1. McCabe remains indispensable, but what is her best position?
IF THERE were any doubts over the degree of influence Katie McCabe has on this Ireland team, the Greece match in Crete will have silenced the skeptics.
The Arsenal star had a calf issue and so started that game on the bench.
But with Ireland labouring at half-time and the score 0-0, it was no surprise to see the Kilnamanagh native replace Megan Campbell during the break.
The 29-year-old’s introduction transformed the game.
Brilliant deliveries from McCabe created both the second and third goals, turning a potential banana skin into a comfortable victory.
Her absence through suspension was also palpable on Tuesday night.
Ireland struggled for creativity in Tallaght against a Greek team with limited ambition who mainly sat back and soaked up pressure even when trailing.
The hosts managed just four shots on target compared with 10 in Crete.
It’s too simplistic to say it was purely due to McCabe’s unavailability, but it certainly was a factor.
The other question is one multiple Irish managers have struggled with.
McCabe mainly plays at left-back for Arsenal, so on the one hand, it makes sense to pick her there.
Yet there is also a temptation to play the star further forward in an attempt to increase her level of influence from an attacking perspective.
As far back as 2021, Vera Pauw wrestled with this question.
“She wants to be more attacking,” Pauw told reporters. “She wants to do more in a forward role. We also want to do that, of course, because we want her goal-scoring and assisting capacities in the squad.
“But we also know that we play second-best in the world — and then you have to compromise for the good of the team. Whereas in Arsenal, she has world-class players – we have them here also, but there, she has a whole bunch of strikers and midfielders around her that she’s serving.”
In Ward’s first game against Turkey, McCabe was picked at left-back.
But in Slovenia, she was initially selected as the left-sided player in the midfield three.
It obviously didn’t go too well, as Ireland lost 4-0, and McCabe was back at left-back against Greece.
Eileen Gleeson, on occasion, played McCabe as a left wing-back and even as a second striker at times.
Perhaps there is no definitive solution to the question posed above, and the answer will remain fluid, depending on the calibre of opposition, among other factors.
2. Is Ward permanently wedded to the 4-3-3 system?
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Ireland's Head Coach Carla Ward. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Four games into Carla Ward’s reign, patterns are starting to emerge.
One of the most notable recurrences is that Ireland have started each match with a 4-3-3 system and largely stuck to that formation.
It is early days though, and even the players admitted after Tuesday’s defeat of Greece that there is plenty of room for improvement.
None of the performances have been wholly convincing.
The one excellent half of football was in Crete, but it was against the weakest team in the group — Greece have lost all four of the matches so far — and Ireland had struggled in the opening 45 minutes with the two countries looking well matched early on.
So, it’s fair to say the jury is still out on Ward.
The 4-0 Slovenia loss was a poor result against a side 12 places below Ireland in the Fifa rankings.
But chances to experiment at international level are rare, and a low-key Nations League fixture early in the group is among the more opportune times to do so.
It’s similarly very hard to come up with any definitive judgment based on the Greece games.
Such was the superiority of the Irish players in terms of ability that most coaches would be capable of yielding a positive result in similar circumstances.
Suffice to say, there will be tougher challenges ahead for Ward, and it is only then that it will be possible to determine whether she is the right person to lead this group of talented but inconsistent players searching for a distinctive identity.
3. Wingers struggle to make an impact
Ireland's Leanne Kiernan reacts. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
One of the most conspicuous flaws in this window for the Irish team has been a lack of creativity in the absence of Katie McCabe.
The Girls in Green struggled to break down Greece’s low block in the first half in Crete and for the duration of the game in Tallaght.
In the latter encounter, they needed the help of a dubious penalty decision to get them over the line.
While Leanne Kiernan won the spot kick, the Liverpool star on the right wing and Lucy Quinn on the left generally struggled to impact proceedings.
Kiernan was replaced by Emily Murphy at half-time, and Abbie Larkin came on for Quinn in the 83rd minute, as Ireland were made to sweat against patently inferior opponents.
Neither Quinn nor Kiernan look like a natural winger — both individuals would probably prefer a more central role ideally
Ward has also tried Carusa and Heather Payne in these wide positions, but no one has really set the world alight, which is part of the reason for the lack of attacking fluency.
It is also why previous managers sometimes preferred to play with three at the back and wing-backs — to compensate for the lack of obvious wide options.
Yet, with Ward seemingly intent on sticking with a 4-3-3, it is an area where the manager needs to find solutions promptly, with none of the players tried convincing as a long-term answer so far.
4. Jessie Stapleton emerges as a strong option at centre-back
Ireland's Amber Barrett celebrates scoring a goal with Jessie Stapleton. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
It’s hard to think of another Irish player who enhanced their status more in this latest international window than Jessie Stapleton.
The 20-year-old sensation already had 11 caps going into this camp.
She was also given a big vote of confidence in Eileen Gleeson’s final game in charge, as she was a surprise choice to start the crucial climactic clash with Wales.
Yet, she played midfield in that heartbreaking playoff defeat.
Ward has clarified that she sees Stapleton’s best position as part of a backline.
In this window, the Dubliner was selected to start consecutive games in central defence alongside Anna Patten.
And while it was not exactly a baptism of fire against a shot-shy Greece, Stapleton performed as if she had been playing this role for years, with her composure on the ball particularly eye-catching.
Other centre-backs Niamh Fahey and Diane Caldwell announced their retirements after the Wales loss, while 34-year-old Louise Quinn is closer to the end of her career than the start.
Anna Patten has started all four games under Ward, but who plays alongside the Aston Villa star has been less certain. Megans Campbell and Connolly occupied the other centre-back spot against Turkey and Slovenia, respectively, and neither were entirely convincing.
Meanwhile, Brighton’s Caitlin Hayes tended to be one of the first names on the teamsheet under Gleeson but has been used sparingly by Ward.
Stapleton, of course, has work to do if she wants to remain ahead of her more experienced counterparts in the pecking order, but the early signs are promising.
5. Ireland will likely have to settle for second place
The Irish team pictured after the Greece game in Tallaght. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Nothing is certain in football. But when Slovenia host Greece on 30 May, it’s fair to say the home side will be heavy favourites.
After all, the encounter features the only team in the group with a 100% record against the one side with a 0% record.
The outcome of Ireland’s trip to Turkey is less certain, but if Ward’s women can come away with three points, it will keep alive their hopes of topping their group and gaining automatic promotion to League A.
But if results go as expected, Ireland will need to beat Slovenia by five goals or more in the final game to guarantee a top spot after a 4-0 loss in the reverse fixture.
It’s a tough ask, to put it mildly, and the likelier scenario is that they will have to settle for the second spot.
Such an outcome would be far from a disaster for a squad still familiarising themselves with the new manager’s philosophy.
And they would still get a chance of promotion via the playoffs against a country that finishes second from the bottom in their League A group.
And the most important issue is that Ireland are ready for next year’s World Cup qualifiers against yet-to-be-determined opponents.
Under Gleeson, they had a 100% record in their opening Nations League campaign.
But Ireland’s success also led to a scenario where they were given the near-impossible task of having to try to qualify from a group that featured three of the best sides in the world — England, France and Sweden.
And unfortunately, all people will really remember from that era is the disappointment of failing to qualify for the Euros rather than the positives of the Nations League.
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McCabe conundrum and a 20-year-old sensation -- 5 talking points from Ireland's latest window
1. McCabe remains indispensable, but what is her best position?
IF THERE were any doubts over the degree of influence Katie McCabe has on this Ireland team, the Greece match in Crete will have silenced the skeptics.
The Arsenal star had a calf issue and so started that game on the bench.
But with Ireland labouring at half-time and the score 0-0, it was no surprise to see the Kilnamanagh native replace Megan Campbell during the break.
The 29-year-old’s introduction transformed the game.
Brilliant deliveries from McCabe created both the second and third goals, turning a potential banana skin into a comfortable victory.
Her absence through suspension was also palpable on Tuesday night.
Ireland struggled for creativity in Tallaght against a Greek team with limited ambition who mainly sat back and soaked up pressure even when trailing.
The hosts managed just four shots on target compared with 10 in Crete.
It’s too simplistic to say it was purely due to McCabe’s unavailability, but it certainly was a factor.
The other question is one multiple Irish managers have struggled with.
McCabe mainly plays at left-back for Arsenal, so on the one hand, it makes sense to pick her there.
Yet there is also a temptation to play the star further forward in an attempt to increase her level of influence from an attacking perspective.
As far back as 2021, Vera Pauw wrestled with this question.
“She wants to be more attacking,” Pauw told reporters. “She wants to do more in a forward role. We also want to do that, of course, because we want her goal-scoring and assisting capacities in the squad.
“But we also know that we play second-best in the world — and then you have to compromise for the good of the team. Whereas in Arsenal, she has world-class players – we have them here also, but there, she has a whole bunch of strikers and midfielders around her that she’s serving.”
In Ward’s first game against Turkey, McCabe was picked at left-back.
But in Slovenia, she was initially selected as the left-sided player in the midfield three.
It obviously didn’t go too well, as Ireland lost 4-0, and McCabe was back at left-back against Greece.
Eileen Gleeson, on occasion, played McCabe as a left wing-back and even as a second striker at times.
Perhaps there is no definitive solution to the question posed above, and the answer will remain fluid, depending on the calibre of opposition, among other factors.
2. Is Ward permanently wedded to the 4-3-3 system?
Four games into Carla Ward’s reign, patterns are starting to emerge.
One of the most notable recurrences is that Ireland have started each match with a 4-3-3 system and largely stuck to that formation.
It is early days though, and even the players admitted after Tuesday’s defeat of Greece that there is plenty of room for improvement.
None of the performances have been wholly convincing.
The one excellent half of football was in Crete, but it was against the weakest team in the group — Greece have lost all four of the matches so far — and Ireland had struggled in the opening 45 minutes with the two countries looking well matched early on.
So, it’s fair to say the jury is still out on Ward.
The 4-0 Slovenia loss was a poor result against a side 12 places below Ireland in the Fifa rankings.
But chances to experiment at international level are rare, and a low-key Nations League fixture early in the group is among the more opportune times to do so.
It’s similarly very hard to come up with any definitive judgment based on the Greece games.
Such was the superiority of the Irish players in terms of ability that most coaches would be capable of yielding a positive result in similar circumstances.
Suffice to say, there will be tougher challenges ahead for Ward, and it is only then that it will be possible to determine whether she is the right person to lead this group of talented but inconsistent players searching for a distinctive identity.
3. Wingers struggle to make an impact
One of the most conspicuous flaws in this window for the Irish team has been a lack of creativity in the absence of Katie McCabe.
The Girls in Green struggled to break down Greece’s low block in the first half in Crete and for the duration of the game in Tallaght.
In the latter encounter, they needed the help of a dubious penalty decision to get them over the line.
While Leanne Kiernan won the spot kick, the Liverpool star on the right wing and Lucy Quinn on the left generally struggled to impact proceedings.
Kiernan was replaced by Emily Murphy at half-time, and Abbie Larkin came on for Quinn in the 83rd minute, as Ireland were made to sweat against patently inferior opponents.
Neither Quinn nor Kiernan look like a natural winger — both individuals would probably prefer a more central role ideally
Ward has also tried Carusa and Heather Payne in these wide positions, but no one has really set the world alight, which is part of the reason for the lack of attacking fluency.
It is also why previous managers sometimes preferred to play with three at the back and wing-backs — to compensate for the lack of obvious wide options.
Yet, with Ward seemingly intent on sticking with a 4-3-3, it is an area where the manager needs to find solutions promptly, with none of the players tried convincing as a long-term answer so far.
4. Jessie Stapleton emerges as a strong option at centre-back
It’s hard to think of another Irish player who enhanced their status more in this latest international window than Jessie Stapleton.
The 20-year-old sensation already had 11 caps going into this camp.
She was also given a big vote of confidence in Eileen Gleeson’s final game in charge, as she was a surprise choice to start the crucial climactic clash with Wales.
Yet, she played midfield in that heartbreaking playoff defeat.
Ward has clarified that she sees Stapleton’s best position as part of a backline.
In this window, the Dubliner was selected to start consecutive games in central defence alongside Anna Patten.
And while it was not exactly a baptism of fire against a shot-shy Greece, Stapleton performed as if she had been playing this role for years, with her composure on the ball particularly eye-catching.
Other centre-backs Niamh Fahey and Diane Caldwell announced their retirements after the Wales loss, while 34-year-old Louise Quinn is closer to the end of her career than the start.
Anna Patten has started all four games under Ward, but who plays alongside the Aston Villa star has been less certain. Megans Campbell and Connolly occupied the other centre-back spot against Turkey and Slovenia, respectively, and neither were entirely convincing.
Meanwhile, Brighton’s Caitlin Hayes tended to be one of the first names on the teamsheet under Gleeson but has been used sparingly by Ward.
Stapleton, of course, has work to do if she wants to remain ahead of her more experienced counterparts in the pecking order, but the early signs are promising.
5. Ireland will likely have to settle for second place
Nothing is certain in football. But when Slovenia host Greece on 30 May, it’s fair to say the home side will be heavy favourites.
After all, the encounter features the only team in the group with a 100% record against the one side with a 0% record.
The outcome of Ireland’s trip to Turkey is less certain, but if Ward’s women can come away with three points, it will keep alive their hopes of topping their group and gaining automatic promotion to League A.
But if results go as expected, Ireland will need to beat Slovenia by five goals or more in the final game to guarantee a top spot after a 4-0 loss in the reverse fixture.
It’s a tough ask, to put it mildly, and the likelier scenario is that they will have to settle for the second spot.
Such an outcome would be far from a disaster for a squad still familiarising themselves with the new manager’s philosophy.
And they would still get a chance of promotion via the playoffs against a country that finishes second from the bottom in their League A group.
And the most important issue is that Ireland are ready for next year’s World Cup qualifiers against yet-to-be-determined opponents.
Under Gleeson, they had a 100% record in their opening Nations League campaign.
But Ireland’s success also led to a scenario where they were given the near-impossible task of having to try to qualify from a group that featured three of the best sides in the world — England, France and Sweden.
And unfortunately, all people will really remember from that era is the disappointment of failing to qualify for the Euros rather than the positives of the Nations League.
Ward will be desperate to avoid a similar fate.
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Carla Ward Formation Nations League Soccer system talking point Ireland Republic