Ian Baraclough admitted he could understand the frustrations of NorthernIreland fans who turned on him after a 3-2 defeat to Kosovo but insisted his side had taken a step forward with their performance in Pristina.
A large section of the 500-strong travelling Green and White Army chanted 'Cheerio' as Baraclough went over to acknowledge them at the end of a match in which Northern Ireland had trailed by two goals for much of the night.
Frustration has been growing among supporters as their side remain winless after 13 games in the Nations League, while Baraclough's record in competitive fixtures shows three wins and 10 defeats from 19 outings as he approaches two years in charge.
"It's understandable," Baraclough said of the chants. "They're here, they want to follow and watch their team playing, but what do we do about players who are being blooded and building for the future?
We knew we had to go through a certain amount of pain on it as well and we are as it goes forward. You'll see improvement and you've seen a difference between the first two games and this one tonight."
