Republic of Ireland assistant manager Tom Elmes is hoping a wing-back evolution can help the Girls in Green shock Australia in Thursday's World Cup opener in Sydney.
Elmes has been Vera Pauw's No 2 since November 2021 when he replaced Eileen Gleeson, who left to take the reins at Glasgow City.
He's part of a trusted technical team that includes goalkeeper coach Jan Willem van Ede and analyst Andy Holt, the trio in constant consultation with Pauw.
Back in April, against the USA in Austin, Ireland used Heather Payne and Katie McCabe in the full-back positions as the introduction of Sinead Farrelly in the middle of the park had a positive chain reaction.
The Americans won the game 2-0, but the experiment was considered a success; indeed Ireland will line up in a very similar fashion against the fancied Matildas in a few days' time.
"I think the US was a real growth for us," said Birmingham-born Elmes.
"The addition of Marissa Sheva and Sinead has probably allowed us to play more aggressive wing-backs whereas we might have been a little more reserved in the past. I think with that system with more reserved wing-backs it's very difficult to gain momentum, so having a little bit more going forward in the wider areas, it’s definitely allowing us to get the ball down and play.
"That’s what we’ve asked of the players, and you can see the response against the USA was positive. So yeah, we’re hoping to build upon that."
Having qualified for a first ever World Cup, it's tricky to evolve without abandoning the principles that have taken you so far.
Elmes concedes as much while also stressing the need to keep progressing.
"With international football, there is no forgiveness," he added. "It’s not a league campaign when you might drop a few points and get things right and make a surge at the end of the season. There is very little room for error.
"When we come into camp, we always have a clear plan, keep working on that, keep building on that and making us better within that.
"But you are always looking to grow, play a better style of football but not to the result of losing matches at international level because the main thing is we want to qualify for tournaments, we want to continue to qualify for tournaments.
"As a staff, everything comes back on us, we’re responsible for creating a strategy and so on. That comes back on us.
"You’re always looking to improve on areas where you’re a little bit weaker, but you’d be silly to come away from what you’re good at."
Elmes got his managerial break at Wexford Youths, where he enjoyed a sparkling three-and-a-half-year reign. He won a league, FAI Women's Cup and Shield treble in his first season, won the cup again in 2019 and led Youths into UEFA Women’s Champions League campaigns.
He left to become the Republic of Ireland Women's U-16s head coach in the summer of 2021, succeeding Gleeson in the senior set-up a few months later.
"My family are all from Wexford, my nan is from Dublin," he said. "My family moved over a couple of years before me, they fancied a quieter slower pace of life. And I was working away in Birmingham and the recession hit a bit earlier, so I came over here and one thing led to another.
"I love being over here now, I wouldn't look back.
"Unfortunately in this country at the moment, we haven't got a massive industry for coaching, so when an opportunity came in to get into the international department in the FAI, it was a no-brainer.
"I knew I’d be starting with the 16s, I really enjoyed that level of football, it’s completely different to what we are doing here. But I do enjoy it and I do enjoy progressing through the different age groups.
"Wexford Youths are always going to be close to my heart."
He's now part of an Ireland set-up that's broken new ground and will attempt to make more history in the next few weeks.
Reflecting on his own part of the story, he said: "You can say I came in at the right time. I’ve enjoyed working with the group. I feel I give something to the group.
"I feel valued in it, it’s been great to see the team grow. It really has.
"I think when Vera came in she had a plan. I wasn’t here from the very start but [since] I’ve come in, the objective has never really changed in how we want to set the team up.
"Sometimes there might be some variations and flexibility depending on the opposition we’ve played, but she really knows what she wants from the team.
"We've improved game after game. You can see the players really understanding what we’re trying to do, how we’re trying to do it and I think the rewarding thing is as the popularity of the game has grown in that period as well.
"As a staff we all really get on. We all bounce off each other."
