THE OLD MANAGER is gone. The new manager hasn’t been appointed yet.

In the meantime a third manager is preparing Ireland for their remaining World Cup qualifiers but, barring a mathematical miracle, they can’t possibly qualify.

“It’s a transitional stage,” David Forde agreed when the unusual situation was put to him in those terms yesterday.

With transition comes opportunity. Just ask Andy Reid or Anthony Stokes or Darron Gibson or Kevin Doyle, all of whom fell out of favour during Giovanni Trapattoni’s reign but were back in Malahide yesterday as interim manager Noel King took his first training session.

The opportunity extends to more than just the returning exiles though.

“It’s a clean slate for everyone,” Forde said as King’s side started to prepare for their games against Germany and Kazakhstan.

It’s giving people an opportunity to show what they can do.

For some that fresh start is an advantage but for others like Forde, who has made the international number one jersey his own in the last year, they will have to redouble their efforts and impress all over again.

“No matter what game you play, whether it’s club football or international, you’ve got to go out and stake your claim.

There’s no given in football and I’m no different. I go out with that mentality, as if it’s my last game.

“The new manager is probably going to be watching the game on Friday,” Sean St Ledger said, looking beyond King to the man who will eventually succeed Trapattoni on a permanent basis.

“He must have an inkling that he’s interested in the job, so it’s up to us to go out there and show what we can do because we all want to be out there playing on this stage against the likes of Germany and playing in World Cups.”

With Richard Dunne and John O’Shea suspended, St Ledger is the most experienced central defender at King’s disposal this week.

He hasn’t played for club or country since suffering a knee injury at the start of August and if he does feature in Cologne, he’ll be hoping to also show Leicester manager Nigel Pearson just what he has been missing.

Another opportunity, another manager to impress.

“How many times do you see it in club football that a new manager comes in and performance levels peak?” Forde said.

“Hopefully that happens on Friday.”

‘Things can’t always be perfect’: St Ledger ready for Germany after two months MIA