It’s been a tough international window for Northern Ireland but I’m confident the lads will come back stronger. We have some big games coming up in the Nations League and I’m sure we’ll be ready for them.
The Cruel Nature of Football: Josh Magennis Reflects on Northern Ireland’s Disappointing Results
Northern Ireland striker Josh Magennis has reflected on the cruel nature of football in his third BBC Sport column, following the team’s defeats by Denmark and Kazakhstan. As a Northern Ireland player, Magennis has experienced first-hand how tight the margins can be at this level and how quickly a result can be taken away.
The Disappointing Defeat to Kazakhstan
The Northern Ireland team felt in complete control of the game against Kazakhstan, dominating possession and creating some good chances. Unfortunately, they couldn’t take their chance before Kazakhstan scored on the counter-attack with just a couple of minutes remaining. Magennis described this as a real kick in the teeth.
Kazakhstan were happy to sit back and let Northern Ireland have possession, and then in the blink of an eye their player ran through on goal and slotted home the winner. This was particularly gut-wrenching given how the Denmark game ended – when they thought Callum Marshall had scored a late equaliser to earn an important point away from home, only for it to be ruled out for offside.
Frustration Sets In
Magennis discussed his frustration at how hard work doesn’t always lead to results. He said that the team had poured everything they had into training and tried to reflect that in games, but unfortunately they were unable to take their chances against Kazakhstan. He said that at this level, teams are always likely to create at least one chance and Kazakhstan managed to take theirs at Windsor Park.
Belief in the Process
Despite the disappointment, Magennis believes that Northern Ireland took a lot away from the experience in Copenhagen. He said that they know they can recover from going a goal behind and still put high-quality teams under pressure and create chances. He also said that he went down to the dressing room after the Kazakhstan game and, as you’d expect, there was a lot of disappointment but they all really believe in each other and the direction in which they’re heading.
Magennis is confident that things will turn around for Northern Ireland, as they are still in the early stages of Michael O’Neill’s second spell. He said that you just have to trust the process and they certainly do.
Conclusion
It has been a tough international window for Northern Ireland but Josh Magennis is confident that the lads will come back stronger. He believes that they have taken a lot away from their experiences in Copenhagen and Kazakhstan and will be ready for the upcoming Nations League games.