For ‘The Third Man’ read ‘The Third Match’ (featuring, um, Harry Liam). So here we are back in Vienna where, this evening, your painfully punning correspondent will be making his third trip to the Ernst-Happel Stadion.

Tears welling up in his eyes, Robbie Brady paused to reaffirm Ireland’s tendency of thriving in the face of adversity. It’s hardly surprising the trend has surged since his arrival on the scene given the personal history he’s endured in overcoming the odds.

And so we arrive at a point of definition in Euro 2016: a knockout game before the knockout stage, a cup final to gain access to another cup final.

Since he was dazzling defenders before his teens with St Kevin’s Boys, Robbie Brady was being primed for stages like last night and his contribution may leave a legacy beyond his time in an Irish jersey, writes John Fallon.

There has been a trend developing in football, or soccer, or whatever you call it yourself, whereby multi-million pound players leaving big clubs for other big clubs tweet or Instagram or communicate in some other new-fangled way their gratitude to the fans and the institution they are leaving behind.

The high point of Mick McCarthy’s reign as Ireland manager (with the lowest point thrown in for good measure) was leading Ireland to a terrific showing at the 2002 World Cup finals.

I watched last Sunday’s scoreless draw with England on television and listened with interest to the analysis of Kenny Cunningham and Keith Andrews.

In football, there is an infinite number of reasons why a manager can be asked to pack his bags, but the bottom line when the new man is hired is always the same: do better than the last guy.

The axe swung. Experience counted for nought.

So it’s business as usual, as in business unusual, across the Irish Sea, the fledgling new Premier League season having already sent the back pages into overdrive with LVG’s nightmare start at Old Trafford, Liverpool prepared to swap frying pan for fire as Balotelli replaces Suarez and, simply stinking the whole place out, the Malky Mackay scandal.

Giovanni Trapattoni has announced he is in talks to become the next Ivory Coast coach.

Would you buy a car from this man?

Giovanni Trapattoni will be unveiled as Morocco’s manager tomorrow, according to Italian media reports.

Drawing Germany in the Euro qualifiers sent a few shivers down Irish spines still bent under the weight of that humiliating 6-1 World Cup defeat in Dublin in October 2012.

If you could cash a reality check you’d be up to your eyeballs in folding stuff this weekend.

Martin O’Neill’s mantra that age is no barrier to an international career has fallen kindly for Ipswich Town striker Daryl Murphy ahead of his Ireland re-launch tonight against Serbia.

“If my thought-dreams could be seen, they’d probably put my head in a guillotine...”

Shay Given admits Giovanni Trapattoni denied him a chance to return to the Republic of Ireland fold because he was not getting games.

As 2014 takes over from 2013 we should, by rights, be feeling the effects of failing to qualify for Brazil ever more deeply.

The local security man on duty at the media entrance to the stadium in Poznan on Tuesday night had one pressing question on his mind for the Irish journalist: where oh where was Giovanni Trapattoni?

After ridding himself of the hurt caused by his axing under the previous manager, Kevin Doyle says he has no intention of settling for a bit-part role in the new Ireland regime.

Former Republic of Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni has dismissed reports that he is in line to replace Vladimir Petkovic at Lazio.

Giovanni Trapattoni, highly decorated over four decades in some of Europe’s most demanding leagues, paid the price for the national team’s poor performances with his job.

Ireland U21 manager Noel King may have delivered a glowing epitaph of Giovanni Trapattoni’s impact but his deputy, Harry McCue, yesterday laid bare the Italian’s disinterest in any tier beneath the senior fold.

You find this column in a holding pattern today which, as anyone who has ever experienced the same situation in the sky above Heathrow will know it could mean a landing any time between now and Christmas.

Now most of the Irish sports media, and top commentators such as Eamon Dunphy and, to some extent, Johnny Giles, can gloat over the departure of Ireland soccer manager Giovanni Trapattoni, a very costly national football coach for the last five years, following pressure from all sides, primarily from the fans.

OH Gio, the cat was not in the sack these few weeks!

If one of the most basic aims of management is to improve a team’s existing status, it’s going to be interesting to see where the starting point for the next Ireland manager is considered to be.

“Of course Trapattoni would never be sacked. He’s a furbo,” said the butcher in my village yesterday.

Judging by the extensive reporting yesterday of the conversation that led to the dismissal as Irish manager of Giovanni Trapattoni, the Aer Rianta VIP area in Dublin Airport must have been a densely populated area on Wednesday morning.

Ireland legend John Giles believes at least 150 candidates would be interested in becoming Giovanni Trapattoni’s successor.

Liam Mackey bids fond farewell to the man behind the manager.

In contrast to his swish unveiling at a packed RDS five years ago, Giovanni Trapattoni discovered his fate in a subdued airport lounge yesterday morning.

The men in the frame to become the next Republic of Ireland manager:

What Ireland need to do now and why Martin O’Neill is the man to do it.

Republic of Ireland captain Robbie Keane has said that Giovanni Trapattoni is "a credit to the country".

Former Republic of Ireland player Liam Brady has said that Giovanni Trapattoni's tenure as manager "had run its term".

The FAI is denying there was any large pay-off for Giovanni Trapattoni.

Republic of Ireland midfielder James McCarthy has spoken of his sadness and surprise at the departure of manager Giovanni Trapattoni.

Has anyone really thought Trap's departure through properly?

The FAI have confirmed the departure of Giovanni Trapattoni from the Republic of Ireland job.