One of the greatest frustrations I experienced as senior manager was the reactions of players after a disappointing result. Everyone seems to be hurting except them

.There is a terrible silence in the immediate aftermath on the bus, returning to the hotel and having the late meal. The majority of players would then slip off to bed, exhausted from the effort, but the desire of a few to party into the early hours after a bad night's work was exasperating for me. Players should celebrate and enjoy the people's admiration when they are winning but otherwise a low-key response should be adhered to.

A few days later they are ensconced back into the bubble of club life. The performances motivated by a wage rather than an act of patriotism.

After our defeat to France at Lansdowne Road, or the late goal in Israel, I sensed the feeling of disappointment quickly disappear from the collective consciousness (Of course some of them do hurt). Maybe that is natural if you don't live among the community and have been away from home for such a long time. It becomes difficult to relate to the frustration and annoyance of the football loving public who put so much faith and hope in the player's commitment.

Or maybe it was because I lived in Dublin but the public reaction inspired me to my upmost not to let them down.

As I watched players leave hotels and airports after what I considered a devastating result, I suspected their hurt was minimal as they returned to the clubs, the money, the fancy cars, the agents and the protected environment that ensured safety and isolation from the adoring fans.

I would attend matches in England a few days later and they all seemed in grand form. I understand the best way to recover from a disappointment is to focus the mind elsewhere but I couldn't help thinking, as they laughed and joked in the lobby or airport, does it really bother them? Is it just another game? Irish players love coming home from their British clubs to represent their country but worryingly Stephen Ireland, amongst others, seems to be bucking that trend.

Ireland is going through a difficult period in relation to his international commitment but that has been consistently evident throughout his fledgling career. His tremendous ability makes him the bell of the ball in Sven's garden but I hope his attitude is not contagious. It would be a shame to see more young players sideline a blossoming international career in the interest of the easy life that comes from the financial benefits of focusing solely on club commitments.

From personal experience, I found Stephen Ireland's commitment to the under-17 team left a lot to be desired.

A strong policy on commitment to the national cause should be introduced by the FAI as soon as players come into the underage set-up. Ireland is not an isolated case. There have been other incidents of players not turning up for underage teams.

I think under-21 manager Don Givens handled the Anthony Stokes situation well. It seems to have been nipped in the bud.

When a player fails to report for duty he should experience a period in the wilderness to think about where his aspirations lie. When players are living in England since adolescence they tend to forget how important it is for the average supporter back home.

There should also be a greater system in place to assist players undergoing personal difficulties.

Having said all that, I expect the attitude of the players to be positive tonight.

There is always motivation to perform for a home international, particularly, when a country of Germany's stature comes a calling. I heard a few of them this week talking about how an outside chance of qualification still exists. They are aware that an extraordinary set of results is required but the motivation is to finish as high in the table as possible to get a better draw in the World Cup qualifiers.

So have we a chance? Yes. The Germans have the group almost won and maybe a little casual in their approach.

Stephen Staunton and his medical staff have had a difficult week dealing with Manchester United, amongst others, who are the most protective of clubs when players carry the slightest of injuries.

The loss of Andy O'Brien, Stephen Carr, the long-term absentees Damien Duff and Stephen Reid ensures the team on show this evening remains some way short of Staunton's ideal starting XI. Confidence within the squad will have been affected by the late goal against Slovakia, defeat in Prague and the Stephen Ireland episode.

The actual starting team should include Liam Miller alongside Lee Carsley with Aiden McGeady afforded another opportunity to prove his worth at this level after some inconsistent contributions. Andy Reid's presence ensures a creative spark. Miller and Reid will ensure retention of possession in a busy midfield area.

Kevin Doyle and Robbie Keane up front can cause the Germans plenty of problems.

A back four of John O'Shea, Steve Finnan, Richard Dunne and Kevin Kilbane has a decent look about it although O'Shea, if fit, has lacked the ruthlessness and physicality at centre half necessary at this level, and the same can be said of O'Shea's likely replacements, Alex Bruce and Stephen Kelly.

The preparation seems too disruptive to produce the coherent tactical performance necessary to beat Germany. Considering the scattered build-up, a draw would be a good result.