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Ian Baraclough has denied that Northern Ireland’s defeat to Slovakia represents the end of an era in which his team’s hopes of reaching Euro 2020 were cruelly ended.
Northern Ireland suffered a final 2-1 play-off defeat at Windsor Park as Slovakian Michal Duris scored in the 110th minute of the game, after an own goal in the 88th minute gave the hosts hope. and forced the party to extra time.
Baraclough’s team started the night as favorites as they sought to secure qualification for a second consecutive European Championship, but the heroics of the famous victory over Greece five years ago could not be repeated.
There has already been significant rotation in the team since Euro 2016, as players like Gareth McAuley, Chris Brunt and Aaron Hughes have moved on, and now there will be speculation about the next move for several senior players, no less than 35 – the captain of a year Steven Davis.
But Baraclough said it was too early to talk about the future of any of his players.
“There is no end-of-age feeling,” he said. “I have told the players that they can all go again. It is not a case of ruling anyone out. That is for you to speculate, but you will not have that feeling from me.”
I have told the players that they can all go again. It is not about ruling out anyone. That’s for you guys to speculate, but you won’t get that feeling from me.
Northern Ireland has little time to recover, with their next game in Austria on Sunday in the Nations League.
Baraclough’s options could be exhausted for the game. Aside from those who completed 120 minutes at Windsor Park, Stuart Dallas continued to play with an elbow injury, while Craig Cathcart and Paddy McNair limped into extra time.
“There may be five or six from this game that won’t even make the trip,” Baraclough said. “That’s to watch (on Friday). That’s the nature of these triplets that the team has to use to the fullest.
“Now we have to be prepared to put in a great effort again in three days.
“We haven’t even talked about Austria yet. It had all been about this game. We will start thinking about Austria tomorrow.”
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