THE setting's as picturesque as ever but attitudes had hardened considerably when the Republic of Ireland squad returned to the Eschen Sportspark yesterday, in preparation for tomorrow's world cup meeting with Liechtenstein.

Fifteen months ago, it was all so different when Vaduz was, merely a stopover on the route to Jack Charlton's European championship ambitions.

Now, chastened by the memories of a day when the assorted part-timers of Liechtenstein grew to cult status and for the first time in their history, and avoided defeat in a competitive-game, the priorities of the trade were being invoked.

"We've got to hit them early and ensure that when we go in front, we keep our shape to guard against the counter-attack," said Niall Quinn.

Quinn has more reason than most to remember the mistakes which multiplied at an alarming rate to cost Ireland two precious points and ultimately the chance of a place in the European finals.

The game was still only in its infancy and the outline of a nightmare had not yet come into focus when Steve Staunton's cross left Quinn perfectly placed to execute the simple header in front of goal.

He didn't get over the ball how- ever, and when he repeated the error just minutes later, the Irish were set irreversibly on a course which would take, them to their most disappointing result of recent years.

"The moral is that we cannot afford to miss early chances on Saturday. If we take them we win. If we don't it could be another long, hard day," said Quinn.

If Liechtenstein's monumental show of defiance last year moved the local fans to new frontiers of patriotism, it has not apparently been reflected in ticket sales.

The tiny Sport spark, set in village green surrounds with the Alps rising steeply at one end of the pitch, holds just 4,500 spectators. And officials confirmed yesterday that they are looking to Irish supporters to fill the spaces.

Yet Dietrich Weise, the Liechtenstein manager, remains defiant that for all the indifference of the local populace, his team can contrive another scoreline to send shock waves around Europe.

After supervising training on a mellow autumnal afternoon, he warned: "We now believe we can beat Ireland and we will prove it by taking the game to them."

Quinn's name, almost certainly, will be one of those on Mick McCarthy's team sheet when he announces his selection after the first of two scheduled workouts this morning.

Tony Cascarino's ongoing first team status on Marseilles's return to the premier division of the French championship, suggested that he is playing well enough to make a contribution to the anticipated early assault on the Liechtenstein net.

Yet the manner of Quinn's response on his move to Sunderland has been positive enough to convince McCarthy that he has now put the trauma of last season at Manchester City behind him.

Overall, it promises to be one of the more interesting team selections of recent times, not least in McCarthy's choice of a frontline partner for the Sunderland player. The withdrawal of David Connolly sees the spot- light focused on Keith O'Neill. The Norwich player came of age -during the build up programme, scoring three times in his six international appearances. Young and ambitious, his pace appears to offer more than the experience of David Kelly.

One of the tenets of McCarthy's philosophy in preparing players for international competition is that regular first team foot- ball, even at a lower level, is preferable to the drudgery of life with the reserves at a bigger club. It will now be interesting to note if that evaluation still holds when he comes to assessing the rival claims of Shay Given and Alan Kelly for the goalkeeper's sweater.

Given shows no sign of displacing Tim Flowers as Blackburn's first choice goalkeeper; and yet judged on the impressive quality of his performances in seven Ireland starts, he has justifiable claims for inclusion here.

Kelly, by contrast hasn't played for Ireland since the European championship game against Holland at Anfield last December. Now confined to English League, Division One football with Sheffield, United, he may be apprehensive about his chances of reclaiming a place that was his, almost by right throughout Jack Charlton's last two years in charge.

Phil Babb's form at Liverpool, recent weeks been mildly disquieting and a long way removed from that which established him as one of the better Irish players during the World Cup finals in America. It is still difficult, however, to see how he can be omitted if, as widely predicted, McCarthy includes the relatively inexperienced Gary Breen among his three central defenders.

That would leave the manager with the choice of withdrawing either Denis Irwin or Steve Staunton from the left flank and giving him a pivotal role. Intuit ion suggests that he will go with Irwin, leaving Staunton and Jason McAteer to run the flanks.

Ray Houghton will have his supporters for inclusion in mid- field but the more likely scenario is that Jeff Kenna will be assigned the anchor role, directly behind Andy Townsend and the rejuvenated Alan McLoughlin.