After, Northern Ireland faced England Women in the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers in front of a record crowd a week ago, all focus shifted onto the home sides manager Kenny Shiels.
The 65-year-old made some controversial and sexist comments about women.
The comments came shortly after his Northern Ireland side conceded four second half goals in their overall 5-0 defeat to England meaning their qualification process was over. They are not going to the World Cup.
Shiels said: “I felt [England] were struggling a wee bit at times to open us up until the psychology of going 2-0 up in the women’s game.
“I’m sure you will have noticed if you go through the patterns – when a team concedes a goal, they concede a second one in a very, very short space of time.
“[It happens] right through the whole spectrum of the women’s game, because girls and women are more emotional than men. So, they take a goal going in not very well.”
The Irish man was slammed by ex female and male professional footballers including Ian Wright and ex England goalkeeper Siobhan Chamberlain for the line “women are more emotional than men”.
Women’s football correspondent for The Daily Mail Kathryn Batte said: “I was surprised he made those comments.
“It wasn’t something he was asked about which made it slightly stranger. I didn’t agree with them at the time and still don’t. Having looked into his argument, I’ve seen nothing to back up his claims. I am not sure why he felt the need to make them, it was a very bizarre post-match press conference all round.
A few days after making the comments Shiels had a meeting with the Irish FA.
Following the meeting the Irish man immediately apologised for his comments.
Also Northern Ireland captain Marissa Callaghan issued a statement, in which she said: “we (the squad) collectively stand by our manager.”
Shiels has also been backed by the Irish FA so he will continue to be the Northern Ireland Women manager for the foreseeable future.
Batte added: “I was expecting the Northern Ireland players to back Kenny Shiels. He’s very popular with the squad and they have achieved a lot together.
“I think in terms of the team, it might work in their favour as something like this could bring them closer together. In the wider context, they may have felt differently about the comments had it been someone else saying them. But I can understand why they have stood by him.”
Women’s football fans have argued that Shiels was being slightly controversial with his comments as he could have made them as he was emotional over the fact his side failed to qualify for the World Cup next year.
Making men and women both emotional not one more than the other.
Batte said: “Shiels probably was speaking slightly emotionally himself. He has a history of making controversial remarks after games and perhaps needs more time to gather his thoughts before speaking.”
The comments made by Kenny Shiels show that male managers in charge of women’s football teams must be careful in terms of what they say either while in charge or before taking charge of women’s sides.
As sometimes these managers come from a male football background and certain comments can offend people without knowing, like Shiels’ did.
Batte concluded: “I think any man working in women’s football has to be careful in how they speak and conduct themselves because most will have come from a men’s football background, which is very different to the women’s game.
“But I think most are careful already. There are some brilliant male managers working in the women’s game – Marc Skinner, Jonas Eidevall, Gareth Taylor etc.”
Sporty AF 