Michael O'Neill is looking forward to the start of Northern Ireland's World Cup qualification campaign in September as he focuses on friendlies against Switzerland and Sweden.
The road to next summer's tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada begins this week when Wales and England begin qualifying, while Northern Ireland will have to wait another six months after being drawn into a four-nation group rather than a five-nation group.
Given Northern Ireland's strong form in 2024, they might have preferred to jump straight into contention, but instead they will have to play friendlies this month and in June while they wait to see if it is clear whether Italy or Germany will join them in Group A alongside Slovakia or Luxembourg.
For O'Neill, a coach known for his attention to detail, having extra time to prepare his youth squad is not a problem.
He also noted the benefits of starting the campaign at a more convenient time during the domestic season, while avoiding competitive fixtures during the summer international window.
“Personally, I prefer the qualifying campaign to start in September,” O'Neill told the PA news agency. “I just think it's the best option. March has always been a tough month. A lot of clubs have a lot at stake in March – relegation, trophies or promotion.
“So March is always a test in terms of player availability. June is never ideal for us either, as a lot of our players are in the Football League, which finishes in the first week of May, so to get them in mid-June there's a lot of preparation and players have to manage their own strengths.
“So while there is momentum, I’m glad we have the option of not competing until September as part of the qualifying round.”
As he prepares for games against Switzerland and Sweden, who were seeded in Pots One and Two respectively in the qualifying draw, O'Neill is setting his young team two tough tests that he hopes will prepare them for what lies ahead later in the year.
Switzerland visit Windsor Park on Friday before Northern Ireland travel to Stockholm next Tuesday. Sweden may be the lower ranked of the two but they have a potent attack in
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
