Stan bids to restore old spirit
Being a responsible newspaper, however, we'll just stick to the facts: Mick Byrne is back and Damien Duff is happy to see him.
If the build-up to the friendly with Sweden has thus far been largely about the infusion of new blood, yesterday there was a touch of the rare old times around the Irish team's Portmarnock hotel base, with the surprise return of Mick Byrne physio, Mr Fix-it and Minister for Morale under Jack Charlton and Mick McCarthy playing a prominent role.
Without telling the players, Steve Staunton instructed Byrne to give them their morning wake-up call, a procedure which involved more than a mere knock on the door in the case of Damien Duff.
"Yeah, Mick is back," the Chelsea man confided with a grin. "I was woken by him jumping on the bed this morning, kissing me. He's a special man, you can't help but love him, and it's great to have him back."
Byrne isn't the only familiar figure to return from exile during the Brian Kerr years. Security man Tony Hickey is another who is back on the scene.
And these things matter to the players. "Outside the team you wouldn't really see it but the likes of myself and some of the others would be close to those people," says Duff.
"So the fact that they're around again will hopefully help bring the team spirit and togetherness back. There was definitely something missing, I think we all know that, so having the familiar faces we were all so close to back, can only help."
Back to the future would seem to be about the best summation of Steve Staunton's policy in these, the earliest days of his Irish management, as forward moves are made on all fronts from footballing matters to media relations while simultaneously there's s a deliberate attempt to recapture some of the good-humoured spirit of yesteryear.
Which is all well and good but what will ultimately matter most, of course, is what Staunton can inspire his charges to achieve on the pitch.
"He needs to get us back qualifying for major tournaments," says Duff. "That's all we care about. I'm not worried about his lack of management experience. You don't have to look any further than Stuart Pearce, who's doing a great job at Man City.
"People should give Steve a chance. He's been there and done it as a player. No disrespect to Brian, but he probably just didn't know the ins and outs of everyday life of being in the English game. Steve knows what footballers are like and what goes on."
As does Duff who, with 57 caps and set to turn 27 on Thursday, is now a senior figure in a squad in which his experience will be invaluable for the newcomers. "Definitely. Coming into the squad is always a big thing. I remember when I was getting my first, second and third caps, it's a nerve- wracking experience. So, yeah, the likes of myself, Robbie and Shay, the older lads even though we're 26 or 27 that's what we're here to do."
And, of course, as every Irish fan knows, as our most creative attacking player, the Duffer carries an even bigger responsibility on the pitch, something he admits he failed to live up to in the World Cup campaign.
"Nowhere near my peak," is how he describes his performances. "Now, I've just got to get back on track. I've had a couple of injuries the past couple of months but I've been working hard to get back to 100% fitness and sharpness. Hopefully, it'll be there on Wednesday night."
Unfortunately, a recent failure to nail down a starting place at Chelsea can't have helped his confidence.
"It's been a difficult couple of months," he admits. "I've had injuries and tried to play through them, and I'm back now pain-free but obviously not back in the team. But I've had an awful lot more lows in my career at Blackburn with Brian Kidd and what have you so I've been there and done that. But I still give 200% every day and that's what matters."
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