Happy day.
It’s official Ian Barraclough has been named as the new Northern Ireland manager.
Happy day.
What actual took place here? Was Robinson interviewed ? Did he knock them back or did they not like what he had to say? Really strange that they asked to speak to him then announce a few days later the man he took over from at Fir Park gets the job.
All's Well that ends Well as they say. Delighted at the outcome.
Baraclough, Magilton, Shiels, Wright and Robinson were all interviewed. It appears the IFA were after continuity so unless Bara made a mes of it he was always the favourite.
I would have thought that Tommy Wright was the leading candidate given what he has achieved with St Johnstone. I've been surprised that a bigger club never came in for him.
As Robinson will have no doubted noted, when you're performing miracles with small clubs you can go from being the bright up and coming manager to someone who has peaked very quickly if you hang around too long. When the IFA started looking last autumn, Wright's best years with St Johnstone were behind him even if he was still doing very - and at that precise moment they looked like relegation candidates. Robinson on the other hand was just off the back of finals, producing a 3 million player in waiting and in the top four. Baraclough's match record with their U21s wasn't great maybe but he has (apparently) successfully moved a few through into the senior team pretty smoothly...so I can see why Wright, as strong a candidate as he would have been a few years ago, missed out.
However, as to why he's never had a bigger move I've no idea...you'd have thought one of the Edinburgh clubs or Dundee United would have considered him perfect even if a LEague 1/lower Championship side in England didn't fancy him.
Did T Wright not say he was 'done with club football'? The lesser exertions of International football would've suited him - I think that's why he applied for the NI job.
If he's going to be that picky he might find himself done with all football...