Improvement on the ball next step for O'Neill's NI

Northern Ireland head Michael O'Neill wants to spot his broadside bask much of nan shot successful Tuesday night's friends against Iceland successful Belfast.

They defended resolutely for agelong periods of Saturday's 2-1 conclusion by Denmark successful Copenhagen but yet were undone by Christian Eriksen's 67th-minute winner.

An ain extremity from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg had fixed nan visitors nan lead aft only 5 minutes, but Denmark equalised done their first changeable connected target erstwhile Gustav Isaksen coiled successful a good effort successful first-half stoppage time.

While Northern Ireland person had immoderate beardown results without nan mostly of nan shot during O'Neill's 2nd spell successful charge, nan erstwhile Stoke head believes doing much successful possession will beryllium nan adjacent measurement for his side.

"We were ne'er going to beryllium a ascendant possession-based squad against immoderate of these teams," said O'Neill aft Denmark had much than 70% possession connected Saturday.

"We're asking players who play their shot astatine a League One aliases Championship level to spell retired against players who play their shot successful nan apical 5 leagues successful Europe. There is simply a quality successful position of nan level that nan players play their football.

"I thought nan measurement we person to effort and adjacent that spread is to beryllium what we are, a squad that's good organised, good structured, difficult to beat, tin frustrate nan opposition, but evidently transportation a threat arsenic well."

Despite taking an early lead, Northern Ireland grounded to registry a changeable connected target passim nan game.

O'Neill added: "In position of wherever we request to get to arsenic a team, we request to beryllium capable to clasp nan shot a small spot amended erstwhile we triumph it back, possibly find a small spot much successful position of our level of possession arsenic good and that will thief america transportation a bigger threat."

Knowing they will look Germany successful World Cup qualifying successful September, O'Neill has consciously taken friendlies against a higher level of guidance than his broadside faced erstwhile earning promotion from nan 3rd tier of nan Nations League.

Saturday's reverse was conscionable their 4th successful nan past 14 games, a tally that started pinch a 2-0 triumph complete Denmark successful Belfast successful November 2023.

In losses to Spain 12 months agone and against Sweden successful March, Northern Ireland shipped 5 goals but, contempt their mostly stout defending representing a motion of advancement successful Copenhagen, nan crippled against Iceland will airs a different challenge.

The visitors, however, get successful Belfast buoyed by a victory complete Scotland connected Friday night.

"We request to beryllium amended pinch nan ball. So really we group ourselves retired arsenic a squad will beryllium somewhat different," O'Neill said.

"The teams are much of a akin level, let's beryllium honest, truthful that successful itself will thief us, though they had a very bully consequence against Scotland astatine Hampden Park and played very well.

"So it will beryllium a reliable test, but it's conscionable a different crippled for us. It's a crippled wherever we will expect to person much of nan shot and nan work and nan onus is connected america to evidently return nan inaugural successful nan game."

While replacing goalkeeper Conor Hazard astatine half-time was nan only Northern Ireland alteration forced done wounded astatine Parken Stadium, O'Neill said he had made different substitutions to "protect" those carrying knocks aft agelong nine seasons.

Against Iceland, specified concerns will play into squad action but nan head said location will not beryllium wholesale changes for what is their past crippled earlier 2026 World Cup qualifying originates distant to Luxembourg successful September.

"We'll person to make 1 aliases 2 changes but it's important that we person to usage nan crippled wisely arsenic well.

"We're not present conscionable to springiness group minutes for nan liking of doing it, they person to gain it arsenic well, truthful I deliberation we look astatine really we travel done [against Denmark], we'll make I deliberation 1 aliases 2 changes but it won't beryllium massive."