Because, like it or not, what we've got in the squad right now is pretty much what we've got to play around with for certainly the first, and probably the opening three games of the campaign. And while we know this coming campaign has been put down by many as a developmental phase and we'd wager more than a few euros of someone else's SSIA savings that the team that starts in Stuttgart isn't the same eleven that starts in Cardiff 14 months later, well, we reckon Stan will still try to get things right as quickly as possible.

Which means a four-day camp and two games to get a team and a system together. Starting now.

In February we saw glimpses of a fluid, flexible style of football under Staunton and Kevin McDonald that swapped between 4-42 and 4-2-1-3 with a bit of 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 thrown in between. It's already been made clear that opponents and location and necessity will all dictate the way Ireland set themselves up. As will what we have available.

You can throw Damien Duff and Robbie Keane down for attacking spots and let Kevin Doyle, Stephen Elliot and Clinton Morrison probably fight it out for the other spot or two. It's further back that it gets interesting.

Midfield has been a problem. The centre of it, more than anything. Sure, most will ascribe our not winning that invitation to the World Cup to a failure to kill games off when on top or in the lead (and this was a difficulty) but a lack of control and real genuine quality in the vital middle sector was as much to blame.

Watch the video of the Switzerland game at Lansdowne and one of the first things you'll notice is our central midfield (Matt Holland and John O'Shea) failing to get on the ball at any stage. That's getting on the ball in any form, before actually doing anything constructive with it.

When Barcelona wanted a goal on Wednesday night they got Iniesta and Deco in possession as much as possible and the two probed to work an opening. When Ireland needed a goal last October we looked unsure and incapable of playing the ball through midfield and our best two chances came from corners. The points coughed up at home to Israel, France and Switzerland all came from an inability to carve out openings when needed. Now, aiming a cry of lack of creativity may be unoriginal at this stage but facts are facts.

What do we need from the central boys?

And who's going to get in? Well, we need control, we need passing and we need possession.

We need to have a plan to go to Germany and dictate the middle area to guys like Ballack and Deisler and to have the proper tempo to attack the Czech Republic at home. In an ideal world Staunton would like someone in there who can put his foot in and a partner who can pass and create. Do we have that though?

Goals is another not-so-trivial matter and it's fair to say that the midfield pairings as of late haven't exactly been chipping in with their share. In fact if we take away the goal attributed to Kevin Kilbane in the Faroes last autumn, and frankly, given the deflection, we'd be inclined to do so, then it's back to Matt Holland's strike in the last World Cup against Cameroon for the last competitive goal from the centre of midfield. That's four years and two full campaigns ago. A few comparisons might bring some perspective.

Frank Lampard notched five goals all by himself in the qualifiers just gone; Michael Ballack has 30 goals in 63 games for Germany. And if you look at our opponents in the Euro 2008 qualifying group, there's Ballack obviously and Sebastian Schweinsteiger has five goals to his name already from just over 20 starts; Czech Republic got seven goals out of Tomas Rosicky and four from Jan Polak from midfield in qualifying for the World Cup; Marek Mintal slotted three away coming from midfield for Slovakia.

Every little helps.

Of course a liking for putting the ball in the net isn't the be-all-and-end-all for a central player but it ain't a bad habit either.

Thing is, there doesn't seem to be what you'd call a natural affinity for it among any of Ireland's hopefuls. Steven Reid did hit four Premiership goals (and good ones as well) and does seem the most likely to belt one in on that right foot but John O'Shea only got one all season as did Liam Miller, while Graham Kavanagh, Kevin Kilbane and Stephen Ireland didn't get any . . . not the most prolific bunch.

And there are those who wonder why the Kevin Nolan chase keeps on cropping up.

Nine league goals is why.

And assists as well. The only strike in the last campaign directly set up by a central player was when Roy Keane laid one on a plate for Robbie Keane against the Faroes. Most of the time they just weren't getting on the ball enough to be hitting killer passes and anyway there wasn't a natural creativity there. That the Sweden game saw a goal (Miller) and an assist (Reid) from midfield may have been coincidental but it was also welcome and needed.

Some pluses. John O'Shea's been in the Manchester United midfield for 20-odd games this season and has shown up well in plenty of them; Steven Reid's had his best year at Blackburn and the good thing is he's actually been getting better all season; Graham Kavanagh worked and tackled away inside in that Wigan midfield all year and rarely looked overrun; Liam Miller's getting his game regularly again.

Some doubts. O'Shea's performances against Liverpool at Anfield in the FA Cup and Chelsea where he looked out of place; Reid's composure at the top level; Kavanagh's performance away in Cyprus where he looked a few yards too slow.

Still it's likely that Reid will be in there for his engine and pace and it'll fall between O'Shea and Kavanagh for the enforcer role.

It may be a touch early for Stephen Ireland though his passing range will be welcome at some stage. And putting three centre men in there in a 4-3-3 isn't too far out of left field to be a serious option.

Much depends on what comes out of the training camp on the Algarve of course.

Whatever style comes out of it will be based on our strengths and prioritising getting guys like Duff, Reid, Doyle (and McGeady if he comes through) running onto ball at speed and with space in front of them rather than getting the ball with their backs to goal.

There are both formations and places up for grabs on Wednesday. Meaningless? We think not.

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY REPUBLIC OF IRELAND v CHILE Wednesday, Lansdowne Road, 7.30 Live, Sky Sports 1, 7.00; Highlights, TV3, 10.30