Roy told to sling his hook - Worthington does something right.

Nigel Worthington’s Northern Ireland team faces Hungary on Wednesday night in an uninspiring friendly fixture. With well over two months to go before World Cup qualifying resumes in San Marino, it is difficult to see how the match could yield anything useful, other than a chance for the manager to have a get together with his players.

Already a number of pivotal members of the team have been made unavailable by their clubs. Captain Aaron Hughes is the most high profile absentee, and with Craigan, McAuley and McCartney also missing, Northern Ireland’s defence will assume an unfamiliar look. At least we will be spared (at the back in any case) the idiosyncratic choices which Nigel Worthington often inflicts on the starting eleven. Only four recognised defenders remain in the squad.

And, to be fair, Worthington has shown some fortitude, declining to bring Roy Carroll straight back into the squad following the Derby goalkeeper’s decision to make himself available again. Last summer the erratic Fermanagh man decided he didn’t want to be included, unless he was guaranteed a starting berth. We can do without his lack of commitment.

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