19 hours Ago By Owen Cowzer
THE Carla Ward era begins tonight for the Girls in Green, with the new gaffer stressing to her team not to forget how far they have come.Ireland kick off their Nations League campaign in Tallaght against Turkey.Securing Ward as the new head coach is considered a coup on the part of the FAIKatie McCabe reflected on the ‘major disappointment’ that the Euros play-off versus Wales turned out to beWard’s teams have a reputation for high-energy football and a 4-3-3 formation in stark contrast to the traditionally cautious 5-4-1 often employed by the national team over the last four years.
But the Englishwoman insisted that she is not taking over to rip up the template that got Ireland to the 2023 World Cup and the cusp for Euro 2025. Instead she wants to add to it.The former Aston Villa and Birmingham City chief said: “This team have been on some journey, doing unbelievable work.
“I said to them on Monday it’s just about building on it. Only small tweaks because they’re in a really good place.”Referencing the 1-0 Euros play-off defeat to Wales in Dublin last December following a 1-1 draw in Cardiff, Ward added: “Yes, qualification didn’t happen.
“Sometimes that happens but actually they’re in a really good place.“Our job is to pick up where they left off and go again with small tiny things we can improve. I don’t think drastic changes are needed.
“The job done before was brilliant. It’s my job to pick that work up and try to improve it.”Captain Katie McCabe admits she has been impressed with Ward so far, specifically how she has lifted spirits after the low of Ireland’s failure to reach this year’s finals.
The Wales play-off defeat hurt the Girls in Green and McCabe, 29, labelled it one of the worst moments of her life. But the Arsenal star hopes that the Ward era can see Ireland push on as she insisted that one World Cup appearance is not enough for this Girls in Green team.She added: “There is way more.
I want to make sure we’re still qualifying for tournaments.“To miss out on qualifying for back-to-back tournaments was a major disappointment personally.“And it’s my job as captain to get that drive and the hunger going to get back to playing on a world stage.
“And the beauty of football is there are more games and more opportunities ahead for us.“If we’re going to keep pushing this national team, it benefits the future of young girls playing football, which is incredible to see already over the last number of years.“But we want to keep improving that.
” REMAIN VIGILANTAt 60, Turkey sit 35 places below Ireland in the Fifa rankings and should be beaten by a Girls in Green side back in League B following the Euro qualifiers.It was a division that they topped in 2023 when they won six games from six on the back of the World Cup in Australia.But McCabe insisted there would be no complacency.
She said: “They’ve got a good few players, they’ve got some real quality, especially in their front line, that we have to be aware of.“They pose a lot of threats going forward if we’re not switched on and concentrated, so we need to be at the races from the very start.”Tonight’s race will be run without Liverpool star Leanne Kiernan, who has a calf problem.
However, it is hoped the striker will be available for Tuesday’s game in Slovenia..
