Stephen Kenny does not appear to be buying into the hype that Scotland are a changed and much-improved side compared to the team that lined out in Dublin during the summer.
Ireland enjoyed a relatively easy night at the office back in June when the sides met at the Aviva Stadium, with Kenny's charges coasting to a 3-0 victory.
Scotland were lambasted by their own media as a result of the performance and the manner of the defeat to an Irish side that was labelled "spectacularly limited".
However, Steve Clarke’s side bounced back with a comprehensive victory over Armenia following the Dublin debacle, while they really hit their stride on Wednesday night as they beat Ukraine 3-0 with a complete performance, dominating throughout the Hampden Park clash.
No doubt, they will bring real confidence into the game that is being billed as a revenge encounter at Hampden Park on Saturday night, and the assembled Scottish media were keen to get the Ireland manager’s take on how things might proceed at the historic Glasgow arena.
"Scotland have been very good since Steve Clarke took charge and qualified for the Euros," said Kenny, speaking at the press conference. "They’ve consistently been good, so anything we get, we know we’ll definitely have to earn it."
However, Kenny was not in agreement with the local journalist when asked if he felt that Scotland were a different proposition to the side that they faced in the Dublin game.
"They came into the game on the back of a win, either side of us they beat Armenia home and away so they had some good results then as well," said Kenny. "So I don’t necessarily think that’s the case to be honest.
"It was the same midfield that they had in Dublin really," countered Kenny, when asked whether his players would have to adapt to the strength that Clarke's side showed in that department on Wednesday night.
"But they are excellent players," he added. "They are also playing in the Premier League or Champions League apart maybe from one or two players. Scotland are a formidable team and we highly respect them."
Kenny's real dilemma comes in the guise of a happy headache for a manager who has had a full week to work with his players with no injury issues to contend with.
As a result, the training sessions have been exactly what Kenny would have been hoping for, an ability to play 11 v 11 games, while drilling the players on their specific roles should they be chosen to start or feature against the Scots.
"When we have a match on a Wednesday, sometimes we can’t to do 11 v 11. Some players have played on Saturday or Sunday and it’s matchday plus two," explained Kenny.
"This week we’ve been able to do that, to have two days of 11 v 11 training blocs. You don’t always get to that at international level with the advent of three-match or in June four-match windows. So that’s been a help.
"And we have a training regime whereby all the strikers know their roles. If we have five strikers for two positions, or we play with three up, they all know their roles," he added.
And such are the manager’s options, most notably in attack, he really appears to be struggling to leave players out, even hinting that he could reward the 11 players who secured that vital win in June by naming an unchanged outfit.
"It is a dilemma," said Kenny. "We now have good competition in all areas. Callum Robinson was our main [forward] and he was very influential. Scott Hogan is on the back of a great hat-trick in the Midlands derby and Chiedozie Ogbene is scoring goals, so we’ll have to consider that.
"Whether we can make any changes at all from the previous Scotland game..." he pondered.
"It’s difficult to leave anyone out of that team. It’s something we have to consider."
Caoimhin Kelleher was goalkeeper against Scotland, however, the Liverpool man is not with the squad this week through injury, with Gavin Bazunu expected to slot back into his role as number one.
Otherwise, the manager would be able to name the same outfield players, however, a question mark looms large over the fact that Shane Duffy has spent most of the season, thus far, at his new club Fulham, sitting on the bench.
The manager is convinced, however, that Duffy would rise to the occasion should he be asked to go out and start the Scotland game.
"Shane has been a very important player," said Kenny. "He’s played a very high percentage of games since I was manager and before I was manager. He is revered in Ireland.
"He’s been a tremendous player for Ireland. He’s still in the Premier League and it’s only seven games into the season. I’m sure he’ll get his opportunities at Fulham.
"He’s a proven player. I’d have no qualms about playing Shane."
