The Ireland squad has held its first training session under the new management team of Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane, with a large media contingent in attendance.
County Derry born O'Neill was confirmed as successor to Giovanni Trapattoni last week. His assistant organised much of today's session ahead of Friday night's friendly against Latvia at the Aviva Stadium.
Keane wasted little time in making his presence felt this morning, with the 42-year-old arriving at Ireland's training base in Malahide a full 90 minutes before manager Martin O'Neill and his players were due to begin work.
Keane went straight on to the training pitch to ensure everything was in place for the start of the morning session and then inspected the nearby gym facilities.
O'Neill arrived on the team coach and he and Keane looked on as the players warmed up, with keepers David Forde, Keiren Westwood and Rob Elliot working apart with new goalkeeping coach Seamus McDonagh.
The real work began once the cameras had been switched off and journalists asked to leave after their allotted time, with a new era in Irish football well and truly under way.
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Speculation is mounting that Martin O'Neill could soon be unveiled as the new Ireland manager.
A number of bookmakers have suspended betting on the next Irish
boss after a flurry of bets saw O’Neill backed
off the market.
There are also reports this evening that Roy Keane is prepared to come on board as assistant to O'Neill.
It's reported that the FAI recruitment team of Ray Houghton and Ruud Dokter will present their report
to the Football Association of Ireland early next week.
County Derry born O'Neill has been out of work since departing the Stadium of Light in March and has previously managed Celtic and Aston Villa.
Speculation linking Mick McCarthy with a return to the
job he held for six years appears to have cooled.
Ipswich Town confirmed on Thursday that they have received no
approach from the FAI for his services.
Ireland captain Robbie Keane celebrated his record breaking 126th international cap with a hat-trick as Ireland defeated the Faroe Islands 3-0 in a Group C World Cup qualifier in Dublin.
The LA Galaxy striker opened the scoring after five minutes following some excellent build-up play by Wes Hoolahan and Aiden McGeady, before adding his second in the 55th minute, getting on the end of a Seamus Coleman cross.
And the third goal arrived nine minutes from time as Keane rounded off a fine man of the match performance with a neat finish following an exquisite pass from substitute Conor Sammon.
Giovanni Trapattoni labelled Robbie Keane the best Irish player he has seen in 30 years after the striker's hat-trick earned Ireland a World Cup qualifying victory over the Faroe Islands.
He said: "I particularly wish to congratulate our captain because for 30 years, I have known the Irish team and the Irish players and for me, he is the best Irish player I have known in 30 years.
"I wish to congratulate him because he scored. At the moment, he is in good form, but I repeat what I said yesterday, he is also one of the best players in Europe."
Trapattoni and his players head for New York tomorrow for Tuesday's friendly against Spain, although Shane Long and McGeady will not be travelling because both are to be married, while Marc Wilson is due to have surgery to remove a metal plate from his leg.
Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni will continue with his new premiership tour this weekend when he take's in the game between Stoke and Sunderland at the Britannia Stadium.
This follows on from his visit to Norwich last week to eye-up Wes Hoolahan & Anthony Pilkington in their impressive defeat of Arsenal at Carrow Road.
The Stoke v Sunderland game could feature up to seven potential members of the squad for next month's friendly with Greece at the Aviva Stadium.
Potters boss Tony Pulis will likely start with Marc Wilson and Jonathan Walters, who both impressed in the comfortable win over the Faroes, while Glenn Whelan will be involved if he shakes off his hamstring problem.
John O'Shea and McClean are regular starters for the Black Cats, while midfielder David Meyler, who has broken into Trapattoni's plans in recent months, might be brought off the bench at some stage.
Ireland's first-choice goalkeeper Keiren Westwood may need Simon Mignolet to suffer some kind of misfortune if he is to get the chance to impress O'Neill and nail-down a a regular Sunderland starting birth.
It will be interesting when the Ireland squad is announced for the Greece friendly next wednesday, if Trapattoni's sudden ability to watch players on a regular club basis will have any bearing on his squad selection.
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Ireland skipper Robbie Keane is being given every chance to prove his fitness ahead of Tuesday night's Euro 2012 showdown with Armenia in Dublin.
The 31-year-old Dublin born striker is a major doubt for the game at the Aviva Stadium which will decide Ireland's Group B fate as they attempt to secure a play-off berth.
Manager Giovanni Trapattoni yesterday revealed Keane was to undergo a scan on a sore abductor muscle, and it was later confirmed that his chances of making the game were minimal.
Today it emerged the problem is actually an adductor muscle injury, and while assistant manager Marco Tardelli was refusing to rule the Los Angeles Galaxy frontman out of a fixture in which his country need to avoid defeat to finish second in the group, the chances of him playing appear to be slim.
Tardelli said: "Robbie has a little problem, but we are hopeful he will recover. It will be very difficult, but we are hopeful.
"It's the same problem he had after the last match in Los Angeles.
"Yesterday, he had a scan and he has a little problem - a big problem, not a little problem."
Asked to put a percentage on Keane's chances, Tardelli said: "I don't know. It is better to ask the doctor. There is very little possibility that he will recover, but we are hopeful."
But asked further if he would have been able to play had the game been today amid suggestions he could be sidelined for a fortnight, he added: "No, no, I don't think so."
Keane and his team-mates endured a gruelling trip back from Friday night's 2-0 victory in Andorra, which involved a three-hour coach journey from the Pyrenean principality to Barcelona and then a delayed flight of almost the same length, eventually arriving back in Dublin shortly before 7am yesterday.
Those members of the squad who played at the Estadi Comunal were rested from an open training session at Tallaght Stadium yesterday afternoon, but the bulk of them, Keane excepted, were back in action at a windswept Gannon Park in Malahide this morning.
Among them was Stoke striker Jonathan Walters, who met up with his colleagues on their return after missing the trip to Andorra with an ankle injury.
He and West Brom pair Shane Long and Simon Cox are the leading candidates to partner Kevin Doyle in a new-look front two if Keane does indeed miss out.
All three have impressed for their country in the recent past with Long in particular having established himself as a genuine option for Trapattoni's starting line-up.
However, Tardelli was giving little away today.
He said: "We have many options. We have Walters, Long, Cox - we have many options.
"We are confident in all our players. We have different solutions, but we will wait and see tomorrow."
Richard Dunne will also be available once again after serving a one-match ban in Friday's game, although left-back Stephen Ward will replace him on the sidelines after picking up his second yellow card of the campaign in Andorra.
Argentina spoiled the party as international football returned to Lansdowne Road, with a controversial goal from Angel Di Maria giving the visitors a 1-0 win.
The winger lobbed Shay Given after 20 minutes at the new Aviva Stadium, but was he offside when Gonzalo Higuain flicked on Sergio Romero's goal-kick.
Despite the loss, there was still enough to please Giovanni Trapattoni as he recovers from stomach surgery in the Mater Hospital, notably an impressive debut from substitute Keith Treacy.
The Italian will not worry too much about losing momentum for the opening European Championship qualifiers if, as expected, he is fit enough to take his place on the bench.
Following a rousing pre-match reception, Keane endured a tough night on the pitch, but could have made up for it if he had not uncharacteristically spurned a late chance.
The streets around Ballsbridge and Sandymount thronged with green before the game as international football turned to Dublin 4.
With Marco Tardelli replacing Trapattoni in charge, Ireland worked hard but could not provide the guile to match the endeavour.
Messi gave the 45,200 fans a glimpse of his talents as early as the ninth minute when he skipped past John O'Shea, but his lob sailed over the bar.
His opposite number had his first shot in anger moments later, but could not find the target after Cillian Sheridan, who replaced Kevin Doyle, had out-jumped Javier Mascherano and Martin Demichelis.
Ireland were fortunate not to go behind in the 14th minute when Paul McShane was caught out by Mascherano's cross-field pass. Fortunately, the defender recovered to block Di Maria's cross.
But Ireland did not heed that warning and fell behind on 20 minutes, albeit in controversial circumstances with an offside in the build-up to the goal.
O'Shea went missing as Higuain flicked on Sergio Romero's goal-kick to Di Maria, who was standing in an offside position. The winger lifted the ball over a stranded Given as Ireland waited for a flag that never came.
Ireland improved after the restart and two quick touches from Keane took him past Demichelis on backline, but his cross evaded Fahey and Sheridan.
However, at the other end, Messi picked out substitute Diego Milito and Dunne and O'Shea scrambled to snuff out the danger.
The crowd welcomed on Andy Keogh and Greg Cunningham for the tiring Sheridan and Kevin Kilbane.
After more changes from both sides, Damien Duff drew a comfortable save from Romero following Keane's lay-off. The effort seemed to lift a crowd that had grown weary with Argentina's grip on possession.
Given was a spectator for much of the second half but got down to stop powerful drive from Fernando Gago.
The numerous substitutions broke up the pattern of the game, but Treacy's late cameo offers hope for the future.
He was straight into the action as he raced down the left wing, his cross found Andy Keogh at the front post, but the striker could only divert the ball over the bar.
Ireland pushed hard for an equaliser in a frantic final five minutes. The chance to cap a perfect night for Keane came and went when he missed an attempted overhead kick with the goal at his mercy.
Republic of Ireland: 1 Given; 2 McShane, 4 O'Shea, 5 Dunne, 3 Kilbane (20 Cunningham '57); 7 Fahey (18 Treacy '77), 6 Green, 8 Andrews (15 Gibson '68), 11 Duff; 9 Sheridan (17 Keogh '57), 10 Keane.
The Ireland team to face Argentina at the Aviva Stadium on Wednesday evening has been named.
Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given will start in goal, with a back four of Paul McShane, Richard Dunne, John O'Shea and Kevin Kilbane.
Across the middle will be Liam Lawrence, Keith Andrews, Paul Green and Damien Duff, whilst Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle are in attack.
Dunne and Doyle are doubts, however, with knee and calf injuries respectively, so Darren O'Dea and Cillian Sheridan are on standby.
Assistant Marco Tardelli took the training on Tuesday, although he is hopeful Giovanni Trapattoni will be capable of taking charge of the game.
Tardelli said: 'I think everything is okay and he will be in the dugout. He is very strong.'
Ahead of his 100th cap for Ireland, captain Robbie Keane added: 'We are all hoping he will be fit.
'It won't be the same without him.'Ireland : Given (Manchester City); McShane (Hull City), Dunne (Aston Villa)/O'Dea (Celtic), O'Shea (Manchester United), Kilbane (Hull City); Lawrence (Stoke City), Andrews (Blackburn Rovers), Green (Derby County), Duff (Fulham); Keane (Tottenham Hotspur), Doyle (Wolves)/Sheridan (Celtic).
Kevin Doyle has hailed Ireland strike partner Robbie Keane as one of the greats of Irish football.
Doyle is hoping to be fit to partner Keane in the first ever international match at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday when the opposition is provided by star-studded Argentina. The Irish captain will earn his 100th cap in the game and Doyle says that playing alongside him has only been a pleasure.
"He's just been a joy to play with to be honest," the Wolves man was quoted as saying by the Irish Independent.
"He's on 100 caps, it's unbelievable. Someone was asking is he now going to be up there with the top players, the (Liam) Bradys, the (Paul) McGraths. I think there is no doubt that he is.
"He's the record goal-scorer by more than double what anyone else has got. He's played in World Cups, he's scored in World Cups, there is not much more to achieve at international level.
“He's only 30, so he has plenty of time to get plenty more caps. He's the captain. For strikers especially, it's great to see how he trains, he prepares. He's someone you can follow, try and follow. In training, not just in matches, he works so hard. It means as much to him to win a five-a-side as a match.
"Little things like that you can take from players who have played at the highest level, get records like he has. It makes you realise you can't just breeze through it as a young player. You realise what the better players do and try and copy that, to be at that level yourself.”
Keane, though, has his share of critics, with some feeling he does not take enough chances but Doyle says fault can hardly be found in 43 goals in 99 games, and adds that the former Liverpool man would have had even more had he been playing for one of the world’s biggest nations.
Doyle added: "If you're playing for a Holland or a Spain, it's like playing for a Chelsea or a Manchester United; you're going to get more chances.
"In the top countries in Europe, I would imagine he has as good a strike rate as anyone."
Argentina will be the first team to take on Ireland at the new Aviva Stadium, the FAI have announced.
The two-time World Cup winners will visit Dublin for the clash on August 11, 2010 at the new 50,000 capacity stadium, marking the first international match in the arena since construction began in place of the old Lansdowne Road.
The stadium is on schedule to open for the original date set of late summer next year.
John Delaney, CEO of the FAI said: “I am very happy to have reached this agreement with Argentina, who will be fitting opponents to mark an opening international match of such significance.
"Aviva Stadium will be joint owned by the FAI and the IRFU and represents the single largest infrastructural project in the Association’s history. I look forward to welcoming Argentina to Dublin next year to help us celebrate that achievement.”
The Ireland squad has held its first training session under the new management team of Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane, with a large media contingent in attendance.
