Arsenal ace McCabe bids to take her club form to Ireland
VERSATILE GUNNER IS AN OPTION IN DEFENCE OR ATTACK FOR PAUW
THE good vibes currently emanating from the Irish women’s soccer team were plain to see as Vera Pauw and Katie McCabe sat beside each other to announce Cadbury as the latest business hitching themselves as supporters of the side.
McCabe’s sensational form for high-flying Arsenal in the WSL was a recurrent theme at the press conference. At one point when Pauw apologised for not hearing a question about McCabe’s goal-scoring exploits properly, her captain intervened. ‘He wants you to tell everyone how great I am,’ she joked to much laughter.
After finishing last season joint top of the assists table in the Women’s Super League, the Irish skipper has begun this season by scoring in three successive games, with her beautiful chip against Everton already among the contenders for goal of the season. Ian Wright is among the many who have been impressed by her performances this season, the Gunners legend comparing her to his former England teammate Stuart Pearce.
The challenge for the 26-yearold Wicklow native is now to bring that club form on to the international stage. McCabe has scored 10 goals for Ireland in 53 appearances but finding her best position for her country has always been a point of debate. And remains so, with both McCabe and Pauw confirming that they will discuss that very topic this week ahead of the World Cup qualifying double-header against Sweden and Finland.
McCabe, who is going into her third qualification campaign as captain, insists that she isn’t frustrated that this is still a talking point and all she wants to do is help the team to win.
‘I wouldn’t say it is frustration. I want to do all I can to help Ireland win or Arsenal win, whatever that may be,’ she explained. ‘At the minute if you look where I am playing at club level it is not just a conversation I am having with Vera, it is one with Jonas [Eidevall, Arsenal manager] too. I have been playing left wing, right wing, left-back, left wing-back.
‘It is something I am conscious about having the conversation with coaches, with Vera and Jonas to make sure I am best prepared for whatever position I am starting, defending or attacking as well. It is something I don’t mind.
Obviously, I like to think the coaches trust they can play me wherever they feel they need to play me and I give 100 per cent, as I always try to do when playing for club or country.’
There’s a sense that with her creativity and eye for a pass that McCabe could even move into a central role and play as a number 10, although Ireland are already well-stocked in that position with Denise O’Sullivan, the other world-class talent in the squad, as well as Jamie Finn and Megan Connolly.
‘That is more a question for Vera,’ said a smiling McCabe when asked about becoming a playmaker. ‘I know what quality we have in there, you spoke about Denise, Megan Connolly, Jamie Finn, I could keep going, we have such quality there as well. Obviously if I am playing left wing-back I am 100 per cent going to do that for sure. But in terms of playing me centrally, that’s up to Vera.’
Pauw admitted that she will talk to McCabe this week about where this Ireland team can get the best out of her rare talent. And it may be a case of tailoring her position for the opposition. She might play a different role in Tallaght against Sweden, the second-best team in the world, to Georgia or Slovakia.
‘She wants to be more attacking, do more in a forward role,’ Pauw says. ‘We also want her to do that because we want her goal-scoring and assisting capacities. But when you play the second-best team in the world, you have to compromise for the good of the team. She wants to serve, she wants to create. She wants everything for this squad and wants to give her all, that is sometimes not always possible.
‘But we will discuss every option. The thing is that you build a team to get the best out of your players and the qualities you have in your team. Sweden, of course, are different to when you play Georgia, for example,’ Pauw added.
‘If we were to play Katie at this moment against Sweden in the centre that means she cannot go forward, and we want her to explore on that wing, which is in my opinion her speciality; to get
“It’s something
I’ve talked to coaches about”
in the space that is in front of her, and use her there with the defensive qualities she has.’
McCabe agreed that she is enjoying her football at the moment as she has played a key part in Arsenal’s excellent start to the season and is looking forward to the challenge presented by the Swedes.
‘International football is about testing yourself against the best, and no better way to start than against Sweden,’ the captain said. ‘We are confident in ourselves, we have great players and we’ll prepare well. I am absolutely confident in this squad and what we are capable of.’
Midfielder Roma McLaughlin has been called up to the squad to replace the injured Kyra Carusa, while Saoirse Noonan has emerged as a doubt ahead of welcoming the Swedes to what will a boisterous Tallaght Stadium on Thursday evening, with all 4,000 available tickets sold out.