AwayInAManger

Re Paul Paton, I think it must be clear that he would prefer to play for Scotland - if given the choice. But here's the thing, he wasn't, because Scotland didn't want him. But as it happens, he has only ever played a Friendly for NI, so he could always revert to Scotland - if you chose to pick him. Now here's the funny thing, if all our players are fit and available, he wouldn't get into our team either. P.S. Wrt to 'Usainboltybollox' (post #3), it always amuses me when a Scot claims that NI is "a team, not a country". You might want to get a mirror for your wee hoose...

Aye, a good wee man is Niall

Re 'one t in scotland' (post #168), I think you can take it that the feeling's mutual...

Re Caledonian Craig (post #250), my guess is that MO'N told them to play defensively, whilst trying to hit Scotland on the break. Unfortunately, we just weren't good enough to do the second part, essentially because our midfield was so poor. In particular, Rangers fans will know just how much we missed Steven Davis, who has been excellent recently, both for Southampton and NI. (By the time he came on, we were already firmly on the back foot) Sunday should be very different, both in personnel and approach.

Re 1320lichtie and his "not seeing the point of it" for NI, I'd say we got the following out of it. 1. Three of our important players got some much-needed match practice; 2. Michael McGovern (our 3rd choice keeper, btw) showed that if we ever should need to throw him in, he's not likely to be troubled by nerves; 3. Paddy McNair showed that he's nowhere near ready to play for the Senior team, whereas Stuart Dallas showed he may be; 4. Michael O'Neill indicated that having a match would break up the "sameyness" of a week away in a training camp. Besides, as you indicated yourself, it will have been good practice for 2018, when we may have to defend a 1-0 lead in the WC Final...

Re Caledonian Craig, no doubt what you say is true. But seeing as you have more players to draw on than us, then your "B" team is always likely to be better than ours. Which it was last night (even if it we nearly scraped a draw).

To put the game in some sort of context, of NI's starting XI last night, only 3 started our qualifying wins in Greece and Hungary last autumn, and those three (Hughes, Baird and Norwood) badly needed some match practice, since they haven't been playing for their clubs much recently. Tbh, it was essentially our "B" team - and we have barely enough players for an "A" team! And it wasn't just the personnel which affected our performance. Since our three main attackers (Kyle Lafferty, Niall McGinn and Jamie Ward) were all being protected against injury before Sunday's crucial game v Finland, we were never going to take the game to Scotland. Instead, I think Michael O'Neill just used this game to practice defensive tactics. Never mind, we came out of it without further injuries and I am hopeful that we will see a rather different team/approach against the Finns.

Re Flure. I take as I find. And if "Scunnered" really is just on a wind-up, then the complete absence of hint, nuance or subtlety in his posts makes him an unfunny dickhead, rather than an out-and-out bigot. Which would be an improvement, I suppose. But in the meantime, until I see some evidence to the contrary, I shall continue with my original conclusion.

Nope, still can't use the Quote Function grrrrrrr. Anyhow, thanks to those posters who seem to have understood/appreciated my earlier reply (post #131) to "Scunnered" And as for "Scunnered" himself, I really must thank him for the concern and understanding he expressed for me in post #138. (I am assuming that if Irony is too much for him, then Sarcasm is probably beyond him, too, poor lamb ) Meanwhile, re "ParisInAKilt" (post #135), of course I understand why some Scottish fans might feel some weird, irresistible compulsion to boo GSTQ, but that hardly justifies their doing so, since it is ill-mannered, disrespectful and liable to further stir up aggravation. (Doesn't help your reputation, either) I mean, I don't like eg the Republic of Ireland's Anthem, but when they've played it at NI matches down in Dublin, my attitude is "Stand Up, Shut Up, Sit Down Again". And as for your other fans who had to tolerate some of "our" loons, I can assure you that the average NI fan feels as shamed by them as you do disgusted. Unfortunately, this match was always liable to bring them out in force and with the majority of NI fans who would normally have travelled deciding to give this game a bye-ball, a couple of hundred(?) loons probably had the field pretty much to themselves.

Dunno why I can't use the quote function, but back in post #38, 'Scunnered' was proud to tar all NI fans (such as myself) as the same, adding "Utter filth to a man." From this and his other posts, I assume that his contempt for us stems from the fact that he thinks we are all bigots etc. Well seeing as self-awareness cannot be his strong suit, I would offer the following observation. That is, my definition of a Bigot is someone who brands thousands of other people whom he cannot possibly have met as all being the same, whether by dint of stereotype or his own prejudices. Ironic isn't it? Meanwhile, I wasn't at the game myself last night, but from people who were, the guess is that as many as 1,500 of the 2,000 NI fans were also Rangers fans. And whilst the average Rangers fan is, in my experience, sound enough, they (and by extension NI) have a minority who drag their team's name through the dirt. So there may have been a few hundred who behaved badly last night. Can the Tartan Army say that such an element doesn't exist within their ranks as well? I have met and socialised with Scottish fans many times and even though the great majority are entirely sound, I'd say there are a few others who aren't. But I would never use that as an excuse to term them all "Utter filth". Then again, I'm not like 'Scunnered' (thank Christ). P.S. Like many other NI supporter, I do not like that we have GSTQ as our Anthem, so I never sing it before our games. But at the same time, I don't disrespect it either. Had I been there last night, I might have been tempted to give it a quick chorus or two, just to reply to the sad s in the Scotland support who saw fit to boo the anthem of their guests.

"Plantationist Bigots from the fake country created by London" - That's brilliant! Can I borrow it for the new Banner I'm getting made? Meanwhile back on Topic: 0-0, like the last time. Now yiz can all go back to re-running the Battle of Bannockburn, or whatever else it is that passes for footy chat on this Board...