Vera Pauw says Ireland won’t fear either Scotland or Austria in next month’s World Cup play-off - and she has billed the match as yet another final.
Pauw was speaking on Friday morning as she named a 28-strong squad for the decisive clash on October 11.
Both sides are ranked just ahead of Ireland by FIFA - and the winner of their match will have home advantage despite the superior Irish results in qualifying.
Pauw said: “This team is not afraid, we know how strong they are, we are realistic, it will be very, very tough but we will be ready again.”
Ireland’s run to the play-offs has seen them turn in outstanding performances and results home and away to Finland, away in Sweden and last month in Slovakia.
Pauw billed each of those matches as ‘finals’ - and the play-off is going to get the same billing.
“We started three years ago with a team that really wanted to achieve, that wanted to make a difference,” she said.
“We grew to a team that now is absolutely determined to go to the edge to get a result, and I think that that is what we showed.
“Against Sweden, for example, nobody would give us a chance but they did not feel that at all.
“They went on the pitch to win, and of course, doing that in a way that is realistic so that it's growing our chances.
“And therefore nobody's afraid of Austria or Scotland, although we do know how strong they are - if you look at their selected players and the clubs beside them, you know how strong they are.
“But we will prepare in the same way. It's another final, like it was against Finland, like it was against Slovakia.
“And we saw Sweden also as a final, because we needed a point to get to the next stage.
“We were calculating already back then, everything to get a point. And we could have won because of that approach.
Pauw has recalled Niamh Fahey, Jamie Finn, Niamh Farrelly, Roma McLaughlin, Isibeal Atkinson and Kyra Carusa ahead of the trip to either Glasgow or St Polken.
Injuries rule out Savannah McCarthy, Megan Connolly, Ruesha Littlejohn, Ellen Molloy, Aoife Colvill and Leanne Kiernan.
She said of Fahey’s return: “That's fantastic. And especially because we're missing so many players. We're very happy.
“She played against Chelsea, a phenomenal game and that, of course, that really helps to boost our confidence that we can handle this.”
Pauw bemoaned the injury to Liverpool striker Kiernan, saying: “It happened before. She’s on the point of getting through, and then something happens.
“It’s so unfortunate. I feel so sorry for her. This tackle was coming from behind, I’ve seen it maybe 20 times.
“I went through it and through it, but I couldn’t change anything. But I wanted to know what happened. It’s so unfortunate.
“I’ve never seen her so sharp and so direct as in the last camp.
“You could see it in the play. Against Sweden, she came on and she only went into midfield, there was no impact.
“Now she came on, the way that we wanted her to play, she was going for it and she made a difference.”
The Irish boss will send three members of her coaching staff to Glasgow for the October 6 clash between Scotland and Austria.
Asked if she had a preference, she replied: “It’s two completely different styles of play. We need to prepare differently for each team.
“They are more or less on an equal level. Scotland is more a game that we know.
“Austria is more a continental game, very well structured, they hardly give anything away.
“But on the other hand Scotland is more direct, more pushing forward and getting more pressure on us.
“Both are very, very difficult. We’ll need to have the best game of our lives.”Republic of Ireland squad:
Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (Reading), Megan Walsh (Brighton & Hove Albion), Eve Badana (DLR Waves)
Defenders: Harriet Scott (Birmingham City), Claire O'Riordan (Celtic), Diane Caldwell (Reading), Louise Quinn (Birmingham City), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Hayley Nolan (London City Lionesses), Chloe Mustaki (Bristol City), Megan Campbell (Liverpool), Áine O’Gorman (Peamount United)
Midfielders: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Jamie Finn (Birmingham City), Ciara Grant (Hearts), Lily Agg (London City Lionesses), Niamh Farrelly (Parma), Roma McLaughlin (Central Connecticut University), Jess Ziu (West Ham United), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City), Isibeal Atkinson (West Ham United)
Forwards: Heather Payne (Florida State University), Amber Barrett (FFC Turbine Potsdam), Abbie Larkin (Shelbourne), Saoirse Noonan (Durham WFC), Kyra Carusa (HB Hoge)
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