Ian Baraclough takes the positives despite opening defeat

Baraclough’s side found themselves 2-0 down at the break in Parma in their opening qualifier for the 2022 World Cup finals.

Goals by Domenico Berardi and Ciro Immobile had put Roberto Mancini’s side in control.

But Northern Ireland came out with renewed purpose after the break with Michael Smith, Gavin Whyte and Paddy McNair all having chances to reduce the deficit.

In the end though they fell to defeat but Baraclough said he told the players there were positives to take forward.

“I said to them you need to believe in yourself more because they are better than what they give themselves credit for at times,” he told Sky Sports.

“When we settled on the ball and got that first pass away, I thought we moved the ball a lot better, and there was a lot more intensity in the second half, and that’s more like the team we know we are.

“We started like that a couple of times in the Nations League and it’s difficult to get yourself back in the game.

“But I couldn’t fault what they went and did in the second half and we should have got something for our efforts.

"There was more intensity in the second half.

“We were fairly passive in the first half, we sat off a little bit too much, gave them too much respect. We changed things at half time and we were a lot better.

“We had chances and should have come away with something that maybe could have taken us into that last 10 or 15 minutes where it could have been frantic for Italy.”

READ MORE:

Check out our Danske Bank Premiership Team of the Week

Danny Sonner on beating Manchester United’s treble heroes

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Irish and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Thank you,

Alistair Bushe

Editor