Staunton must get it right in midfield

SOCCER/Republic of Ireland v Germany:Perhaps having come to appreciate in Prague just how difficult it was to raise Ireland's game to the point where they might beat one of this group's top two sides, Steve Staunton seemed content to lower expectations yesterday at Croke Park where, surprisingly, he conceded his side would start this evening's European Championship qualifier as outsiders.

That Germany have the more talented array of players may be beyond dispute, but home advantage and a notionally greater need for the points on offer would normally be seen as balancing factors for a manager in Staunton's position. Asked whether his side would go into the contest as underdogs, however, the Louth man was fairly emphatic. "Well, put it this way," he said with his trademark grin, "I'd rather be Germany on their points playing away from home. Of course they're favourites, they have to be."

Staunton's scheme, one presumes, is to hope his players will again lift themselves to defy widely held expectation that tonight will be a good one for the visitors. With the Germans merrily talking all week about coming to Dublin and winning, however, it just seems a little strange that he feels the need to help generate it himself.

His own levels of confidence in the lead up to this evening's kick-off may depend to some degree on how John O'Shea fares in an afternoon fitness test. Andy Reid did enough in training yesterday to suggest he will start, but the Manchester United defender's involvement was more limited and the thigh strain may yet mean he watches from the stand.

The options then will be to partner Richard Dunne with Alex Bruce, Joey O'Brien or Stephen Kelly, none of whom has any experience of playing the position at this level. None seems an appealing prospect against a likely German frontline that has managed 42 goals in 82 international games.

Aside from calling Darren O'Dea up from the under-21s, there is, at least, not a great deal more Staunton could have done about his shortage of central defenders of star quality.

The Irish manager may end up being judged after this match, therefore, on the choices he makes in midfield where, in, the event Reid is fit, Aiden McGeady, Liam Miller or Jonathan Douglas must be selected to complete a line-up that should include Lee Carsley and Kevin Kilbane.

Staunton has a soft spot for Douglas, but English League One football seemed to have dangerously slowed the Leeds United midfielder's reactions when we last saw him in Bratislava. McGeady didn't look much of an asset in Slovakia either, but might have been forgiven had he not looked such a liability four days later in Prague.

The difficulty is that overlooking both would leave Miller as the obvious choice. And the Cork man's recent club form appears to merit reward - while his versatility could also put him in line for a central role with Reid switching to the flank - but it would still look a curious move given his omission from the original squad.

The selection made will be of critical importance, for it is the department where, with Michael Ballack and Bernd Schneider gone, this depleted German side has taken its greatest hit.

In Torsten Frings, they have a strong candidate for the Continent's best defensive midfielder, while Bastian Schweinsteiger is also highly capable. But as a unit they will not be as strong as they were in last year's match in Stuttgart when the injured pair featured too.

For all the official attempts to put a brave face on events that night, the Germans appeared to play well within themselves, even if it did take a deflected free-kick to deliver victory.

This time around, the Irish need, at the least, to show they can seriously push opponents of a higher calibre to remind supporters of the progress that is said to have been made.

A point is the minimum required to keep Ireland's chances of qualification mathematically alive beyond the final whistle, but a strong performance and a win are what Staunton needs if the gloom that surrounds his tenure is to be significantly lifted.TEAMS (Probable)

IRELAND: Given (Newcastle United), Kelly (Birmigham City), O'Shea (Manchester United), Dunne (Manchester City), Finnan (Liverpool); Miller (Sunderland), Reid (Charlton Athletic), Carsley (Everton), Kilbane (Wigan Athletic); Keane (Tottenham Hotspur), Doyle (Reading).

GERMANY: Lehman (Arsenal); Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Matzelder (Real Madrid), Jansen (Bayern Munich); Frings (Werder Bremen); Odonkor (Real Betis), Rolfes (Bayer Leverkusen), Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich); Podolski (Bayern Munich), Kuranyi (Schalke 04).