Linfield boss David Healy keen to avoid the 'chaos' of European play-offs

A second-place finish in the Premiership earns automatic European qualification for 2023-24 as Linfield, Cliftonville, Crusaders and Glentoran all have eyes on the financial windfall.

Crusaders and Ballymena United also have a chance of competing in the Europa Conference League when they face off in the final of the Irish Cup, with Coleraine and Glenavon also expected to be involved in the end-of-season European play-offs.

With that in mind, Healy is hopeful that his players can cling on to second place in the standings and secure some ‘positivity’ from the season.

"Nobody will want to go into the play-offs as you look at the teams and it's going to be carnage,” he said. "We need to make sure we are not part of the chaos and carnage that comes at the end of the season.

"We have three games to salvage some sort of positivity from the season.

"Yes, the League Cup was good on the day...but it doesn't secure you any European spots.

"We need to make sure we are playing as well as we can to try and get as many points as we can over the next three games.

"It's in our hands at the minute.”

Linfield’s chances of securing a fifth successive Gibson Cup effectively ended with Wednesday night’s 1-1 draw at home to Glentoran.

Healy believes that a lack of clinical edge in front of goal was the reason his side fell short in the title race.

"It's hard for me as a manager to be individually critical of any of the players,” he added. "The players are honest enough and I know where we have fallen short this year.

"We have missed good chances at key times but that's something we are trying to look at as we want to always improve.

"Sometimes a little bit of confidence drains out of you.

"It looks as if we are waiting on somebody else to score instead of somebody grabbing the game, grabbing the ball or grabbing the opportunity when it comes.

"Nobody is being alive to a tap-in, a scrappy one or being desperate to score.

"It looks as if we just don't have that at the minute."

The Blues travel to Coleraine today.

"The players will probably need to be lifted,” Healy confessed. "We always try and pick them up, we speak honestly in the changing room, so we know where we are.

"We know going to Coleraine is going to be tough and everything else, one or two individually might feel down and deflated but it's my job as always to pick them up.

"My job hasn't always been about the success which people talk about.

"They don't see the other side of it at times in terms of disappointment, the hard work that goes into it, the sacrifices we all make and the dedication by the staff and players.”