In at the deep end

BE CAREFUL what you wish for, you might just get it...

Steve Staunton, Bobby Robson and the FAI all expressed satisfaction at the outcome of yesterday's Group D European Championship fixture meeting in Frankfurt. And in so far as the fourth seeds came away with most of what they had already pencilled in on their own wish lists, they were entitled to be pleased with the negotiations at the German FA which could have been wrapped up by early afternoon but for some Slovakian intransigence.

Nevertheless, Steve Staunton's willingness to take on an early away game against Germany, means that the Irish now face a formidable opening stretch before they ever get near Croke Park - for that historic game against Wales in 2007 - let alone Austria and Switzerland in 2008.