'We must find the budget' - Carla Ward on future of Irish women's game

The Ireland WNT manager has a plan - but needs the backing.

POINT THE WAY: Head coach Carla Ward during a Republic of Ireland women squad announcement media conference at the FAI Headquarters in Abbotstown. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

World Cup qualification for Ireland now rests solely in the hands of the women’s team.

Yet, unlike the men’s team, the urgency to maximise this generation is pressing.

Last month’s opening World Cup qualifiers featured an Ireland team with seven players aged 30 or older. The average age was 29.

Only three starters, including 30-year-old captain Katie McCabe, emerged from Ireland. Granny-rule recruits camouflaging stunted home growth is far more pronounced in the women’s team.

Statistically, the timebomb is ticking loudly.

Senior team manager Carla Ward is only contractually tied to the FAI until the end of this cycle, either at this year’s playoffs or the World Cup itself in Brazil in June 2027. She knows the problem.

She has a plan.   What she doesn’t have, given the FAI remains €38million in debt, is a budget to enact the revolution.

“I hope that I’m not speaking out of turn but simply we must find the budget,” stressed the former Aston Villa and Birmingham City manager.

“This is critical because we’ve so many young quality, exciting players but the gap to senior international football is massive."

Financial constraints have prevented the FAI replicating the model of England, Spain and Sweden by introducing a conduit between the U19 and senior ranks.

Chief executive David Courell recently spoke of awaiting Uefa’s adding an U21 grade but the imminent conveyor belt deficit illustrated by the profile of the senior team requires immediate action.

Home-based players feel particularly detached. Since Ireland reached the 2023 World Cup, only five debuts have been granted.

The call-up for Bohemians midfielder Aoibhe Brennan’s for next week’s double-header against Poland was a rarity but doesn’t cure the shortfall.

The League of Ireland isn’t at a sufficient level for players to be full-time while some of the 2024 U19 Euros finals squad have moved to England without making the breakthrough.

Ward has revealed her plan beyond the here and now was delivered to her FAI board and now outlines how it was a cornerstone of her interview for the job 17 months ago.

Details, heretofore sketchy, outline a system akin to the home-based sessions that were ditched once Vera Pauw’s reign ended within a month of the World Cup.

In essence, it entails regional gatherings of players, primarily over the off-season between October and February. They won’t play internationals but instead bounce games as auditions for a gateway to the senior table.

“How do we bridge the gap?” Ward outlined, discussing her dealings with director of football John Martin and head of women’s and girls’ football, Lizzie Kent.

“There’s an opportunity to upskill and create a development squad - a group of Irish players who we see as a pipeline for the senior team.

“For example, I could identify 16 to 20 players that I would give to John. Aoibhe Brennan is so exciting and we’ll see how she copes in the squad. Same for Hannah O’Brien, also at Bohs. Then there’s Madison McGuane from Treaty United.

“John is so onboard with this. I spoke about this a year ago but, what’s the right word, it didn’t get anywhere.

“Whereas now sitting down with John we have similar ideas on how we progress this group of players and put some wraparound support to develop them.” Ward realises the fruits of her blueprint, if brought into reality, will be enjoyed by her successor.

“Are we going to compete with these top nations?” she asks when its pointed out she only used three subs against the Dutch.

“No. But in ten years’ time, to continue our pipleline, the work needs to start now. Will I be here in 10 years’ time? Very unlikely. No manager lasts 10 years.

“How do we get a player at 14 years old starting to think and play like a profile of a first-teamer now.

“The critical part of that is making sure that my vision then becomes aligned with the organisation, because if I went, does that get ripped up and start again? Hopefully not.” Ward can already hear the sceptics, especially if the investment comes from the State. Her own eyes have taught her to furnish the evidence in response.

“That would be very ignorant because what women's football has done in Ireland has been absolutely huge,” she argues.

“A major tournament in 2023 inspired so many young players. Two weeks ago, I went to visit a local club in Castleknock that had U10, U12s, U14s and U16s girls.

“In England, going to a park, you wouldn't see that many young girls playing. What this country has is an energy for young girls growing up.” 

All it's lacking is the cash for infrastructure to do them justice.