Ian Baraclough
Baraclough took over from Michael O'Neill in June 2020

The current one isn't the internal one anymore.

Ian Baraclough's time as Northern Ireland manager came to an end after 28 months and 28 games. He didn't seem to get on top of the job when he was younger.

After a dismal Nations League campaign in which Northern Ireland only narrowly avoided being demoted to the fourth tier, the final game in charge of the team would be the one against Greece.

His appointment in June 2020 was not celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm but it did not receive a lot of criticism.

The road was middle of the way. The music was more Sunday afternoon drive.

The Irish FA knew what they were getting when they promoted a man who had earned well-deserved praise during his three-year stint as Under-21 boss.

Baraclough's time in charge of the senior team failed to replicate any such highs, but what were the main reasons for his dismissal less than a year after he was given a new contract?

Unpalatable platitudes amid Nations League hoodoo

Baraclough was booed during a post-match interview after a 2-2 draw with Cyprus in June

A Nations League quadruple-header of four games in 10 days in June would test most international squad, but NI set out to end their Nations League hoodoo.

Home to Greece, ranked 55th in the world, one behind NI, is one of the places Baraclough predicted 12 points from.

It was a series of games that turned into nightmares. A rumbling of discontent among large sections of supporters became vocal as Northern Ireland were only able to get five points from 18.

A combination of boos, ironic cries of "cheerio, cheerio" and chants of "We want Bara out" may have sent a message to the other side.

Frustrations with poor results were added to by Baraclough's pre and post match media offerings being mostly a series of platitudes for what his team was delivering

Euros heartache as 'the Windsor effect' is lost

Baraclough said he was still the right man to lead NI after defeat by Greece in September

The National Stadium was a hive of activity when the IFA chose Baraclough from a list that included former internationals Stephen Robinson, Tommy Wright and Jim Magilton.

There was a familiarity with the players that was felt to be important with a Euros play-off semi-final away to Bosnia on the horizon.

That was a successful mission. It was one which earned the new manager some early praise, as he brought on Liam Boyce and Conor Washington in the last minute of extra-time, and both scored the final two penalties in a successful shootout victory.

It was a very different Windsor Park that greeted the visitors, with Covid-19 restrictions meaning that just 1,000 home supporters were allowed to attend, meaning NI missed the support of a passionate 18,500 crowd.

The whole dynamic of Barclough's reign could have received a major shot-in-the-arm had Kyle Lafferty shot from the edge of the box in the dying minutes of the game.

It's hard not to sympathize with a manager who had to play his first home games in an empty stadium, devoid of the atmosphere of his predecessors.

It made it harder for the new manager to get along with the Green and White Army because he had no international playing career. It felt like the manager and supporter didn't get along.

Player pull-outs, coach cuts and perennial problems

The collection of coaches and assistant managers that have come and gone from his staff has been a feature of Baraclough's reign.

A number of senior players chose not to play in the recent Nations League campaign, which left a very inexperienced squad for June especially.

Baraclough had to find a way to score goals on a regular basis. He was not able to find a strike partnership that worked despite Shayne Lavery showing flashes of brilliance.

It won't be known whether he would have solved the goal scoring problem.

Baraclough used to say "judge me on the Euro" over the course of a year. It's possible that the IFA decided to part company with him because of the Euro group that offers a glimpse of hope.

Could they look at their old payroll for their next job? A lot of supporters would welcome Michael O'Neill back to work. This is the time to watch.