Blood, lest we make it through a day without recalling the level of spoofery we're talking about here, was the man who claimed in the aftermath of the Nicosia bother that the Ireland players had done well and that the 5-2 defeat was just an example of the "vagaries of international football". Priceless.

Anyway, when outlining what he felt were Delaney's achievements in the job so far, Blood was positively gushing.

"We have managed to pursue our strategic objectives in key areas such as the Lansdowne Road Stadium development, the progression of the National Academy at Abbotstown and the merger of the Eircom League while also advancing successfully the development of the game through the successful implementation of the Technical Development Plan and the strengthening of the game at grass roots, " he said.

Small problem, though. The Lansdowne Road Stadium development, the National Academy and the merger of the Eircom League are three things which haven't actually happened yet. They are plans, hopes, ideals, all in various stages of evolution. What there was no mention of in Blood's musings was what has been, like it or not, Delaney's most important act as chief executive. The kingmaking of Steve Staunton warranted not a single reference.

There can barely be an eye left in the country that doesn't glaze over at the thought of FAI politics and its ins and outs. It's worth noting though that for all the fine messes there have been in the association down the years, no chief executive or president has ever had to fall on his sword for overseeing the appointment of the wrong man to lead the national team. Merriongate?

There's the door Joe, see you later Louis. Credit card irregularities? So long Bernard.

Genesis? Best of luck now Brendan.

Truth is, the public at large didn't and don't give very much of a toss about any of that. Not that they weren't important and not that those who walked shouldn't have had to, but they were politics stories and media stories.

Here, though, is the one part of the association's remit that captures the interest of every person interested in their sport and it's the one that they seemingly don't have to be held to account for. The national team arrives at its lowest ebb for over a decade under a man who is only a football manager because John Delaney says he is and the chief executive gets rewarded with the guarantee of six more years in charge or a massive pay-off if the need arises. No wonder they put it out on a Saturday morning.

The further we go on, the harder it is to see what it was that brought Delaney to the decision to pick Staunton.

Some hold it was the meagre salary demands but this doesn't stack up since the 500,000 on offer is pretty much the same as what Walter Smith is on with Scotland and higher than both John Toshack and Lawrie Sanchez. In the week back in January between the sprouting and confirmation of the rumour that Staunton was to be the man to follow Brian Kerr, the FAI line was that it was the presentation he gave when he met them that so impressed. Given what we've seen of him over these past 10 months, given how unsure he seems of his ground at times and the halting delivery that dogs him in his pronouncements, the idea that he swayed the jury with some kind of Churchillian oratorical symphony appears more and more absurd.

There's a real danger Ireland could finish as low as fifth in this group, an outcome that would arguably constitute the biggest FAI fiasco of them all.

But don't worry, Delaney has until 2012 (at least) to sort it out.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND'S REMAINING FIXTURES

7 February, 2007 v San Marino (a), Serraville Stadium, time TBC, live TV3 24 March v Wales, Croke Park, time TBC, live RTE 2 28 March v Slovakia, Croke Park, time TBC, live RTE 2 8 September v Slovakia (a), stadium and time TBC 12 September v Czech Republic (a), stadium and time TBC, live RTE 2 13 October v Cyprus, Croke Park, time TBC, live RTE 17 October v Germany, Croke Park, time TBC, live RTE 2 17 November v Wales (a), stadium and time TBC time