Be wary of a team who play with a voracious patriotism

FOCUS ON GEORGIA: CARL O'MALLEYcharts the progress of Georgia under former manager Klaus Toppmoller and the present one, Hector Cuper.

GEORGIA MANAGER Hector Cuper will touch down in Dublin tomorrow with a squad still pained by Fifa’s decision to handicap it before a whistle was blown in its qualifying campaign for World Cup 2010.

Things haven’t improved much for the Argentinian, defeat to Italy and home draws against Cyrpus and Bulgaria have left them on two points from four games, but a voracious patriotism that typifies fledgling nations recently emerged from behind the Iron Curtain means he has no problem convincing players to join the fight.

Giovanni Trapattoni began the latest chapter in his illustrious career by ringing around to see who was still interested in playing for their country. Cuper let the calls come to him, safe in the knowledge that no self-respecting Georgian would turn down the opportunity if deemed worthy.

Curiously, however, those who have brought the fight to the opposition in recent times have been the few who have no recollection of the Soviet Union – a new breed of Georgian footballer, reared in independence, but keenly aware of life before April 19th, 1991.

Cuper’s predecessor, Klaus Toppmoller, was sacked in April last year and fiercely criticised for his side’s display in the Euro 2008 qualifiers, but there was a bigger picture for the German, who deserves credit for recognising the huge talent waiting in the wings and for his bravery in letting it flourish.

Toppmuller took a hands on role with the youth squads and brought his own staff with him to oversee their progress. He soon discovered he had something to work with.

Nevertheless, his two years in charge ended in disappointment, second from bottom in Group B of the Euro 2008 qualifiers, with only three wins to his name, two of which came against the perennial whipping boys from the Faro Islands.

The third came in Tbilisi against a Scotland side coming off the back of four consecutive wins. Alex McLeish’s men arrived uncharacteristically confident, but the presence of a 16-year-old and two 17-year-olds on the Georgian teamsheet bred cockiness and the 2-0 defeat that followed, effectively cost them qualification for Euro 2008.

With Georgian hopes long gone, Toppmuller had begun giving youth its chance. A month previously, 16-year-old Levan Kenia came off the bench to help salvage a point against Ukraine.

Against world champions Italy, four days prior to meeting Scotland, he featured prominently again and striker Levan Mchedlidze, now on loan from Empoli to Palermo, debuted up front. Georgia lost 2-0 in Genoa but Toppmuller’s bright young things impressed and confidence was high ahead of Scotland.

Goalkeeper Giorgi Makaridze joined Kenia and Levan Mchedlidze to debut against the Scots, who were in sight of their first major championship since the 1998 World Cup in France. It was a team denied the services injured captain Kakha Kaladze of AC Milan and experienced midfielder Levan Kobiashvili of Schalke 04, as well as a host of other more experienced squad members.

Wearing 99, 17-year-old Mchedlidze opened the scoring after just 16 minutes and put in an accomplished performance despite the attention of David Weir and Stephen McManus.

Makaridze kept a clean sheet in the 2-0 win and Kenia tormented Scotland from central midfield, running at them at every opportunity, displaying awareness beyond his years and making Manchester United’s Darren Fletcher and Rangers captain Barry Ferguson look very ordinary indeed.

The day after, Kenia turned 17 and, having played with both his local clubs, Dinamo and Lokomotiv Tbilisi, he joined his mentor Kobiashvili at Schalke in January 2008.

The fact the youngster remains in the youth side at the club is a source of frustration for some Schalke fans, who think he has the ability to help the club out of mid-table.

Having been sidelined by a leg injury for the last month he is now a doubt to face Ireland but he’ll be given every chance to prove his fitness.

Toppmuller paid the price for a mere 10-point haul, though it was better than what had been achieved in the two previous campaigns and the Scotland result helped moved Georgia from 104th in the world rankings to 71st.

It was the end of the German’s journey but he had already started many others on theirs.

Mchedlidze’s performances earned him a loan move from Empoli to Serie A side Palermo, while Makaridze recently moved to Le Mans in the French Lique 1.

Kenia scored his first goal for his country three months before Cuper arrived when he expertly finishing a sweeping move to equalise against Estonia in a May 2008 friendly.

A month ahead of the meeting with Ireland in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Cuper also put his faith in the new breed, partly because he was denied the services of more experienced players after visa complications.

Kenia scored against Wales, in a friendly match planned to mirror the challenge of Ireland, and Beka Gotsiridze, then 20 years old and playing with FC Zestaponi, introduced himself with a 90th-minute winner.

Another scalp taken by Georgia’s youngsters, and one that prompted experienced Blackburn Rovers defender Zurab Khizanishvili to describe the occasion as “the best day of my life”.

The 2-1 win was indeed a bright start for Cuper but the ongoing Russian occupation had already forced Fifa to decide a neutral venue was safer than hosting the Republic of Ireland in Tbilisi. Cuper and Georgian officials maintain it was an unfair but Fifa had little choice.

With their momentum snatched from them and tossed into the eerie silence of Mainz’s Bruchweg Stadium, Georgia wilted badly against Ireland, but Kenia, aided by the strength and awareness of substitute Mchedlidze, showed quick feet and poise under pressure to snatch a late consolation.

If Cuper is denied his services, his side will be the lesser for it, but there’s more where he came from and Trapattoni would do well to remind his team of Scotland’s fate upon underestimating Georgia’s next generation.

GEORGIA SQUAD(v Rep of Ireland): Goalkeepers:Lomaia (Lokomotivi Tbilisi), Mamaladze (FC Zestaponi), Kvaskhvadze (FC Zestaponi). Defenders:Kaladze (AC Milan), Khizanishvili (Blackburn Rovers), Salukvadze (Rubin Kazan), Kvirkvelia (Rubin Kazan), Shashiashvili (Sturm Graz), Kvakhadze (WIT Georgia), Lobzhanidze (FC Zestaponi). Midfielders:Kenia (Schalke 04), Kobiashvili (Schalke 04), Menteshashvili (FK Ventspils), Khmaladze (Dinamo Tbilisi), Odikadze (Gyor ETO), Razmadze (WIT Georgia), Daushvili (FC Zestaponi). Forwards:Iashvili (SC Karlsruhe), Siradze (Terek Grozny), Mchedlidze (US Citta di Palermo), Merabashvili (Dinamo Tbilisi), Gotsiridze (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk).