Last July, in the lobby of the team hotel in Brisbane, then Republic of Ireland manager Vera Pauw laid out her reasons for playing five at the back ahead of the World Cup group game against Canada.
"We have fantastic defenders but they are not the quickest," she said. "If you don't have cover, then you will get five or six one-v-ones to the goalkeeper every half."
Ireland would go on to lose the game 2-1, and a few weeks later, Pauw's time in charge ended as the FAI decided against renewing her contract.
There was a deep feeling within the squad that Pauw's tactics were stifling their potential; that a more progressive coach could liberate the team and allow them to go to another level.
Enter Eileen Gleeson, who oversaw six UEFA Nations League wins out of the six to earn the gig on a permanent basis.
Diane Caldwell and Louise Quinn have flourished in Gleeson's expansive system, neither being exposed in a higher line, albeit against relatively weak opposition in Northern Ireland, Hungary and Albania.
On Friday night, Niamh Fahey - another of the defensive old guard that played at the World Cup - had her first taste of life under Gleeson when she started against world No 14-ranked Italy in Florence. By the end of the evening the 36-year-old Galwegian was holding the player-of-the-match award having shone in an entertaining stalemate.
Were Pauw's concerns about pace a little overstated?
"I suppose she was always worried about the lack of pace at the back, but I have never had pace my whole career," Fahey said.
"It is not the one thing you need to be able to play football. If you read the game well, and are reading triggers, it is not the be all and end all. There are plenty of players who don’t have pace.
"We did well and we held [the line] a bit higher. It is nothing against Vera [or having] a point to prove, it's just a different approach and a different formation and it is up to us to go and perform it, if the coaching staff believe we can do it."
"It is a high performance, elite set-up and it is where it should be."
Fahey has endured a frustrating road to recovery after a bad calf injury left her sidelined for a few months after the World Cup. She's made an impressive return to action with Liverpool in the Women's Super League and now has her sights set on nailing down a spot with Ireland ahead of the Euro 2025 qualifiers, which begin in April.
"I have really enjoyed it," she said of her week in camp. "The whole set-up is so professional, so impressed from the first day that I came in. Obviously I missed the Nations League, but I'm so impressed with the whole set-up.
"It is a high performance, elite set-up and it is where it should be. I'm delighted to be part of it, at the minute."
A good night could have been even better had Leanne Kiernan's 74th-minute goal stood. The offside flag went up just as her close-range finish hit the net, though replays suggested that was a harsh decision.
Kiernan missed a huge chunk of last season with an ankle issue. She did return in time to feature in a pre-World Cup friendly against Zambia, but Pauw was not convinced the attacker was sharp enough to make the plane.
Fahey knows better than most just how hard her Liverpool teammate has grafted to get back in the reckoning for club and country.
"I'm so delighted that Leanne is back on the pitch, feeling good and back to herself," she said.
"She was so unlucky, I don’t know if it was offside or not, but it was a great finish, and also a great counter-attacking move and a great ball by Amber [Barrett].
"But for Leanne... she has had a really tough time with injury and I am just so happy that she is back to her level. Obviously she is still building up her minutes but she is a massive plus to have at Liverpool and Ireland.
"She just needs a run of form and a bit of good luck and be injury-free, and hopefully that is behind her and she can push on because she has so much talent and the impact she makes is unbelievable. I am delighted for Leanne."
