Mary Hannigan finds the Irish manager in defiant mood as he confronts his critics

Steve Staunton is standing at the side of the Lansdowne Road pitch, sporting a mildly bewildered expression. To his right, in the corner, Aiden McGeady is being treated for an ankle injury, gingerly getting to his feet before limping down the tunnel and out of tonight's game.

In the middle, where the training game is taking place, Staunton can't but note the absence of two-thirds of his first-choice squad, all back home nursing an assortment of complaints. All this before a game being billed as his D Day.

But when he arrives in the Lansdowne band room for his press conference, he's bullish, defiant even. Even those who reckon it's time for him to hoist a white flag over his managerial career can't help but doff their caps at the manner in which he has conducted himself since his return from Cyprus. In the face of dog's abuse and personal ridicule, Staunton has been dignified.

There's a line to be drawn, though, and he addresses the issue before taking questions. "We know what's gone on over the last few days," he said, "I accept and take the criticism on my chin, it's not a problem for me. But I would like to ask you to ask your media friends to leave my mother and father alone. Stop trying to get in contact with them. It's nothing to do with my mother and father, it's to do with us and the team.

"We're here to do a job, we'll do it to the best of our abilities. I'm not making excuses, but I don't think many countries could cope with the amount of injuries we've had. That's the luck at the moment, but I would like to ask the Irish public to stand by us, because we will get it right, I know that, and we will give it everything we've got tomorrow night. Fire away."

And with that the questions come. "Lee (Carsley) was always in the back of my mind, but when we got the news about Stephen Ireland that confirmed it," he responds to the first. "We know what Lee can offer, he's an experienced pro. He knows the situation, there's not a problem, he's totally committed to whatever I ask of him."

Have you been given any reassurances about your position? "Yes," he said. "Everything's fine, I'm going to be here no matter what's written, you can write all you want. No matter what happens tomorrow I'll be here next month. We have to get on with it, we are what we are. I'm proud to be Irish and I know we'll get this right. We have to stick together, and that's the supporters and ourselves."

Robbie Keane, sitting beside his manager, maintains the theme. "We take pride in playing for our country. We know we let ourselves down, we let the fans down, so it's up to us to put it right. It's up to us to stand up and be counted and when that whistle blows, give it everything that we've got."

Talking done, time for action.