For Heimir Hallgrimsson, one short aside on Wednesday highlighted what the Republic of Ireland manager would ideally have wanted to speak about on the eve of a match.
"We are in a pre-match press conference before a game against Austria and we have hardly ever spoken about football here," he said.
But this has been a window like no other. As expected, the tenor of the pre-match press conference questions was going to focus on the controversial UEFA Nations League fixtures against Israel and the fallout from Saturday's acrimonious build-up to the first of those matches in Debrecen.
The Israel issue will still be front and centre again tonight at Aviva Stadium. The Stop The Game campaign have promised that protests will take place around the game with the visiting Austrians.
Four months ago, the same campaign staged a tennis ball protest in the same venue during a friendly against Qatar.
It's unclear what shape tonight's protests will take, nor what the overall attendance figures will be. And that's not even to countenance how players will be received individually and collectively from those in the stands.
"I can't put myself in the shoes of people with strong opinions either way," Hallgrimsson said.
"I just hope going forward that we will be united and I think the players have done this week with grace and dignity, and represented the national team the best way they can.
"The decision to play (against Israel) was not the players, but we've played the game, and I think they did it in absolutely the best way they could, raising awareness of the issues at the same time.
"And it's worldwide attention they raised. So (it's) helping whoever is protesting, I think it even helped to raise that awareness. It's difficult to do it in a better way. We can never do it to please everyone. That was always going to be a no-win situation."
Still, Hallgrimsson's side did pick up a win on the football front on Sunday night in Debrecen, with an unanticipated first-half dismantling of their Israeli opponents to establish a 3-0 half-time lead that was never relinquished.
Those who witnessed the deeply disappointing performance in Kosovo three days earlier could be forgiven for having whiplash, such was the contrast in performances, never mind the results.
Where the Irish side had perhaps been overly defensive from the outset in Pristina, tweaks allowed the Boys in Green to improve in Hungary.
Ryan Manning starting at left wing-back, instead of the more natural centre-back Liam Scales, added more impetus from that side, while James Abankwah retained his place in an unfamiliar berth on the other flank but still contributed offensively to good effect for the opening goal.
The selections of Adam Idah and the in-form Jack Moylan had the desired effect too, with the latter two joining talisman Troy Parrott on the scoresheet. Moylan, in particular, caught the eye in an area of the team that neither Finn Azaz nor Chiedozie Ogbene had excelled in days earlier.
Debutant Liam Kitching also put in an encouraging display on the left of the back three, while Conor Coventry also had a good showing next to Jayson Molumby.
The squad to face Austria is bolstered by the return of Gavin Bazunu, who was at the centre of much of the pre-match discussion after he was the lone player to opt against sharing a pitch with Israel.
The versatile Bosun Lawal will not win his second cap tonight but the Stoke City man has linked back up with the squad as he battles back from injury, while QPR defender Jimmy Dunne will be assessed as he tries to recover from a knock that had made him the obvious candidate to fill in as third goalkeeper in Debrecen.
Hallgrimsson will want his squad fit and firing because Austria provide the stiffest test in their Nations League group.
Their World Cup performance was reasonable, as the country ranked 23rd in the world by FIFA managed the minimum target of getting to the first knockout round where eventual champions Spain saw them off.
Otherwise, beating tournament debutants Jordan, losing to finalists Argentina and a chaotic 3-3 draw with Algeria was just about up to par in the group stage.
Ralf Rangnick's side are in a state of evolution at the start of this Nations League campaign which has still seen them pick up back-to-back 3-1 wins over Israel and Kosovo.
Record cap-holder and goalscorer Marko Arnautovic has ended his international career. Meanwhile, long-time captain David Alaba is not included this time, having only just signed for Udinese last week after a period without a club following the expiry of his Real Madrid contract.
Vice-captain Marcel Sabitzer is also not involved in this Nations League campaign, having opted to take a break from international duty, while fellow established midfielder Christoph Baumgartner is out injured.
But it remains a strong squad with 15 players based in the German Bundesliga, as well as Premier League defenders Kevin Danso (on loan at Sunderland from Tottenham Hotspur) and David Affengruber (Fulham), and new Nottingham Forest midfielder Xaver Schlager.
Rangnick has been boosted by the return of the versatile Konrad Laimer who was not in the squad for the wins over Israel and Kosovo due to adductor pain.
The 29-year-old is a key man, reflected in the fact that he is a regular starter for Bayern Munich under Vincent Kompany.
Rangnick made six changes between the Israel and Kosovo games, and it's unclear how Austria will line up in their 4-2-3-1 tonight.
However, dealing with their pressing and counter-pressing will be an er, pressing matter for Ireland.
Speaking on the RTÉ Soccer Podcast this week, former Ireland winger Keith Treacy said it was crucial that the home side avoid the traps that will be set by the visitors.
"You have to earn the right to play, and what I mean by that is, Ralf Rangnick will try and get after Ireland all over the pitch," he said.
"So for the first opening ten or 15 minutes, I wouldn't be too interested in playing the ball around, especially close to my own goal.
"I would try and back them off, flick balls over the top, and get in behind and constantly do that for the first 15 to 20 minutes and as soon as the Austrians decide, 'I'm not going to keep going in there because it's getting flicked', that's when you start to try and play a little bit of football.
"If I was Heimir, the one thing I would say to the Irish team is 'let's not come back into the dressing room after this 90 minutes, thinking we gave Austria a goal or we got our pocket picked playing out from the back'.
"Because that's what Ralf Rangnick will think: 'When Ireland try to play, we'll nick it'. Their press is a weapon. It's one of their bigger weapons so avoid it. Play over it, play around it but don't try to play through it if it's in any way difficult."
Austria are favourites and therefore will ask plenty of questions of Ireland. But for Hallgrimsson, they will be the type of questions that he will feel more comfortable fielding than at recent press conferences.
Watch Republic of Ireland v Austria in the UEFA Nations League on Thursday from 7pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app
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