“I’m not traumatised or anything, I’ll be alright!” O’Neill said. Peppered with questions about all the things that had gone wrong since March, how he can pick up his players, and whether he was keen to draw a line under this campaign, O’Neill sought to lighten the mood in what was often a dour press conference on Sunday. Friday’s 4-0 loss to Finland in Helsinki was the worst result of an already punishing 2023 for Northern Ireland, in which wins over minnows San Marino have been the only escape from seven defeats in nine.
