Caldwell believes standards under Pauw were not 'at international level'

OFF HER CHEST: Diane Caldwell during a Republic of Ireland women's training session. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

First day of a new chapter in the Ireland women’s team chronicles and sounds hummed inside and out the camp.

On the Abbotstown pitch accompanying Colin Healy and Emma Byrne yesterday was Ivi Casagrande, the Brazilian taking control of training by injecting a fun element into the drills.

More significant than the experience she gained working with her native team was the fact a performance coach exists at all for Ireland. The absence of a fitness coach was one of several criticisms Vera Pauw shipped as her tenure turned sour.

Simultaneously on the airwaves a clatter of vintage players were slating the FAI.

Saturday’s assembly of all former internationals, to coincide with the first-ever senior international game at Aviva Stadium, has fallen well short of expected standards when it comes to logistics and overall respect.

Lastly, most pronounced and completing the circle of speaking loudly was Diane Caldwell sitting inside the FAI headquarters awaiting the media.

Katie McCabe’s availability on the first day of the post-Pauw era constituted the major draw but she was unusually upstaged by her veteran teammate.

Caldwell has experience in spades, gracing all the leading leagues around the world from America, through Scandinavia and a brief spell at Manchester United.

She says her recent move at 35 to FC Zurich on a long-term contract provides the opportunity of settling down for herself and fellow footballer Mona Lohmann. whom she married prior to the summer World Cup.

That trip to Australia was supposed to mark the pinnacle of her career, the stage she longed to cherish. Instead, the words of positivity uttered on the journey quickly subside to convey her frustrations.

What she describes is the culmination of the Pauw malaise weighing heavily on the squad, crystalised within the claustrophobia of a 51-day camp.

The sense of foreboding began for Caldwell and senior players far earlier in the manager’s four-year tenure and being thrown on an injury-time in the final game could be interpreted as the final insult.

“Maybe it was a token gesture,” wondered the 97-times capped defender about the cameo against Nigeria.

Caldwell isn’t the sort to be self-absorbed with pity, her frank assessment consistent with her character.

She’s never been shy about speaking up about the rift with Noel King that cost her two years and 20 caps and was at the forefront of the players’ strike in 2017.

Offered a platform to articulate the impact of Pauw being recently relieved of her duties by the FAI, she was caustic in her critique.

The association’s assertion last week that her departure was linked to a chasm in philosophies were diminished by the revelations on player feedback, sufficient to render her position untenable.

“From my position as a pretty experienced player, I don’t think it was up to the standard that’s expected at international level,” Caldwell opined about the Pauw regime, which started in 2019.

“The results and performances that we produced were in spite of Vera being our coach.

“Preparation for games could have been better, physical preparation, opponent analysis, match tactics, in-game match tactics, changes, systems of play."

“We approached her many times about professionalising many aspects but it was hard to get change.

“Vera made me part of the leadership group she created, along with a few other players, and she gave us that position to use our voice and try to talk on behalf of the team.

“We tried to do that as best we could but she’s the coach and controls everything and. We could say only so much and try to change things.” Asked about the widely-held summation of Pauw losing the dressing-room, Caldwell didn’t disagree.

The Balbriggan native suggested players’ concerns about her suitability were raised with Marc Canham’s predecessor, Ruud Dokter, stretching back to late 2020.

She added: “I think it was just an accumulation of everything over a long time.

“After the European campaign (in 2020) myself and Katie also reflected with Ruud Dokter at the time about certain aspects that needed to be improved and changed but ultimately that fell on deaf ears and she got a contract extension.” All of the chatter of disquiet surrounding the squad since the controversial squad selections in UCD during June was vindicated.

No spanking FAI review manuscript citing the equivalent of musical artistic difference can detract from the core reason of players losing faith in the manager.

Something structural had to be amiss for the manager to be discarded due to matters beyond results.

“People not in the know will find it hard to understand and see it from our point of view,” Caldwell said, by way of clarity around a divorce the general public are struggling to grasp.

“But knowledge is your wealth. If you don’t know these things I think it’s probably wrong to speak out and to give your opinion on things that maybe you don’t have a full understanding of.” Eileen Gleeson takes interim charge for the Nations League campaign, starting on Saturday against Northern Ireland.

“Already a sports nutritionist, performance coach and a sports psychologist have been added to the staff. We’ve never had those previously.

“Managers should delegate and rely on the expertise of people in those areas. It raises the standards - rather than one person controlling everything.”