LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION. After Carla Ward announced her first Ireland squad yesterday morning, her press conference ran along expected lines.
The ins and outs, her early days in the job and ambitions going forward, and the eternal question around Katie McCabe’s positioning all got appropriate airtime.
Colin Healy’s inharmonious departure and the subsequent fallout was also touched on, with Ward again forced to bat away questions about the previous regime.
She did so without issue, and happily fielded follow-up questions in the less formal print sit-down afterwards. Ward is extroverted, engaging and media savvy, but away from the glare of the cameras in an FAI meeting room, she was more relaxed and at ease as she covered a wide range of topics.
The new Ireland head coach confirmed “it wasn’t an option to consider” former assistant coach Healy for a role in her backroom team, given he had departed the FAI before her arrival.
“I’m a very strong individual. I believe I can create change. We will move forward and bring people together, with one common goal,” Ward said, when asked if the ugly dispute with her new employers concerns her.
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“If that means changing perception along the way I will certainly try and do that.”
She was at pains to stress that she “won’t shy away from any issue” and is comfortable having “difficult conversations” and “addressing the elephant in the room” with her players, as another new era begins shrouded in controversy.
While Alan Mahon is Ward’s assistant head coach, Liverpool’s Amber Whiteley this week came on board as another assistant coach. Emma Byrne continues in her role as goalkeeping coach, completing an impressive quartet, with former Aston Villa boss Ward steering the ship. She explained its inner workings, and the various roles involved.
“Naturally, my neck is on the block, right? If I lose games, it’s going to be you guys coming after me and it’s going to be me that’s gonna get the sack!
“I look after the tactical side, that’s really important. Alan has qualities in possession, in how we’re going to play. Amber has qualities from the back up, in how we’re going to build. But collectively we are all on the same page. Emma’s going to play a part with the back half as well.
“We are a very tight knit four and a four that will work well together on everything, but ultimately it will be my final say and I will look after the bigger picture.”
Ward has recruited other staff members on a camp-to-camp basis, and more additions could follow.
At her unveiling, she spoke of wanting to utilise recently-retired duo Niamh Fahey and Diane Caldwell in the set-up, and with Julie-Ann Russell since hanging up her boots, there have been developments on that front. She couldn’t shed any further light until the squad link up on Sunday, but teased “a positive move” to The 42.
In terms of players, the new head coach is still hoping to retain the services of Louise Quinn, who is recovering from a hip flexor injury. The timeframe is currently unclear but the 34-year-old centurion “believes she’s still got something in her locker, and I do too”.
Ward also spoke glowingly of Ruesha Littlejohn, who she is pleased to have on board after working together at Villa and Birmingham City.
The 34-year-old midfielder returns to the Irish squad despite her unattached status following a messy departure from London City Lionesses. It appears Littlejohn is currently training with US second-tier side Tampa Bay Suns.
Littlejohn on the ball for Villa in 2022 as Ward watches on. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
“She’s not considering retirement, she probably did question it and I said ‘Don’t you dare yet!’ because I still think she has a lot to offer,” said Ward.
“I understand Ruesha probably better than a lot of people do. I knew her (Achilles issues) and I massively helped her before the World Cup to ensure that she was ready for that — understanding what her loading is like, because that is very different.
“Listen, Ruesha is someone that you need to have in your dressing room. Some of you may or may not know her personality as well as I do but she is somebody who really brings a dressing room together. She looks after people. People admire her, she is 100% and she is somebody who, if not in the team, will do what she can to look after the rest of the players. She’s huge for me, she was at Birmingham and Villa and I’m sure she will be here as well.”
Full focus is on the upcoming Nations League openers against Türkiye and Slovenia, but Ward re-iterated the need to “stress ourselves against the best teams in the world” in high-profile friendlies against top teams.
The FAI are “working hard” to lay plans, with an international window scheduled for June and more to follow in the Autumn after Euro 2025. The manager stressed the need for belief throughout the interview, and knows there is a balance to be struck in “wanting to play football the right way” as they face different levels of opposition.
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“It’s an interesting one because you want to play the way you believe in,” she concluded.
“I’ve always done the same. This is a similar situation to Birmingham: if you’re facing the top sides in the world or the league, you have to play slightly different but you certainly don’t change your basic principles.
“We have to get in a mentality that we don’t fear anyone — and understand that yes, we’re going to have to suffer without the ball for large spells against the good sides but when we win the ball back, can we have the belief to actually go and want to play?
“It’s a fine balance but you must test yourself against the best in the world because that’s where you find out what you’ve got and what areas you need to improve.”
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New Ireland boss wants 'mentality that we don’t fear anyone'
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION. After Carla Ward announced her first Ireland squad yesterday morning, her press conference ran along expected lines.
The ins and outs, her early days in the job and ambitions going forward, and the eternal question around Katie McCabe’s positioning all got appropriate airtime.
Colin Healy’s inharmonious departure and the subsequent fallout was also touched on, with Ward again forced to bat away questions about the previous regime.
She did so without issue, and happily fielded follow-up questions in the less formal print sit-down afterwards. Ward is extroverted, engaging and media savvy, but away from the glare of the cameras in an FAI meeting room, she was more relaxed and at ease as she covered a wide range of topics.
The new Ireland head coach confirmed “it wasn’t an option to consider” former assistant coach Healy for a role in her backroom team, given he had departed the FAI before her arrival.
“I’m a very strong individual. I believe I can create change. We will move forward and bring people together, with one common goal,” Ward said, when asked if the ugly dispute with her new employers concerns her.
“If that means changing perception along the way I will certainly try and do that.”
She was at pains to stress that she “won’t shy away from any issue” and is comfortable having “difficult conversations” and “addressing the elephant in the room” with her players, as another new era begins shrouded in controversy.
While Alan Mahon is Ward’s assistant head coach, Liverpool’s Amber Whiteley this week came on board as another assistant coach. Emma Byrne continues in her role as goalkeeping coach, completing an impressive quartet, with former Aston Villa boss Ward steering the ship. She explained its inner workings, and the various roles involved.
“I look after the tactical side, that’s really important. Alan has qualities in possession, in how we’re going to play. Amber has qualities from the back up, in how we’re going to build. But collectively we are all on the same page. Emma’s going to play a part with the back half as well.
“We are a very tight knit four and a four that will work well together on everything, but ultimately it will be my final say and I will look after the bigger picture.”
Ward has recruited other staff members on a camp-to-camp basis, and more additions could follow.
At her unveiling, she spoke of wanting to utilise recently-retired duo Niamh Fahey and Diane Caldwell in the set-up, and with Julie-Ann Russell since hanging up her boots, there have been developments on that front. She couldn’t shed any further light until the squad link up on Sunday, but teased “a positive move” to The 42.
In terms of players, the new head coach is still hoping to retain the services of Louise Quinn, who is recovering from a hip flexor injury. The timeframe is currently unclear but the 34-year-old centurion “believes she’s still got something in her locker, and I do too”.
Ward also spoke glowingly of Ruesha Littlejohn, who she is pleased to have on board after working together at Villa and Birmingham City.
The 34-year-old midfielder returns to the Irish squad despite her unattached status following a messy departure from London City Lionesses. It appears Littlejohn is currently training with US second-tier side Tampa Bay Suns.
“She’s not considering retirement, she probably did question it and I said ‘Don’t you dare yet!’ because I still think she has a lot to offer,” said Ward.
“I understand Ruesha probably better than a lot of people do. I knew her (Achilles issues) and I massively helped her before the World Cup to ensure that she was ready for that — understanding what her loading is like, because that is very different.
“Listen, Ruesha is someone that you need to have in your dressing room. Some of you may or may not know her personality as well as I do but she is somebody who really brings a dressing room together. She looks after people. People admire her, she is 100% and she is somebody who, if not in the team, will do what she can to look after the rest of the players. She’s huge for me, she was at Birmingham and Villa and I’m sure she will be here as well.”
Full focus is on the upcoming Nations League openers against Türkiye and Slovenia, but Ward re-iterated the need to “stress ourselves against the best teams in the world” in high-profile friendlies against top teams.
The FAI are “working hard” to lay plans, with an international window scheduled for June and more to follow in the Autumn after Euro 2025. The manager stressed the need for belief throughout the interview, and knows there is a balance to be struck in “wanting to play football the right way” as they face different levels of opposition.
“It’s an interesting one because you want to play the way you believe in,” she concluded.
“I’ve always done the same. This is a similar situation to Birmingham: if you’re facing the top sides in the world or the league, you have to play slightly different but you certainly don’t change your basic principles.
“We have to get in a mentality that we don’t fear anyone — and understand that yes, we’re going to have to suffer without the ball for large spells against the good sides but when we win the ball back, can we have the belief to actually go and want to play?
“It’s a fine balance but you must test yourself against the best in the world because that’s where you find out what you’ve got and what areas you need to improve.”
The Carla Ward era officially begins next week.
Lights, camera, action. Be sure to tune in.
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