Dave Connell fears Irish women's game not backed for soccer success

  SILKY SKILLS: Ireland U19 head coach Dave Connell at a media event to confirm their European Championship qualifiers in October will be held in Limerick. Picture: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Dave Connell says it will take a Euro ’88 type qualification breakthrough by the Ireland’s senior team to avoid the women’s game slipping further behind their peers.

The Ireland U19 manager for the past decade is concerned that the absence of a professional structure for budding talent is stunting international progress.

Connell was at the helm when his Ireland side featuring Katie McCabe and Megan Connolly reached the semi-finals of the 2014 European Championships but highlights the advancement of their conquerors as evidence of the growing divide.

Vivianne Miedema, now with Arsenal, bagged a hat-trick as the Netherlands crushed Ireland 4-0 in Oslo, a precursor for several graduates backboning the senior team’s Euro triumph in 2017.

Just a couple of months later, the widening chasm at underage level was underlined by the Dutch hammering Connell’s side 8-1 to decide the qualification group winner.

“When I first took over the U19s, we would have been beating the Dutch,” he explained. “However, they’ve moved to a different level completely.

“All of their players are full-time in sports schools. That’s the way it’s gone around Europe. We played Austria a couple of years ago and we’ve got Switzerland in the upcoming qualifiers. They would have at least double the amount of contact hours we have with our group.

“We’re up against full-time athletes. And, if we’re going to really compete, I think we’ll have to go down that road.”

Connell had for years observed the worrying trend emerge and says his proposals to address it by implementing a centralised contract system didn’t make it past the previous FAI chief executive.

The revelations about the extent of the FAI’s financial problems since John Delaney’s demise offer a better understanding as to why the investment wasn’t earmarked but it will take a broader, government initiative to lift any move towards professionalism off the ground.

Against that backdrop, Connell feels due attention from the hierarchy will only be paid if Vera Pauw’s side create history by reaching a major tournament.

They begin their quest to qualify for the 2023 World Cup with next month’s double-header against top seeds Sweden and Finland.

“Probably the main thing for the development of the game is the senior team qualifying for a finals,” he said.

“That’s the next step and would be pretty similar to when the men’s team got to West Germany. That snowballed and everyone was on the bandwagon. Rightly so, it was great.

“With the way Fifa and Uefa profile the tournaments, it would hugely benefit the game here.”

Given the difficulties in achieving that watershed moment, especially in the World Cup, Connell is realistic about the timeline.

Northern Ireland were another opponent the Republic became used to sweeping aside at all levels but they’ll be the team representing the island at next summer’s Euros in England. Aping some of their blueprint would be a start.

“Northern Ireland have their U19 players together every second weekend, playing for their clubs midweek and there’s talk of them going semi-professional next year,” outlined Connell. “We might get our players together once per month.”

Just how much the gap has closed between the pair will be known when they clash during the first phase of qualifiers in Limerick.

England are first up in the four-nation mini-group on October 20 at Markets Field, the same venue they host Switzerland at three days later. The cross-border rivals duel in the final game at Jackman Park on October 26.

That only seven qualifiers progress to join hosts Czech Republic at next summer’s finals goes a long way to highlighting the obstacles Ireland faced to replicate their 2014 qualification.

Connell will require his full arsenal of players for this tilt, in particular to overcome the powerhouses of England. They will be captained by former Chelsea teen Emily Murphy, who is eligible for Ireland and trained with Pauw’s seniors earlier this year.

The Irish boss is awaiting clearance from Pauw for the availability of Ellen Molloy and Aoibheann Clancy as his fixtures in the mid-west clash with the senior assignments.

“We’ll have to wait and see what kind of mood everyone is in,” he said.