Our record at this stage of competitions might not inspire much confidence but what has gone on in the past won't trouble the Irish team when they take the field at Lansdowne Road this evening (kick-off 7.0, Network 2, BBC 2).

Having lost all three play-offs that we've been involved in, there will be those who will suspect that the dismal record is about to be extended.

But things change in international football and nobody knows that better than the Turks who command a great deal of respect on the international stage these days.

Like the Turks, the Irish have made progress over the past couple of seasons. When the Belgians came here two years ago we probably had the players to beat them but we certainly didn't have the gameplan. When things didn't happen the way they were supposed to in that first leg there simply wasn't the imagination or flexibility to come up with something different and ultimately, we paid the price.

Tonight has the potential to be very different. Over the past 18 months we have become a far more dynamic side at home. We have become more creative and much better at setting up goals in different ways. Mick McCarthy's growing enthusiasm for the use of wingers has given even fairly polished defences problems when they come to Dublin.

And once again yesterday the Ireland manager opted for a very positive team selection and that is to be welcomed. What is different in this game is that a great deal will rest on the fortunes of the relatively inexperienced Kevin Kilbane who will have to shoulder a lot more of the creative burden.

Kilbane is a fine player, one who looks to have a bright future ahead of him, but McCarthy will know that he is asking a lot of the 22-year-old this evening and the manager probably won't be entirely comfortable about it.

Kilbane's problem, in common with just about every other winger, is that he is a little unpredictable . But that is the nature of the beast with this position and managers take the chance because they know that players as skilful as Kilbane can turn a game in a moment.

While the formation for this evening's game looks to be 4-4-2 it is, in reality, more like 4-3-3 which means that the Ireland manager is investing heavily in Kilbane's ability to deliver one or two of those magic moments. It's a gamble but the sort of gamble that has to be taken in a game of this importance.

On the other side Rory Delap has less experience but I think he will be asked to play a more balanced role, getting forward when the opportunity arises, getting back when the need is there.

Behind them the full-backs may actually hold the key to the match for Denis Irwin and Steve Carr both need to emerge as central players this evening if we are really to take control of the contest.

On the continent the threat posed by an opposing team's forwards is assessed and then the defence tend to push on to whatever extent that they can. That's what the Irish will have to do this evening because while the Turks will be dangerous on the break they are likely to defend in numbers and we will need all the width we can get if we are to break them down.

If Kilbane can get forward and Delap can leave space for Carr the visitors can be put under serious pressure out on the flanks. If that happens Niall Quinn, who is playing as well these days as I have ever seen him play, can be even more of a problem for the Turks.

The danger is, however, that if Ireland don't get in crosses from good positions and revert instead to aiming long balls at Quinn from deep positions the Turks will realise early on that there is little to worry about and so redeploy their players in a more threatening way.

While Ireland's home form through the qualifying group stages would suggest that there is every cause for optimism this evening, our form away from home has been a nightmare and so we really need to be at least a goal ahead before the match in Bursa.

If we are the Turks will have to come at us and there will be opportunity to frustrate them; if not we may well end up having to chase the away game, and to say that we are not so hot at that is an understatement.

It is crucial therefore that we don't concede any goals this evening. The Turks are likely to defend deeply but not so deeply as to exacerbate the threat of Quinn and so we will need to be alert to them breaking quickly out of midfield.

If we can use our width effectively and Roy Keane does his thing in the centre of midfield there is absolutely no reason whatsoever why we shouldn't be heading for Bursa next week with every chance of progressing to next summer's European Championship finals.

In an interview with Emmet Malone