Well, if it's Monday it must be Tórshavn. If the Irish side were looking for some anonymity and seclusion after the embarrassment of Saturday evening, they have come to the right place.

As it turns out, the middle of nowhere is ruggedly beautiful and almost soothingly desolate. From the raging idiocy of Premiership celebrity to life here is a journey of a million miles. Perhaps now was the time to take it.

For the Faroe Islands, this World Cup campaign is another happy adventure the benefits of which aren't measurable in points or in goal differences. Tomorrow, they meet a team at the far end of the spectrum. Men on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

In Ireland's desperation the locals might yet see an opportunity. Certainly the visitors are hurting after Saturday night. Looking back in anger certainly, but, in more candid moments, in disappointment too.

"We are angry that we threw a two-goal lead away, but we're disappointed we didn't win the game," said Shay Given. "We can still qualify for the World Cup, but it's made it that little bit more difficult. There are some big games to come, especially at home, but if we play like we did in the second half, especially with the chances we created, on another day we will score."

Whether that particular day comes tomorrow in the dinky little ground in Tórshavn (Rovers fans, you should beg for a ground share) remains to be seen. Robbie Keane lost his short battle for fitness after the weekend's fiasco and the Irish, having seen their counterparts struggling here, are braced for a tough evening battering down the defences of brawny islanders.

"On Saturday it wasn't to be," said Given "and three points - and no less - is a must in the Faroes. There's not much margin for error. You have home games and you've got to try and win them to qualify. We didn't do that, which is disappointing."

It's unlikely the Irish were asked yesterday morning over their kippers which they would prefer first, the good news or the bad news, but the story of Robbie Keane's failure to reach full fettle broke early. The good news was that among the noses pressed against the window of the team bus as it sped through the astonishing Faroese landscape were those of Stephen Carr and Roy Keane.

The latter has a poorer record than Father Dougal for coping with life on small islands, but his presence here is reassuring.

"Yeah, we missed them," noted Given. "Their experience would have helped. Roy Keane and Stephen Carr are obviously very good players. It will be a boost for us to get them back."

Of course one man's boost is another man's rejection slip. Mattie Holland is acutely aware of the implications of the weekend's events. Kevin Kilbane looked better in central midfield than when pushed wide. Roy Keane is back. Graham Kavanagh did what he does, and even though his introduction marked the beginning of Ireland's troubles he can scarcely be blamed for the fact that the amendments to Duff and Kilbane's job descriptions didn't work out. So there's four players contending for two central midfield positions.

"I don't know," Holland sighed, before making a correction. Three players looking for one midfield berth. The position of Tonto has yet to be filled. The Lone Ranger, though, will be played by Himself.

"Roy is going to come back. There's no doubt about that because he is a quality player. You hope you are going to stay in the team. If you get given a chance you want to stay in the team. I gave it 100 per cent on Saturday. That's all you can do."

And Holland's feelings regarding the Faroes, having seen snatches of their Saturday evening game against the Swiss? "It's going to be a tough game, no doubt about that. We will have to be on our guard."

One interesting aspect of life with the the current regime in charge of the Irish set-up is the absence of spin. No FAI storm-troopers come to post-fiasco press conferences to gild the result and steer the coverage. And men like Kerr, Noel O'Reilly and Chris Hughton wear their disappointment on their faces.

Hughton, ever genial and ever thoughtful, was philosophical about Saturday, consigning it quickly to the past. The challenge is here in Tórshavn. No time for brooding. Plans must be unfolded.

"Going into each game, the Faroes would evaluate it and probably look at what they see as being a good result. And sometimes for them a defeat - depending on how it comes - would be seen as a decent result.

"I think they realise they don't have the quality that the other teams in the group have. There was only one occasion in this group when they lost heavily, and that was against the Swiss away. And that wasn't a game where the Swiss had 15 chances and scored six goals. It was a game where the Swiss took almost all of their opportunities."

Nobody is saying yet they feel another Liechtenstein coming on, although in the late afternoon sunshine the brooding mountains brought seasoned travellers back to another dinky ground in Eschen.

Ireland's need is even more acute now than it was back then. There's less and less oxygen in the room and if Ireland are to survive they need all of it.