Rep of Ireland v Albania; Lansdowne Road, 3.0 On TV: Net 2:In the absence of much by way of injury news there was a good deal of light-hearted talk yesterday about what song the players would choose as the "anthem" to be played as they come out on to the pitch for home games.No need to ask about a tune to greet the final whistle, though.
The supporters at Lansdowne Road have never needed any musical accompaniment for the joy that comes with victory and should the Irish fail to beat Albania this afternoon nothing less than a funereal march would be appropriate.
For all the hype about capturing the sort of spirit displayed by Celtic fans at home games and turning Lansdowne Road into a "fortress" again, it's worth remembering the Republic have lost just three competitive games at home in over 17 years, so those who have filled the crumbling stadium during that time have presumably been doing something right.
The crowd's reaction to the defeat by Switzerland last October was unfortunate but the background against which the match was played combined with the quality of the performance on the night was bound to generate some disquiet in the stands. That, of course, is history now but for all the razzmatazz the FAI might generate before today's game, failure to beat the Albanians would hardly be well received.
But the matter simply shouldn't arise. Brian Kerr looks to have enough talent at his disposal to ensure the Republic edge their way further back into a qualification race that looked well beyond them as the boos that followed defeat by the Swiss echoed around the ground. How he will use that talent has been the more interesting topic of speculation during the past week.
Tactically, Kerr is both more astute and more adventurous than his predecessor but apart from in the recent friendly against Norway his approach is to strive for the sort of continuity on which this group of players thrived under Mick McCarthy.
Against the Norwegians, Damien Duff was given a new role and the team given a new shape. Both responded well but the manager has given little or no indication whether he was sufficiently satisfied to shift away from the accustomed 4-4-2 formation.
Duff is certainly gifted enough to carry the burden of spearheading the qualification effort but Kerr, with Noel O'Reilly, is also adept at weighing up the strengths and weaknesses of opponents and it seems far from certain the approach adopted against a lifeless and slightly uninterested Norwegian side in a friendly would prove as rewarding against a team whose stated aim is to come here and attack.
In training on Thursday Duff was again to be seen playing behind a front two and there is a good deal to be said for giving the 24-year-old freedom to roam. Kerr and his captain, Kenny Cunningham, have talked, however, about the importance of testing this afternoon's visitors out wide. Without the likes of Jason McAteer and a fully fit Steven Reid, whose game would be suited to getting forward down the right flank, that is not going to be easily achieved without wide men in midfield.
Kerr said yesterday that if Reid featured at all today it would be from the bench, for the Millwall midfielder is simply not sufficiently fit for the full 90 minutes. But the manager is also hampered by the lack of first-team football played by Colin Healy this season as well as the absence of both Steve Finnan and Gary Kelly. With Alan Quinn having played four minutes of senior international football to date the only other option is Lee Carsley.
The Everton midfielder's lack of a single international goal for Ireland in 26 appearances does not mark him out as the obvious choice to play wide in a team that Kerr has made clear must be more positive in its approach than when these two sides last met at the start of April in Tirana.
Still, the 29-year-old has shown at Everton during the season just ended and in Georgia that he is well capable of posing a threat around the edge of the area. His presence would also be useful when it comes to containing Albania's most creative influence, left wing back Edvin Murati.
Playing with Duff behind the front two and three across the centre will certainly give the big Albanian central defenders plenty to cope with but it will require big performances too from Ireland's full backs, Steve Carr and, most likely, John O'Shea, if the visiting side aren't to be left with space out wide that can be used both as a safety valve when under attack and as a route forward to an attack likely to be led by Brescia's Igli Tare.
On home turf the Albanians have developed into a formidable enough outfit under Hans-Pieter Briegel. They have only ever won once competitively away from home, in Moldova in 1996, and even Briegel said yesterday they would be more than happy with a draw on this occasion. The hope is he and his players won't be too disappointed with a narrow defeat because no matter what sort of frenzy it is whipped up into before the kick-off, Lansdowne Road won't be happy with anything less.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Given (Newcastle Utd); Carr (Tottenham), Cunningham (Birmingham City), Breen (unattached), O'Shea (Manchester Utd); Carsley (Everton), Kinsella (Aston Villa), Holland (Ipswich Town), Kilbane (Sunderland); Keane (Tottenham), Duff (Blackburn Rovers).
ALBANIA: Strakosha; Beqiri, Cipi, Aliaj; Duro, Bellaj, Hasi, Murati; Skela; Rraklli, Tare.
