Pauw eyes history as she steels Ireland for physical Ukraine

In a big week and month for Irish football, Vera Pauw is convinced her Ireland women’s team can use tonight’s Euro qualifier against Ukraine to take a huge step towards creating history. The Girls in Green, led by captain Katie McCabe, are at this stage fatigued by answering questions about breaking Ireland’s qualification duck.

They can take encouragement from the fact that the nation blocking their path to the 2021 finals, well at least the play-offs, have scant history to cheer about either. Just once have Ukraine qualified for a tournament, heading to the Euros a decade ago. Their standing in the Fifa rankings has steadily declined since. They now sit just seven places above Ireland in 25th.

Like the Irish, they finished third in their last pair of qualifying campaigns, claiming an identical tally of 13 points from their eight fixtures in the quest to reach this year’s World Cup.

What shouldn’t be discounted as a factor in Ireland’s favour, too, is that Ukraine arrive stung by back-to-back 8-0 defeats against Germany. The latest hammering was inflicted just four days ago.

Pauw was officially appointed as successor to Colin Bell the day after Ireland opened their campaign with a turgid 2-0 win over Montenegro. She’s seen enough of her players in the four weeks since to be optimistic.

The Dutchwoman sounded upbeat on the eve of the visit by Ukraine, though she is prudent enough to predict a clear run for the Germans into top spot.

Three direct tickets into the England-hosted finals are on offer for three of the best runners-up across the groups, with six others competing in play-offs to join them at the expanded 16-nation showpiece.

“We’re going to qualify for the play-offs,” asserted the new boss. “I can say that after what I’ve seen this week. It is all about the results in the two games against Ukraine. They are huge matches.

“We cannot give it away in this home match. Depending on how the game is going, people should not be disappointed if we play draw in the last 10 minutes. It is vital that we do not lose this match.”

Arsenal winger McCabe highlighted the physical power of Ukraine in her pre-match musings. Pauw has sought to prepare Ireland for that onslaught with the help of male opponents. UCD’s U15s were called into the National Indoor Arena in Abbotstown for a no-holds-barred training match last week.

The exercise was previously used under Sue Ronan, who made way for Colin Bell’s arrival in 2017.

“It was something we hadn’t done for a while so I really enjoyed the session,” said McCabe. “Boys are quicker and stronger; they see that pass forward that maybe if we were playing against each other you wouldn’t get that intensity in training.

It’s important for Vera to see those players in game situations and we have to raise the levels again against Ukraine.

Whatever the outcome of this crunch fixture, Pauw won’t be trotting out excuses. Since her arrival, she’s been immersed in assessing the players, as well as meeting her predecessor Bell and appointing Eileen Gleeson as her assistant.

“Colin went through all the players and he was very, very open about the group’s dynamics,” she said of Bell, whose status at Huddersfield Town is unknown after the manager who snared him from the FAI, Jan Siewert, was sacked in August.

“Colin had to start with the defensive team organisation, because winning begins with not losing. We are building on that.”

Bell’s positive start to his only campaign leaned heavily on Megan Campbell’s influence. Her throw-ins led to goals in away wins over Northern Ireland and Slovakia.

The Manchester City defender is finally back in the squad after the bulk of two years out with a knee injury and Pauw will utilise the attacking weaponry if, as expected, she starts at left-back.

“I have seen all the videos of Megan and I know her impact,” she said. “We are happy that she’s fit and presume and expect her to impact the game.”