Northern Ireland v Croatia Offical Match Programme

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MANAGER’SVIEW
*SV MRXIVREXMSREP GSEGLIW WYGL EW Q]WIPJ JVMIRHPMIW
ERH XLI HE]W SJ TVITEVEXMSR [LMGL [I LEZI FIJSVI
XLIQ TVSZMHI E ZMXEP STTSVXYRMX] RSX SRP] XS [SVO
[MXL XLI TPE]IVW FYX XS XV] SYX TPE]IVW XV] XLIQ
MR HMJJIVIRX TSWMXMSRW ERH JSVQEXMSRW ERH IZIR
XV] RI[ XEGXMGW [LMGL UYMXI WMQTP] [I [SYPH FI
VIPYGXERX XS HS MR XLI GYX ERH XLVYWX SJ UYEPMƤGEXMSR
QEXGLIW [LIVI XLI GSPPIGXMSR SJ TSMRXW MW XLI
YPXMQEXI KSEP
8SRMKLX [MXL XLI ZMWMX SJ SRI SJ )YVSTIŭW ƤRIWX
WMHIW E WMHI [LMGL MW XL MR XLI *-*% ;SVPH
6EROMRKW ERH [LMGL MW FVMWXPMRK [MXL [IPP ORS[R
'LEQTMSRW 0IEKYI WXEVW - ORS[ [I [MPP RSX SRP]
LEZI XLEX ZMXEP STTSVXYRMX] XS XV] WSQI XVEMRMRK
KVSYRH QSZIW FYX [I [MPP EPWS FI JYPP] XIWXIH
EGVSWW XLI TMXGL MR IZIV] TSWMXMSR ERH GSPPIGXMZIP]
as a team.
8LMW QEXGL TVSZMHIW XLI WSVX SJ GLEPPIRKI [I QYWX
XEGOPI LIEH SR MJ ;SVPH 'YT UYEPMƤGEXMSR MW XS FI
won.
8LMW MW XLI ƤVWX XMQI [I LEZI JEGIH 'VSEXME MR E
WIRMSV QIRŭW MRXIVREXMSREP ERH - ORS[ XLI TPE]IVW
EVI EPP PSSOMRK JSV[EVH XS XIWXMRK XLIQWIPZIW
EKEMRWX WSQI SJ XLI FIWX TPE]IVW MR )YVSTI
'VSEXME LEZI E ƤRI VITYXEXMSR EW E KSSH JSSXFEPP
TPE]MRK WMHI ERH XLI JERW MR XLI 2EXMSREP *SSXFEPP
7XEHMYQ EVI WYVIP] MR JSV E XVIEX
3J GSYVWI - [MPP LEZI Q] XIEQ VIEH] ERH TVITEVIH
JSV XLI GLEPPIRKI ERH [MXL SYV GYVVIRX LSQI VIGSVH
- GER EWWYVI IZIV]SRI [I [MPP FI HIXIVQMRIH
XS OIIT YT XLI QSQIRXYQ SJ FIMRK YRFIEXIR
7SQI TISTPI VIGOSR MRXIVREXMSREP
JVMIRHPMIW EVI E XSXEP [EWXI SJ XMQI E
HMWXVEGXMSR JVSQ XLI VIEP FYWMRIWW SJ
GPYF JSSXFEPP ERH SRI [LMGL TPE]IVW GPYF
GSEGLIW ERH XLI JERW GSYPH ZIV] [IPP HS
[MXLSYX =SY [MPP RSX FI WYVTVMWIH XS LIEV
XLEX - EQ RSX EQSRK XLIMV RYQFIV
LIVI WMRGI 4SVXYKEP XLEROW MR RS WQEPP TEVX XS E
'VMWXMERS 6SREPHS LEX XVMGO HIJIEXIH YW FEGO MR
7ITXIQFIV
%RH SJ GSYVWI [I OITX XLEX VIGSVH MRXEGX [MXL E
KVIEX TIVJSVQERGI EKEMRWX %^IVFEMNER SR *VMHE]
night.
-X [EW ER I\GIPPIRX XIEQ IJJSVX SRGI EKEMR ERH -
[EW IWTIGMEPP] TPIEWIH JSV 'LVMW &VYRX 2SX SRP] HMH
LI KIX E KVIEX VIGITXMSR JVSQ XLI JERW FYX LI TYX MR
E JERXEWXMG HMWTPE] ERH [EW VMKLXP] REQIH QER SJ
XLI QEXGL -XŭW KVIEX XS LEZI LMQ FEGO MR XLI JSPH
%W [I GSQI XS XLI IRH SJ E QSQIRXSYW ]IEV JSV
XLI MRXIVREXMSREP XIEQ - [SYPH PMOI XS XLERO EPP SJ
XLI JERW JSV XLIMV YRH]MRK ERH EX XMQIW HIEJIRMRK
WYTTSVX LIVI MR &IPJEWX MR 2MGI 0]SR ERH 4EVMW ERH
QSVI VIGIRXP] MR 4VEKYI ERH ,ERRSZIV
8LIVI LEZI FIIR XMQIW HYVMRK E[E] QEXGLIW XLEX
MX LEW FIIR PMOI TPE]MRK MR JVSRX SJ SYV S[R LIVI
EX XLI 2EXMSREP *SSXFEPP 7XEHMYQ IK [LIR
+VIIR ERH ;LMXI %VQ] QIQFIVW SYXWERK XIRW SJ
XLSYWERHW SJ +IVQERW MR ,ERRSZIV
%PP SJ XLI WUYEH TPE]IVW GSEGLIW ERH FEGOVSSQ
WXEJJ VIQEMR MR E[I SJ ]SYV OMRHRIWW ERH WYTTSVX
ERH XVYWX XLEX TIVLETW [I F] SYV TIVJSVQERGIW
LEZI LIPTIH QEOI E QIQSVEFPI ]IEV JSV ]SY
EPP ERH XLI [MHIV GSQQYRMX] MR 2SVXLIVR -VIPERH
8LEROW EKEMR JSV ]SYV WYTTSVX ERH IRNS] XSRMKLXŭW
match.
Michael O’Neill
2SVXLIVR -VIPERH 1EREKIV
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