Vera Pauw demands intensity as Ireland look to build on promising start to campaign

Vera Pauw talks to the media ahead of tonight’s World Cup qualifier in Tallaght. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

From her deep reservoir of experience and knowledge, Vera Pauw dug out a Dutch proverb to caution Ireland against premature delusions of women’s World Cup qualification.

“If you put on pants that are too big of a size, they will go down to your ankles,” she warned ahead of tonight’s visit of Slovakia to Tallaght.

“If we act as if we are bigger than we are, we’ll have a problem coping with that.”

The message, albeit initially abstract, was clear for her players to absorb, if not better translated into a more colloquial version of not getting too big for their boots.

Ireland doesn’t have the record to be entitled to such presumptions. They’ve never reached a major senior tournament and their closest attempt — a Euro play-off defeat to Iceland — was all of 13 years ago.

Pauw is now into a third decade of coaching, Scotland, Russia, her native Netherlands, and South Africa the international teams she’d managed before answering the FAI’s call two years ago, and she constantly utters the phrase realistic in the context of qualification ambitions.

Ireland were heading for that coveted runners-up at this point in her last campaign, flying high from wins over Montenegro and Ukraine before the Gods didn’t shine on them in Athens through a late Greek equaliser.

A similar glow of confidence has engulfed her side in this latest tilt, especially on the back of beating Finland last month.

The Finns, as second seeds, are the side Ireland must edge to maintain an interest heading into next year’s second half of the series, only possible by avoiding the type of pitfalls they succumbed to in Greece.

What the victory in Helsinki does afford Ireland, however, is one lifeline in the four games against lower seeds Slovakia and Georgia.

All going to form, top seeds Sweden will steamroll into first place.

It would take for Finland to nick something off the world’s second-best team in Gothenburg tonight for that projection to be disrupted. Otherwise Pauw’s side are heading for a direct shootout with the Finnish for the playoff berth.

They could even afford to draw against either Slovakia or Georgia, once they avoided defeat at home to the Finnish in next September’s penultimate qualifier. Head-to-head results take precedence in the final standings.

Slovakia have designs too on figuring in the shake-up. They defied their status as fourth seeds in the group to push Sweden and Finland to narrow victories in September and have collected their first win, a 2-0 victory at home to Georgia last month.

“The intensity has to be the same as against Finland,” Pauw demanded, referring to the heroic effort last time out. “Hopefully we’ll have more of the ball but we must make use of that.

“All of the friendly games against higher opposition earlier in the campaign have taught us how to raise our level of performance. Only through the same will to sacrifice ourselves for the team can we have a chance to make the next step in our qualification process by collecting wins against Slovakia and Georgia over the next week.”

Pauw will rely on Katie McCabe to set the example in that attitude, despite her captain’s preparations impacted by a foot injury. McCabe sustained the bruising while winning a penalty for Arsenal against Manchester United on Sunday. She got up to convert the kick into the top corner for her fourth goal of the season.

“I hope Katie hasn’t reached her ceiling yet because her maturity is growing,” Pauw said of the 26-year-old’s contribution. “Previously, there were moments where she could not identify whether to stay away or put herself into an attacking situation. Playing under pressure for Arsenal has developed her into a top, top star.”

Despite facing weaker opposition than against Finland Pauw is inclined to stick with three centre-backs. Hence McCabe will remain as a left wing-back, yet can be certain to play an advanced role.

“It is now possible for her to go forward because of the players that are less visible behind her in defence,” noted Pauw.

“Katie is so influential; our captain and leader of this squad. She makes things happen.”

It’s within Ireland’s control to make things happen and perhaps be worthy of progressing from short pants.