McArdle on family, Dalglish and NI's Portugal World Cup play-off — SkimNews
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- Michael McArdle, appointed as Tanya Oxtoby's permanent successor in March, has named his squad for a two-legged World Cup play-off against Portugal — the biggest game of his managerial career to date
- McArdle brings 25+ years of football experience to the role, including a stint as head of elite women's football at the Scottish FA and a brief interim spell in charge of their senior team
- If Northern Ireland beat Portugal they will face Croatia or, more likely, Iceland — and because of their rankings, a further inter-continental play-off in February is likely even if they clear those hurdles
- McArdle made family the central plank of his management: "We're all a family when we represent the country," and he spent the summer building relationships with Premiership players, head coaches and clubs at boardroom level
- Injured captain Simone Magill will join the camp with her partner Mark and newborn daughter Skye, an arrangement McArdle called "special" because "it's one thing knowing the players... but also the families that support them"
- McArdle grew up in Moodiesburn, east of Glasgow, idolising Kenny Dalglish — who once played on loan at nearby Cumbernauld United — and cites Arrigo Sacchi, Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez as coaching influences for their leadership as much as their tactics
Why it matters: McArdle, who has never played professionally, is leading a young, injury-hit Northern Ireland squad into a play-off that the source frames as a steep test — Portugal and Iceland have both beaten them convincingly in the past two years, and even winning could mean a further February play-off — making his family-first management style the structural bet of a campaign where squad unity, not just talent, is being asked to do heavy lifting.
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