SOCCER: FAI chief executive John Delaney yesterday declined to give Steve Staunton his unequivocal backing ahead of tonight's game against the Czech Republic thereby fuelling speculation that the 37-year-old Louthman will be sacked if the Irish team suffers another embarrassing defeat.

Speaking to members of the media after what was described as a routine meeting with the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism John O'Donoghue, Delaney offered qualified support to the beleaguered manager ahead of tonight's game, but more than once refused to say what would happen if Staunton's side is well beaten.

"The first point is," he said, "that in terms of Steve Staunton and the management team, the FAI support that, I support it and David Blood as well as president supports it, that's it as it is today, no problem."

Pressed, however, on how the position might change if Ireland were to lose badly he was far less forthright. "I won't even get into that," he said, "because we've got a game tomorrow night that I want the Irish public to get behind the team for." He went on to complain about "certain aspects of the media," calling on people to cheer for the Czechs, a reference to RTÉ Radio 1 yesterday, something he described as "a standard of journalism that I've never seen before".

Asked more explicitly would Staunton, as he himself had insisted at lunchtime yesterday that he would, be in charge of the team next month come what may, he once again avoided a direct answer. "It doesn't come into the equation," he said. "We've a game tomorrow night which we want to play. We have 36,000 people coming to it. Of course we're disappointed with the Cyprus result, there's no doubt about it but now it's about tomorrow night and people getting behind the team and Stephen as manager and let's hope we get the performance that we all want tomorrow night."

At this point it was put to him that his failure to offer a direct answer would inevitably be interpreted as deliberate evasion and a failure to support Staunton at a difficult time.

"It shouldn't be, I'm being consistent here," he replied. "I don't comment on contracts, we don't comment on anybody's contracts unless we've got something to say. So if I start answering you on whether he is in for this match or that match or the one after; I won't do that. We haven't done it in the past and I won't do it in the future."

Only last Thursday when talking to Sunday newspaper journalists, however, Delaney specificially said that Staunton had a four-year contract which he expected him to see out.

Even when the unlikely scenario of the Republic finishing bottom of its present group was put to him, he maintained that he would stand by his man.

Delaney's line yesterday about not commenting on the contracts of employees was distinctly reminiscent of the approach taken with Brian Kerr during his final few months.

Delaney did acknowledge that Staunton had been unfortunate in terms of injuries and also noted the significance of Bobby Robson's unavailability in recent months.

In a reference to Blood's rather comical support for Staunton on Monday, that appeared to be an attempt to assert collective responsibility for the original decision to give him the job, he added: "The president said it yesterday, I'm saying it today and the board and the family of the game are supportive of Stephen's appointment."

As regards his own position, Delaney insisted that: "I have huge support within the game. Over a period of time we've made huge progress on a wide range of fronts over the last two years. We can't be judged as an association on the strength of one or two games."