Squad vow to battle on

Soccer:There was a familiar sense of disappointment amongst the Irish players as they left Cardiff on Saturday evening but the signs are that all of the squad members will stay on for the World Cup campaign, the draw for which will be made in Durban next Sunday.

"It's been a disappointing campaign and it's disappointing not to have finished it by taking three points," said Shay Given, "but we have to look forward to the draw now and hopefully get a decent draw that will give us a good chance of qualifying for the next World Cup.

Fail chief executive John Delaney and president David Blood will travel to South Africa for the event this week with little idea, it seems, of who will be in charge of the team when the campaign gets under way next autumn. The recruitment process took a small but significant step forward over the weekend when Delaney met senior members of the squad including Given, Kevin Kilbane and Robbie Keane to hear their views on the impending appointment.

"There was about half a dozen of us," said Given, "and it was good to speak to John about it. He wanted our thoughts on the manager situation and it was clear that he's desperate to get the right man in charge as well.

"It was a good chat. We all enjoyed it and John was good in what he said as well. I know he gets a lot of stick back in Ireland but he's keen to get the appointment right and he's listening to all the guys and I suppose many other people behind the scenes as well. We all - John, the players and the fans - want to bring the country forward."

Given, meanwhile, believes all of the current squad will stay on to play in the next campaign and Lee Carsley and Kilbane both confirmed on Saturday they will make themselves available to the next manager.

Though clearly disappointed his second game in charge of the senior team hadn't ended in a victory, Don Givens, was insistent afterwards that the new man will be working with a good squad that is moving in the right direction.

"Conceding the late goal was a kick in the teeth," he said, "but the players have been great this week and whoever gets the job he will be inheriting a group which is on the way up as opposed to in the past we have changed managers when players have been at the end of their careers."

Givens admitted with a laugh that he would rather fancy managing the team again when Brazil come to Dublin in February but, he said, "You can't rush it (the appointment) if you want to be sure of getting the right man but I think it will be comfortably done by then. I am sure it will be done before the end of the year."