Always look on the bright side of life

TIME, I think, for something upbeat to combat the brutal weather and even more brutal headlines. Time to look on the bright side.

Time, in short, to plot a course for qualification for the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

On paper all things are always possible, of course, but as Ireland prepares to resume its qualifying campaign at home to Georgia on Wednesday, it’s far from wishful thinking to envisage a scenario whereby Giovanni Trapattoni’s team would take to the pitch in Bari as Group 8 leaders on April 1.