Having waited so long for a performance that good, it seems a little harsh to be saying that the Irish players must forget about Wednesday already but that's the reality of the situation as they head into this evening's game in Zagreb.

It was a great performance and a wonderful win against Yugoslavia, but the task for Mick McCarthy now is to convince his players that it's merely a part of Group Eight history now, just another one of the five matches that they have played. What he must get across is the three games that are left, and none is more important than tonight's against what must be viewed as the best team in the group.

Over the last few years the Croatians have established a fine reputation for themselves on the international stage, making the quarter-finals at Euro '96 and the last four at France '98 thanks to some memorable team performances.

Throughout the team there is an abundance of strong individual talent, but perhaps more significant is the ability of Miroslav Blazevic to get his individuals to play as a truly cohesive unit.

When the team really clicks there are very few sides who could hope to live with Croatia, a fact brought home vividly by the way in which they over-ran Germany at the World Cup.

They'll be hoping for a repeat of that performance and it is crucial that McCarthy can devise a strategy that will deny them the level of control they assumed then. It would be foolish to fall into the trap of thinking that Wednesday's victory has put Ireland in a position that we can afford to lose this game.

If we were to be defeated then all is not lost, that much is true, but we need a point out of our visit to Zagreb in order to keep us on course for the European finals and the way to get a point in a game like this is to maintain the threat that you might nick all three.

In many ways the Croatian position is more clearcut than ours. If they do not win this match then their hopes of topping the group and winning automatic qualification are all but dead. With that in mind we can expect a very positive display by our hosts, but to sit back and attempt to soak up the pressure would be a nightmare for the Republic and McCarthy must find a way to balance his defensive requirements with the need to pose some sort of threat up front. He must also maximise his options for later in the game, allowing himself to change things around fairly substantially with just a couple of substitutions.

"To sit back and attempt to soak up the pressure would be a nightmare for the Republic. McCarthy must find a way to balance his defensive requirements with the need to pose some sort of threat up front."

I think for a start we can expect him to switch from the 4-4-2 he used in Lansdowne Road on Wednesday to the use of five midfielders and one striker. The need for some height up front will probably persuade him to stick with Niall Quinn in the sole striking role, but there could well still be room for Robbie Keane in the starting line-up with the teenager possibly a candidate for a more central role, from which he could get forward in support of the big man but also take on some defensive duties.

Keane is in exceptional form at present and if he could do as much running for the team this evening as he did in midweek then his presence would be of enormous importance. Lee Carsley seems certain to come in for Roy Keane and it's difficult to see Mark Kinsella being dropped after his performance the other night, but if he does opt for 4-5-1 then there is still one central midfielder's position up for grabs and while Alan McLoughlin would be the usual beneficiary, the Coventry striker may just fit more neatly into the manager's plans.

Out wide on the right Gary Kelly may well return with his versatility a key factor in handing him his first start in more than 12 months, while on the other side Mark Kennedy would probably provide the attacking options which McCarthy needs to retain if the Croatians are not to feel they have a licence to pile forward in large numbers.

In defence Steve Carr looks certain to come in for the injured Denis Irwin, but on the other side there is a strong case to be made for resting Steve Staunton. The Liverpool player hasn't been playing first team football of late and against Yugoslavia, particularly in the second half, he looked very rusty. Ian Harte, on the other hand, has been doing well at Leeds and will have fresher legs coming into the side after resting up in midweek.

The Croatians play a good, strong attacking brand of football. Of the players we have seen in the Premiership over the past couple of seasons, Igor Stimac, Aljosa Asanovic and, more recently, Davor Suker have looked to be their best players.

That Zvonimir Boban, now really in decline after a fine career, is missing will not make too much difference. Alen Boksic's absence, on the other hand, may well be of more significance for while the Lazio striker does not score to many goals for his country himself he is a fine partner for Suker and the pair have the sort of understanding between them that could have caused severe problems for Kenny Cunningham and Gary Breen at the heart of the Irish defence.

Even without a couple of their stars, however, there will be a strong sense of team spirit with the Croatian players and they will be confident of winning this game and moving a step closer towards qualification themselves.

It won't be easy but if McCarthy can set aside next week's game with Malta and channel the confidence generated by Wednesday's night's victory into a positive determination to produce another commanding team performance tonight then we have the opportunity to be in a very strong position going into our last couple of matches.

(In an interview with Emmet Malone)