Heavy defeats, taking risks and hiring his son - how Shiels has moulded NI's history makers
- Published
Shiels managed Derry City before taking the Northern Ireland job
He had just led his history-making team to a landmark victory, but chose to reflect on two 6-0 defeats suffered over a year earlier.
Kenny Shiels' media soundings have rarely been dull during a managerial career that has included trophy-winning spells at Kilmarnock, Derry City and Coleraine.
Now a year and a half into his reign as manager of the Northern Ireland women's team, the last few months have seen the 63-year-old perfectly encapsulate the emotion that has driven his side to a first-ever play-off place for a major tournament.
That Euro 2022 play-off spot was clinched on a joyous night at Seaview on Tuesday with a commanding 5-1 victory over the Faroe Islands. It secured second place in Group C and the chance next Spring to go on and qualify for a major tournament for the first time in the history of the Northern Ireland women's team.
It may seem surprising, therefore, that as his players celebrated their seismic achievement just yards away, the elated manager's thoughts turned to matches one and three of the qualifying campaign, both of which ended in chastening 6-0 hammerings home and away to Norway.
That he brought those losses up was no doubt borne out of his assertion on his appointment that he wanted to implement an attacking, progressive style of football in his squad that allowed them to take risks and learn from their mistakes.
It was this ethos that he will have been referring to when he stood on the Seaview pitch on Tuesday night and talked about going toe-to-toe with a Norwegian team that included players from Barcelona and Wolfsburg, and how his players will have gained so much from the experience.
That strategy has served them well, contributing to two vital draws against Wales before, more importantly, helping them complete the second half of the qualifying campaign with a four-match winning run - another first for the record books.
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If getting on the front foot and attacking teams with possession-based football was Shiels' plan, then it came to the fore in the final two qualifier victories, at home to Belarus and the Faroe Islands, which they needed to win to be sure of reaching the play-offs.
Set up in a fluid 3-5-2 formation, the back three were key to the team building attacks from deep, with long-serving stalwart Julie Nelson in particular dominant on the ball and continually looking to hurt the opposition with clever forward passes.
Captain Marissa Callaghan anchored the midfield superbly, allowing the dynamic duo of Chloe McCarron and Nadene Caldwell alongside her to interchange superbly between dropping deep to get on the ball and making forward runs.
One of the side's biggest strengths was their threat posed from either flank, with the pace and industry of Lauren Wade on the right complemented well by the guile, technique and goalscoring ability on the left of Kirsty McGuinness, who scored in three of the last four qualifiers after returning to the international fold in September.
With Everton's Simone Magill - the squad's only Women's Super League representative - unavailable through injury for both matches, Liverpool's Rachel Furness took up the attacking mantle from a number 10 position, scoring three goals in the two games and enjoying the licence to roam that it looked like she was given by Shiels.
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During the build-up and reaction to the last four matches in particular, you would not have had to search hard for a member of the Northern Ireland women's squad speaking highly of Shiels and the positive impact he has had on them.
From the experienced campaigners through to the younger members of the panel, there seems to be a consensus that the 63-year-old has instilled much-needed confidence in the team, providing a style of play that they have grown comfortable with and believe in. "He's taken the shackles off" as Callaghan said after the Faroes victory.
While the goalscoring McGuinness sisters, Kirsty and McGuinness, have dominated the 'family affair' headlines, a vital move made by Shiels was bringing son Dean onto his coaching staff not long into his tenure.
A former Northern Ireland international himself, the ex-Rangers striker has proved hugely popular with the players and takes a leading role in the training sessions which his father places so much emphasis on as he seeks to embed his philosophy.
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While visibly proud of what his players had just delivered against the Faroes, another striking part of manager Shiels' post-match comments was his nod to the future as he stressed the importance of nurturing a "strong underbelly" of young talent within the squad.
He spoke with pride about finishing the win over the Faroes with a number of young players on the pitch, one of them being 19-year-old Caitlin McGuinness, who came off the bench to grab her first senior goal for Northern Ireland and make it a particularly special night for her and sister Kirsty.
He also revealed that he has included "nine or 10" members of the Under-19 squad in his training camps in order to provide them with the experience that will be vital to them progressing to the senior international stage.
The draw will be made for the play-offs in March and planning for that will obviously be Shiels' immediate focus, but, given the legacy that the current squad is creating by inspiring young female footballers, it is reassuring to know that the man at the top is making plans for the future.
Kenny Shiels. Forward thinking, in more ways than one.