Stephen Quinn joined up with the Irish squad this morning in Malahide where the players began their preparations for Tuesday's game in Vienna. They fly to the Austrian capital this afternoon.

Jon Walters missed training due to the ankle problem he picked up on Friday night but Marco Tardelli said afterwards he expects the striker to be fit for Tuesday night. He wouldn't be drawn, though, on who would fill the vacancy in central midfield created by Glenn Whelan's departure from the squad due to injury. "I don't know who will play there but I think it's better that Marc (Wilson) plays at left back," he said.

Tardelli said little about Ireland's prospects of somehow salvaging a play-off place in the wake of Friday's 2-1 defeat to Sweden, but the Italian was upbeat about Tuesday's game, insisting the team can win away.

"We need to go to Austria to win," he said, "but that's normal and we are a good team. I think it's possible to win against Austria and we will do. But it's normal for a player to believe, I was a player and even when I played Brazil I was optimistic."

Asked if Ireland need to be more positive in their approach in order to take all three points, Tardelli was somewhat dismissive. "We played against Sweden with three strikers," he said, "and James McClean, who is not a defensive player; I think that's attacking enough for any team. I think we created more chances than Sweden. In Wales we attacked and created many chances and I think we create two or three good chances in every game."

The problem, he seemed to be suggesting, lies elsewhere.

Overall, the former Juventus and Italy star appeared impervious to the media criticism of him and manager Giovanni Trapattoni, in the wake of Friday's loss.

“I played for many years and then I was a coach and it’s not a problem. I know our job and I know your job. You need to ask hard questions for the papers and TV.

“We came here six years ago and have done well. We would have been happy with another two years but if it’s going to happen I don’t know.”