In the week that was in it, and with the long awaited Euros kick off now just 24 hours away, a conversation with Kevin Kilbane could only begin with one question: was he too now ready to come out of international retirement?

While it would clearly be ridiculous to make any kind of judgement on Martin O’Neill’s management after one game, tomorrow’s fixture in Tbilisi does offer a curious kind of acid test — and an immediate point of comparison.

STEVE STAUNTON was obviously disappointed.

IS Stephen Ward the new Gary Doherty — a defender-turn-striker?

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp handed 19-year-old winger Andros Townsend his debut as he looked to get over his failure to sign David Beckham by moving into the fourth round of the FA Cup with a win over npower League One side Charlton.

THE silence lasted 90 seconds.

IN football, as in life, as in the songs of Creedence Clearwater Revival, the big wheel keeps on turning. On a cold, rainy morning in November 2004, I sat with Brian Kerr in the Red Cow Hotel on the outskirts of Dublin and the talk was of a World Cup qualifying campaign involving, amongst others, Ireland, France and the Faroe Islands. Now it’s five years almost to the day, and I’m back in the same venue sitting across from the same man and, once again, the talk is of World Cup qualifying and of Ireland, France and the Faroe Islands.

STEVEN Thompson struck twice as Burnley wrote another glorious cup chapter by dumping West Brom out of the FA Cup to book a fifth-round trip to Cardiff or Arsenal.

READING goalkeeper Adam Federici scored a dramatic stoppage-time leveller against Cardiff to keep the Royals in the Coca-Cola Championship automatic promotion places after their 1-1 draw yesterday.

HAVANT AND Waterlooville will fly the non-league flag in today’s FA Cup fourth round draw after Rocky Baptiste earned the Blue Square southern side a replay against Swansea.

HAVANT AND WATERLOOVILLE will fly the non-league flag in today’s FA Cup fourth round draw after Rocky Baptiste earned the Blue Square southern side a replay against Swansea.

THERE was an inescapable sense of déjà vu at the Stadio di Serravelle yesterday as Robbie Keane waxed lyrical about a promising young Reading striker.

CHAMPIONSHIP strugglers Norwich have sacked manager Nigel Worthington following their humiliating 4-1 defeat at home to Burnley.

Republic of Ireland centre-back Andy O’Brien could be forced to make a decision over his future before midnight which he knows will have repercussions at international level.

WITH one eye on the long-term future, Stephen Staunton has drafted five uncapped players into his first Irish squad.

New Republic of Ireland manager Steve Staunton has exonerated Stephen Ireland of any blame after an U21 mix-up this week by including the rising teenage star in his brave new world.

New Republic of Ireland manager Steve Staunton named a few surprises in his first squad since taking charge last month.

Former Republic of Ireland star Ronnie Whelan fears for the team's future and that any new manager will have to start a painstaking trawl to strengthen a thinning squad.

IT’S D-Day for Brian Kerr. This afternoon at a Dublin hotel, the ten-man FAI Board of Management will meet to review the performance of the out-of-contract Irish manager, and the expectation is that he will not be given the second chance he craves.

Brian Kerr is expected to learn his fate tomorrow when the Football Association of Ireland meet to discuss the Republic of Ireland’s failure to reach next summer’s World Cup finals.

Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr has vowed to take on Switzerland tomorrow “with all guns blazing”, with his job and the country’s World Cup hopes on the line.

SHAY GIVEN, who was at the centre of an injury scare yesterday, is expected to be fit to play against Switzerland tomorrow night.

With temperatures pushing 30 degrees centigrade in Cyprus, the heat is definitely on Brian Kerr, but the Republic of Ireland manager at least has someone fighting his corner.

BRIAN Kerr may never have appeared on RTÉ’s The Restaurant, but he prepared a menu high on basic ingredients for last night’s diners in Dublin 4.

THEY SAY there languishes somewhere in the vaults a low-rent Hollywood medieval war epic which would otherwise be forgotten but for a memorable scene at the beginning in which we meet a peasant leaving his village to do battle.

Ian Guider

Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane will not play in Republic of Ireland’s friendly against Italy at Lansdowne Road next week.

Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr took a major gamble by handing striker Stephen Elliott his first competitive start for this World Cup qualifier against the minnows of the Faroe Islands.

Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr today delivered a stark warning to his players: “Forget pretty, just perform.”

BRIAN KERR faces decisions at the back and front as he prepares his Republic of Ireland side for the Group 4 clash with the Faroe Islands tomorrow evening.

DAMIEN DUFF feels Ireland’s World Cup qualifying hopes are being hampered because the team is too nice for its own good.

SKY SPORTS likes to call them “massive, massive games”; Brian Kerr has settled for “absolutely crucial”.

Republic of Ireland boss Brian Kerr is pondering a midfield dilemma as to who replaces the seemingly irreplaceable in Roy Keane for the forthcoming double-header.

BRIAN KERR will wait until later today at the earliest before making a final decision on the availability of Steve Finnan for tomorrow’s World Cup game against Israel at Lansdowne Road.

Republic of Ireland midfielder Alan Quinn is refusing to let two years of friendly fire dampen his enthusiasm as he patiently continues to wait for a shot at the international big-time.

Gary Doherty is determined to forget his Norwich blues by helping the Republic of Ireland take two steps towards their goal of reaching next summer’s World Cup finals.

Brendan O’Brien

LIVERPOOL’S Steve Finnan yesterday appeared to be fighting a losing battle to be fit for the Republic of Ireland’s crucial World Cup game against Israel on Saturday.

Glasgow Celtic 0 Republic of Ireland XI 1

Rep of Ireland 1 China 0

THE pity of last night’s press conference with Brian Kerr at Lansdowne Road was that it couldn’t have been held back for 24 hours, until France and Israel had done exchanging shirts - and hopefully points - in Tel Aviv.

CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho yesterday vowed not to change his personality after his Carling Cup final dismissal — but promised there would be no repeat of the controversial “silence” gesture.