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Preview: Ireland look to stay in their happy place

Diane Caldwell (R) with Kyra Carusa in training
Diane Caldwell (R) with Kyra Carusa in training

The Republic of Ireland are the best team in League B Group 1 of the inaugural UEFA Women's Nations League.

The wins are coming easily, the goals are flowing freely and after the drawn-out departure of Vera Pauw, the atmosphere is serene.

It sounds like heaven - but this is purgatory. And the Girls in Green will not be here for long.

If Ireland beat Albania at Tallaght Stadium tonight and then turn them over again in the return fixture on Tuesday, there's a possibility they will win the group with two games to spare.

That would means they'd be promoted to League A, where the top 16 teams in Europe reside. It would also secure a hugely significant safety net in the form of a guaranteed place in the Euro 2025 play-offs.

The Nations League feeds directly into the qualification process for the tournament, with Ireland - assuming they do win the group - going into a four-team group, which will be drawn in the spring.

They will play each team in that group twice. The top two get a ticket to the Euros; third and fourth head for the play-offs.

Those games will be difficult. The new year is sure to bring tense, high-stakes football against the cream of the crop.

All the more reason then to enjoy the relatively stress-free conditions of this current terrain; a landscape where Ireland are unquestionably top of the food chain.

Vera Pauw was staunchly against the introduction of a Nations League in the women's game. She believed it would stunt the progress of the smaller countries as they'd struggle to improve sufficiently if they were only playing teams around their own level.

"The top teams will go away from the rest and stop the game's development," the former Ireland coach warned.

But for Ireland, this competition has been a sanctuary. Pauw prepared them for the World Cup by playing the strongest sides possible, a form of tough love that was effective but draining.

They probably needed a few morale-boosting days at the office against weaker opposition after Pauw's exit and the autumn has provided it. This double-header with Albania, ranked 72nd in the world, should offer further tonic approaching winter time, when the FAI will whittle down their 12-person shortlist to settle on a permanent successor to Pauw.

Republic of Ireland interim manager Eileen Gleeson

"Look there's a process going on and Marc [Canham, the director of football] is leading the process," said interim boss Eileen Gleeson.

"I'm heavily involved in the communication around that and I don't have the final details for you here but I'm in constant communication around what the process is, what's happening with it each day."

Gleeson again crushed any talk of her being in the running for the post, with her long-term focus on her role as the FAI's head of women's and girls' football.

The former Glasgow City and Peamount United manager has done a good job over the last two months alongside a canny backroom team that includes Emma Byrne and Colin Healy and admits she's enjoying it immensely. But she's tasked with looking after the here and now and won't be in the dugout come the new year.

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It will be a landmark night for Diane Caldwell, who looks certain to win her 100th cap. The Balbriggan defender was scathingly critical of Pauw in September, going so far so to claim "the results, performances that we got, were in spite of Vera being coach".

Her assessment divided public opinion, but Caldwell is held in very high esteem within the camp.

"I've huge respect for Diane," said Denise O'Sullivan. "What she’s done for women’s football in Ireland is absolutely huge and Diane is a person you want in the squad, I think.

"As Eileen says, she’s patriotic, she absolutely loves playing for her country so she’s always been a really good example to me. The biggest thing is just how she, every single day she’s just a professional and I’ve looked up to Diane for a long time now. But yeah, she’s unbelievable."

Gleeson wouldn't confirm that Caldwell will start tonight but it would be odd if she doesn't, given the veteran got the nod in last month's wins over Northern Ireland and Hungary.

Megan Campbell is back in the fold

Megan Campbell makes a welcome return to the panel after missing out on the World Cup due to injury, while Sinead Farrelly is also back in the mix. The elegant midfielder missed the September window due to a back issue, though eyebrows were raised when she lined out for her club Gotham FC 24 hours after Ireland's defeat of the North.

The FAI would later clarify that Farrelly had been advised that a transatlantic flight would worsen back spasms she had been enduring.

Her presence is heartening. Farrelly is such a quality operator, and if she does start tonight, her poise and vision will be handy weapons. Albania will defend stoutly but expect them to try and play a bit of ball too.

"They appear to have a very clear playing philosophy," said Gleeson. "They like to play out from the back and trying to build up. They have some really good players specifically the ten and the wide right winger.

"So they've got a lot of opportunity to exploit us if we are not 100%."

They might weave a few patterns and enjoy some bright spells but, barring a catastrophic outing, this will likely be a routine Ireland victory.

If any of the players involved tonight need any extra motivation to impress, they need only take a glance at the list of injured absentees. Niamh Fahey, Aoife Mannion, Ruesha Littlejohn, Claire Walsh, Tara O'Hanlon, Jess Ziu and Leanne Kiernan are all missing and doubtless eyeing the December window to get back in.

Any opportunity to stake a claim for the jersey must be seized ruthlessly. As long as Ireland do that, they'll stay in their happy place.

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Watch Republic of Ireland v Albania in UEFA Nations League on Friday from 5.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to live radio commentary on 2fm's Game On from 5.40pm

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