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Gareth Fullerton

Nothern Ireland vs Kosovo: Ian Baraclough adopting big-game mentality for latest Nations League test

Ian Baraclough insists Northern Ireland have adopted a big-game mentality for their latest Nations League clash at Windsor Park.

While the visit of Kosovo might not be the most glamorous fixture, the result could go a long way to determining Northern Ireland's fate in League C2.

It could also impact on which pot Baraclough's side goes into for next month's European qualifying group draw.

Read more: Davis hoping to turn "negative narrative" into success story

He said: “I know some people have described the Nations League as glorified friendlies. You can dress it up how you like, but there is something on it.

“There is promotion or relegation. For us it’s been a chance to try different things. We would like to win games along the way, but it’s not ideal for us to be trying that during a Euros or World Cup.

“I just get the feeling with this one that because of the results in June, there is a real focus from the players, not that there wasn’t in June, but you get what I’m saying.

“We want to finish the tournament off with a positive.”

Baraclough added: "A lot of work has gone on down the years to improve our coefficient and our rankings, and in the past that has allowed us to get a decent draw in qualifying campaigns. And that has improved our chances of qualifying for major tournaments, which is our aim.

"So clearly we don't want to drop into pot five, as it makes the task a lot harder when it comes to the draw next month and when it comes to the games next year."

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