Northern Eire have been with out Dan Ballard, Pierce Charles and Brodie Spencer along with additional squad gamers for the pair of qualifiers that additionally noticed them beat Luxembourg 3-1.
As what's an already inexperienced squad battled on with out key people, O'Neill likened his choices to “asking boys at occasions to do a person's job”.
Simply two of Northern Eire's beginning outfield gamers in Cologne have been over the age of 26, whereas just one, defender Paddy McNair, had greater than 31 caps.
For all however the San Diego FC defender, holding on for a draw would have represented the most important results of their worldwide careers.
Within the current previous, when this Northern Eire group have stepped as much as play what O'Neill phrases a footballing “heavyweight”, the outcomes have been chastening.
After taking an early lead in a pleasant towards Spain in June 2024, they have been blown away by the aspect who have been then six weeks away from successful the European Championship.
Equally, towards Sweden in March, they have been pulled from pillar to put up by Alexander Isak. Each video games completed 5-1.
This, subsequently, was an entirely totally different sport, one the place Northern Eire displayed the “resilience” O'Neill had known as for earlier than the sport.
“You do not often come off the pitch towards Germany having this sense,” mentioned McNair who likened the loss to the 2019 defeat by the Netherlands when the aspect conceded three targets within the last 10 minutes to lose 3-1.
“I really feel like they have been there for the taking to get one thing from the sport.
“It is simply gutting. That was a superb probability and we simply let it slip a bit. If you take a look at the larger image, it is positively shifting in the appropriate course.”
The rapid appreciation that this was a missed alternative, one that includes two avoidable targets in a show when Germany's assault was in any other case blunted for over an hour, felt an indication of progress too.
“We have come a good distance as a bunch. A few years in the past we would have been, not pleased, however not disenchanted with that outcome,” mentioned midfielder Shea Charles.
“The truth that we're disenchanted and aggravated at shedding that sport I feel is absolutely good to see.
“Regardless of the extent of gamers they've, I feel we utterly matched them.”
