involve two wingers - a position in which NI have had a significant number of options in recent years.
The ever-versatile Dallas was a regular on the flanks before playing in deeper roles during this campaign, while squad stalwart Niall McGinn, Cardiff City's Gavin Whyte, Jordan Jones of Rangers and Josh Magennis have all played wide off a lone striker.
Corry Evans can also be added to that list, with O'Neill playing the Blackburn Rovers man there when looking for more solidity on the flanks against the Netherlands and Germany.
With Saville on the left in both of September's Nations League games, Magennis started wide right against Romania before a first-half sending off, with Dallas taking up that role against Norway.
Whyte, who came off the bench to head the late equaliser in Bucharest, and Jones are the options with the most pace. Whyte has not featured for Cardiff this season, while Jones celebrated his return to the Gers' starting line-up with a goal at the end of September - and kept his place in the team for Sunday's win over Ross County.
The wide options are certainly there, it is now for Baraclough to decide if he goes for the pace of Whyte and Jones, the experience of McGinn and Evans, the aerial threat of Magennis or the left-footed balance offered by Saville.
The perennial striker question
Washington joined Charlton from Hearts during the summer
The memory of Kyle Lafferty scoring seven goals in 10 qualifying matches to fire NI to the Euro 2016 finals is a fond one for NI supporters. Unfortunately for them, they have not had a striker who scores regularly since.
The former Burnley and Norwich City target man has only scored one international goal since that qualifying campaign - in November 2016 - as an unsettled club career has taken him to Serie B side Reggina via spells at Hearts, Rangers, Sarpsborg 08 and Sunderland.
Lafferty is joined by Magennis, Washington and Liam Boyce as Baraclough's current options to lead the line. The fact Washington played through the middle in both of Baraclough's first two matches suggests the Charlton Athletic striker is at the front of the queue to start in Sarajevo.
Washington's work rate can never be questioned. His strong running into the channels - as well as his pressing of defenders - has been an asset for NI, but he has found competitive international goals hard to come by.
Magennis has enjoyed a good qualifying campaign, grabbing vitals goals at home to Belarus and away to Estonia and the Netherlands, but it remains to be seen if Baraclough prefers him through the middle, in a wide role or as an impact substitute.
Boyce's international career, meanwhile, has been something of a frustrating one with the talented former Cliftonville man so far unable to reproduce his good goalscoring club pedigree on the international stage.
It may only be game three for the new manager, but Baraclough has some big calls to make ahead of a high-stakes encounter.