‘We are where we are right now’ – Katie McCabe will give input on next Ireland manager if asked but has no veto

Scratch the surface of the current and the previous two international windows for the managerless senior women’s Republic of Ireland side, and beneath the coat of gloss, there are imperfections.

Friday night’s 1-0 win over Hungary had all the ingredients needed for success: home win, clean sheet, close to a full house, no injuries, not even a yellow card. But it was far from vintage stuff. Hungary were the better side in the first half when Ireland looked nervy and sluggish, and the only goal came midway through the second half, from the boot of a Hungarian who sent the ball past her own goalkeeper.

“It’s the old cliché saying that you make your own luck,” Ireland captain Katie McCabe said when asked if Ireland had played poorly and still won.

“It was a good test. Hungary came out at us. They were really on the front foot trying to put us under pressure, but in terms of our style and how we want to play, we got frustrated at times and lost the ball in areas we didn’t want to lose it. I’m proud of the girls for trying to implement how we wanted to play.”

The implication from this campaign is that while Ireland have been — on paper and in the scorelines — far superior to their opponents, what comes next will be different as their guaranteed promotion in the Nations League means stiffer tests ahead.

Opponents beaten in this campaign are ranked 42nd, 47th and 72nd in the world, so promotion will see Ireland face more questions.

“Yeah, it’s going to be a massive test,” admitted McCabe. “I don’t think there’s been any easy moments, especially on Friday night, but we’re not the finished article.

“We’re off the back of a tournament. I know we’ve been winning games, but it’s been a difficult campaign. Two games every window is tough on the body. I’m proud of how everyone has come in, bringing youngsters in, keeping that balanced with experience and lots of clean sheets and qualification into League A.

“We’ve got real quality across the park. It will be a big 2024 with a lot of competition, it’s exciting. It’s going to be a really massive 2024 and we need to be prepared for the step-up in quality now.”

It took a moment of class from wide player Heather Payne — Ireland’s best performer on a night when more than a few of the girls in green were sub-par — to open up a Hungary side who had not kept a clean sheet in their previous five games.

​“Heather did really well out on the right to create the goal and it goes in off the defender,” acknowledged McCabe. “We want to create clearer opportunities and get goalscorers on, but I thought Hungary were really good. We want to play better, but I’m proud of how we dealt with the pressure. Another clean sheet, three points and a step towards finishing the Nations League on a high. It wasn’t going to be perfect. We were brave in how we play, we don’t want to sit deep.”

Tuesday in Belfast is next up for Eileen Gleeson’s side, but after that, there’s a hiatus, with the draw for the Euro qualifiers in March and games in April. The team will have a new permanent manager by then.

“We’re just fixed on what we are trying to do now and Eileen is in charge. We’ve got Emma [Byrne], we’ve got Colin [Healy], we’ve got great staff around us. We are going to dissect the Hungary performance and prepare again for Tuesday against Northern Ireland.

“I’m not thinking [too far] ahead. We are where we are right now and it’s up to the FAI to make a decision in the next few weeks.”

McCabe says she is ready to take a call from the FAI’s decision-makers if they want an input — though not a veto — on the new boss. “It’s up to them. I’m always here,” said McCabe. “I’m always here to help and chat, but it’s their decision. I’m not in charge. I’m the player.”