Was Oxtoby's Northern Ireland Tenure A Success?

When Tanya Oxtoby was appointed arsenic Northern Ireland head successful 2023, it was a caller guidance for women's shot successful nan country.

Alfie Wylie and Kenny Shiels were known names successful Northern Ireland, and nan second achieved history pinch Euro 2022 qualification.

Despite her CV pinch Chelsea, Oxtoby was seen arsenic thing of a left-field appointment, pinch her experiences sitting astatine nan apical level alternatively than immense knowledge of shot successful Northern Ireland.

Oxtoby has presided complete a Euro 2025 qualifying and 2 Nations League campaigns, and was group to lead Northern Ireland into adjacent year's World Cup qualifiers.

But now, aft conscionable complete 2 years successful nan job, nan Australian has near her domiciled to go Newcastle United's caput coach.

So, really will her clip arsenic head beryllium remembered?

To look astatine really successful her tenure was, we will commencement by going backmost to her first property convention successful September 2023 erstwhile she outlined her objectives.

From her first training session, Oxtoby had spoken astir "keeping standards high" - a constituent of acquisition from her clip arsenic Emma Hayes' adjunct pinch Chelsea.

The position "processes" and "principles" were soon often adopted successful subordinate interviews, who person besides spoken astir nan civilization and bonds wrong nan group, and nan 43-year-old consistently referred to standards and "non-negotiables" successful her ain media sessions.

Oxtoby has besides been captious of conditions faced by her squad connected their travels, astir notably successful Croatia and Iceland.

Succession readying was different cardinal taxable from that property conference, and that is 1 area wherever you tin spot progression.

The Euro 2022 squad had a halfway of knowledgeable campaigners, who brought nan squad from nan ashes to glory, and Marissa Callaghan, Julie Nelson, Sarah McFadden, Ashleigh Hutton and Rachel Furness were each aged 34 aliases over.

While that occurrence was a sporting fairytale, it was clear location would person to beryllium a transition, and it was a ngo that Oxtoby group astir from her first squad.

Hutton retired aft nan Euros and Nelson ne'er featured nether nan Australian, while Furness saw her minutes constricted and McFadden - partially down to wounded and nan commencement of her 2nd kid - drifted retired of nan set-up.

There was besides nan alternatively unceremonious axing of Callaghan and Demi Vance up of nan Euro 2025 play-off pinch Croatia, which was viewed arsenic ruthless whether you felt it was justified aliases not.

To sum up really nan property floor plan of nan squad has changed, 5 of nan squad to look Iceland - Katie Smith, Abi Sweetlove, Mia Moore, Aimee Kerr and Kascie Weir - were not moreover calved erstwhile McFadden made her elder debut successful 2005.

In fact, nan mean property of nan squad to look Iceland - without skipper Simone Magill, who has since announced her pregnancy, and knowledgeable defender Laura Rafferty - was 24.8, compared to nan 26.7 mean property of nan squad which went to nan Euros.

The number of caps person besides fallen to 27.8 against Iceland, from 42.3 astatine nan Euros.

A higher percent of NI's squad besides play successful England aliases Scotland, pinch 13 domestic-based players astatine nan Euros compared to conscionable nine, retired of a squad of 24, against Iceland.

This is by acold nan astir important alteration that Oxtoby implemented passim her tenure, and nan promotion of younker has been accelerated.

Ultimately, connected nan pitch, Oxtoby's reign will beryllium remembered for moments of brilliance alternatively than accordant occurrence and she could not guideline NI to nan adjacent version of nan Euros.

That is simply a microcosm of performances too, wherever Northern Ireland often played good successful patches but struggled to drawstring a 90-minute showing together.

The astir evident item was Lauren Wade's stunning precocious victor against Croatia successful nan first information of Euro 2025 play-offs successful October 2024.

Magill stepped up and delivered 2 memorable precocious goals to snatch a precocious triumph against Bosnia-Herzegovina successful February, but there's besides nan statement nan squad should not person been successful that position to commencement pinch aft they conceded doubly successful 4 minutes aft dominating nan game.

The four-goal triumph successful Albania was impressive, and victories successful Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro were besides beardown outings.

Of nan 11 defeats suffered nether Oxtoby, each but 1 were against sides who person featured astatine nan past World Cup aliases Euros.

The dense defeats by Norway, Poland, Portugal, Iceland and nan Republic of Ireland were a stark reality of NI's position successful Europe's pecking order.

And location lies Northern Ireland's biggest issue.

No matter who Northern Ireland's adjacent head is, nan biggest situation is really to make nan adjacent measurement and contend to scope a 2nd awesome tournament.

Since nan Nations League format was introduced, successful Oxtoby's first run successful complaint successful 2023, NI person been successful League B for each loop of nan competition.

In short, they are excessively bully for League C but immoderate clip they person faced League A guidance they person travel up good short.

There are nary easy answers arsenic to really NI tin span nan spread to nan apical sides, particularly pinch nan young make-up of nan squad, who person imaginable but are acold from nan vanished product.

With Oxtoby connected her measurement backmost to nine football, location is now nan mobility of who will travel successful her footsteps.

The Irish FA look a large determination complete whether to make an soul appointment, aliases again look astatine an outer action - a way which England, Scotland, Wales and nan Republic of Ireland person now each followed.

There are plentifulness of talented coaches successful shot successful Northern Ireland, and wrong nan IFA.

Gail Redmond is nan existent Under-17 and Under-19 head and stepped up successful nan interim play betwixt Shiels and Oxtoby, and is apt nan starring soul option.

Kim Turner has guided Glentoran to 2 Women's Premiership titles successful 3 years while astatine Cliftonville, nan trio of John McGrady, Claire Carson and Brendan Lynch person each brought immense occurrence to Solitude.

A number of nan Euro 2022 squad, specified arsenic erstwhile skipper Callaghan, grounds goalscorer Furness and most-capped defender Nelson, person taken steps to create their ain coaching journeys.

While Oxtoby fell short connected her ain individual ambitions to reaching a awesome tournament, she has ushered successful a caller era for Northern Ireland.

In truth, nan fruits of Oxtoby's labour whitethorn not beryllium seen successful this adjacent campaign, aliases moreover nan 1 aft that.

But now, a caller head will beryllium tasked pinch taking that situation on.