Ireland defender Diane Caldwell has criticized her former coach, Vera Pauw, stating that the group reached the Women’s Planet Cup “in spite” of her. Caldwell believes that Pauw failed to get the very best out of the players due to inadequate preparations. Pauw led Ireland to their very first key tournament this year in Australia and New Zealand, exactly where they had been eliminated in the group stage. The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) carried out a assessment of the team’s functionality and decided not to renew Pauw’s contract.

According to Caldwell, the outcomes and performances accomplished by the group had been accomplished regardless of Pauw’s coaching. She highlighted that preparations for games had been not up to the typical anticipated at the international level. Caldwell talked about that physical preparation, opponent evaluation, match techniques, in-game match techniques, modifications, and systems of play could have been greater. The players had requested Pauw to professionalize a variety of elements of their preparations.

Pauw, who has been replaced by interim coach Eileen Gleeson, has claimed that FAI executives undermined her position at the Planet Cup. She also talked about that the FAI’s attitude towards her changed just after allegations of “abusive and inappropriate” behavior in the course of her time as manager of the Houston Dash in the American best-flight NWSL had been published.

It remains to be noticed how Ireland performs below their new interim coach and how they prepare for future competitions. The group will aim to find out from their experiences at the Planet Cup and continue to boost their functionality on the international stage.