THERE will be no psychological baggage from last year's misadventure in Vaduz when the Republic of Ireland seek to start their World Cup programme with a win over Liechtenstein on Saturday.

That was Mick McCarthy's confident prediction yesterday after supervising the latest phase of the preparations for a game which has assumed a competitive edge out of all proportion to the records of the two countries.

For many, the memories of the scoreless draw which put Jack Charlton's European championship challenge in free tall in June 1995, represent the biggest threat to McCarthy's hopes of plotting his first competitive win since taking charge of the team. But on the face of it, he is not overly worried.

"Since I wasn't personally involved in that game, I don't have any hang ups about it - and neither do the people who actually played in it," he said.

"Far from inhibiting players, I think it will provide them with extra motivation to go and do the business and show that they are a better team than Liechtenstein.

"The consensus is that last year's game was played at the wrong time of season when players were tired. That doesn't apply on this occasion around and hopefully, it will show in the result."

The manager was careful, however, to strike a balance between optimism and realism, chiding those who expect the Irish to overrun the opposition of part time professionals.

"As long as we win, I'll not be too bothered about the margin the important thing for me is banking three points," he said.

"If the first game in Liechtenstein proved anything, it was that nothing is for certain in football - anything we get out of the game we've got to earn."

McCarthy is still tight lipped- about his team plans, heightening the sense of expectancy in the build up to one of the most eagerly awaited Irish team selections of recent years.

Unlike the old days, there are no guarantees on offer, even for the most senior players, a point graphically illustrated in the exclusion of Paul McGrath from the travelling party.

Andy Townsend will, presumably, captain the team but other than that, it is very much a guessing game as the manager appraises the options open to him in the wake of last season's warm up programme.

Among the more attractive of these is the possibility of going with a front line partnership of Niall Quinn and Keith O'Neill, one a mature campaigner, the other still only at the apron of what promise to be a good international career.

Even before Watford's David Connolly pulled out of the squad, there were indications that the manager was considering the claims of O'Neill carefully. Although listed on the squad sheet as a midfielder, the Norwich player is capable of doing a big job up front as he proved when scoring twice in the 3-1 victory over Bolivia.

That was the only win recorded in McCarthy's eight games as manager and it is reflected in the latest FIFA ranking list which shows that the Republic have slipped three places to 37th position.

Ahead of them are such football "luminaries" as Japan, the United States and Zambia, but the Irish may take some solace from the fact that Scotland are only marginally better placed in 36th position.

Brazil, Germany, France and the Czech Republic fill the first four places in a table which shows England unchanged at 13th.