Tensions emerge between Pauw and McCabe as Ireland’s World Cup ends

The fairytale is definitely over. After four long years together, Vera Pauw and Katie McCabe, Ireland coach and captain, leave their first World Cup with a shattered working relationship. Arguably beyond repair.

There have been many disagreements alongside life-affirming achievement. And now this. Post-match, following a scoreless draw with Nigeria in Brisbane in possibly her last match as manager, Pauw made the decision to reprimand her captain.

The manager revealed what was allegedly said in a tempestuous conversion on the Suncorp sideline in the 70th minute. McCabe had demanded “fresh legs” to help her raid up the left wing. Pauw flatly refused to acquiesce to the demand.

Stubbornly, Pauw played Sinead Farrelly for the entire match despite Chloe Mustaki warming up for a logical switch. Farrelly, an excellent midfielder, was out of position covering McCabe’s sorties forward. In an extraordinary post-match press conference, Pauw revealed that McCabe had asked for Farrelly to be taken off.

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“Why would we change?” asked Pauw. “If Katie McCabe says that she wants a change that doesn’t mean [we change]. She’s not the coach, eh? Everybody was doing so well. I said ‘What do you want Katie, take our best player off?’ We made the changes when they were necessary.”

Change was not deemed necessary for another 13 minutes.

Pauw was asked to clarify her comments; did McCabe ask for changes to be made and you refused?

“No. A player does not ask and you refuse. A player can ask, always, but as a coach it is not a refusal. As a coach you make decisions for what is necessary. A player can say everything to a coach, at least to me.”

Then, unprompted, she revealed that Farrelly was the player McCabe had asked to be substituted.

“Sinead Farrelly was arguably the best player on the pitch at that moment so I was not prepared to take the best player off,” said Pauw.

The Dubliner’s response was a tweeted emoji of a mouth zipped shut.

The FAI are in no rush to discuss Pauw’s contract extension, which the 60-year-old Dutch woman has sought up to 2025.

When Pauw was appointed Ireland manager in 2019, the 23-year-old Arsenal winger was already established as the squad’s leader and marquee performer. Since then, McCabe has become a bona fide star, producing two signature displays at this World Cup; raging against the dying of the light as Australia and Canada secured narrow victories.

McCabe scored Ireland’s first and only World Cup goal against Canada last Wednesday. It remains a beautifully cut corner into sheets of rain.

Now, in Brisbane, the facade has collapsed. Ruesha Littlejohn did warn us about simmering tension in camp. Crucially, McCabe has had her attacking instincts curtailed under Pauw’s ultra-defensive formation; it’s a system that got Ireland this far only for the tactics to fall short on the world stage.

Both manager, captain and the other 50 players, staff and FAI officials who travelled to Australia are due to attend a homecoming on O’Connell Street in Dublin this Thursday evening.

When asked, Pauw confirmed she will attend.

“Why would I not be at the homecoming? I’ll go back with my team.”

Pauw is out of contract this month but she still intends to be in charge when Northern Ireland come to Dublin on September 23rd for the first ever women’s soccer international at the Aviva Stadium.

“I don’t feel this is my last game,” she added.

It is unclear when any rancour between Pauw and McCabe first took hold. It might have always existed but July 5th feels like a significant date. That day in Tallaght, ahead of a World Cup warm-up game against France, Pauw was asked to explain why she was quoted by The Athletic denying accusations of “abusive and belittling” behaviour when Houston Dash coach in 2018. She strenuously denies all allegations.

McCabe was clearly ill at ease that she too was being asked to defend the allegations against her manager 48 hours before Ireland travelled to a first World Cup and refused to provide a level of support that would have calmed the controversy.

“It’s a real negative distraction for us but our full focus in on France and preparing for the World Cup,” said McCabe at the time.

When questioned as to whether Pauw enjoyed the support of the whole squad, McCabe explained: “I can’t answer for each and every player. Of course Vera has a style of management that we’re used to now over the last two years. It’s something we’ve worked together, we’ve argued with each other of course.

“You’re never going to get on 100 per cent with your manager at times. She pushes me and I push her. In my opinion and from my personal relationship with Vera, of course, we’ve clashed many a times but we’re always professional enough to make sure we are fully focused for the team. We know both of our hearts are in the right place in terms of what works best for the Ireland women’s national team going forward.”

“It’s not my decision to make,” she added of Pauw’s stalled contract talks. “Obviously time will tell. Me and Vera have worked together for the last few years and we’ll see.”