AS HE named his squad for Oslo next week and hailed the return of Steve Finnan, Giovanni Trapattoni added his voice to the FAI's call for next month's opening World Cup qualifier in Tbilisi to be moved on the grounds of safety.
"It's a very sad situation," said the Italian, "but we have to look for a new country. We will wait for Fifa to make their decision but there is a precedent for this. Israel had to play games in Cyprus (during the Euro 2004 qualification campaign)."
While John Delaney consulted with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin, regarding the situation yesterday, and the department advised against travelling to the region at present under any circumstances, Georgian Football Federation officials insisted that the game should go ahead at the Boris Paichadze Stadium as scheduled.
"We know what Ireland are saying," said the organisation's press officer Aleksander Tsnobbiladze, "but at this moment the game will go ahead in Tbilisi. We believe it can, there are no problems in Tbilisi."
Trapattoni, meanwhile, conceded that if Fifa refuse to intervene then there will be little option but to travel rather than forfeit the points but, he said, "it's up to Fifa, they must be able to guarantee our safety".
Insurance is an issue for the association which has received advice to the effect that the policy it holds to cover players would be void in the event that the game takes place in what is considered a "war zone" at the time of the match. That may well prove a major stumbling block with clubs but the manager made clear that no players have expressed any concern about making the trip so far.
"I've spoken to four or five of them about their form and condition and none mentioned it," he said. "They know that we are responsible and they trust us."
Amongst those he has been speaking to of late are the three retirees - Finnan, Andy O'Brien and Stephen Ireland - and those discussion have yielded rather different outcomes in the cases of the three players.
Finnan, who the Italian noted "still has a lot to give to the team", returns for the trip to Norway but O'Brien has now confirmed his decision to give up international football.
The saga concerning Ireland continues with the Manchester City midfielder informing the manager he is not ready to come back at this point. However, he indicated he may return at some point in the future.
O'Brien, it seems, is upset about the amount of criticism he received in the wake of the 5-2 defeat in Cyprus almost two years ago and Trapattoni expressed his gratitude to the Bolton Wanderers defender for clarifying his position while making it entirely apparent that he feels the player is making a decision he will live to regret.
"He said he was disappointed, I don't know exactly why," he remarked before adding that, when pressed, the 29-year-old had explained: "In the last two or three games it was as if it was only me who made Ireland lose."
But, said the veteran coach: "When you do any job you have to accept criticism - if it was a problem for me I would have to change jobs immediately. He has made his decision, though. Still, I'm sure," he added, "that in 10 years he will ask himself: 'Why?'"
Trapattoni, meanwhile, might be forgiven at this stage for losing patience with Ireland but he insisted that the door remains open to the Corkman if and when he decides to return. "He may have had problems with family or psychologically," he said, "but it's a question of when he wants to come back and that he's convinced about the decision."
Asked about the potential for other players to start feeling too many allowances are being made for one individual he accepted that he cannot be seen to beg.
"We can not keep asking him, 'Please come back, please come back'," he observed. "We can only say, 'Our door is open'. We need all our players."
There were few other surprises in the 22-man squad named although Lee Carsley's absence suggests that the Birmingham City player may not be viewed as a first-choice midfielder while the decision to name only two goalkeepers won't have done much for the spirits of those below Shay Given and Dean Kiely in the pecking order.
In relation to Carsley, Trapattoni maintained that he is well aware of what the 34 year-old has to offer and insisted that he may yet be called in for next month's competitive games but said that he did not wish to make yet another change to a squad that already included players like Given, Andy and Steven Reid as well as Joey O'Brien, all of whom had missed the pre-summer friendlies.
"I cannot change so many," he said. "When you change four, five or six players it becomes difficult. We have to create a strong squad. This is 90 per cent my squad for the World Cup games.
Joey O'Brien, he said, makes the cut on this occasion in place of the injured Paul McShane while Stephen Kelly will be replaced by Kevin Foley in the event that he does not recover from the groin strain that kept him out of Birmingham City's Championship campaign opener at the weekend.
Amongst the more peripheral players to be included are Glenn Whelan and Damien Delaney who retain their places in the panel after earning their first caps against Serbia and Colombia and both, Trapattoni hinted, may be given another chance in Oslo.
Of more significance is the availability of the more established figures such as Given and the Reids. Trapattoni only has to hope now that they all make it safely through the opening weekend of Premier League games in England and onto the plane for Oslo next Monday morning.
