Ireland's day of reckoning

WORLD CUP 2002/Republic of Ireland v Germany: If there was one message to be taken away from Mick McCarthy's final meeting with the media before today's second Group E outing for his Republic of Ireland side, it was a new variation on one of international football's oldest themes.

"Never write up the Germans," the Ireland manager told us in so many words as he wrapped up a session in which the line of questioning had indicated little faith on the press side of the table in his team's ability to win this afternoon's first competitive encounter between these countries.

McCarthy, of course, need only cite the win over Holland to silence the sceptics these days, but having just come from the training ground where, it appeared, at least one player had been given bad news, he didn't look too interested in forcing the point home.

Still, compared to Jason McAteer, who had dragged himself off towards the team bus looking particularly dejected, McCarthy was in flying form. It could have been worse for the player. The collective decision to abandon a trip to Ibaraki, where they were due to train at the stadium, because it would have involved a couple of hours on a very warm coach, meant the Sunderland midfielder would be back in the safety of his hotel room within a matter of minutes. He looked as though he could hardly wait.

The manager denied having told any of the players of today's team, but his long-time favourite looked like a man who had, at the very least, sensed he was in for a let-down. The question remains whether he turns out to be the only one.

In the wake of the performance of his starting 11 on Saturday in Niigata, and with several first-choice players still carrying injury problems, McCarthy may feel the need to make more than one switch for a match that is of massive importance to both sides.

Ireland's record in friendlies against the Germans is surprisingly good, with six wins and two draws in 15 meetings. Major championships are very much their turf, however, and Saturday's eight-goal romp by Rudi Voller's side certainly made them look rather at home at this, their 13th successive appearance at these finals.

Though McCarthy once again said everybody would be fit to play today, there was lingering concern about the availability of Shay Given and Gary Breen.

While most of the squad took part in the usual end-of-session knock-about game yesterday, Given worked out with Packie Bonner. But McCarthy insisted afterwards that the Donegalman was fine.

Breen, who sat out the game entirely, is also said to have recovered from a slight hamstring problem. But with the strain clearly still hindering him to some extent 24 hours before the game, it is difficult to see how he could start against a team that has demonstrated its ability to score goals aplenty against the likes of Ukraine, Israel, Austria, Kuwait and, of course, the Saudis in recent times.

Assuming the defender is rested, McCarthy must choose between Kenny Cunningham and Andy O'Brien to partner Steve Staunton on his 100th senior appearance. The Newcastle United defender's form in the English Premiership this season might well give him the edge on another occasion, especially as Uli Stielike identified Ireland's lack of pace in central defence as perhaps enough of a problem to warrant a shift in their tactics - Oliver Neiville, for instance, could replace the less mobile Carsten Jancker.

But Cunningham's experience may win out on a day when a German win would leave Ireland and Cameroon fighting it out for Group E's second spot in the next round.

McAteer, meanwhile, returned to full training on Monday, but, after struggling through last week with a knee injury which was compounded by another knock on Saturday, he has always looked the most vulnerable to being dropped. If he is, then McCarthy may leave Gary Kelly on the right side of midfield and restore Steve Finnan, if fully fit, to the right back position.

There's also a case to be made for resting Ian Harte, whose defensive performance against Cameroon was one of his weakest in some time. If he were to be left out, McAteer could still be omitted if Kelly switched to left back and Steven Reid was handed his first competitive start.

But McCarthy's record suggests he will be reluctant to go that far, even though the same changes made during the course of Saturday's match undoubtedly contributed to a marked improvement in his team's performance.

Whoever ends up playing in the positions that appear to be up for grabs, a huge amount today will again depend on the ability of Mark Kinsella and Matt Holland to cope in central midfield.

The pair completely subdued Lauren and Marc-Vivien Foe in the second half of Saturday's opening game, but they may find the challenge of Michael Ballack, Torsten Frings and Dietmar Hamann even more of a handful.

Ballack is a particular threat, for in addition to shouldering his usual workload in the centre of the pitch at the weekend he also provided the crosses from the left that led to two of the game's early goals.

Bernd Schneider, a consistently impressive performer since coming in for the injured Sebastian Deisler, made a similar contribution with a couple from the right and, like Cameroon's Geremi, he will test Kevin Kilbane's defensive capabilities to the limit.

Hamann, though, was the one singled out by Voller after Saturday's game, with the German coach claiming that the Liverpool midfielder "must have set a new world record for possession during a single game" against the Saudis. If he is allowed even half as much time to co-ordinate Germany's attacking play today then the Irish will be in considerable trouble.

At the back, though, there is real hope that Ireland's opponents will have difficulty in dealing with the movement of Damien Duff and Robbie Keane, particularly if the pair are allowed to concentrate on working together to stretch the three-man German defence, rather than the Leeds United man being required to drop back to lend a hand in midfield, as he was in Saturday's first half.

If they do well, then anything is possible against a German side that, despite its recent goal sprees, has not beaten a genuinely good side in some time. Indeed, Kevin Keggan's England are their only notable scalp since France '98. Certainly it is within the capabilities of McCarthy's men to obtain another draw, one that would keep the pressure on Cameroon and ensure that Tuesday's meeting between the group's two more fancied sides will be competitive.

Achieve that and the Irish will return to Chiba City entitled to be well satisfied.