I think Staunton quickly realised after the shambles in Cyprus that having a competitive national team is something Irish people have become used to for the best part of 20 years. They expect it, and regard it as important.

He can call for the supporters' backing, he can talk about injuries until the cows come home, and privately he might hope he is given enough time to learn, but if his players don't perform with the required commitment, and if they are ever as dispirited and disorganised as they were in Nicosia again, then Staunton will surely accept the game is up.

He went out to prove against the Czech Republic that, contrary to popular perception, he hadn't completely lost the plot, and that he had the ability to prepare an international side, and it was clear both from the performance and the result that he got his message through to the players. Ireland were organised, they played with passion and, in the end, Staunton bought himself some valuable time.

But what happened on Wednesday hasn't removed the question marks over the manager. The Cyprus defeat hasn't simply been forgotten about. It remains a stick to beat him with. I regard the draw with the Czech Republic as a starting point now, the setting of a minimum standard, and if the players fall below that standard again, it will be difficult for Staunton to hold onto his job.

In fact, he shouldn't forget Cyprus either. If he had come away with any class of a win, he might have been criticised for scraping a result against inferior opposition, but he could have defended himself by stressing the injuries, and by reminding everyone that several of his players are not appearing regularly for their clubs.

But instead, he selected a midfield combination which was patently unsuited for the match, and it seemed that he forgot to remind his players of the fundamentals which are vital at every level of football. For my money, he believed his players were better than they are. He underestimated what he was up against.

When a country like Greece can make a breakthrough, it's clear the game in Europe is not going through a vintage period, however, it's also clear this current group of Irish players is not as talented as its predecessors. If Jack Charlton set out his stall by focusing on the basics of organisation, and on denying the opposition space and time, did Staunton think he could abandon some bottom-line principles when it's obvious that he has inferior players?

By bringing back Mick Byrne and a few of the backroom staff, it was as if he wanted to recreate the atmosphere he was accustomed to as a player.

That's okay, but he mustn't forget that the circumstances have changed, and that he's dealing with a different team.

The Lee Carsley situation was more evidence of the need for Staunton to be pragmatic. Fine to talk about bringing in new players, and about building for the future, but if you don't beat sides like Cyprus, then you just won't be around to finish what you started.

Carsley is not going to change the football world, but it was evident from the presence and the stability he offered last Wednesday that he should have played in Nicosia where Staunton's selection of Aiden McGeady and Stephen Ireland left the midfield hopelessly exposed.

And if I was manager, I would do everything in my power to ensure that every eligible player in either the Premiership or the Championship was kept in the international loop. No one should be closing the door on any player performing at those levels. We just can't afford that kind of policy.

Staunton took the rap last weekend, so he should be given some credit for Wednesday. The balance of the side was good, the attitude was right, and the likes of Paul McShane (below) and Jonathan Douglas demonstrated that they weren't intimidated in any way by the occasion.

The highly-promising McShane still has plenty to prove, but the way he effectively took charge of the defence put the glaring lack of leadership at the back into stark relief. John O'Shea and Steve Finnan may have different temperaments, yet it seemed as if McShane was the experienced campaigner and they were the rookies.

Without doing anything hugely constructive, Douglas certainly made his presence felt. This may be coming from someone who was very much the little guy in the middle of the park, but I'd be a little worried about the lack of physique of some of the new players Staunton has been bringing in such as McGeady, Ireland and Alan Quinn.

The game has moved on, and there are times when physique can tip the balance, so I was impressed by Douglas's aggression and by the way he handled the situation.

Given that we have no chance of qualifying now, and that Staunton has an opportunity to rescue his career, he should refuse any offer by the FAI to bring in a replacement for Bobby Robson. He doesn't need anyone holding his hand. He needs to show that his team can go to the Czech Republic and to Slovakia and maybe get results.

Most of all, he needs to remember the importance of the basics, and to give us more of what we saw last Wednesday.