Ian Baraclough has been sacked as Northern Eire supervisor after a dismal Nations League marketing campaign noticed followers flip in opposition to the 51-year-old.
he choice was reached at an Irish FA board assembly on Thursday night time and got here after Baraclough’s facet collected solely 5 factors from a potential 18 from their League C group, discovering themselves battling relegation in September in a marketing campaign wherein they’d focused promotion.
Irish FA chief govt Patrick Nelson stated: “Beneath Ian’s stewardship we have now seen the introduction of recent gamers who will put on the inexperienced jersey with delight for years to return and for this we place on document our gratitude.
“Nonetheless, in gentle of the general document of outcomes on the pitch, the Irish FA board has subsequently taken this choice.”
Baraclough stepped up from his function with Northern Eire’s under-21s to exchange Michael O’Neill in June 2020 however managed to win solely six of his 28 video games in cost, along with a penalty shoot-out win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, and missed out on qualification for the Covid-delayed Euro 2020 finals and this yr’s World Cup.
However though he succeeded in a single main a part of his transient – bringing via gamers from the under-21s – it was the Nations League that price the previous Scunthorpe and Motherwell boss his job.
Northern Eire followers had turned on Baraclough in June, when disappointing attracts dwelling and away to Cyprus got here alongside a house defeat to Greece and a loss away to Kosovo.
His last sport was a 3-1 defeat to Greece in Athens final month, which left Northern Eire reliant on Kosovo’s win over Cyprus to keep away from relegation to League D. After the match, senior gamers together with captain Steven Davis and vice-captain Jonny Evans had backed Baraclough to show issues round.
Northern Eire supervisor Ian Baraclough (proper) gestures on the touchline throughout the UEFA Nations League match on the Fadil Vokrri Stadium in Pristina, Kosovo. Image date: Thursday June 9, 2022.
Baraclough attended this month’s draw for the Euro 2024 qualifiers, wherein Northern Eire, seeded in pot 5, obtained a comparatively beneficial draw in opposition to Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Kazakhstan and San Marino.
In December final yr, Baraclough had signed a two-year contract extension to take him via to Euro 2024, with the promise it might be prolonged once more if Northern Eire certified for the finals.
Nonetheless, there have been studies the IFA board was cut up over his future and that got here to a head on Thursday night time.
