Football: Ireland torn between optimism and horror flashbacks of Cyprus

After the bickering and frustrations of the Steve Staunton era, the followers of the Republic of Ireland have begun to wonder what might happen if three more World Cup qualifying points are secured at Croke Park tomorrow. One by-product could be that Bulgaria, Group Eight's second seed, are five points adrift of Ireland when they visit Dublin in March. In these hard financial times, the public are looking to their boys in green for a tonic. The prospect is tantalising. Tomorrow's opposition, however, are far from the obliging type. Cyprus are a central component of Irish nightmares and their presence on what promises to be a defining occasion in Giovanni Trapattoni's first six months in charge will ensure a particular frisson. The midfielder Liam Miller looked genuinely stunned when he was reminded that he had appeared as a... [read full story]