'Stick with it but report football': Manager calls for sustained focus on Irish women's team
Irish women's football team head coach Colin Bell said the focus is now on football, after Wednesday's mediation talks with the FAI, .
The squad trained today for the second time since late-night discussions over conditions helped to strike a €100,000 deal, including payment of a €300 match fee, along with €150 win and €75 draw bonuses.
Speaking today at the FAI National Training Centre in Abbottstown, Bell urged those who got behind the squad this week to stick with them.
"I don't like excuses, and I don't like hiding behind things, so now that the conditions are sorted out, we set the standards.
"The standards will be set in this Republic of Ireland national team from me and no one else, but the expectations are now for everybody, so that's what we are looking at.
"I'll be very, very pleased when we start the qualification (campaign), and I am not being critical now - I'm just throwing this in.
"It would be great in 12 months that we are all sitting together again, that the interest is so great in the national team, because we are playing so well.
"Everybody who is involved now with the women's national team, stick with it, follow it and report about it - but report about football."
Bell said it was important for everyone involved to pull together.
"First of all I was really happy that it was sorted out. Somebody said about 'unity' within the team and holding together, but the unity is for me, the FAI and the team - everybody together.
"That's where the unity was at its most predominant."
He added that the players were fresh for training the following day despite a long night of talks.
"If you want to negotiate all night, then you have to be able to train the next day - where's the problem in that?" he said.
"They are professionals, and if someone wants to go about it at four in the morning, then that's up to them, but they have to be up early and fresh.
"We had them in at one o'clock, so they were able to sleep in a little bit longer.
"The girls came in, in good spirits - we had a little bit of a talk. I explained my position, and what we were going to do in the afternoon in training, and the girls had a really great training - it was a great session."
Ahead of Monday's friendly against Slovakia, Bell says expectations now turn to on-field matters.
"That's what I want to be concentrating on, the expectation now for me is to be able to form a strong team, to be able to compete at International level - that's what I said at my first press conference.
"All this thing has put focus on the women's' national team, which is good, but also the girls have to know that they are in focus, and it is actually about playing football."
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