Steve Staunton would probably be the first to admit that he was no such thing, so Delaney's decision was more of a world-class gamble than anything else. I have a lot of admiration for Staunton both as a player and as a man. He served Ireland with distinction, and he handled himself well during the Keane-McCarthy row in Saipan, but because he was so inexperienced, the appointment didn't really stack up.

Almost a year into the job, it's not yet clear whether Delaney's gamble on Staunton has been worth it. The manager was able to stem the flow of criticism with the team's performance against the Czech Republic, and following last Wednesday's win over San Marino, there is now some badly-needed stability before the qualifying group kicks off again in February. While I'm definitely prepared to wait a bit longer before delivering a final verdict, Staunton has made a number of mistakes which have undermined his authority, especially within the media.

Just as I wasn't swept along by the feelgood following his first game against Sweden, I wasn't overly perturbed by the defeat against Holland when so many players were unavailable. An international manager has to be judged first and foremost on his competitive fixtures. Losing 1-0 in Germany wasn't a disaster by any means, but in truth, if Shay Given hadn't been in such outstanding form, the Germans would have run out comfortable winners. What did worry me, however, was Staunton's behaviour during the game, and then his over-the-top comments afterwards.

A coach has to be thinking about his next move, about what he might do in the event of a number of different scenarios, but Staunton was clearly not dispassionate enough that night. He was far too wound up, far too emotionally involved in what was happening on the pitch, and getting himself sent off when the decision he was complaining about wasn't clearcut at all, was the sort of trap no seasoned manager would ever fall into. To later come out and say his players had been magnificent was ill-advised, and bordering on the ridiculous. As a player, Staunton had been matter-of-fact and pragmatic, he was never one to get carried away, and here he was sounding like a completely different person.

After that, it was on to Cyprus where he dug his heels in over Lee Carsley, and where in a clear error of judgement, he played Stephen Ireland in midfield. Yet, last Wednesday, when Staunton had all his contenders for the midfield positions available, there was Carsley in the starting line-up. That only compounded the initial mistake, and maybe if Staunton had come clean and explained that he had got it wrong, he might have earned a few points from the media. But now the Carsley u-turn remains as one of the sticks his critics can beat him with.

He also could have handled the Paddy Kenny situation better by communicating both with the player himself and with the Sheffield United manager, Neil Warnock. Staunton obviously had his reasons for leaving Kenny out, but Warnock's subsequent outburst only a created another problem he could have done without. And there was his decision not to have Anthony Stokes in the squad for a game against fifth-rate opposition such as San Marino. My problem here has nothing to do with my job at Arsenal, it's simply that Stokes was scoring goals regularly in the SPL, and it would have been an ideal opportunity for Staunton to get to know a promising, in-form striker.

We've a good idea already what players like Clinton Morrison and Alan Lee have to offer, so there was a case for giving Stokes 10 or 15 minutes towards the end last Wednesday when the three points had long been settled.

If it was a reasonable performance, there was still enough slack play that we might only have won 30, and if we'd been sharper and more incisive, we would have won 8-0.

In fact, I was more worried about what Staunton might say after the match, than the match itself. But, unlike in Germany, he was more measured this time, and told it as it was.

So, he has got to handle the peripheral stuff better, and to learn the art of bringing the media around to his way of thinking. His selections have to be more precise, he has to rely more on current form, and in the break between now and February, he should be looking for advice not just from Bobby Robson, but from some of the experienced contacts he has.

He has got to try and get the best out of Richard Dunne as a defensive leader, and the best out of John O'Shea, full stop. He has to hope that Damien Duff also returns to top form, and I want to see the team win the games it's supposed to win, and to avoid the sort of embarrassment we had to endure in Cyprus. The results against the Czech Republic and San Marino have given Staunton some breathing space, but there is no evidence yet that he has turned a corner. I want him to do well, and I want some optimism going into the next World Cup campaign.

If he manages wins against San Marino, Wales and Slovakia early next year, then that might just represent a turning point.