| Venue: Windsor Park, Belfast Date: Sunday, 26 March Kick-off: 19:45 GMT |
| Coverage: Live text commentary and match report on the BBC Sport website; live commentary on BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Ulster and Radio Foyle; Match highlights on BBC Two NI at 22:30 GMT and live and on demand on BBC iPlayer |
Michael O’Neill has insisted he will remove all personal emotion from the first home game of his second spell as Northern Ireland manager.
Northern Ireland host Finland at Windsor Park on Sunday in their second Euro 2024 qualifier, having won 2-0 away to San Marino last Thursday.
O’Neill, who led the side to the Euro 2016 finals during his first tenure, was reappointed in December.
“No, not really,” he said when asked if Sunday night will be emotional for him.
“I’m quite an unemotional person with regard to things like that.”
Hugely popular with supporters during an eight-year first tenure that ended in 2020 after he had taken over at Stoke City, O’Neill’s name was sung loudly and often by the 1,000-strong travelling support in San Marino on Thursday night.
He gave them the wave they had asked for and spoke enthusiastically about how important their backing for his team is, but said he cannot afford to let his mind stray from focusing on preparing his side to beat Finland.
Indeed, such was the persistence of the question from reporters at Saturday’s pre-match media briefing, the 52-year-old joked that the journalists were “determined to see me in tears”.
“At the end of the day it’s a game of football,” he continued.
“We have to keep everything in perspective. I don’t know how it will affect me [on Sunday], I know we have to be focused. My primary objective is to make sure my head is in the game and that’s where it’s been all week.
“I’m just looking forward to the game. When Northern Ireland are at their best the stadium has a great atmosphere, there’s a real strong bond between the players and the fans. That’s something we carried for a number of years, something we developed and something we have to reconnect.
“We have to make sure that’s how fans feel about the players going forward. That’s where I’ll get the most satisfaction and, who knows, maybe a bit of emotion will come out then.”
‘We’ll respond to supporters’
An impressive record at their Windsor Park home in south Belfast was a major factor in Northern Ireland’s first-ever Euros qualification in 2016, and it continued for O’Neill’s next two campaigns which saw them reach the World Cup 2018 play-off and Euro 2021 play-offs – though he had departed before they lost to Slovenia in that final.
O’Neill, who revealed that he has a fully-fit squad to choose from for the visit of Finland, has called on the home fans – no doubt keen to welcome the returning boss – to focus their support on his players.
“The fans have been terrific, but it’s about the team, so focus on the team,” he said.
“We’ll have some young players on the pitch and they will need to feel they have the support of the crowd, that is vital.
“I think for any player, particularly in an international shirt, a fanbase that is extremely positive and always gets behind the team is all we can ask for.
“They always do and if they can bring an extra decibel to it, we’ll respond to that.”
‘Tempo and energy’ key to beating Finland
Beating teams that are close to them in the world rankings was another hallmark of O’Neill’s first reign in charge and something he said will be vital if they are to have a chance of qualifying from Group F.
Finland are currently 56th in the world, just three places above Northern Ireland, and will be aiming to repeat the success of their previous Euros campaign which saw them qualify for a major tournament for the first time.
The second seeds in the group, they came within eight minutes of earning a draw away to top seeds Denmark on Thursday night before the hosts won with two late goals – and O’Neill is well aware of the threat they pose.
“We have to play with a tempo and energy. We are going to have to defend more than we did in the previous game and retain the good organisation which we demonstrated [against San Marino].
“We will probably need to be a little bit more clinical and creative in the final third of the pitch, but we may find that a little bit easier because I believe there will be more space than on Thursday.
“We also need someone to step up and stick the ball in the net. Dion [Charles] did that in the previous game and he and Conor [Washington] will be itching to get on the scoresheet again.”