'Men's football could do with more women' - Ireland boss hails female trailblazer
WOMEN'S WORLD: Ireland head coach Carla Ward in Gdansk. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne.
Ireland manager Carla Ward believes the men’s game could benefit from other females being allowed to follow the trail set by new Union Berlin boss Marie-Louise Eta.
The Bundesliga became the first club across the top five European leagues to appoint a female manager when they appointed Eta until the end of the season.
Ward is in Gdansk preparing Ireland for the first of back-to-back World Cup qualifiers against Poland over five days but revealed she’s undertaken a project on the paucity of females in the men’s game.
As it happens, she had already set up a meeting with the former Champions League winner, who was already a ground-breaker by taking on the assistant role as Union in 2023.
“It’s unbelievably important,” said former Aston Villa and Birmingham City chief Ward at the 41,000-capacity Polsat Plus Arena, the scene of Ireland’s 4-0 hiding by Spain at the 2012 men’s Euros.
“I’m doing a Fifa independent study on the lack of females in the women’s game so will be talking to Marie-Louise next week. That’s perfect timing.”
Ward went on to proffer an opinion on the respective traits held by coaches of the opposite gender.
“I say it a lot that the men’s game is very different to women’s in terms of how it's coached,” she explained.
“The level of maturity in the men’s game goes back a lot longer and there’s far more participation in the male game.
“Us women, and I hope that I’m not speaking out of turn here, but we want to know the answer to everything, the details and the why behind it. I think lads are less so.
“Female coaches are arguably more process and detail driven. I think the men’s game could do with more women, let’s put it that way.”
Meanwhile, Ruesha Littlejohn is the only confirmed absentee from Ireland’s matchday squad.
The Crystal Palace veteran is struggling with her ongoing Achilles problem, forcing her out of the pre-match training session, but the injury is expected to clear up for her to be available for Saturday’s rematch at Lansdowne Road (3pm).
Poland come into the match with one point more than Ireland’s zero after they each faced top seeds Netherlands and France in last month’s opening double-header.
Ireland are guaranteed entry into the playoffs for next year’s World Cup in Brazil but nudging the Poles for third would pave an easier route through the two-tie playoffs.
Denise O’Sullivan will start in midfield after recovering from the knee injury which forced her to be substituted in the 2-1 defeat against the French. Lucy Quinn stepped into her place for the visit to the Dutch, which also resulted in a 2-1 loss.
“When Denise ticks, we as a team tick,” stressed Ward about the Corkwoman, who has returned to action for her new club, Liverpool, in recent weeks.
“I’ve talked a lot about her importance from day one. She’s a top professional and player. Everybody feels it when Denise is not around. She’s hugely important and it’s great to have her back.”
O’Sullivan travelled as a spectator to Utrecht, observing from a distance the improvements essential for Ireland to prosper.
“I was really proud of the girls,” the playmaker surmised.
“Obviously sitting in the stand was really hard because I love playing for my country. I missed it but the girls were excellent. They defended very well and were organised. They did really well in possession and attack.
“The next step is turning those performances into points.”
Courtney Brosnan (Everton FC), Sophie Whitehouse (Charlton Athletic), Grace Moloney (Sunderland).
Katie McCabe (Arsenal FC), Anna Patten (Aston Villa FC), Caitlin Hayes (Brighton & Hove Albion), Aoife Mannion (Newcastle United), Maria Reynolds (Shamrock Rovers), Chloe Mustaki (Nottingham Forest).
Denise O'Sullivan (Liverpool), Tyler Toland (Durham), Megan Connolly (Lazio), Marissa Sheva (Sunderland), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City), Ruesha Littlejohn (Crystal Palace), Jess Ziu (West Ham United), Aoibheann Clancy (Shelbourne) and Jamie Finn (Sunderland).
Saoirse Noonan (Celtic FC), Abbie Larkin (Crystal Palace), Leanne Kiernan (Nottingham Forest - loan), Emily Murphy (Newcastle United), Kyra Carusa (Kansas City Current - loan), Amber Barrett (Strasbourg).
Poland v Ireland
Gdansk Stadium (KO 5pm Irish time)
Ireland vs. Poland
Aviva Stadium (KO 3pm),
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