Former Northern Ireland manager felt Newcastle United move came at 'right time' with progress 'taking bit longer than I would have liked'
Former Northern Ireland manager Tanya Oxtoby has revealed she felt it was “taking a little bit longer than I would have liked” to bring her vision to life – and insists it was the “right time” for change after taking over at Newcastle United.
Australian-born coach Oxtoby was appointed as Northern Ireland boss in September 2023, signing a four-year contract with the Irish FA.
She recently led the country into a UEFA Women’s Nations League promotion/relegation play-off against Iceland as Northern Ireland looked to book their spot in League A – the top-tier of European football – before losing out 5-0 on aggregate.
It was confirmed last month that Oxtoby would be departing her international role to take over at English second-tier outfit Newcastle, who had been without a manager since Becky Langley left in October.
Oxtoby will take charge of her first match as Magpies boss on Monday and has reflected on her time with Northern Ireland, admitting "not everything was perfect".
"I came from a club environment where you're around people every day, to then going into an international environment where you're quite isolated at times," Oxtoby told BBC Sport. "It was the ability from a staffing structure for us to have in place what we needed and we were building towards that, but it was probably not going quickly enough.
"It's just one of those things. When I look at the number of staff we've got [at Newcastle] to be able to bring processes to life, I felt when I went into Northern Ireland there probably wasn't that.
"It's something they are still working towards. The support I got and the willingness to make it better - all of that was there. But it just felt like it was taking a little bit longer than I would have liked.
"I probably didn't realise exactly what I was walking into in terms of where it was at.
"I'm super proud of what I did there - the transition of the squad and bringing younger players through. It was also putting in processes and the professionalisation.
"A little bit of how we operated and what we did was a real challenge. There also needed to be a look at what's next.
"It was almost like what one environment wasn't able to give, the other one was in a position to. It just felt like the right time [to join Newcastle]."
Prior to joining Northern Ireland, Oxtoby had spent the majority of her coaching career in England, serving on Emma Hayes’ backroom staff at Chelsea alongside managing Bristol City for three years.
While motivated to return to the routine of everyday management, Oxtoby admits the decision to join Newcastle was also made with her family in mind.
"Getting back on the grass every day is something I really missed," she added. "I hope I can have a really positive impact.
"It wasn't a decision [Oxtoby and her family] took lightly. We had to weigh it up.
"As the international breaks start to get longer and my little boy gets a bit older, the time away from each other was getting more difficult.
"From a personal perspective, not being on the grass as much and working with players every day was what I was craving again."