Ian Baraclough eyes four wins from Northern Ireland’s four Nations League games & More News Here

Northern Ireland have had a depressing document on this competitors since its inception in 2018, drawing two and dropping eight whereas scoring six and conceding 18.

Having prevented relegation the primary time round due to a change in format, Northern Ireland suffered the drop into League C final time round however now go into their Group Two marketing campaign, opening towards Greece at Windsor Park on Thursday evening, with new ambitions.

“I think I’m a winner,” Baraclough mentioned. “Everyone is a winner who’s in this dressing room. Nobody likes losing games of football. I’m as desperate as anyone to say we’ve won a game in the Nations League so you can go on and talk about something different.”

After Greece, Northern Ireland journey to Cyprus and Kosovo earlier than returning to Belfast subsequent week for an additional fixture towards Cyprus.

Asked if he had set a factors goal for the four matches, Baraclough didn’t hesitate.

“Twelve,” he mentioned. “Why wouldn’t you? I think we’ve got a squad that can go and win all four games. We know we’ve playing against opposition who are also targeting 12 points but I don’t think it’s a bad thing for me to be demanding four wins.”

With the prospect of a play-off spot for Euro 2024 qualifying on supply to nations that prime their teams – one thing which seems a way more sensible prospect in League C – captain Steven Davis mentioned Northern Ireland have a unique method to the competitors now.

“I think the mindset has shifted,” Davis mentioned. “When the Nations League started we didn’t know what it was all about and the benefits but we’ve seen that with other nations, there’s a play-off spot up for grabs.

“Coming into this campaign now, the start of the Nations League, we’ve got real high expectations of ourselves. We’ve got the younger lands to integrate, we’ve got four games in 10 days so that’s another challenge. We want to get off to a good start against Greece and build on that.”

Baraclough could have his lofty factors goal, however he additionally mentioned Northern Ireland would proceed to make use of the competitors to blood kids.

His 28-strong squad is a mixture of acquainted faces and new blood – Kyle Lafferty,34, is again for the primary time in nearly a yr whereas Shea Charles, Brodie Spencer and Charlie McCann step up from the under-21s and 26-year-old Glentoran ahead Conor McMenamin will get his first call-up.

“They’re here to play,” Baraclough mentioned of the brand new faces. “They’ve not come to make up the numbers or be training fodder. They’re here because they’re good players and we see a future.

“We’ve always used this tournament as a chance to give them experience and we still see it as a tournament like that, even though we also know the benefits of winning games and going for top spot.

“It’s about trying to find that balance, bringing new players into the squad, but also for us it’s the bigger picture of qualifying for European Championships and World Cups.”

One huge absentee from the group is Stuart Dallas, who faces as much as six months out with a fractured femur.

Baraclough revealed he had been in contact with the Leeds midfielder, who might attend Thursday’s sport to cheer on his team-mates.

“It’s a long road for him now,” Baraclough mentioned. “We’re supporting him, we want him to get fit again before what is being predicted and if anyone can, you know he’ll battle through that.

“As and when we feel he needs to be chief cheerleader, with his pom-poms, he’ll be there. Though he won’t thank me for that!”