FOURTEEN of the Republic of Ireland's 20 man squad assembled in Dublin yesterday for what Mick McCarthy described as a refresher course in the manager's playing style and pattern.

He has, more or less, his preferred starting XI in mind, and it seems the one issue which remains in doubt is filling Niall Quinn's position.

It is a commentary on the changed times under McCarthy that Keith O'Neill's status as resident striker is, for the moment at any rate, now understood as read. The question of who partners the Norwich 20 year old for the World Cup qualifier against Macedonia, the former Republic of Yugoslavia, is uppermost in the manager's mind.

"The one position is Quinny's position. The three other lads, four if you include Alan Moore, who are in there are Aldo (John Aldridge), Cas (Tony Cascarino) and David Kelly. Somebody's got to fill Quinny's position. So I just want to have a look at them, see how they do individually in training and how they do collectively, that's with Keith. I'll wait and see."

Another possible bone of contention is the goalkeeper's position - though not for McCarthy. "I know what I'm doing - at least I think I do," he added jokingly, in an otherwise subdued press conference.

Is choosing between Shay Given and Alan Kelly a difficult one for the manager? "I've made up my mind, and that's all I'm saying on the matter. I know what I'm doing."

Though he was giving little away, McCarthy's eagerness for Given to play a reserve match for

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