Soccer:Republic of Ireland manager Steve Staunton's observation yesterday that last year's defeat in Nicosia is "history" left the media at Croke Park in need of some clarification.
The manner in which he said it suggested something benign but we're hardly unique in being a nation that has traditionally viewed much of our past as forming a long list of scores that really ought to be settled and 5-2, let's face it, is a score that needs a fair bit of settling.
Across the city, Cyprus manager Angelos Anastasiadis baulked at the suggestion the Irish would be out for "revenge" this evening, insisting such a harsh term has no place in football. However, the former Greek international can be forgiven for not being aware that if the home side does not achieve retribution for last year's humiliation then his Ireland counterpart may be . . . well, history, really.
The Cypriots come into the game on the back of a good win over Wales but Anastasiadis is expected to make at least three changes to the side that won on Saturday while seven are likely to be in the starting line-up tonight who weren't there last October.
Without wanting to take anything away from the progress they have made as a team, it is still hard to reflect on last year's encounter between the sides without dwelling on the myriad shortcomings displayed by the Irish. Hapless defending and an utter lack of balance within the team's midfield cost Staunton's men that night. Individually almost everybody played poorly and collectively they were a mess. If there's an upside now, it's that it can surely only be better this time around.
The suspensions picked up by Richard Dunne and Lee Carsley at the weekend really shouldn't have any significant impact on how things pan out tonight but the extent to which Ireland have come to depend on the former to run things at the back and the latter to anchor midfield is, in their absence, just a little worrying.
So too is the fact both John O'Shea and Andy Reid look likely to start without being fully fit. O'Shea trained again yesterday and should cope well enough but Reid was rested as his ankle continued to give him trouble in the wake of Saturday's impressive effort against Germany.
Just as significant, perhaps, is Darren Potter's fitness, or lack of it, with the manager clearly suggesting on Monday that he saw the Wolves midfielder as being ahead of Liam Miller to replace Carsley. He has other options, quite a few of them, but Kevin Kilbane will hardly return to a central role having been one of those overrun there 12 months ago, while Jonathon Douglas should really be a little down the pecking order at the moment.
If Potter, who did well in the US, has completely recovered then Staunton may feel happy to thrust some serious responsibility upon him for the first time but really Miller looks a safer bet right now unless the manager has other plans for the Corkman.
That seems unlikely, though. Nobody has struck rich these past few years betting on Kilbane to be dropped ahead of a competitive game but in the event the Wigan winger is left out then Stephen Hunt would be the obvious replacement. On the right things are trickier. Andy Keogh might have looked young, lightweight and inexperienced against the Germans but Staunton has praised his performance more than once in the days since and may feel returning him to the bench might be interpreted as an admission he made a mistake.
He said yesterday, though, he would pick a team to win and if Aiden McGeady doesn't make the cut in these particular circumstances then the Celtic winger will realise he has slipped a long way in a very short time.
Joey O'Brien could also play there if, as one suspects the manager would love to, Staunton keeps him in the side but if O'Shea is fit to partner Paul McShane the only logical place to accommodate the Bolton player would be full back but it is hard to see Stephen Kelly being dropped.
Kevin Doyle was another reported to be still feeling a little below par yesterday but the striker has too much to offer over his rivals to be left out.
Ireland must take three points, ideally with in some style and with more of the conviction seen at the weekend. Any less than the bare win, though, and it will be harder than ever to see how Staunton could possibly ever persuade his critics that, in terms of international management, he has any sort of future.
PROBABLE TEAMS
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND:Given (Newcastle United); Finnan (Liverpool), McShane (Sunderland), O'Shea (Manchester United), Kelly (Birmingham City); McGeady (Celtic), Reid (Charlton Athletic), Miller (Sunderland), Kilbane (Wigan Athletic); Doyle (Reading), Keane (Tottenham Hotspur).
CYPRUS:Giorgallides; Elia, Okkarides, Christou, Garpozis; Charalambides, Nicolau, Satsias, Michail, Okkas; Yiasoumi.
