FAI facing big decision as they ponder Pauw’s future

The FAI are set to freshen up the Republic of Ireland management team before the historic visit of Northern Ireland to play the first ever women’s international at the Aviva Stadium on September 23rd.

That much seems clear.

The last words from this World Cup belong to Denise O’Sullivan, Katie McCabe, Louise Quinn, Megan Connolly and their manager Vera Pauw.

O’Sullivan, an inspirational Knocknaheeny to North Carolina success story, summed up the mood.

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“First World Cup,” tweeted the 29-year-old. “One that was full of emotion, distraction, highs and lows but overall complete pride to put on the Irish shirt and see our fans turn up in thousands. Thank you so much and I hope enjoyed it, you deserve that.”

Distraction. The word is unavoidable. There were far too many in 2023.

After the scoreless draw with Nigeria in Brisbane on Monday, Pauw revealed that McCabe had demanded the replacement of Sinead Farrelly in the 70th minute as tensions between coach and captain bubbled to the surface.

Pauw’s decision to bring Farrelly into a public spat with McCabe feels unnecessary. The 33-year-old midfielder had been redeployed to left back so her captain could raid forward. McCabe requested that the coach “freshen up” the team.

Listening to the Arsenal attacker afterwards, it did not sound like an issue exists between her and Farrelly.

“I don’t like being regimented at times!” said McCabe. “But with Sinead and having Ruesha [Littlejohn] beside me, they are fantastic footballers, they are so intelligent on the ball, and given the interchanging movements, we can read each other, we can understand each other’s positioning and it makes it very fluid, and it gives the opposition some headaches to deal with.

“And I felt that we were really good at it in the first half and I felt they [Nigeria] went to close that down in the second half and they done that well, to be fair to them.

“It is a joy playing with Sinead and Rue on that left side,” she added. “They are very intelligent in what they do.”

Pauw’s refusal to make a sub for 13 minutes after McCabe’s demand, ensures that this World Cup is categorised as another one that begins and ends with the Irish manager in open conflict with the Irish captain.

Sound familiar?

It has not been a very good year. Despite some thrilling performances, one victory over Zambia and draws with Nigeria and China were overshadowed by five defeats to America (twice), France, Australia and Canada, with Ireland scoring four yet conceding 11 goals.

These are the cold facts.

The ‘Up da Ra’ controversy in the wake of World Cup qualification had only subsided when the squad and some new faces gathered in Marbella last February for a scoreless draw with China.

Pauw drafted in three new players, the Australian Deborah-Anne De La Harpe, who struggled with jet lag and was cut loose, Marissa Sheva, the 26-year-old Washington Spirit reserve, and Manchester United defender Aoife Mannion.

Mannion’s injury profile was known, and she did not make the World Cup squad, which led to Pauw using Connolly, a central midfielder, in defence. That decision came back to haunt Ireland when Connolly scored an own goal against Canada. Pauw blamed Áine O’Gorman for not covering the space that allowed Julia Grosso cross the ball.

After China, the FAI arranged five more warm-ups, including two games over three days against the USA in April when Ireland lost 2-0 and 1-0. Besides the results, Pauw’s return to Texas, where she coached briefly in 2018, worked out well, especially the surprise recruitment of Farrelly.

“We were waiting on a player like Sinead,” said the manager.

An early summer camp, without the American-based players and Katie McCabe due to club commitments, also made a lot of sense. Same goes for the Zambia and France matches in Tallaght before flying to the team base at the Emporium hotel in Brisbane.

However, Pauw’s contribution to a story published by The Athletic on July 2nd, which revived allegations of abusive behaviour when she was Houston Dash coach in 2018, and previously led to her being banned from coaching in the US, confirmed that a schism existed between Irish captain and manager.

At the press conference ahead of the France game on July 5th, McCabe refused to back Pauw for a new contract to take Ireland into the Euros qualification campaign for Switzerland in 2025. Seemingly, negotiations between Pauw’s representative Ciarán Medlar and FAI CEO Jonathan Hill were paused in late June. The Irish Times has approached both men for comment.

McCabe was forced off injured against France after 30 minutes. Ireland flew to Brisbane the next day.

There followed an abandoned match against Colombia at Meakin Park on July 14th. The Irish reporters were locked outside the ground by Colombian and Fifa officials despite Pauw inviting the media as guests of the FAI.

Denied access, the journalists scrambled back to Brisbane to catch Australia versus France on television, but a phone call came from the FAI at 9.30pm. O’Sullivan was in hospital with a shin injury following a foul by Colombian midfielder. Ireland walked off the field after just 23 minutes.

O’Sullivan never fully recovered. Fitness is one of her strengths, but she faded in the second half against Canada, just as McCabe thundered into the Canucks with a signature performance.

Ireland also played their hearts out on the opening night in Sydney before 75,000 fans. The game was lost after Sheva conceded a penalty that Australia captain Steph Catley buried past Courtney Brosnan. Sheva, a forward, was covering for McCabe at left back. Ireland deserved a draw. The skipper almost scored from a corner.

Pauw refused to admit to a selection error but Sheva was benched before a bizarre introduction at right back against Canada when her questionable control of the ball was coupled by struggles to take throw-ins.

The issue was never Sheva, rather Pauw’s decision to select the Pennsylvanian ahead of Jamie Finn, the previously established right wing back while Megan Campbell, the veteran left back was not deemed fit enough to travel.

Not injured. Just not fit. Along with Leanne Kiernan, Campbell was left out of the squad on June 28th, a full 33 days before the Nigeria game.

A highly intelligent and diligent coach, it can be argued that Pauw was tactically exposed by Canada boss Bev Priestman in Perth, as former Ireland midfielder Karen Duggan suggested in The Irish Times. Or Canada were just a superior, far more experienced outfit.

When 1-0 down late in matches, Pauw would send the defensive linchpin Louise Quinn up front in a throwback to the good old days of Irish football.

“I literally turn around and I’m like, ‘See yiz later girls, I’ve got to go,’” said Quinn. “Like everything, if I’m told to go up there, I’m going to do it.”

With Pauw’s contract due to expire, Hill refused to speak to the media in Australia. The association’s strategy is to keep their own counsel until an internal World Cup review is completed later this month.

Hill is due to speak publicly before the Northern Ireland game. The FAI must navigate tricky waters; parting ways with Pauw needs to be done with dignity as she is only the third person to guide Ireland into a World Cup, after Jack Charlton and Mick McCarthy.

Extending her contract by two years would require a detailed explanation to McCabe and the FAI board members who were recruited to bring an independent perspective.

Now the first major tournament involving an Irish women’s team has passed, and presuming Pauw’s contract will not be renewed, Tyler Toland and Leanne Kiernan can come back into the frame.

On Pauw’s watch, they were on the outside looking in.

Niamh Fahey and Diane Caldwell could retire, but the rest of McCabe’s squad will go on. Having paved the way for future generations, by demanding a safe and professional environment, they deserved less friction between the leadership of the FAI and their manager.

“This is our first World Cup so I am sure we can all learn from this and be better in the future both on and off the pitch,” said Connolly. “We will learn a lot as players and as an FAI but I think a lot of the players have been happy with how we have prepared.”

After football, Connolly should consider a career in dispute resolution.