"Did you enjoy watching us at the World Cup in 2002?" said new Ireland manager, Mick McCarthy, at Sunday’s press conference, as the former Ireland skipper returned for his second stint in charge of the national side.
Style of play, or lack thereof, has been a long-running theme throughout the past decade of Irish international football under the guidance of first, Giovanni Trapattoni, and then, followed by Martin O’Neill, but the new man, back at the helm, was quick to remind the assembled media that he has always a firm advocate of attacking football.
"Well I guess that is the style I play," continued McCarthy, already looking calm and comfortable back in front of the Irish media for the grand unveiling at the Aviva Stadium.
"My way has always been to try to have an attacking game. We played 4-4-2 when I was here the last time – that won’t be happening, because football has changed and dominating the ball in midfield is one of the biggest things."
Encouraging words perhaps, but the reality of the situation did not take long to bring a sense of conservatism to the conversation as McCarthy emphasised that he has eight, maybe ten games to get Ireland to the promised land of Euro 2020.
The manager takes over from O’Neill and assistant Roy Keane who departed last week following a largely disappointing 12 months, and McCarthy is well aware that results will be the ultimate barometer.
"There are real misconceptions of styles of football," explained McCarthy. "I’ve always found winning football generally... especially with eight or ten games to play, it really is about winning games.
"Maybe if we qualify, then we will have time to get teams in, get players in, work with them, do different stuff."
And so it begins.
McCarthy’s second stint really will be a baptism of fire as his first chance to pick an Ireland XI will come in the opening Euro 2020 qualifier in March. No friendlies. No training camps.
No problem, implied Mick, who will get to work straight away, visiting the players, watching games, assembling the starting XI who he will want to play that first qualifier.
In fact, the new Ireland boss was already in manager mode ahead of his official unveiling, as he spoke to Declan Rice’s father about the current state of mind of the West Ham youngster.
The fact that he believes a meeting with the player and his Dad will happen in December suggests that there may be more than a chink of light shining out of that long-running east-ender’s storyline.
"I cannot do anything until March," said McCarthy.
"[The players] will see what I am doing, they will see me at games, speaking to players, but ultimately I will be judged on results and that starts in March.
"We’ve now got a good spell to go and find the players and see what we have got and decide what I want to do.
"I’ll get the players together, I’ll speak to them, we’ll work with them and we’ll endeavour to win games and pick the best players that we possibly can."
And while the manager has promised attacking football, his previous experiences in qualifying campaigns and tournament football will urge caution, knowing the effects that losing early in a process can have on the overall objective.
"You have got to win games and to win games you have to score goals, of course, but you cannot concede.
"You cannot have that gung-ho approach. At the start of a tournament, you don’t want to get beaten. Like at the World Cup, you don’t want to lose your first game. So that is important.
"But we have to try and find a way, see who is available, who is fit in March and try to make us a force to be reckoned with."
McCarthy will be joined by his footballing soulmate Terry Connor - not O’Connor stressed the gaffer in that spine-tingling Yorkshire drawl - who has been by the manager’s side since 2006.
But McCarthy revealed that the idea of bringing someone young with new ideas into his team appealed to him – eventually – as record Ireland goalscorer Robbie Keane was suggested to aid him in a coaching capacity.
"It was suggested to me, by him, by Robbie," revealed McCarthy. "First I thought ‘you cheeky boll**ks’ to be quite honest.
"But he is cheeky, he was a cheeky player, he was impudent.
"He loves his football and I always loved his football. I used to clap him in training for some of the things that he did. He was such a talent.
"He asked me would I consider him helping out in some way, coaching role, management role, just to be a part of it, working with me.
"And I gave it some thought and I had to say yes. I’m coming up 60, TC is 56 and I kind of like the idea of a young coach with bright ideas. One of the most capped, top goalscorer, I think he will have a real affinity with the younger players.
"All these guys coming through. He is their hero."
And McCarthy suggested that when he departs following the 2020 campaign that Keane may stick around and be part of the new-look management team under Stephen Kenny’s reign.
"There is more to him now. He has his head screwed on in terms of wanting to be a coach and to manage in his own right.
"If we are talking about succession, whatever happens to me in two years’ time, he should be part of that succession, because he has a lot to offer."
And while McCarthy knows that his style of play will be critiqued from the opening exchanges in March, the manager is well aware of the onus that rests on his shoulders in terms of recreating a Lansdowne Road fortress for the upcoming qualifying campaign.
"It has always been such a wonderful experience, walking up the steps at Lansdowne Road, the tingle on the back of the neck for the anthem, and as a manager it was always the same.
"I was talking about the time we beat Spain at Lansdowne 1-0 and I still have a photograph at home of crushing [Emilio] Butragueño’s hand and he was grimacing at me.
"We made the place an intimidating place. There were some great days, great times, and we did have it rocking. And it's my job to try to get that going again.
"It is important to get the fans back on side. I hope that it is a positive that I have taken over. We played some good football the last time that I was here and we had some good results."
