Keane: We have to stick together

Robbie Keane has called for a united front in Torshavn as Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni hangs grimly onto his job.

The 73-year-old has insisted he will not walk away after four and a half years at the helm, but there is a growing feeling that the decision might be taken out of his hands even if his team does bounce back from its 6-1 drubbing by Germany to beat the Faroe Islands.

"At the end of the day, he (Trapattoni) is here and we are all here and we have to stick together," he said. "It's okay people on the outside asking us questions, that's no problem. When we are in the hotel together and playing together, we have to stick together. It's as simple as that."

He added: "People are always going to speculate and ask questions. They have the right to do that.

"You get booed and they pay good money to see us play. It was not good enough on Friday and we certainly accept that. People have got their own views."

Whatever happens in Torshavn, the scars of a dreadful night at the Aviva Stadium will run deep for some time, with Keane admitting the players were embarrassed by a display which plumbed new depths after a disappointing showing at the Euro 2012 finals.

He said: "We have had a good record up to now and to get a defeat like we did on Friday in front of our home fans is very, very disappointing.

"But the good thing about football is that there is always another game. If that game was it and if we didn't have a game tomorrow night, it would certainly have been a long few months."

Keane was a horrified spectator on Friday with an Achilles injury preventing him from being on the pitch, but he will return on Tuesday night as one of three changes with Marc Wilson and Robbie Brady also set to start as Stephen Ward, Keith Fahey and Simon Cox make way.

He will only be able to do so after having an injecting on his heel, and he admits the artificial surface at the Torsvollur Stadium will not do him any favours. The 32-year-old said: "I got an injection and at the moment it feels good, but when you are playing on plastic pitches...I'll be honest with you, they shouldn't be allowed in this day and age."