THE PLANE WAS approaching the runway. Anna Patten and the other passengers on the flight from Manchester to Dublin were being jolted about the place. It was a bumpy to say the least amid Storm Ashley, which can lead to some existential thoughts.
Let It All Work Out by Lil Wayne was blaring in the Ireland international’s ears.
“We came down, nope . . . straight back up, circled.
“Not great, did not enjoy it. I don’t like flying. I had my music playing loudly and was just trying to be like, ‘You’re fine.’”
I never change, you know I been this bitch
And then she said, ‘Let it all work out.’
Let it all work out, yeah.
Patten was en route for international duty on Sunday, a two-to-three hour delay on the runway in Manchester compounding her travel woe, but she eventually made it to Ireland camp ahead of this week’s Euro 2025 play-off first leg against Georgia.
Her journey was smoother than many of her team-mates’, with delays and cancellations impacting arrivals, but the squad travelled seamlessly to Tbilisi on Tuesday by charter flight.
Eileen Gleeson’s side face the European minnows on Friday evening, before a rematch in Dublin next Tuesday. The winners progress to play-off final against Wales or Slovakia later this year, with Ireland the overwhelming favourites to clear this first hurdle.
They hammered Georgia 20-0 on aggregate in 2023 World Cup qualifying, while 94 places separate them in the Fifa World Rankings.
“We are all coming in knowing they are two must-win fixtures,” Patten, who has featured in all six games since her debut in April, says.
“That’s all we can look at. Previous results don’t matter. They are going to be willing to get to the Euros as much as us. We’ve got to be really ready for these games and not take them lightly.
“We need not to get frustrated. The opportunities will come. We have the forwards who are very capable of finishing the game off. Patience is a big word for us. Two games mean we can learn from the first game and grow, but hopefully we hit the ground running.”
It will be a “different shift” to the so-called Group of Death against France, England and Sweden, which they finished on a high with a monumental 3-1 win over the former at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in July.
“The France result showed everything we learned over the fixtures,” Aston Villa defender Patten continues. “Just being without the ball and learning to accept that pressure. And how we can defend in those scenarios as a team, and when we do regain the ball being really efficient.
“There are connections growing on the pitch and everyone is understanding each other’s roles. We can take confidence from beating France and take it forward.”
Onwards on their journey to qualify for their first-ever European Championships in Switzerland next summer.
“It’s a massive target. It’s really hard because you try your best not to look ahead but at Villa we had to do IDPs [Individual Development Plans] for the season and I made that one of my goals.
“It’s something I want to do this season. Since the last camp we know it is something we want to achieve.”
Patten’s Swiss team-mate at Villa, Noelle Maritz, has further whet the appetite. “I was just talking to her about what the buzz around the Euros is like, and she was saying there is stuff up already and all the tickets are already sold out,” she concludes.
“It is sounding like an unbelievable tournament. We really want to be part of that.”
Will it all work out? Here’s hoping.
