NI boss Tanya Oxtoby opens up on observer role at Women's Euros… and how she's using it to boost her side going forward

Belfast Telegraph

07-07-2025

The Australian is one of eight observers at the tournament who are monitoring matches in-depth from a coaching perspective.
Content collected by the Technical Observers is stored in an educational database and they have access to statistics and video assistance to ensure they deliver detailed reports on the latest developments in coaching.
Oxtoby is also involved in selecting the Player of the Match for each game and will be key in the process of selecting the Team, Player and Young Player of the Tournament as well as the best goals alongside the other observers, with the reports she contributes to used by Uefa and national Associations to help develop the women's game.
Outlining her role at the Euro Finals, for which Northern Ireland qualified for the first time three years previously under Kenny Shiels, Oxtoby explained: 'The crux of the role is attending the games and observing the tactical trends that occur during each game and then feeding that back into the performance analysis team at Uefa.
'It's a really elaborate operation that's going on behind the scenes, and it's great to see that investment in the women's game in terms of the expertise that's been brought in to work as technical observers as well.
'From a development point of view, it allows me to see a number of different teams and nations that we could possibly be drawn against in the Nations League and qualifying and get a real good understanding of their trends and the way in which they like to play.'
Northern Ireland failed to qualify for the Euro 2025 Finals having lost a Play-Off 7-0 on aggregate to Norway back in the winter of 2024.
However, Oxtoby's role does allow her to assess prospective opponents – including Iceland, who are involved in the Finals and who Northern Ireland will face in a two-legged Nations League Promotion/Relegation Play-Off in October.
Should Oxtoby's side come out on top, they will gain promotion to League A for the next edition of the Nations League, which could boost their chances of qualifying for another major tournament in the coming years.
Oxtoby joins a panel of observers that includes former Germany midfielder and assistant boss Britta Carlson, ex-Barcelona Femeni boss Lluis Cortes, former Austria head coach Irene Fuhrmann, former Wales boss Jayne Ludlow, ex-Romania star Ioan Lopescu, former Scotland and Finland chief Anna Signeul and ex-Norway manager Martin Sjogren – who was in the opposite dugout when Northern Ireland faced the Norwegians in their first-ever European Championship Finals game.
Oxtoby travelled to Switzerland having also observed the VBet Women's League Cup Final which was won by Cliftonville Ladies, who staged a thrilling comeback from two goals down to overcome Glentoran Women 4-2 at Seaview on Sunday, June 29.
Caitlin McGuinness' double initially sparked the Reds' revival in response to Emily Wilson's first-half brace for the Glens before late Marissa Callaghan and Carla Devine finishes sealed the deal, with Kascie Weir sent off for the east Belfast side in second-half stoppage-time.
On that clash, former Chelsea assistant manager Oxtoby said: 'It was a great advert for our women's domestic game. There was some exceptional talent on show and it really was a game of two halves.
'It was great to see such a competitive fixture in the Final and, with some of the talent coming through, the future really is bright.'