Irish rely on Keane and Duff to do the talking

It might be a bit of a shock for some that when the Republic of Ireland's player of the year walks into the room it is not Damien Duff or Shay Given but Kevin Kilbane. It may also be a surprise to then hear him declare that this Irish squad is the strongest he has been involved in.

"I personally believe that we have got an even better squad than we had back then," the Everton midfielder said when asked to compare the present group with those that reached the last World Cup. "We have got some wonderful attacking talent and hopefully we can go on like we did back in Japan."

That attacking talent - primarily Duff and Robbie Keane - has been attracting enthusiastic interest in Israel even if one cameraman got a little too close and received short shrift - and a short arm in the face - at the airport. What has hurt the Israelis even more is the refusal of the Irish to speak to them, or anyone else at all, before today. Their newspapers do not publish tomorrow and they were left high-and-dry yesterday after having filled page after page in anticipation of the match. A great shame for such impeccable hosts.

Saturday's match in the Ramat Gan stadium - which holds 40,000 - is already a sell-out. That rare enough event here prompted the Israeli press officer to stand up and declare the last time it happened was in 1989 in a World Cup play-off against Colombia.

Ireland have had their fill of those in recent years and victory against Avraham Grant's side would mark a significant point in their campaign to win Group Four ahead of the Israelis as well as France and Switzerland who meet on the same night.

It will be a raucous occasion. "The nation lurches between tragedy and euphoria," Grant said yesterday by way of explaining the demands of their football supporters which have been fuelled by the team's performances and the fact that, after exile in Cyprus, they are now playing again in Israel. Asked how hard that had been, Grant added: "Imagine if Ireland played in Palermo. Would that change anything?"

Kilbane, who is due to win his 61st cap, said the Irish were ready for as "intense" a match as the Merseyside derby in which he played last weekend. The 28-year-old's midfield partner Roy Keane was wooed back into the fold last year and Kilbane was quick to praise Brian Kerr for the "confidence" the Ireland manager gives his players.

"He will call you up if games haven't gone well," Kilbane explained. "When you come in you know he wants the very best." That includes a level of preparation that Keane complained so angrily was lacking in Kerr's predecessor, Mick McCarthy. It probably also explains the media purdah which has soured relations. But it adds up to what Kilbane described as a burgeoning "inner belief" and although it may not win friends right now it is, with just two defeats in 25 games, effective.