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European heroics with Linfield could see David Healy follow in Michael O’Neill’s footsteps

Steven Beacom

Michael O’Neill gestures during the Europa League Group A match between Tottenham and Shamrock Rovers back in 2011

Linfield manager David Healy and his players celebrate the defeat of Bodo/Glimt at Windsor Park. Photo: Pacemaker

Michael O’Neill gestures during the Europa League Group A match between Tottenham and Shamrock Rovers back in 2011

AFP via Getty Images

Linfield manager David Healy and his players celebrate the defeat of Bodo/Glimt at Windsor Park. Photo: Pacemaker

Michael O’Neill gestures during the Europa League Group A match between Tottenham and Shamrock Rovers back in 2011

July 20 2022 08:17 PM

Michael O’Neill won back-to-back league titles and the Setanta Cup as manager of Shamrock Rovers but it was his heroics in Europe with the Dublin club that made the Irish Football Association sit up and take notice, eventually leading to him becoming Northern Ireland’s most successful boss since Billy Bingham.

David Healy has enjoyed even greater domestic glory, guiding Linfield to five titles in six years, a double and a treble, yet, like O’Neill, it is his achievements in European football that will bring new admirers more than his triumphs on the home front.

Some members of the Green and White Army, frustrated by the Ian Baraclough era, would love to see Healy follow the O’Neill path into the international arena but that will have to wait, with his next move likely to be to England or Scotland rather than with Northern Ireland.

In August 2011, O’Neill became the first manager of an Irish team to reach the group phase in Europe, inspiring Rovers to that stage in the Europa League.

By the end of that December he had been appointed Northern Ireland boss.

In this sport, things can move quickly.

Fast forward to 2022 and Healy, who scored his 36th and final international goal under O’Neill, is close to becoming the first manager of an Irish League team to reach the group section in Europe.

Away goals prevented that feat in the Europa League in 2019, but if Linfield continue to show the determination, desire, composure and class on display at Windsor Park on Tuesday night, when defeating Norwegian outfit Bodø/Glimt 1-0 in the Champions League, combined with Healy’s clever tactics and organisation, there might be no stopping them this time.

Beating The New Saints earlier this month, and the way they did it with Jamie Mulgrew’s rocket in injury-time and fellow substitute Ethan Devine’s fabulous finish in extra-time, has given the Blues belief — and three shots at history.

In that tie, Healy’s substitutions were inspired. Equally as impressive was the patience from his players and the patterns of play which saw Linfield control the ball.

In the second qualifying round, first leg at Windsor Park, Bodø/Glimt dominated possession and, crucially, Linfield were just as patient in terms of keeping their discipline and shape. It was clear that they had worked intensely on that aspect of the game.

Defensively, centre-backs Ben Hall and Sam Roscoe were outstanding. In front of them was Chris Shields by name and a shield by nature. Stephen Fallon, Matthew Clarke and captain Mulgrew were dynamic and Robbie McDaid and Jordan Stewart selfless in their work-rate.

You got the feeling that every single player knew their jobs and carried them out to the letter, which was a feature of O’Neill’s successful spell with Northern Ireland before he took charge of Stoke City.

So too was a player coming up with a magic moment to win games, and on this occasion for Linfield it was Kirk Millar who provided it late on with a glorious chip into the Kop net.

Healy had done what highly rated Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou couldn’t last season in the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League and find a way to beat Bodø/Glimt who, on their run to the Quarter-Finals of that competition, also defeated FK Žalgiris, CSKA Sofia and AZ Alkmaar.

In 18 games in the tournament they only failed to score twice, one of those away to Roma in the last eight having hammered Jose Mourinho’s team 6-1 in the group phase. That tells you how notable it was for Linfield to keep this attacking force blank.

It’s also worth pointing out a number of Bodø/Glimt’s players are being tracked by clubs in the biggest leagues in Europe, while their manager Kjetil Knutsen has been linked to Blackburn, Burnley and Norwich.

“I was proud of how we did in the first leg, especially considering the calibre of the teams they have beaten in recent times. We have to go to Norway next week and we all know it will be even harder than it was on Tuesday, but we will go there with something to play for, which is what we wanted,” said Linfield’s boss.

With home advantage to come, Bodø/Glimt remain favourites to go through, but Linfield will travel to Norway knowing a draw will not only keep them in the Champions League and set up a tie with Malmö or FK Žalgiris but also guarantee them group games in the Europa Conference League.

Should the Blues miss out in Scandinavia they will drop into the Europa League to face Qarabağ or FC Zürich knowing a victory against either of those would also ensure progress to the group stage of the Europa Conference League.

Even if that goes wrong, they still have a play-off in the Europa Conference League.

Linfield won’t want to leave it that long and will be out to produce another big result in Norway.

If they get it, qualification for the group stages would bring huge profile and prestige to the club around the continent, massive matches on television, millions of pounds and a serious spotlight on the man who delivered all of the above.

In the wider football world, Healy is still best known for his record breaking exploits as a Northern Ireland striker.

The group stages in Europe would put him in the shop window as a manager.

European heroics with Linfield could see David Healy follow in Michael O’Neill’s footsteps

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