Republic of Ireland manager Vera Pauw admits her family have concerns for her ahead of her return to the United States next month for two friendlies with the Irish women’s team.

auw also agrees with her legal advisor’s assessment that the approach used in the report by the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) into allegations of abuse and wrongdoing in US soccer was “irresponsible”.

Pauw was sanctioned by US soccer authorities after allegations of weight-shaming during her time as Houston Dash coach which was a year before she took over as Republic of Ireland manager in 2019. Pauw strongly denies the accusations and rejects the sanctions.

​Thomas Newkirk – an Iowa-based attorney – is representing Pauw in her fight to clear her name. Last month, he said the approach used by the NWSL in commissioning the report was “irresponsible”.

“Yes, that’s what he said and I can agree with that,” said Pauw, who was a panellist at yesterday’s Sky International Women’s Day. “It was not an investigation, it was a report of people saying and, as I understood with me, it was two players.”

The Republic of Ireland women’s team will continue their preparation for this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup with two friendlies against the defending World Cup champions USA in Texas on April 8 and Missouri on April 11.

Pauw said “not a second” did she hesitate over whether to travel to America.

“My family they ask me, ‘why do you do this to yourself?’ I said I am there to get the players to the World Cup and to have the best preparation for the World Cup. We get this now on a plate, why would I say no? That means I deprive them from getting the best preparation. I’m so proud of the preparation that we have.

“That is the only task that I have on my plate, not to save myself or protect myself so I know that it can be nasty, maybe I will regret after. But I know that people in USA start to think already because I get messages that your name is not in it anymore, they don’t talk about you anymore because they start to hesitate what it is actually about. But we’ll see, I need to be strong and I need to be prepared and I will prepare myself.”

Asked about any “nasty” messages she’s received, Pauw replied: “No, hardly, one or two lunatics. Really one or two, and then mad things, they do it to everybody”.

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At Sky Ireland’s International Women’s Day event is Vera Pauw, Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team Manager, with former players, from left, Linda Gorman, Breda Hanlon, Paula Gorham, Jackie McCarthy O'Brien and Oliva O'Toole. The event was held to launch the return of the ‘Sky WNT Fund’ – a bursary that provides support to WNT players’ academic studies and careers off the pitch. Photo: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
At Sky Ireland’s International Women’s Day event is Vera Pauw, Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team Manager, with former players, from left, Linda Gorman, Breda Hanlon, Paula Gorham, Jackie McCarthy O'Brien and Oliva O'Toole. The event was held to launch the return of the ‘Sky WNT Fund’ – a bursary that provides support to WNT players’ academic studies and careers off the pitch. Photo: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile


At Sky Ireland’s International Women’s Day event is Vera Pauw, Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team Manager, with former players, from left, Linda Gorman, Breda Hanlon, Paula Gorham, Jackie McCarthy O’Brien and Oliva O’Toole. The event was held to launch the return of the ‘Sky WNT Fund’ – a bursary that provides support to WNT players’ academic studies and careers off the pitch. Photo: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

At Sky Ireland’s International Women’s Day event is Vera Pauw, Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team Manager, with former players, from left, Linda Gorman, Breda Hanlon, Paula Gorham, Jackie McCarthy O’Brien and Oliva O’Toole. The event was held to launch the return of the ‘Sky WNT Fund’ – a bursary that provides support to WNT players’ academic studies and careers off the pitch. Photo: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Pauw defended her team’s style of play after recent criticism from former Republic of Ireland player Karen Duggan who said the “current approach leaves me cold” and called for a more ambitious style if Ireland are to get out of their group at the World Cup.

Following Ireland’s 0-0 draw with China in a friendly last month, Duggan wrote that Katie McCabe and Denise O’Sullivan “need to be connected for any form of success to materialise”.

“Of course, I’m a bit disappointed, especially hearing it from a player who has retired. I’m sure if you’ve enough insight in the game you think … hmmm. For example, [Karen wrote) Denise and Katie being too far away from each other. They are probably too close to each other because Denise is literally five metres away from each other. So, actually, it is the opposite.”

Pauw says it’s “fingers crossed” that Leanne Kiernan might be fit in time for the World Cup. Kiernan’s manager at Liverpool, Matt Beard, revealed this week that she will be out for at least another 10 weeks after an ankle injury last September.

“The expectation is the end of April and, yes, it is a very severe injury so we just need to see and monitor. We’re not going to put huge pressure on it because this is an injury if you are a second too early then you can ruin your career,” Pauw said.

“It’s a shame for her personally, first of all, that she’s now out for half a year almost. But for the team, of course, also.”

Pauw is monitoring two new players who will be in line to join the squad ahead of next month’s friendlies.

Three new recruits, Aoife Mannion, Deborah-Anne De La Harpe and Marissa Sheva, made their debuts against China. Pauw has two other players in mind.

“It could be that they enter the camp in USA but could also be if the progress is not in a way that we really expect them to be much better than the others, then we leave it.”