A relaxed Katie McCabe and bullish Vera Pauw set the tone for the Republic of Ireland ahead of a massive showdown with Finland at Tallaght Stadium tonight.
It's simple maths: three points and Ireland are into the World Cup play-offs.
A draw means they'll have to go to Slovakia on Tuesday and win to make absolutely sure of clinching second spot in Group A, while even a defeat to the Finns would not be fatal, considering they face group winners Sweden in their last match.
All these permutations - plus the agonising slip-up in Ukraine two years ago that cost Ireland a place in the Euros play-offs - were thrown at the captain and her manager of the eve of the big game, but both seemed happy to swat the irretrievable past and uncontrollable future away: it's all about the here and now for this improving Irish team.
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"We're relaxed," said McCabe. "We know what’s at stake for us. Each game has been as important as the last one. We’re looking for three points in order to get a play-off position. And since we’ve been here, we’re enjoying each other’s company, catching up over coffees.
"We’re very relaxed but we also know the pressure that is on this game."
"The thing that differs this team from others is they don't fear pressure," Pauw interjected.
"You can’t feel any anxiety in camp. Also on the pitch. They enjoy pressure and the higher the pressure the better they are.
"Also that Ukraine defeat, we all know that we didn’t play bad but there were moments in the game that turned against us.
"At that moment, we played better and after Ukraine we played better. We’re constantly growing because they love that pressure and being in the position that it matters.
"I feel that constantly and that’s why I call them 'the tigers'. They know when to fight and get the result, what is necessary to get the result. The ego of 'what’s my role to get that result?’ is not at all important.
"They don’t show any ego in their behaviour. It’s not about the person but the team. They give everything for the team."
No ego, no nerves, just pure focus. That's been a consistent message from the Ireland camp all week but the proof will come in the pressure cooker of a sold-out Tallaght.
Having stumbled on the home straight in their Euros qualification campaign, there's a crazy hunger to avoid a repeat.
"We’ve learned a lot since that Ukraine game," McCabe added.
"As a team and a group, we’d never been in that position before. We’d never had what was on the line that day. Compare that to now, we’ve grown so much as a team.
"We’ve dissected what happened in Ukraine, what we can do better, how we can improve as a team, and it’s really put us in a good head space to prepare for us for this game.
"Having honest conversations between players and staff, we’ve been very open. We’ve grown as a team. Our mentality has got better. We’re in a much more settled head space. We’ve improved.
"I can feel the atmosphere around the squad and staff. Everybody understands their roles and responsibilities for this game. We’ll just have to be ready to do our jobs 100%."
McCabe has had to watch several of her Arsenal team-mates show off their Euros winners' medals the last couple of weeks as England continue to bask in what was a glorious summer for them.
No jealousy, McCabe insisted, but sampling the atmosphere of such a big event fed her desire to experience it wearing a green jersey.
"Going and seeing your team-mates at the Euros is great, but ultimately you want to lead your team out there at the end of the day.
"And knowing that some of the girls have already qualified, it does create that fire in your belly and have that determination to get your team there and hopefully we can do that with Ireland. It'd be incredible to achieve that with the team and squad.
"I went to a lot of the Euros games, went to a few of the England games to support my team-mates. And obviously, I am delighted for them, delighted for the girls.
"For me it brings that winners’ mentality back into the team. We obviously haven’t won a trophy with Arsenal for a few years and to have those sort of winners to come back into the team, it brings it up a level and brings that extra edge to what we need ahead of the WSL season.
"I had not being to a game as a fan in donkey’s. A lot of the games were on our doorstep, so to actually go to a game and sample the atmosphere. I went to all the Dutch games... went with all the Dutch fans, the atmosphere they were creating before the games.
"It was a great buzz, great for the league and great for women’s football in England and hopefully it keeps growing and here too."
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Follow the Republic of Ireland versus Finland on Thursday (kick-off 7pm) via our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app, watch live coverage on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player, or listen to national radio commentary on RTÉ 2fm.
