The FAI team that entered today's talks on the fixture list for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers did so with one arm tied behind their back but emerged with some sense of achievement despite not getting all they had wished for.

It remains to be seen what the eventual manager would have preferred but given that there is no access to Croke Park in September this year, or next, and the doors of headquarters are also closed in June 2009, there was little room to manouevre and the outcome could have been worse.

The real test for the new man will be to negotiate an April 1st away trip to world champions Italy between home and away ties to second seeds Bulgaria.  This make or break period begins in Croke Park on March 28th and ends in Sofia on June 6th, a date which the FAI were keen to avoid as the end of the Premiership season will be fresh in the memory and legs will be tired.

That said, it could be argued that it gives Steve Staunton's successor a chance to familiarise himself with his squad before the real tests of a tough campaign.

That the opening ties were to be away was a foregone conclusion and it is arguable it would have been better to get Italy first, in the hope they would be hungover from their exertions in Euro 2008. As it is, there are slightly less daunting trips to Tblisi to face Georgia and to Montenegro for a meeting with  the sixth seeds in September this year.

Three home matches against Cyprus, Georgia and Bulgaria follow before the aforementioned away trips to Italy and Sofia precede a return to Nicosia to face Cyprus, whose 5-2 demolition of Staunton's side will haunt many an Ireland fan for years to come.

The upside to that testing period is an October double-header in Croke Park against Italy and Montenegro, though much depends on the Azurri's position in the group at that stage.  If Italy are well placed by then it would have been preferrable to end the campaign with them rather than Montenegro, though their arrival to Dublin will be a boost to FAI coffers if Ireland are doomed to failure again.

Of course, the opinion that counts most is that of the manager and his identity is as yet unknown. Speaking to RTE in Sofia this evening, multi-tasker Don Givens, who negotiated today's fixtures with chief executive John Delaney and president David Blood in between interviewing candidates for the job, said the association was "getting closer" to finding their man but still had a number of people to talk to.

Givens, Ray Houghton and Don Howe make up the three-man headhunting team that is charged with finding the right candidate and reporting back to the FAI.  Whether that is done in time for next week's board meeting on January 22nd is looking rather doubtful.

"We're getting closer, we have a few more people to see this week. The problem is these three days when I'm here bites into the time when we could be talking to people.  And unfortunately next week I've got the pro-licence in Dublin for four days, but we will be doing our absolute maximum too," said Givens today.

"Everybody wants to know and we would like it to be out of the picture now and we'd like to have it done and dusted.

"Once we have seen everybody I don't anticipate too much problems between the three of us, coming to a decision.

"It's good to stay that the quality of candidates has been excellent," said the under-21 manager before adding that there is "one or two" who stand out so far.

The team has yet to interview two prominent candidates in the shape of the French duo of Didier Deschamps and Gerard Houllier, while former Northern Ireland manager Lawrie Sanchez has also entered the race.

After Deschamps' brief flirtation with pole position, however, former England manager Terry Venables is back in the driving seat with the bookies.

FIFA World Cup 2010 - Group 8 Qualifying Fixtures

September 6th 2008
Georgia v Republic of Ireland
September 10th 2008
Montenegro v Republic of Ireland
October 15th 2008
Republic of Ireland v Cyprus
February 11th 2009
Republic of Ireland v Georgia
March 28th 2009
Republic of Ireland v Bulgaria
April 1st 2009
Italy v Republic of Ireland
June 6th 2009
Bulgaria v Republic of Ireland
September 5th 2009
Cyprus v Republic of Ireland
October 10th 2009
Republic of Ireland v Italy
October 14th 2009
Republic of Ireland v Montenegro