SOCCER:Towards the end of his press conference yesterday at one of Dublin's airport hotels, Don Givens was handed the opportunity to reflect on the positive aspects of the squad he had just named for the friendly against Brazil on February 6th, and he took the chance to hail the return of Damien Duff, Richard Dunne and Steven Reid as a major step forward.

The bulk of his time, though, was spent explaining his decision to omit Clinton Morrison, currently enjoying his most prolific season of club football for more than five years, and ignore Stephen Ireland. Typically, he was forthright about the reasoning behind both decisions.

Givens' view that, after events in Slovakia last September and the FAI's failed attempt to bring the Corkman back into the fold, the ball is firmly in Ireland's court would not surprise anyone who has heard him talk about what an honour he considers it is to have played for his country.

Not for the first time, however, the caretaker manager's frank articulation of his opinion of the 21-year-old and his self-imposed exile from the international set-up became the story.

Matters may not have been helped on this occasion by the latest format adopted by the FAI for the press conference, one that involved the various sections of the media being brought in to effectively ask the questions of Givens one after the other.

When radio journalists returned from their session looking startled and reporting that Givens had become agitated at being asked why Ireland had been "left out" it was inevitable the midfielder would be the dominant topic during the remaining segments of the proceedings.

"He wasn't in the Welsh squad was he, so he hasn't been left out," Givens had initially said, before, in reply to being asked whether he had talked with the player, observing, "I'm not going to drive up to Manchester to be humiliated by someone like that.

"If he wants to play for his country he can tell us very easily," he continued. "I don't think it's up to me to speak to him, I want commitment from the other side. This association bent over backwards for him, the previous manager flew to Manchester to speak especially with him and he turned it down, right? What do you think I should do? Drive to Manchester? No thank you."

Givens, who conceded his decision to name Andy Reid in the squad was probably an act of optimism given the Dubliner is sidelined with a knee injury, said he expects to lose a few of the 21 players named yesterday. It's safe to assume, however, that Ireland need not expect a late call-up.

Givens, who was more relaxed when the topic was brought up by members of the print media, made it clear the problem - or, more specifically as he sees it, Stephen Ireland's problems - will be for the next full-time occupant of manager's job to sort out.

The FAI would presumably have happily seen the matter rest until then. But while Givens can hardly be criticised for the view he expressed that a phone call from Ireland along the lines of "I've had some problems in the past but I'd like to be included", should not be too much to ask, it might have been wiser to have kicked to touch on the entire subject.

Morrison's hopes of reviving his international career also rest with Staunton's successor, for the striker's return to form at Palace has not been enough to persuade Givens that he deserves a recall.

The Londoner has scored more goals this season - 13 - than Kevin Doyle, Shane Long and Daryl Murphy combined, but still he remains in the wilderness.

"I know Clinton's been in good form," said Givens, "but I went with four strikers (the other being Robbie Keane) and I went with these four. It's a choice, I don't know how much more I can say. It's a personal opinion, but I think these boys, in the long run, are better. Obviously, somebody else might pick him."

The loss of Steve Finnan to retirement, he said, was a disappointment, but the Liverpool defender had at least, he observed, handled himself well in the circumstances. "I think it's too young to be retiring from international football," he said, "and hopefully six months down the line he'll miss it, have a change of heart and come back.

"He was very professional about the timing of it, though, because he didn't want the new manager to come in and then go, because that would have looked like a slight. As it is, we just have to get on with it."

Tickets for the game against Brazil go on sale from Ticketmaster outlets at 9am today.

Republic of Ireland squad: v Brazil

Given (Newcastle Utd), Murphy (Scunthorpe Utd), Doyle (Birmingham City), Kelly (Birmingham City), O'Shea (Manchester United), A O'Brien (Bolton Wanderers), J O'Brien (Bolton Wanderers), Kilbane (Wigan Athletic), Dunne (Manchester City), McShane (Sunderland), Carsley (Everton), Reid (Charlton Athletic), Reid (Blackburn Rovers), McGeady (Celtic), Hunt (Reading), Miller (Sunderland), Duff (Newcastle United), Keane (Tottenham Hotspur), Doyle (Reading), Long (Reading), Murphy (Sunderland).