Giovanni Trapattoni will put talk of his own future to one side as he concentrates on the task of guiding the Republic of Ireland into the Euro 2012 finals.
There has been speculation for some time that any extension of the Italian's contract would depend on the success or otherwise of Ireland's qualification campaign. However, while Trapattoni is happy to remain at the helm, that will not be on his mind as he approaches the two-legged play-off against Estonia.
He said: "This is not about my future, it is about if we qualify. I think we have done a good job until now, not only in the World Cup qualifiers, but also now. I would like not to lose this, but not for the future. After this, we can think about what happens."
Trapattoni has immersed himself in DVD footage of Estonia's recent games as he leaves nothing to chance, and that will include preparing for the lottery of a penalty shoot-out if that is what is required.
Asked if he would rehearse his players for that scenario, he said with a smile: "What do you think?"
But while Trapattoni's attention to detail could prove crucial, he and his players will hope to avoid any late drama by returning from Tallinn of Friday night with a positive result to take into the second leg at what they hope will be a packed Aviva Stadium four days later.
However, there will be no room for complacency within the camp as the Irish look to avoid another dose of play-off heartache to go with their most recent disappointment in France two years ago.
Striker Jonathan Walters, who could be handed a first competitive start in the absence of the suspended Kevin Doyle and the injured Shane Long, said: "I don't think you can underestimate any team.
"If you do, that's detriment to yourselves, that's the most dangerous thing you can do. As soon as you underestimate teams, you get a kick up the backside. That's the last thing anyone in the squad will be doing.
"They [Estonia] have done exactly the same thing as we have done to get where we are. They are not going to be a pushover, they are not going to be easy, although you may not have heard of them so much in world football."
Source: PA
