Tardif is unsure on his No. 1

In the case of who will be his No. 1 in the northern isle, he has yet to conclude which of three very evenly-matched keepers is best suited to the Muratti job, while at the other end of the pitch he says: ‘We haven’t got many out and out forwards in the old-fashioned sense’.

But in naming an 18-man squad for next week’s friendly against the visiting RAF, the new Muratti boss says he already knows the backbone of his Muratti semi-final team and there are only a couple more GFC players likely to come in should – as everyone expects of course – they overcome Alderney.

Tardif has named two keepers for next week’s game, just as he did for the recent match against the RAF Under-23s.

Since then he popped over to Jersey to see how Jason Martin fared for St Martin’s against St Paul’s in the Wheway semi and against, inevitably, many of the players who will make the Reds’ team in the May final.

Martin did well enough, he says, and has had a good season, but his efforts to closely study Riley have been frustrated by Manzur’s shortage of games and his absence from those they have played.

Luke Mollet may miss out on the RAF game unless Harry Tobin is unavailable, but he insists the North man is still very much in his thoughts. ‘Luke’s not included only because I want to see extra forward variations.’

Angus Mackay is on standby should Sam Cochrane not be fit and he says he will name a Muratti training squad of 20 after the RAF match.

One player he would consider if available is the Rovers striker Carlos Canha, but the Portuguese player is ineligible for the Murattis this season.

‘I really like him as a player but we are still strong for 10s-wingers, in that sort of area.’

Tardif is also likely to continue with his experiment of playing River Marsh in a holding midfield role as opposed to central defence and he was ‘frustrated’ that he was force to drop the North man back into a central defensive role so early against the Navy due to an injury to his brother Keanu.

SQUAD

Jason Martin, Leroi Riley, Tom Strawbridge, Sam Cochrane (standby Angus Mackay), Tom de la Mare, Harry Tobin (standby Luke Mollet), River Marsh, Ben Coulter, Matt Loaring, Sam Hall, Craig Young, Dom Heaume, Danny Hale, Louis Graham, Kyle Smith, Marc McGrath, Sam Murray, Stuart Roussel.