Preview: Ward wants evolution rather than revolution
The FAI have a habit of channelling their inner Darwin Nunez when it comes to open goals.
Managerial unveilings should be unblemished occasions of promise and intrigue.
But recent incoming Republic of Ireland bosses have had to wrestle with scenarios beyond their control, spending chunks of their early media duties stamping out other people's fires.
Heimir Hallgrimsson's first press conference as head coach of the men's team was dominated by questions about the timeline of his appointment and whether he was genuinely the FAI's first choice.
Now Carla Ward's arrival as women's boss has been overshadowed by the confusion surrounding Colin Healy's departure from the coaching ticket. The Corkman claims he was led to believe he'd be staying on; the FAI maintain his future was always going to be subject to a post-Euro 2025 play-off review.
In the last few weeks Denise O'Sullivan, Aoife Mannion, Stephen Bradley (most explosively) and Katie McCabe have all publicly supported Healy in the dispute, while Ward has had to clarify that the decision not to keep him on board was out of her hands: "It was done and dusted before I came in so it was not something on my radar."
Ward has handled an awkward situation with decorum. The former Sheffield United, Birmingham City and Aston Villa manager is a breezy presence with a track record of defying limited resources. She looks ready for this gig, refreshed having stepped away from Villa last May to spend more time with her daughter.
The 41-year-old inherits a squad bruised by December's play-off final loss to the Welsh, but wins tend to heal wounds pretty quickly, and Ireland have an opportunity to rack up a couple over the next few days.
Carla Ward watches over Ireland training
Turkey are first up, arriving to Tallaght ranked 60th in the world. Their coach, Necla Gungor Kiragasi, cut her teeth managing the country's U15s, U17s and U21s before taking the senior job in 2020. There's been concerted efforts to grow the women's game in Turkey, and they come here confident things are moving in the right direction.
"Playing Ireland on their turf presents both an advantage and a challenge," Kiragasi told The Daily Sabah.
"Ireland is a powerhouse – athletic, aggressive and physical. But we have technical skill and tactical discipline. We'll stick to our plan and fight hard for a result."
They came second in their League B Euros qualification group, beating Hungary (twice) and Azerbaijan before losing to Ukraine 3-1 on aggregate in the play-off semis.
On paper, Tuesday's trip to Slovenia looks the trickier test but the Girls in Green have been doing their homework and anticipate a stout challenge.
"They've got a good few players," said Katie McCabe. "They’ve got some real quality, especially in their front line that we have to be aware of for sure. They pose a lot of threats going forward if we’re not switched on and concentrated, so we need to be at the races form the very start."
Leanne Kiernan misses out with a calf injury, but there are no other concerns. Melisa Filis, the Charlton Athletic midfielder who is also eligible to represent Turkey, might be handed a debut. The Luton-born 22-year-old qualifies to represent the Girls in Green through her Knock-born mother.
She could potentially allow Denise O'Sullivan to play more offensively, while Julie-Ann Russell's retirement perhaps opens the door for Abbie Larkin to stake her claim. The Crystal Palace 19-year-old is listed as a forward in Ward's squad.
Ward has hinted at evolution rather than revolution when it comes to playing style. Given she's only had the team for a couple of training sessions, a radical departure from Gleeson's preferred 3-5-2 formation seems unlikely. That would mean wing-back berths for Heather Payne - set to win her 50th cap - and McCabe, who will skipper Ireland for the 65th time.
Amber Barrett (R) chases down Caitlin Hayes
Up top, Kyra Carusa should lead the line though Amber Barrett will hope to at least get a run off the bench after bagging a brace for Standard Liege last weekend to helped them reach the Belgian Cup final.
At a squad welcome meeting on Monday, Ward played a video of Ireland's various achievements over the last few years to breed positivity and remind the players what they're capable of. "Goosebumps," was McCabe's verdict.
"This team have been on some journey, doing unbelievable work," Ward added. "I said to them on Monday it's just about building on it. Only small tweaks because they’re in a really good place.
"I’ll be honest, I’ve watched (the video) ten times and it still makes your hair stand up.
"I love all that stuff, motivational stuff, feelgood stuff. I’m quite big on that yeah."
Good vibes are most welcome around the Ireland setup at the moment. After a fairly gloomy week, a convincing win would be a nice tonic.
Predicted team: Courtney Brosnan; Anna Patten, Caitlin Hayes, Jessie Stapleton; Heather Payne, Denise O'Sullivan, Megan Connolly, Melisa Filis, Katie McCabe; Abbie Larkin, Kyra Carusa
Prediction: Republic of Ireland 3-0 Turkey
Watch Republic of Ireland v Turkey in the UEFA Women's Nations League on Friday from 7pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to live commentary with 2fm’s Game On
