lREPUBLIC OF IRELAND head coach Carla Ward has expressed her frustration with “outside noise” during her 10 months in charge.
Off-field matters have overshadowed the women’s national team in recent years, and they continue to do so ahead of the upcoming Nations League playoff against Belgium.
Ward’s arrival in January was clouded by the fallout which followed the departures of Eileen Gleeson and Colin Healy, while Gleeson is currently taking a landmark legal case against the FAI.
Gleeson alleges “inadequate conditions,” among other issues, and Ward fielded questions about the set-up and Association in a press conference this afternoon.
She said there are “some similarities” — she has spoken to her predecessor — while the FAI “have been receptive to trying to create change in the areas that we need to” with conversations ongoing.
“The resources, the standards we have right now, shouldn’t impact this week,” said Ward, back on duty having missed last week’s squad announcement due to a family emergency.
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“We’re talking about a bigger piece, right? So the bigger piece is how do we improve standards across the board as an organisation? How do we make sure that our focus is football? That is critical.
“Because I would say, since I’ve come into the job, 80% hasn’t been football. So you have to then refocus everything back to football. Football is what we’re paid for, what we need to be judged on. I’m going to be judged on results, right? So the quicker we can talk about football and focus on football, the better. Does that make sense?”
“I’ll tell you what impairs my ability to get results. The lack of talking about football. And maybe the noise that isn’t football,” the English coach continued.
“When I say outside noise, so everything that’s going on around the FAI, around all the bits and pieces. I don’t mean from you guys. It’s your job to report on it. I respect that.
“You want the energy to be on the team and on the football side of things. You can’t sit here and say, it doesn’t bother me, it doesn’t affect me. Of course it does, that’s life. But how we attack them and how we try to sort them? I’m going to have to be front-footed and try and help change that and try and drive change.”
Gleeson’s legal case is among the major non-footballing matters to occupy minds at the FAI recently.
As reported by The Sunday Independent, Gleeson alleges discrimination due to the “inadequate conditions” the women’s team were required to perform in due to “underfunding and under resourcing” compared with the men’s team.
Gleeson also accuses the FAI of bullying, unlawful conduct and paying the women’s senior team manager six times less than her male counterpart.
The Association denies the allegations of discrimination and is “preparing a strong legal defence”.
Equal pay for male and female managers has been in the spotlight since the case was first reported in late August, and Ward was asked for her opinion on the matter.
“International football, I think, more so. At club football, I think it’s a completely different kettle of fish. I really do. I think the game, we’re talking about hundreds and hundreds, we’re talking about players on five, six hundred thousand pounds a week now.
“It’s a completely different game. You know, they’re selling out stadiums. They’re marketable. For me, club football is different. International football, yeah, you could argue that that’s something that should be considered.”
“Right now, my concentration has been to try and iron out what we need to iron out and try and get focused,” she added.
Ireland welcome Belgium to Aviva Stadium on Friday night for the first leg of their Nations League A/B promotion/relegation playoff, with the return tie in Leuven on Tuesday.
'Since I've come into the job, 80% hasn't been football' - Ward on FAI 'outside noise'
lREPUBLIC OF IRELAND head coach Carla Ward has expressed her frustration with “outside noise” during her 10 months in charge.
Off-field matters have overshadowed the women’s national team in recent years, and they continue to do so ahead of the upcoming Nations League playoff against Belgium.
Ward’s arrival in January was clouded by the fallout which followed the departures of Eileen Gleeson and Colin Healy, while Gleeson is currently taking a landmark legal case against the FAI.
Gleeson alleges “inadequate conditions,” among other issues, and Ward fielded questions about the set-up and Association in a press conference this afternoon.
She said there are “some similarities” — she has spoken to her predecessor — while the FAI “have been receptive to trying to create change in the areas that we need to” with conversations ongoing.
“The resources, the standards we have right now, shouldn’t impact this week,” said Ward, back on duty having missed last week’s squad announcement due to a family emergency.
“We’re talking about a bigger piece, right? So the bigger piece is how do we improve standards across the board as an organisation? How do we make sure that our focus is football? That is critical.
“Because I would say, since I’ve come into the job, 80% hasn’t been football. So you have to then refocus everything back to football. Football is what we’re paid for, what we need to be judged on. I’m going to be judged on results, right? So the quicker we can talk about football and focus on football, the better. Does that make sense?”
“I’ll tell you what impairs my ability to get results. The lack of talking about football. And maybe the noise that isn’t football,” the English coach continued.
“When I say outside noise, so everything that’s going on around the FAI, around all the bits and pieces. I don’t mean from you guys. It’s your job to report on it. I respect that.
“You want the energy to be on the team and on the football side of things. You can’t sit here and say, it doesn’t bother me, it doesn’t affect me. Of course it does, that’s life. But how we attack them and how we try to sort them? I’m going to have to be front-footed and try and help change that and try and drive change.”
Gleeson’s legal case is among the major non-footballing matters to occupy minds at the FAI recently.
As reported by The Sunday Independent, Gleeson alleges discrimination due to the “inadequate conditions” the women’s team were required to perform in due to “underfunding and under resourcing” compared with the men’s team.
Gleeson also accuses the FAI of bullying, unlawful conduct and paying the women’s senior team manager six times less than her male counterpart.
The Association denies the allegations of discrimination and is “preparing a strong legal defence”.
Equal pay for male and female managers has been in the spotlight since the case was first reported in late August, and Ward was asked for her opinion on the matter.
“International football, I think, more so. At club football, I think it’s a completely different kettle of fish. I really do. I think the game, we’re talking about hundreds and hundreds, we’re talking about players on five, six hundred thousand pounds a week now.
“It’s a completely different game. You know, they’re selling out stadiums. They’re marketable. For me, club football is different. International football, yeah, you could argue that that’s something that should be considered.”
“Right now, my concentration has been to try and iron out what we need to iron out and try and get focused,” she added.
Ireland welcome Belgium to Aviva Stadium on Friday night for the first leg of their Nations League A/B promotion/relegation playoff, with the return tie in Leuven on Tuesday.
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