Beano,
Do you think you'll qualify though?

For a video of the fan's view of Healy's two goals, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M3E9CkQYfY

JG would you prefer they didn't?

I neither believe we will, nor believe we won't. I'll just wait and see. I'm just delighted that this far into the campaign we still have a chance.

I'm sure JG would like to wish his fellow Irishmen all the best, wouldn't you JG

You actually don't realise how right you are, Paul..

I have a bit of fun with this but when it comes down to it I'd be happy to see you guys qualify. I honestly think it's crazy though and that we should have one Irish team like in rugby.

Note to anyone who wants to comment on the above: We are NOT having the tired all-Ireland football team debate here again. Go read the OurWeeCountry site, it's been done lots of times there. At the very least go here

That's fair enough, Beano. I wasn't trying to start that particular war!

It seems you're not too supportive of our team though, Beano, having said this:

"Cast an eye quickly over to RTE and the beggars have been beaten by France! Could it get any better? Naturally RTE didn't see fit to even mention what was happening 100 miles away in Belfast. Shocker"

A bit of whinging too, for good measure!

JG I've never claimed to be supportive of the Republic, nor to feel any affiliation with them. It's not a valid comparison though, as they're not the side representing my (footballing) jurisdiction.

I make no bones about saying I'd take some degree of satisfaction out of the disappointment of these bhoys. I also quite like to see England lose most of the time though. I think it's just something about teams who think they're better than they are (or maybe better than us?)

"I think it's just something about teams who think they're better than they are (or maybe better than us?) "

Oh come on, Beano, be honest with yourself! The ROI team are hardly an arrogant group who think they're better than they are... no?

As for us being better than the NI team, again I'd urge a bit of thought and honesty!

"The ROI team are hardly an arrogant group who think they're better than they are... no?"

Well... they do seem to think they should be churning out results against teams that are much better than they are as a right. It's like they've forgotten what it means to be underdogs. Cast your mind back to Japorea.

I also read at least one newspaper article that was filled with disgust when the 'minnows' in 'the North' overtook RoI in the rankings. That's exactly what I'm talking about by thinking they're better than us, like we've no right to be ahead of them. Admittedly some fans were more gracious than that, but you still get the idea that, recent lacklustre form aside, many in the Republic's fanbase think that should the need arise they should be able to come to Belfast and walk it. I'm not saying we'd win, but it'd be a damn good fight (not literally I hope).

I know for years NI were derided for their poor performances, but few took more glee in it than RoI fans. I'll not even get started on the fact that all of a sudden we seem to be competing with them for the same players as well.

Oh, and I hate Roy Keane.

You'll get no arguments about Roy Keane, I can't stand the guy myself and would go on all day about why if I was let!

I read the Irish Times and you definitely would not have read that crap there. Most of the other papers are rags so it wouldn't surprise me but just because some immature hack shoots his mouth off, it doesn't mean we all think like that.

Forgetting what it means to be underdogs is an interesting one. I think it's a sign of confidence that we're no longer happy with draws and groundout wins against average opposition. Still, I think all most fans ask for is 100% from those on the pitch. Perhaps some arrogance has crept into it but on the whole I think we're right not to settle for mediocrity, even if we are a very small country.

With all due respect, the NI team remind me of the ROI team a few years back. We thought we'd no right to beat anyone but fuck that, if you go into a game (in any sport) with that attitude you're doomed.

As for ROI fans taking glee in poor NI performances, you yourself say you take glee in ROI losing so that's no different, really. "The beggars" - where does that come from anyway?

Sorry about the length of this, that'll be all!

"We thought we'd no right to beat anyone but fuck that, if you go into a game (in any sport) with that attitude you're doomed."

Maybe having a right to beat someone was badly phrased. Perhaps the right to expect victory would be better. The sort of attitude England would have brought to Windsor Park, for example. For instance, I don't go into games thinking NI have "no right" beating these guys, but even playing Lichtenstein on Saturday you're going in hopeful, not expectant. To be fair I worry that some NI fans might be going the same direction, like the NI fans singing "We are top of the league" before the match against Sweden was over. Me and my brother looked at each other and shook our heads at that point and thought it very silly.

Maybe it inevitably comes with success, I don't know, but I find one of the best things about being an NI fan is the ecstatic mixture of joy and surprise when they score the goals or when you grind out a result to beat someone like Sweden or Spain or England, or the delightful irony of the fact that when Sweden went 1-0 up on Wednesday we'd no idea how right we were when singing "2-1, we're gunna win 2-1." It was all just a bit of crack.

""The beggars" - where does that come from anyway?"

Thanks for at least having the decency to ask instead of deciding for yourself. It's a bit tongue-in-cheek. See the 10th and 11th posts on this page.

"you yourself say you take glee in ROI losing so that's no different, really."

I suppose you have a point, to some degree anyway. I'm not sure I'd call it glee - likewise I don't lose any sleep over RoI results. If you want a list of specific issues I can probably produce one, but it's really another story.

Sorry if this didn't really make an awful lot of sense, but I've no more time to write a reply. I've a dissertation to write. Chow.

Good reply! I'm writing a paper myself so no more dossing for me either. Good luck...