The dust may have settled on a helter-skelter first year in charge, but Steve Staunton was reluctant to dwell on that period yesterday.

Instead, the Republic of Ireland manager insisted his attention is focused solely on next year for what he views as "cup finals" looming against San Marino in February and Wales and Slovakia in March.

The three points secured against San Marino last week gives Staunton a platform from which to mount a rescue bid for European qualification.

But, of course, with just four points from four games played that task remains the tallest of orders, despite group favourites Germany slipping-up in Cyprus. Staunton, though, remains hopeful.

"I've been very positive about this squad," he said. "It's not my fault or anyone else's fault that we've had so many injuries. That's football, you get on with it. We'll be better and stronger for it.

"We've got talented young fellas coming through and the only way of blooding them is by playing them. That will have to be done . . . the pressure is on for every game, not just for the year. We've got a cup final in February, two cup finals in March. I said that at the beginning, 12 cup finals, that's what we've got. We'll give it our best shot."

With three competitive fixtures up next, however, the likelihood is Staunton will use either a potential end-of-season May friendly or another training camp to integrate and blood those fringe youngsters he alludes to.

Although there are two dates earmarked for international friendlies in June, Staunton feels both come too late after the English season's conclusion.

"The dates that are coming back to me are June 2nd and 6th," he said. "Our players will be finished for a month to five weeks, those playing in the Championship. Those playing in the Premiership that don't get to the (FA) Cup final will have at least four weeks off before that. I don't see any benefit in that whatsoever. Ideally you're looking for a get-together shortly after the FA Cup final (May 19th) and a game on the Friday or Saturday after that."

If a May fixture cannot be arranged, Staunton will run another camp similar to the one in Portugal earlier this year in which 30 or so players trained. Should he go down this route, he envisaged taking an even larger squad consisting of both senior and B team contenders.

Staunton was speaking at the launch of the FAI's Emerging Talent Programme, a scheme designed to produce a path from youth level to the senior international team.

Local programmes catering for elite players aged between 11 and 16 are running in 31 schoolboy leagues nationwide. These will in turn feed into regional centres and on to underage international teams as well as producing players for the national academy.

"An awful lot of Irish players have gone across the water and come back," Staunton said. "Either they're not mentally ready for it or not physically ready, and by the time they get those physical attributes, they've probably dropped down the pecking order at the clubs involved.

"This scheme can only benefit them big time. From their aspect going across, if they were to come back, they don't feel like lepers coming back. They've got something to go into which is a quality system."

Honing technical skills is the key facet of the scheme, but a strong emphasis is also placed on off-field personal development, a key issue according to FAI technical director Packie Bonner, who cites Arsenal's Thierry Henry as an example.

"He has come through the French system, is technically skilled, seems to do the right things and doesn't live his life in the newspapers. This is the kind of model you would like to come out with at the other end."