I'm not going to get carried away and say we'll beat France tonight, but I do agree with what seems to be the consensus: it's an excellent time to play them. Individually they're still brilliant, but collectively they're just not there.

They bombed at the 2002 World Cup, they were a shadow of their former selves at Euro 2004, and I just don't think the big players who remain are convinced by the manager as yet.

They've never really had a great team spirit. Even when they won the World Cup in 1998 you never got the feeling that they were all pulling in the same way, so when there are problems, as there are now, that lack of team spirit is most in evidence.

You can see it with Henry, the bottom lip touching the floor when things don't go right. When Ireland don't play well we tend to play even more as a team; when they don't play well they play even more as individuals.

The loss of Vieira, through suspension, and Zinedine Zidane, through retirement, suddenly makes their midfield look a whole lot less formidable than it used to be.

I wouldn't be a big fan of Oliver Dacourt. After 90 minutes watching him I always ask, "what did he do?". I think he's a very, very poor man's Vieira. Remember when Eric Cantona described Didier Deschamps as a water carrier? What would he call Dacourt? A bin-man? And a trainee one at that.

Sylvain Wiltord is hit and miss, more miss than hit, and Rio Mavuba, although he's hugely promising, will only be playing in his second international. I think the biggest blow to them is the loss of Ludovic Giuly, who could have helped get the best out of Henry. He can play off the front man: Giuly behind Henry for France would be like Dennis Bergkamp behind Henry for Arsenal. A big loss.

That's the downside for the French. The upside, of course, is that Henry can still turn a game, regardless of his recent international form. So can Pires, and Djibril Cisse too, with all his pace.

But if Ireland get it right and pick the right players, I do think they can get a grip in midfield. The big question mark seems to be who will play on the right and who will play alongside Roy Keane in the centre. I'd go for Steve Finnan in the first role, Kevin Kilbane in the second.

Kilbane, definitely, would be my first choice alongside Keane. I've seen him three times for Everton this season and he's been very, very good. Keane just can't, consistently, get from penalty area to penalty area any more, but I think Kilbane can and will.

There is no doubt that, in terms on influence on the field, Keane is on the wane - that's just Father Time. But he still has a massive influence on the team and, as he gets older, that extends even more to the dressing-room. He exudes calmness as a player nowadays - when the bullets fly you want him there. You just have to judge him a little bit differently now than before.

Matt Holland just isn't fit for this game, so I'd rule him out. John O'Shea has played in midfield for Manchester United but he's new to it and doesn't really understand it yet. It's evident now that Alex Ferguson doesn't want to play O'Shea at the back because he thinks he's making too many mistakes. I think he's stuck him in midfield to be Keane's legs. He's done alright, but he's still better as a defender. Yes, he has been making lots of mistakes; he seems to lack concentration at vital moments, but I think he'd be fine at left-back against this French team.

Everyone knows when you play against Arsenal you have to be very strong down your right, because they have Henry, Pires and Ashley Cole - well, France will have two of those three tonight so I would be very aware of that.

Finnan has done okay for Liverpool in midfield. He's a bit like O'Shea in that sense, he's really a defender but circumstances have led to him being pushed forward. But if you're going to gamble you don't gamble too much when you're going to Paris. You don't play two defenders, Finnan and O'Shea, in midfield. Finnan can do a job there against the French, but leave O'Shea at the back.

There'll be 25,000 to 30,000 Irish supporters in the ground tonight and that will make a difference, it will almost be like a home game. It will be very interesting to see how the French react. My gut feeling is that the Irish supporters will have something to cheer. A draw, I honestly believe, is achievable.