Oxtoby Praises Northern Ireland’s Significant Progress

Tanya Oxtoby, manager of Northern Ireland, has secured seven victories in her 18 matches. Approximately one year ago, Northern Ireland concluded their initial Nations League campaign with a 6-1 loss to the Republic of Ireland at Windsor Park. Following Oxtoby’s appointment in August 2023, the team’s trajectory was uncertain at that point. While their Nations League performances displayed flashes of potential, they largely struggled to maintain a consistent 90-minute effort. However, one year later, Northern Ireland is widely regarded as an improving team, despite their failure to qualify for consecutive European Championships, having suffered a 7-0 aggregate defeat in the play-off final against Norway. Their 2024 record stands at 12 games played, five wins, three draws, and four losses, demonstrating their capability to overcome resilient defenses both at home and away, and to convert scoring opportunities effectively. The four defeats occurred against Portugal (home and away) and Norway (home and away), both nations significantly outranking Northern Ireland in the Fifa rankings, offering context to these results. Coach Oxtoby expressed satisfaction reflecting on the team’s advancements following a complete year of matches. “I’ve said 120 times we are on a journey and every time we play and challenge ourselves, our girls get better,” she informed BBC Sport NI. “We are proud of where we started to where we are now, and we want to continue on that journey.” Oxtoby also highlighted her particular satisfaction with her team’s on-the-job learning in significant matches, given that all 18 games under her leadership have been competitive encounters. “I still haven’t had a friendly yet! We have had to learn and develop in competitive environments which accelerates the learning but at times we are going to get found out,” she added. “It’s a credit to the staff and the players over the last 14 months to get to where we are and everyone can have a well-earned break over Christmas and we can regather ahead of next year.” Oxtoby emphasized the significant development in her players’ mindset throughout the year. “The most pleasing part is the culture we are building with this team. You look at the way they respond to adversity and the way they come together when they need to and that has taken time to build,” Oxtoby stated. “I can’t ask for more as a manager. That growth mindset is exceptional and that will hold us in good stead for next year.” Northern Ireland’s next competitive engagement is scheduled for February, marking the start of their Nations League campaign against Poland. Following their play-off elimination, the team’s focus for the upcoming year will solely be on Nations League fixtures. While few anticipated Northern Ireland would overcome Norway, a team that last missed European Championship qualification in 1983, their displays over the two legs served as a true measure of their progress. Oxtoby believes that their performance at the Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo, despite the 3-0 defeat, provided a strong foundation for future development when the team reconvenes in February. “We wanted to use this game [the second leg] as a platform for next year, we could have come here and sat in deep and played out the 90 minutes but we didn’t,” she commented. “We want to play the good teams we want to see where we are at and what we need to improve on and the areas we have accelerated in.” “There are leaps and bounds in terms of improvement every window and when we review this window, I have no doubt it will be the same.”