LET there be no more talk of Paris.

WHEN viewed from a certain perspective, Armenia don’t appear to meet any of the requirements for success in international football.

Russia coach Dick Advocaat is confident his players will seal their place at Euro 2012 when they take on Andorra tomorrow night, but is aware they cannot afford to start the celebrations just yet.

COMFORT will be in short supply for Andorra — or Ireland for that matter – when Russia look to seal their European Championship deal in Moscow tomorrow night.

THE celebrations didn’t all belong to the Russians in Zilina last night — just the football ones as the Skrtels prepare for a big family gathering on Merseyside.

HE may have called a halt to the celebrations at the end of last night’s win in Zilina — but Russia coach Dick Advocaat must know Euro 2012 qualification is all but certain now.

Andorra 0 Republic of Ireland 2

Slovakia 0 Russia 1

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI’S worst instincts were all but confirmed in Zilina last night — the Russians are to blame for his mountain hike in Andorra.

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI would be ill-advised to take up the European Championship bail-out offer slapped on the table in the sleepy Slovakian resort of Senec yesterday.

Marco Tardelli has warned the Republic of Ireland not to underestimate Andorra as they attempt to snatch automatic qualification for Euro 2012.

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI calls it “a speciality game”.

Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni is taking a win-at-all-costs approach to Friday night's Euro 2012 qualifier in Andorra.

Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has warned his players to ignore events in Slovakia as they attempt to snatch automatic qualification for Euro 2012.

Republic of Ireland skipper Robbie Keane has warned Russia they can take nothing for granted as the race for Euro 2012 qualification approaches its climax.

EVEN having seen his team only survive the siege of Moscow by a miracle, Giovanni Trapattoni would still rather manage Ireland than try to manage in a real war zone.

ARMENIA stunned Slovakia with four second-half goals in Zilina to blow Ireland’s Euro 2012 qualifying Group B wide open.

THEY already have some imposing statues in the capital of Russia but they may have to make way for one of a man from Tallaght after this minor miracle in Moscow.

Armenia stunned Slovakia with four second-half goals in Zilina to blow Euro 2012 qualifying Group B wide open.

THE good news first. This was Ireland’s sixth consecutive clean sheet. That concludes the good news.

Republic of Ireland skipper Robbie Keane is determined to avoid another bout of play-off misery by securing an automatic passage to next summer’s Euro 2012 finals.

SLOVAKIAN playmaker Marek Hamsik has no more than a 50-50 chance of featuring in tonight’s European Championship clash against the Republic of Ireland, according to his manager Vladimir Weiss.

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI began his traditional eve of match press conference in the by now predictable manner, extolling the virtues of his team during their performances over the summer which saw them score 10 goals and concede none over five games.

Vladimir Weiss will not rely on his enviable record against Italians as he attempts to guide Slovakia past the Republic of Ireland tomorrow night.

Glenn Whelan is hoping the Republic of Ireland have had their sticky patch as they attempt to book their place at the Euro 2012 finals.

Glenn Whelan insists the Republic of Ireland will not jeopardise their Euro 2012 dreams by taking a gung-ho approach to their must-win clash with Slovakia.

SHAY GIVEN must have felt very much at home last night.

FLORENT MALOUDA provided a defiant finish to another shaky night for Chelsea as they came from behind to claim an unconvincing 2-1 victory over Slovakian minnows MSK Zilina — a result that alleviates but by no means eliminates the pressure on manager Carlo Ancelotti.

LIFE without Robbie. It could be the tagline for another Hollywood rom-com or the title of the latest entrant to the chick-lit genre.

RICHARD DUNNE has defended his decision to criticise the Republic of Ireland’s tactics in last month’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Russia.

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI has learned the hard way that if he suggests one of his players in England could do with a move, it only ends up causing what he likes to call “a polemica” in the press.

HIS last involvement with his country was warming the bench in the Stade de France as Ireland crashed out of the World Cup on an infamous night last November but now Stephen Hunt is on the way back after starting a match for the first time in eight months.

SLOVAKIA coach Vladimir Weiss paid tribute to his backroom staff and scouting team after their 1-1 draw with the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday night.

IT was morning after the night before but, frankly, it was hard to tell the difference as a small hours flight from Slovakia had afforded precious little time for slumber before Giovanni Trapattoni was up bright and early again yesterday to review Ireland’s state of play at the end of a rollercoaster first phase of the European Championship campaign.

Giovanni Trapattoni hailed the performances of replacements Shane Long and Keith Fahey as Ireland picked up a vital point in Zilina from last night’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Slovakia.

IN the immediate and deeply gloomy aftermath of the crushing setback of Friday’s loss to Russia, Ireland would happily have settled for a point in this one.

ONE point gained or two lost?

THIS campaign may have opened with a 1-0 win in Armenia but Eastern Europe has rarely been a source of such profit for Irish teams ever since the first competitive trip behind what was then the Iron Curtain ended in the red 51 years ago.

A TALE of two strikers.

Giovanni Trapattoni tonight admitted Robbie Keane’s lack of playing time for Tottenham this season is putting his Republic of Ireland place in doubt.

Slovakia 1 Republic of Ireland 1

Liam Lawrence failed a fitness test on a leg injury today so Keith Fahey started tonight’s Euro 2012 qualifier in Zilina in midfield as one of two changes for the Republic of Ireland from Friday’s 3-2 defeat by Russia.

Robbie Keane believes Shane Long can surprise the Slovakian defence when he takes Kevin Doyle's place in the Republic of Ireland side in Zilina tonight.