Staunton strain

By John Haughey
BBC Sport

Staunton's side struggled to beat San Marino last month

Republic of Ireland boss Steve Staunton has tried manfully this week to appear upbeat ahead of Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifier against Wales at Croke Park.

He has been talking up the historic nature of the occasion as the Gaelic Athletic Association opens its doors to soccer six weeks after the venue hosted rugby for the first time.

But in truth, the build-up to the Garrison Game's Croke Park bow has been strained and decidedly flat.

News conference: Rep of Ireland boss Steve Staunton

Speculation persists that Staunton could be out of a job by this time next week if the Republic produce performances anything like the abysmal showing which saw them scramble a 2-1 win in San Marino last month.

Staunton was on the receiving end of savage media criticism after that game with his post-match comments reckoned by many to be even more disturbing that his team's hapless efforts out of the field.

Nothing has happened in the intervening six weeks to change the Irish media's consensus that Staunton's 14-month reign will end if things go wrong against Wales and Slovakia at Croke Park over the next week.

606: DEBATE It's a big match and one I think Ireland can win Sean C - BBC Sport

When the GAA took their momentous decision in 2005 that Croke Park would be opened to 'foreign games' after the commencement of the Lansdowne Road redevelopment, the prospect of the likes of Damien Duff, Robbie Keane, Shay Given and maybe even a veteran Roy Keane striding out at the north Dublin venue seemed mouth-watering.

Two years on, we find a much-changed Irish football landscape.

The Cork Keane is retired albeit still quite happy to lob verbal hand grenades at underperforming Irish players, managers and, of course, the FAI as we witnessed again this week.

Damien Duff and Robbie Keane have been pale shadows of the players that impressively bestrode the World Cup finals stage five years ago, with the Newcastle player's descent into mediocrity for the Republic utterly incomprehensible.

I don't get bogged down by saying we've got world-class players with Ireland Roy Keane

Indeed, the senior Keane was scathing on Wednesday when he scoffed at the strength of the current Republic squad.

"I don't get bogged down by saying we've got world-class players with Ireland," said the Sunderland manager.

"You look at some of our lads at the bigger clubs...none of these players at this moment in time are setting the world alight at their respective clubs."

That lack of quality has translated itself into the Republic falling to 51st in the Fifa rankings, which while much-maligned in certain quarters, appear pretty accurate when it comes to Staunton's strugglers.

Ahead of Saturday's occasion, there is also the matter of a seemingly tetchy relationship between the GAA and the FAI.

Damien Duff's recent Republic displays have been disappointing

This was given further substance by the comments of top GAA official Liam Mulvihill on Wednesday when he made abundantly clear that the Republic of Ireland playing friendlies or any mooted 'home nations' games at Croke Park was not on the agenda.

Certainly, the GAA and Irish Rugby Union managed the build-up to this year's Six Nations games at Croker with scarcely a hitch but this has not been the case in the run-up to Saturday's occasion.

For example, the FAI's attempt to organise a training session for the Republic squad at Croke Park last month was rebuffed by the GAA and the public spat about the issue appeared to do little to smooth relations between the two sporting bodies.

But perhaps an uneasy relationship between the GAA and the FAI is inevitable given that the two bodies see themselves as being in direct competition for players throughout the whole country, which isn't the case with rugby.

All the above means that there is the little of the expectancy or euphoria that undoubtedly gripped Dublin in the run-up to the Six Nations games against France and England last month - although the match is a 70,000 sell-out.

Football fans and journalists are fickle sorts and a couple of impressive wins could change everything for Staunton.

However, even the Republic's most die-hard supporters will travel to Croke Park on Saturday more in hope than expectation.