NOBODY in the Burlington Hotel’s Elgin Suite was surprised yesterday when Slovak coach Jan Kocian was asked his opinion on the crisis facing his opposite number.

KAROL BRUCKNER walked into yesterday’s press conference in Lansdowne Road wearing his best poker face and insisting that Ireland would be no pushovers despite their apparent disarray.

Czech Republic captain Tomas Rosicky is expecting a crisis-torn Republic of Ireland team to pose his side their sternest test to date of the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.