Kerr’s pressure points

AT Malahide United’s training ground yesterday, a number of familiar faces were missing from the Republic of Ireland’s first training session of what is shaping up to be a decisive World Cup week.

The reality is less worrying than first appearances might have suggested virtually the whole squad is expected to fly out to Cyprus this lunchtime.

Included will be Shay Given, Nicky Colgan, Kevin Kilbane and Stephen Carr, all of whom were due in late last night or early this morning, having been delayed by a variety of circumstances including, in the case of the Newcastle United full-back, a family bereavement.

Steve Finnan took only a curtailed part in yesterday's session, having reported in with a sore knee, but it is hoped that he will be able to resume training today or tomorrow.

Last night, Gary Breen was a bigger doubt with a calf strain, and a decision was due to be made this morning on whether or not the Sunderland man would be fit enough for the trip to Cyprus.

With Brian Kerr keeping a low media profile a scheduled pitch-side briefing was cancelled until this morning the vacuum was inevitably filled with further conjecture that the manager, and the squad, were feeling the heat, as pressure mounts in advance of the two remaining make or break qualifiers.

But, as far as captain Kenny Cunningham is concerned, the issue is straightforward: wins against Cyprus and Switzerland and World Cup qualification is still a live possibility. Everything else is a distraction.

"My thoughts on the games are simple, really," he said. "We need two wins from two games. Anything less and we are going to miss out. We have to go to Cyprus and be positive. We have to go and win.

"As disappointed as we were after the French game coming into the dressing room, things are now black and white for us. There is no in-between, no grey areas. We have to be really positive in our approach against Cyprus. It is not an easy place to go to, we know that. No international away games is easy. We know that if we don't put in a good performance we are out, it's as simple as that."

Cunningham insists that, with at least two games to go, this is a time to look forward not back.

"There are always going to be regrets but this is not the time to think about it. We can still qualify for the play-offs. We don't think back to the games that have gone before, because we can't affect them. Six points will see us in the play-offs, and that will be some achievement. We will focus on that, we have prepared as well as we can as we always do and we will have good support in Cyprus.

"A lot of fans will be travelling over there, so it should be a great atmosphere inside the stadium. Hopefully, we can repay the loyalty they have shown and the support they have given us in the group so far."

One player who, not so long ago, was one of those fans is Kevin Doyle, the Reading striker who has been called up into the senior squad for the first time. Yesterday he revealed that, when he wasn't included in the U21 squad, he assumed he'd have some time off and booked flights for a short break at home in Wexford with his family and friends. Brian Kerr's call-up changed all that. "I'm not complaining," he laughs.

The former Cork City striker, who has been in fine goal-scoring form for Championship title-contenders Reading since moving there in June, says that he grew up admiring such Irish goal-scoring heroes as Niall Quinn, Tony Cascarino and John Aldridge. Now he's relishing the prospect of sooner or later becoming the first player from Wexford to collect a senior cap.

"I'm delighted to have been called up," he said, having just finished his first training session with the senior squad. "I think everyone in Wexford is. It's good for soccer there because it's not given as much credit as it should be and people might take more interest in it now, I hope."

Doyle appreciates that his move to Reading and his ability to adapt quickly to his new surroundings was a significant factor in his move up from the U21s.

"I'm sure that playing in the Championship and scoring a few goals has helped my cause a lot," he said. "I've obviously learned some things since joining Reading but it's not just about learning. Confidence-wise, it's done a lot for me, in the space of three months. I already came it into it full of confidence from Cork. It is a step-up, I'm sure, but I've taken it reasonably well so far, and hopefully I can keep it up."

In fact, Doyle could end the season with two championship medals.

"That'd be nice, yeah," he smiles. "I'm not sure how many medals Cork will be given if they win it but I wouldn't mind getting one."

And there might even be a trip to the World Cup to cap it all off.

"I think they have been playing well all along and were a bit unlucky at times," says the neophyte who promptly remembers that now it's not 'them' but 'we'. "I think we should win both games and then there's a play-off place. That's what we're looking for."