Mick McCarthy has spoken exclusively to Leaguemanagers.com about the challenge faced by his Irish team as they prepare for their meeting with the surprise package of Group 2 in the latest qualifier for the 2002 World Cup.
Cyprus were not even credited as dark horses before the qualifiers began even though they were the team that effectively ended the reign of Spain coach Javier Clemente.
In 1998, they beat Clemente's Spanish team 3-2 in a qualifier for Euro 2000 and it was ultimately his last game in charge.
More hard-bitten followers of international football would point out that Saturday’s opponents' two wins in the group have come against lowly Andorra – Ireland's next opponents after Cyrpus – but were then hammered 4-0 by the Netherlands at home. But McCarthy says that these are poor grounds for complacency to be allowed to sink in.
He said: "There are no real minnows anymore. Whatever you're going to get out of it, you've got to earn. You're going to have to break them down as they make life very difficult for teams."
The Irish boss knows that Cyprus are not going to commit themselves to naïve waves of attacking play against his Irish team. He believes that the leaps forward made in Cypriot football have been achieved by adding discipline to the more traditionally laid-back Southern European approach to the game and he takes the threat seriously.
"Like everybody, they've become more organized and more disciplined. They stil have that Mediterranean flair. They work very hard and are very committed to playing. We've got to attack them."
Conversely, McCarthy believes the quality of Cyprus' team is still not a mitigating factor in the end result for his side. His message is clear: every game is a potential banana skin.
The Irish team needs nothing less than a win before the game in Barcelona against Andorra and the manager knows that the team with the better discipline will put itself in a more advantageous position.
"Everybody's saying 6 points out of the next 2 games. Easier said than done of course.
"What we can't afford to do is come out here all guns blazing, get nicked and end up getting beat, that's the last thing we want to happen.
"Whilst we are going to be positive and go to try to win the game we've got to have a slight air of caution as well."
McCarthy confirmed that four players are not available for the Cyprus game. Niall Quinn, Steven Carr, Dean Kiely and Steve Staunton are out of the clash. Tottenham defender Carr and Sunderland striker Quinn would have started but McCarthy says he is confident that the players brought in to deputise will stand up to the challenges ahead.
"They are a great bunch of lads, a pleasure to work with and be with. We've got good players as well. We're missing Niall Quinn, Steven Carr, Dean Kiely and Steve Staunton.
"Two of these would've started Steven Carr and Niall Quinn, we've ready made replacements, not so much for Niall so we've got to make do and mend without him."
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